The Best Thing You're NOT Doing For Your Body

   For the most part, everyone knows that they should warm up before starting an exercise routine.  Maybe you already knew that but you just don't do it; maybe you just hop on the treadmill for 5 minutes and then go ahead and hit the heavy squats; or maybe you didn't know you were even supposed to warm up, in which case you can just fake like you did since you already read this far into the blog post.

   To me, warming up means that I'm priming my muscles to perform at their maximum potential.  Why would I want them to perform at any other level?  With that being said, if you jumped out of your seat right now and jogged in place for about 3-5 minutes, do you think you would be able lift heavy weights or play a pick up game of basketball at your body's maximum potential?

  Really?  You who has been sitting with terrible posture for the past 45 mins (at least). 

  Although performing a well thought out dynamic warm-up is probably the best way to warm up (and probably a good topic for a future post), you can do something much simpler (and shorter) in order to get your body primed and ready to work!

  Enter the foam roll.

  It doesn't look like much but spending 5 minutes or so with the foam roll can drastically improve your workouts and help you get the most from your muscles.  Think about how you probably feel right now hunched over your keyboard.   Your lower back and upper backprobably feel tight.  With that your hip is tight and probably feels like it's got a little knot in it.  How do we "iron out" these issuse fast and effectively?  It's called self myofascial release.

  Think deep tissue massage.  We are going to use the foam roll and roll over these tight, knotted up areas so our bodies can move effectively.  You see, not only do our muscles need to be flexible, or have enough length, to move well but the quality of our muscle tissue also has to be good.  How much better can you move your head around after someone gives you a nice neck/shoulder rub to work out the knots?  We're looking for the same results with other larger areas of our bodies.

  So for me, I always like to start a workout by foam rolling my lower body and lower to mid back.  Once I find a tender area, I make 5 long, sweeping rolls and then move to the next area.  You can see me go through my progression here. 

  Like all exercise's, using this method will feel better the more you do it.  So make foam rolling a consistant part of your warm up routine and start getting more from your body.  If you really love it, which I know you will, you can pick up one of these bad boy's for about $10 bucks and your local sporting goods store.

A Case for Legs, Part 3!

  It's finally here!  The much anticipated 3rd installment of " A Case for Legs" series is finally here for your viewing pleasure.  Visit our Youtube page for a video playlist of different squat and deadlift variations that you can add to your training program today! 
Along with each video is a written explaination on how to correctly perform each movement.   For a deadlift variation, see video's labeled pull through's, dumbell swing, single leg romanian deadlift, and barbell deadlift.  For squat variations, see video's labled sit to stand, forward lunge, ball squat, jump squats, and front barbell squat.

Also, take some time to view all our video's, as we have much more updated content that may or may not be of interest to you.

Let me know what you think of each exercise, or if you have some exercises you would like to share. 

Have fun!

5 Habits of Succesful Gym Go-ers

  Fact is, all gym go-ers are not alike.  There are reasons why some people reach (and surpass) their goals, while others don't.  Sure, I could ramble on and on about what exercises you should be doing, how many reps and sets, what recovery drink you should consume after your workout, how much cardio you should be doing, and so on.  Instead I have listed 5 of the most important habits, in my opinion, succesful gym members should posses if you hope to better your body and your overall health.

So here we go!

Habit # 1:  A well written exercise program/routine.

   What happens when you go to the grocery store without a list?  You end up buying a lot of crap you don't need right?  I'm sure the family sized tub of Haagen Dazs really was a steal.

   People that go to the gym without planning what exercises they are going to do that day are wasting their time.  You can normally spot these people huddled around a television set, circling around the gym floor, or doing 18 sets of bicep curls.  To be able to improve your body, you MUST have a routine that addresses your goals and weaknesses.  You should also be carrying this program around with you and writing down the weights you used, how many reps and sets you completed, and how much rest you had inbetween each completed set.  The really good exerciser will not only keep track of these numbers, but will try and improve these numbers each time they workout. 

Habit # 2:  No Ego!

   So what if that guy at the squat rack is deadlifting 305lbs; or that woman has been running on the treadmill for the past half hour at a speed of 11mph at a 4% incline.  What others are doing do not effect how your training session will go.  You have your own goals and your own limitations to worry about.  There's no need to feel intimidated or feel like others are watching you with a high resolution magnifiying glass.  When I work out I'm on a mission, and I have no time to worry about anything or anybody but myself.

Habit #3:  In it for the Long Haul!

  Training to improve your body and health should be a lifelong commitment.  Rome wasn't built in a day.  Some days you have it and some days you don't.  The best thing to think about after one of those less than average trainning days is that the next training day is right around the corner.  Hang your hat on the fact that you always have another chance at improving.  Those who get discouraged and quit never realize the fact that keeping a healthy lifestyle is a LIFE LONG choice, not just a repetitive New Year's resolution.

Habit #4:  Lift Heavy Things

  The overload principle states that a greater than normal stress or load on the body is required for training adaptation to take place. So if you're twirling around a little pink dumbell and barely breaking a sweat, you're not doing yourself any good.  You must challenge your body in way that forces it to adapt.  So if you're lifting weights, make sure they are heavy enough to challenge you!  You may not be able to complete the last 2 reps on your final set but that's the point.  Keep trying until you can finish that final set, then pick up some heavier weights.

Habit #5:  Listen to Your Body

   The great ones always have this in mind.  As you improve your body, you will become more aware of what you're capable of and what your not.  You aren't in high school anymore, so why are you still trying to perform your high school football lifting regimine?  If your lower back hurts, why are you trying to do back squats?  The phrase "No pain, No gain" should not be your mantra.  If your back hurts, try dumbell lunges instead of your usual back squat.  If your shoulder hurts, don't try and power through some shoulder presses.  Maybe take some time on mobility and flexibility instead.  You're not going to lose ground if you can't complete your program exactly they way it's written everyday.  You should be prepared with alternative exercises or ideas to get you through these roadblocks.

And there you have it!  Let me know what you think of these habits, or if you have any that you think I missed.  But I want to challenege you to honestly ask yourself how many of these qualities you actually possess; and when do you think your going to start to try and develop these habit?