Monthly Archives: December 2011
Keys to Progress – Installment #4
Since my last installment here regarding Joey’s KTP program, we had to make a few changes.
#1) Joey had a minor set back for a week as he over did it a little while recreating with his dog, Jake and left his hip flexor of his left leg a little questionable for a few days so we took a 10 day layoff from training the squat. Joey still came in and trained very hard with the rest of his workout. He is back on track now with his squats and accelerating through the poundages each workout.
#2) As suspected, Joey became more efficient at his exercises (especially the squat) and his level of intensity has climbed dramatically – and so have his weights and even his bodyweight which, in the past, NEVER moved. Best of all, Joe has increased his squat poundage by TWO & HALF TIMES for 20 reps!!!
#3) Since Joey is training harder and more efficiently, we had to make adjustments to his workouts. We took some movements away (the deadlift, for instance was cutting into his overall recovery) and doing chins & dips each workout was extremely challenging. To allow for greater muscular and systemic recovery (and some added element of variety), we have settled on the following:
Day 1: Squat – Machine Pullover – Standing Barbell Curl – Standing Barbell Military Press – Dumbbell Shrug
Day 2: Squat – Dips – Chins – Crunch
So far, every workout Joey has gone up in weight and/or reps. Our original goal on the squat 6 weeks ago has already been SMASHED and we are shooting for another, loftier goal – especially since he has the next 4 weeks off from college and can really focus more on his training and eating.
More good stuff to come…..
Organic Grass Fed Meat
There is no doubt that organic, grass fed meat is healthier than commercial grade meats. There are no pesticides, hormones, grains or steriods. The cows are naturally raised on organic land eating grass, they aren’t not brutally slaughtered, they have healthier essential fats, the protein source is better and the taste is phenominal. Personally, since I’ve switched to OGFB, I expereince no joint pain as I did when I ate commercial grade meats. I can consume more food with easier digestion and enjoy the fattier cuts with better health benefits. Those who eat a Paleo style diet especially will benefit from eating these meats (anyone looking for more information on the Paleo or “non grain” Diet should contact me).
To purchase organic grass fed meat, poultry, dairy and wild fish, I highly recommend SLANKERS. Their food, pricing and service are outstanding.
Goals and Your Health & Fitness
So it’s closing in on the the New Year and you’ve probably have made (or will soon make) the very common resolution most people make which is to take better care of your health. Well, that’s good, but a resolution is only the starting point because what you really need to do is establish GOALS!
Goal setting is very important in making progress in your health and fitness. Aimlessly going to the gym and going through the motions is not a foundation for making progress. You must “Train With a Purpose”. When you are not purposeful, your enthusiasm starts to wane, improvement is little if any and you end up quitting…no big surprise there. Not having goals is the equivalent to getting in the car and driving…but not having a destination or a plan. Now sometimes that can be good and even exciting, but not on a constant basis.
Think about this: How can you formulate a plan without a goal? You cant, really. Goals create motivation. Goals create focus. Goals keep you in check. So the key is to evaluate your current situation and make a realistic long term goal with short term goals as stepping stones to your ultimate achievement.
So where do you start? Again, evaluate your current health and fitness situation and establish a worth while goal that isn’t easily attainable but yet not ridiculously out of reach. It would serve very little purpose other than setting yourself up for failure to ask the impossible of yourself; conversely, setting goals to low leaves you in the same sinking boat of making little if any improvement.
So how does one go about setting a goal for their exercise program? Well, for some, it can be something as basic as setting goals to actually work out a specific number of times a week/month. For others, it can be completing a certain amount of pushups, reducing their 1-mile run time by 30 seconds or achieve a specific body fat percentage. The key is to create something challenging for yourself and stay motivated and “go after it” because just sitting around isn’t going to do much for you.
Enhance Your Fitness Through Flexibility
Let’s Talk Energy Drinks
There seems to be more news lately related to energy drinks and their unheathy contributions to those who consume them. I spoke out about these drinks about 5 years ago in a published article in Coach and Athletic Director – you can read of the dangers in my article – keeping in mind this is before they really started to spin out of control…..http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FIH/is_10_76/ai_n27399031/
Holiday Stress
HOLIDAY STRESS!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone has some type of stress around the holidays – shopping for presents, going to parties, planning meals, having family members to your house you’d rather not see 
and the list goes on and on. So what’s a person to do? Well, the first thing most people do during these times when stress is higher is actually add to their stress unknowingly and they do this by skipping the exercise program. HUH? Who has time to exercise when you’re busy and stressed and how does NOT working out contribute to your stress? Simple, there are some trmendous things that happen to the body, mind and spirit on many, many molecular and conscious levels and fitting in some exercise time enables a person to de-stress.
Do yourself a favor next time you think or feel you’re too stressed, go for a walk, jump rope, do some pushups, run up and down stairs, doe whatever you can to get physical and see if it doesn’t help deal with the holiday season a little better.
Keys to Progress – Installment #3
Joey started his current program on November 14, 2011. As of his last workout (November 29, 2011) Joey has made the following gains:
Squat: up 25lbs in the squat.
Machine Pullover: up 5 reps
Dips: up 5lbs
Chins: up 5lbs
Shoulder Press: up 5lbs
Machine Deadlift: up 4 reps
Not bad for 5 workouts in the last 15 days.
More to come…..
MMA Training
No, not that kind of MMA (mixed martial arts), I’m referring to the type of strength training whereby you work within your Momentary Muscular Ability. Allow me to explain….see, most strength-based/resistance types of training are based on performing a set with a specific amount of repetitions , percentage of maximum effort or even a time continuum, but training to your momentary muscular ability is different. By definition, training to one’s momentary muscular ability means that an exercise is not terminated until it is physically impossible to perform another repetition in good form (“good form” being a post all its own). This has nothing to do with the amount of weight, the repetitions performed or even the modality being used, it’s about working as hard as you can on the exercise and not stopping until you physically cannot get another good rep in proper form. Interesting enough is taking a set to one’s MMA is one of the (if not THE) best ways to build muscle, endurance and cardiorespiratory fitness. This opens a lot for interpretation so I will provide my take on it. If a person trains and does not perform to their previous best due to a bad nights sleep, poor nutrition or personal stress for example, they can still benefit from working to MMA. Let’s say you go for a run prior to your training and your legs are fatigued so when you perform your leg presses you may not get as many reps as you had previously but if you work as hard as you can and work within your momentary muscular ability – you still can benefit greatly from the effort.
Take a look at an example of working to one’s Momentary Muscular Ability. http://www.youtube.com/user/FredFornicola#p/c/D60E5DD8D6EFBF2E/6/HPLBRl7lZis
