Last week I started with a new client who, in addition to being a gym rat, just so happened to be a multisport athlete. As I was explaining the results of her movement assessment, I started to describe to her how her sessions would flow. I explained that the first 5 minutes would be spent foam rolling. “If you get to the studio early, go for a little longer”, I told her. “Next we might hit a few static stretches for our lats, pecs and hip flexors, but we’ll usually move to more of a dynamic stretch; walking knee grabs, leg cradles, butt kicks, toy soldiers, knee drives for ankle mobility, things like that”. I then said, “We’ll follow that up with activation exercises for both upper and lower body.” “Last we’ll do some bodyweight moves; lunges, squats, push-ups, etc.” “Then,”  I said, “We’ll get to the resistance training portion of our workout.”

She looked at me and said, “Wait a minute, we’ve pretty much done a workout by the time I’ve done that much.” “I’m only actually ‘working out’ for 30-40 minutes by the time we’re done with all that”. “That’s right,” I said. I’m pretty she’ll thank me for it later.

Some people might look at my method and say that I’m wasting my client’s time. To that I say, “It depends.” If they can get to the studio early, know their routine, and can knock-it-out before their session, then yes, we can spend more time putting in work during the session. However, if a client shows-up to a session ice cold from a day of sitting behind a desk, the last thing that I’m going to do is let them grab a kettlebell as soon as they walk in the door.

Think about it this way; consider that your body was a finely tuned race car. Prior to running the car in a race, you would expect that the pit crew would check under the hood to make sure that all of the bolts and belts were tight. Then the driver would take the car for a couple of laps around the track before coming back to the pit to confirm that all systems were a go.

My client is that race car and all we’re doing is making sure that all systems are good to go before we put them out there to race. Luckily, I didn’t come up with all of this myself. This is the norm now-a-days in the strength and conditioning world with gyms like MBSC (Mike Boyle – Mass.), Train 4 The Game (Todd Wright –Austin Texas) and Results Fitness (Alwyn and Rachel Cosgrove – Calif.) leading the way in showing people how to workout, before the workout. They’ve shown that doing so not only helps reduce the risk of injury, but it also may lead to quicker results as they are able to perform better during their sessions.

So the next time you hit the gym and head straight for the squat rack, I want you to stop and ask yourself, “Are all of my systems good to go.” If not, take the time to really get fired-up before you put your body out on that race track.

Good Luck!

This past weekend I had the opportunity to participate in my first “multi-sport” event, the Prospect Park Duathlon in Brooklyn, New York.  I’ve done numerous biking events but I’ve never done a multi-sport event or even a running event for that matter.  I won’t lie, it wasn’t easy, but I finished and in the process I learned a few things about myself, my training and how I can help my clients reach their goals.

For this race, I chose to do the classic duathlon distance, which was a 3.1 mile (5K) run, then a 14 mile bike ride, then another 3.1 mile run.  Little did I know that the 5k route was packed with hills, lots of big hills.  “Not to worry I thought, “I’ll pace myself and run my race.”  Two miles into the run, and on the second of two major hills, I started to second guess my decision to wake up at 5am on a Saturday morning to drive an hour simply to torture myself.  Again, “not to worry,” I thought, “what doesn’t kill me will only make me stronger.”   I made it through the first run and onto the bike only to find that the hills had done a number on my otherwise strong bike legs.  But even with a stiff headwind around most of the course I dug deep and pulled out a decent ride.  Then it was on to the second run and those damn hills again.

It was during the second run that it really hit me… the pain that is. When I thought about stopping for a second to let my legs catch up, a little voice in my head said, “Don’t stop…..keep running….how bad do you want it?”  By this time I was well out of any chance to place or win an award.  To me it was a matter of proving to myself, not anyone else, that I could do whatever I set my mind to, no limits.  So I picked up the pace and headed up the first hill and then the second.  I eventually arrived at the finish line in one piece, tired but proud of what I was able to accomplish.  It wasn’t the Ironman in Hawaii, but it was something.

We often underestimate or fail to recognize the power of our mind.  Keeping what motivates you fresh in your mind and staying positive is often enough to get you through something that you perceive to be hard or difficult.  I try to do this with my clients all the time when they’re having a rough day or it’s a hard workout.  I remind them of that wedding that they’re in 2 months from now or that trip to Vegas in another month.  That’s usually enough to pep them up until the end of the workout and beyond.  This applies not only to sports and working out, but to life in general.

So find a goal that stretches you, keep in fresh in your mind, stay positive and you can achieve anything you put your mind to. 

PS.  I’ve already signed up for my second race in the same park in May so that I can beat my time

If you live in, work in or just visit New York City, this is a great resource for healthy eating! 

A few months ago, author and nutritionist Jared Koch came to share the Clean Plates 2011 book with our group of trainers.  Unlike other restaurant guides, Clean Plates 2011 takes the time (almost 50 pages) to go over dieting, what to eat and why.  The book then gets into a review of tons of places to eat ranging from Chipolte to Gramercy Tavern.

For more information check out Clean Plates 2011 by clicking on the book cover.

Sticking with the “do and don’t” theme, today’s topic is about changing it up. Keeping your body adapting and responding to a new or different challenge is what it’s all about.

Don’t: Do the same routine, the same reps and the same weight over and over

Do: Change routines and progress the level of difficulty (sets, reps, weight etc).

In the fitness world we have a lot of guiding principles. The two principles of interest for today are the Overload Principle and “SAID” principle. The Overload principle in a nut shell states that a greater than normal amount of stress on the body is required for training based adaptations to occur. The SAID (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands) principle, on the other hand, asserts that the body, will adapt specifically to the demands placed on it.

Alright Kelvin, so what does it all mean? Plain and simple, if you want to see results from your exercise routine you need to be constantly changing the demands placed on your body for results to occur. For instance, if you do a workout with your 5 favorite exercises, in the beginning you may see some results. However, over time your body will adapt to that amount of stress and as a result it will eventually not need to change. This is what we all know as the “plateau”. To break through that plateau, make sure that you’re keeping your body adapting by changing the workout.

There are a number of really easy ways to change things up. For example, we could take that same workout of our 5 favorite exercises and turn it into multiple workouts simply by changing the number of repetitions, the weights we use and the number of sets we do. The amount of weight, number of reps and number of sets that you actually do will depend on your overall goals. We’ll talk about this more in a later post, but just know that if you’re looking to trim down 2-3 sets of 12-20 repetitions, with not too much rest between sets is a good place to start.

Another way to change things up is by changing the tools that you use. For example, we can use machines, bands, barbells, dumbbells, Kettlebells all of which can act on the body in slightly different ways. Changing the complexity and stability required are great ways as well. Think of a squat done on the floor versus a squat standing on a BOSU ball (BOSU stands for BOth Sides Utilized in case you were wondering). In this case a simple change in your base of support can make the same exercise much harder.

So keep finding ways to keep your routines changing and you’ll start to see results that last.

Good Luck!

If you want to burn more calories in less time, build more muscular endurance and simply get stronger, learn to use a Kettlebell.  Kettlebells are one of my favorite tools in the gym.  A basic move like a simple swing helps develop strength throughout the hip complex, challenges core strength and stability and gets your heart rate going.  More complex moves like the “Turkish get up” challenge strength and stability throughout the entire body.  Kettlebells can be used in seamless multi-directional training routines like the squat/multi-directional lunge complex in this video.  That’s why I think they’re awesome tools for sport and functional training. 

Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting some kettlebell circuits for endurance athletes that I’m using to prepare for my first duathlon (run/bike/run) in March, so stay tuned.  Until then get to a gym to find a good kettlebell coach and add them to your fitness program!

This Weeks Functional Training Circuit: (this one’s harder than it looks) 1. Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat Holding one Kettle bell, 2) Single Arm Dumbbell Row, 3) Single Arm Chest Press, Up/Down Planks.  Both the row and the chest press will integrate the core into the movement.  If you’re up for a challenge do all for without stopping, 3 sets and 15 repetitions on each side.  Good Luck

“It’s almost impossible to out train a poor diet.” This is a great quote that I once heard during a presentation on fat loss. The only reason they used the word “almost” is because there is a very small part of the population that can eat like crap and do enough to burn it off. For the vast majority of us though that’s not the case. It’s easier than we think to wipe out an entire 2 hour workout in one meal. If your goals include losing weight or toning up you must acknowledge and accept that what you eat, how much you eat and when you eat can have a huge effect on your fitness results. The first step to addressing this issue might not be to jump right into a diet. Instead take a second to see what exactly needs to be fixed. For one week try writing down everything that you eat and drink, the times that you eat and where you eat (be it home or at a restaurant). Doing this will do two things. First, writing down what you eat makes you more mindful and conscious of what you’re eating. You can also start to identify trends that may affect your fitness results. Eating out too often or eating a lot late at night are too good examples. Not drinking enough water is another. Look to so see where the problems are first then attack them. Try this for one week and then ask yourself “what can I change or do better”. And be honest with yourself, the truth shows up in your results. Good Luck! 

Most of you may be thinking, just what the heck is a foam roller anyway?  If you are one of my clients you have almost certainly been introduced to one.  For everyone else I’ll try to keep the explanation as simple as possible. A foam roller is nothing more than a solid tube usually 6 inches in diameter and 1 to 3 feet long.  They are usually made of pressed foam but can be made of PVC pipe that’s covered with foam.

The technique applied in using a foam roller is called “Self Myofascial Release.”  Simply put, it’s a way to place pressure on a trigger point (or knot) in your muscles in a way that will trigger a sequence of interactions that will inevitably allow your muscles to relax.  A good analogy would be when you go to get a back massage and the masseuse finds a knot in your back.  That masseuse applies some form of pressure to that knot to get it to go away.  The foam roller does the same thing.

For those who want the technical side of foam rolling the term for what happens during this process is “Autogenic Inhibition”.   Applying pressure to a knot sends a signal to the GTO (Golgi Tendon Organ) which then sends a signal to the Muscle Spindle to tell the muscle to relax.  This is the primary reason that it’s important to hold a stretch or the foam roller on a tight spot for at least 30 seconds.  The communication between the GTO and Muscle Spindle takes time so if you don’t hold it long enough it will not be as effective.

Foam Rolling along with regular stretching will bring muscles back to their proper length and decrease distortions in movement.  There are a lot of good resources out there for foam rolling via Google.  The following below is for an instructional video from Eric Cressy, a well known professional in the sports performance and conditioning field.  Take a look to see how it’s done (www.youtube.com/watch?v=8caF1Keg2XU).

You can purchase a foam roller at most sporting good stores; however I’ve found the quality of those rollers to be lacking.  I would recommend checking out the PB Elite Foam Rollers  from Perform Better.com.  They are high quality and reasonably priced at $10 for the small roller and $23 for the larger roller (click on the words “PB Elite Foam Roller”  above for the direct link to Performbetter.com. 

Good Luck!

The idea for today’s blog post came to me as I shoveled my mother-in-laws Honda Civic out of the snow.  As I shoveled without getting tired or feeling aches and pains in my back or arms, I was able to appreciate the change I have made in my training routines to focus more on functional strength.

Simply put, Functional Training is exercises done in a way that prepares the body for daily life.  While almost everyone comes into the gym with the goal of trimming down, toning up or building muscle, underneath those goals is the desire to not hurt your back when you lift a box or not twist your knee when you change direction.   Some of us may want to just run around after the kids or grand kids without getting hurt.

I see people come to the gym and work one muscle group at a time. They go from bicep curls, to the triceps rope press and then to the leg extension machine.  While training individual muscle groups has some purpose when it comes to rehabilitation or for aesthetics, training the body to be functional should be the cornerstone of any training routine.

Functional training also prepares athletes for the physical demands of their specific sport.  A triathlete, for example, needs to address the demands of swimming, biking and running all in one sport.  For the triathlete, a strong core, balance, and stability, unilateral strength and coordination between the upper and lower body are crucial.   You will not gain all of these by sitting at a bicep curl machine.  A triathlete needs a routine centered on core strength, unilateral movement, and neuromuscular control (training the nervous system for balance and stability).

Bottom line, functional training, in almost every case, can get you to these aesthetic goals that everyone is looking to reach.  So if you can have both a flat stomach and a properly functioning body, why not go for it? 

This week I’ll be posting videos of some of my favorite functional exercises along with a brief write up on why I like them.  If you have a question on functional training or training in general, I encourage you to ask.

Good Luck!