Tag Archives: opinion
A little S&C for free.
Filed under Fitness, Nutrition & Health
Reflective Thought
If there is one thing I’ve learned over the years so far it is this; we are all scared of feeling inadequate.
Now this can be socially, physically, intellectually, emotionally, in fact in anything, as such we will make excuses, we cling to our familiarities and resist change with everything we have.
Most won’t admit it.
I’m not above this, I too have had those things I’ve held on to for too long, yet being aware of thee things does make you see your own flaws and folly in trying to freeze time.
Given this is a fitness based group and fitness is very much all I’ve ever done it is easy to see those who the lie to themselves again and again and again to protect themselves.
Those who chase size felt powerless at some point.
Those who carve an aesthetic akin to a greek statue was once not desirable, inadequate you might say.
Those who were morbidly obese and shamed for it vowed never to be there again.
Of course not true in all situations, however you’d be surprised how often this is the case, whether people admit it or not.
One thing to listen for is the emotive words people throw at you when sending a rebuke your way because it is commonly how they see things, and what they attribute to themselves.
You may disagree, however experience tells me differently on this one.
This was prompted by something someone said to me recently, the way it was worded got he cogs turning and this was the result, now given how I know them there is a hint of hypocrisy in their view and words, yet they push the past away because of being weak and powerless before, where as I hold on to things, despite saying otherwise.
We are betrayed by our actions, the reveal more than we want them to, yet they also show us what we need to do if we wish to stay as we are or ascend to something different.
I won’t say it will be better because that might not be true, however it will be different and in that change there is the chance to learn what we need to achieve better, or what we deem to be better.
Even then, we may spend years chasing something we think we want and like a dog chasing a car, once we get it we have no clue what to do with it. In this it is more the thought of the goal that actually excites people, more so than the actual goal itself or even achieving it.
Change, or don’t, grow or freeze time, regardless of which, just be content with the choice and also accept you will be judged for it because that is just what we do.
We judge people, however we only tend to judge those we either deem beneath us or so far above us it helps make them more human, it’s rare we judge our own ilk because they are familiar, like refections on a still point, we don’t fear or revile what we recognise, it’s only that which is different we dislike.
No need for comments or anything of that nature, this was just something floating around in my mind that I felt I’d share.
Filed under Fitness, Nutrition & Health
Testing for the experienced
“If you’re not assessing you’re guessing”
A good quote many would benefit from remembering.
When it comes to programming any form of training there is a large amount of people that do it blind.
This means they jump in head first without first assessing the basic strength, ability or condition of their trainees, it’s a shocking state of affairs.
While you may indeed get away with this if your clients are exclusively bodybuilders, this sort of behaviour won’t cut it with people who are interested in performance or strength. The chances of success are about the same as hitting a fish in a barrel with no fish in it.
So what tests do you have?
- RM Test (squat, bench, deadlift are the classics)
- Vo2 Max Test (1.5 mile run for example is often used)
- ROM Testing (movement/flexibility can be FMS or other)
That’s essentially it for most people, and something all coaches/trainers should do, yet many don’t.
You literally have endless tests you can perform, however they will differ depending on the overall goal of the client.
If you’re looking at some options I will share with you what I use (keep in mind most people I see are after strength and/or performance progress).
RM Test – 1,3 or 5 reps
- Squat
- Power Clean
- Press or Push Press (goal dependent)
- Weighted Chin with Half Body Weight
- Farmers Walk with Body Weight
- Standing Broad Jump
The above give a good gauge of where the athlete is in regards to relative strength/power (Say I’m working with a sprinter, ideally they are hitting a 2xBW squat for 5 and 1.5xBW on the power clean, meaning they have optimal lower body strength/power)
Vo2 Test – Sport Specific
- Example: 40 yard dash
- Example: Watt Bike Test
- Example: 2k Row
ROM Test
- FMS (functional Movement Screen)
That’s essentially it.
This gives me a good idea of a persons level of strength, power, fitness and overall movement capabilities.
While a little different than what you may need, it’s worth remembering that having these is essential for good programming and progress.
Always assess, never guess.
Enjoy, Ross.
Filed under Fitness, Nutrition & Health
Make progress with one set!
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Butt Hurt to Commence in, 3…2…1…
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What’s Your View?
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Much Confusion There Is…
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The Science of Lifting, should you really care about what the science says?
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