Article Takeaway: 8 Laws of Strength Training by Bret Contreras

I am one of those guys that reads something everyday, whether it's a book, magazine, or blog post. I also listen to podcasts and watch videos. There is so much good information (and bad information for that matter), that I thought that I'd share some things that I read, hear, or watch here on my blog. 

The first article that I want to share is 8 Laws of Strength Training by Bret Contreras (check out the full article here).  In this article, Bret goes over his 8 laws of strength training, which are...

1. You must train consistently.
2. You must work hard and smart.
3. You must consistently stimulate the musculature of the entire body.
4. You must get markedly stronger compared to when you started, especially on compound movements.
5. You must warm up.
6. You must use good form most of the time.
7. You must consume adequate nutrition.
8. You must sleep well and avoid persistent distress.

I'll let you read the article to fully understand how he describes these 8 laws, but what I wanted to do is put these 8 items in order, not necessarily of importance, but in order of how often the rule is not followed.  This order is based off of what I see in the populations that I work with, not necessarily the way it is overall. 

1. You must train consistently.
Bret's first law is probably the law that I see broken most often, not by actual clients, students, or athletes I work with, but by others who come up and ask me why they are not seeing the results they want.  I can put the people that don't train consistently into 2 categories.  First are the ones that just don't train that often.  They train once one week, two times the next, and not at all the following week and wonder why they are not getting the results they want.  The other group is those that train more often, but follow not type of set schedule.  Although this group will see better results than the first group, they won't see the same results that they could get as if they had a schedule they followed and committed to a set number of workouts per week.  This is where picking a program that fits a person's schedule and ability makes a big difference.

This is not what they mean by
a colorful diet!

2. You must consume adequate nutrition.
This just comes down to the fact that you can't out train bad nutrition.  This can be that a person is eating too much, too little, or just eating crap.  You must have a diet that fits your goals, whether that is to lose weight, gain muscle, gain strength, and/or perform better.  Having a poor or incomplete diet will lower the chances or slow the time it takes you to reach your goals.




3. You must consistently stimulate the musculature of the entire body.

Don't let this workout be better than yours!

I see this mistake most often in athletes, both tactical and sport athletes, including the weekend warriors out there.  This is one area that the ladies working out at Curves do better then many athletes (they use machines to work all parts of the body).  Too many athletes focus just on their "mirror muscles".  This leaves them with strength imbalances because the fronts of their bodies are much stronger than the back of their bodies.  This results in many shoulder injuries, low back pain, hamstring pulls, and knee injuries.  For your upper body, make sure to include some type of rows along with either pull up or lat pull variations.  For the lower body, include some type of dead lifts (full and/or Romanian), hip raises, and/or stability ball leg curls. 

4. You must get markedly stronger compared to when you started, especially on compound movements.
There are many ways to determine if you are getting stronger, it's not just about how much weight you can lift.  It simply comes down to determining if you are progressing in your workouts.  That can be lifting more weight, doing more reps, completing the same amount of work in a shorter period of time, or doing more in the same amount of time.  Your body will adapt to the work you do, and if you don't progress you will not continue to get results you are expecting.

5. You must sleep well and avoid persistent distress.

Rest & relaxation are more
important to performance
than most people realize.

When I have clients or athletes that are doing well with the 7 other laws here but are having trouble keeping up with their goals, I immediately look at stress and sleep.  It's amazing how many times there is a relationship between a slowing in progress to a busy time of the year at work or finals time at school.  Also, things like relationship troubles, death of a loved one, or a major change in routine has affected progress.   During these times it's important not to ignore your progress or your stressor.  The key that has helped many people I have worked with is try to manage both.  We have modified workouts when needed, whether it was shortening up the time, substituting complex exercises for exercises that are more familiar, or adding in yoga or another activity that the person finds enjoyable and relaxing.  Also, we've worked on finding healthy things outside of training (not eating or drinking) that helps de-stress their lives.  And finally, try to prioritize sleep.  Much of the recovery process in the body happens during you sleep, so this becomes even more important when someone has more stress in their life.

6. You must use good form most of the time.
Again, this is one that the athletes are more guilty of than my general public clients or phy. ed. students.  Using poor technique can result in pain and injury, as well as a plateau in performance.  People that don't use good form generally fall into three categories.  First, are those that think they know it all, because they've always done it this way, and don't want to change.  These are the ones that annoy me the most.  Stop with the ego, learn how to do it, and see better results.  Second are those that use good technique much of the time, but when it comes to testing or a difficult set, it all falls apart.  A person can get by with a slight drop in technique and still be ok, but you can't let it all go down the crapper.  The last group is those that just have never been taught the correct technique, and that's where coaching comes in for those that have a coach, and for those that don't have a coach should do some research. 

7. You must work hard and smart.
This was a tough one to put this low, because in general I think work ethic is a huge reason many people don't succeed at their goals.  I then thought about it, and if the general public followed the 6 rules above this one, they would still have some success.  Working hard and smart can come into play when a person wonders why they use to see better progress.  Often, it's not both of these that a person is guilty of, it's one or the other.  They're are many folks in the gym that work their butts off but are not training smart.  That could involve some type of overtraining or not following one of the other 7 rules.  Also, there are people that do their research and use a well designed program, but just are afraid to go past their comfort level.  When both are put together, that is when most people start to get over that training success hump. 

8. You must warm up.
A few years ago this may have been higher on the list, but there is much more written about warm ups in popular media today.  Although you can get results without doing a warm up, a warm up will help reduce the risk of injuries.  What many people don't realize is that a warm up can also significantly help increase performance.  There are many different ways, systems, and routines for warming up.  I like to use correctional and basic bodyweight exercises in the warm up so that correctional exercises are not taking up time later on, and so that they are actually done.  For sport athletes, I also like to include movements that relate to their sport, like speed & agility mechanics.  Specific weightlifting warm ups should be done for exercises where you will be doing a high percentage of your max strength.  As you get further along in the workout, less warm up sets will need to be done, if any.


I thought this was a great article by Bret Contreras that really just puts these rules straight forward.  Make sure you include all of these rules in your training to better your results!

Crossfit or not to Crossfit?

One of the newest fads in fitness is Crossfit.  Crossfit involves difficult, usually shorter in duration, workouts that can incorporate a mixture of olympic lifting, powerlifting, kettlebells, bodyweight exercises, running, and plyometrics.  Each day there is a different workout that involves a variety of exercises that is usually done with a goal of completing as many reps in a given time or completing a given amount of reps in as short of time possible.  So in short, Crossfit workouts are generally short, intense, random workouts. 

The Positives

One thing that Crossfit well does is that it gets people working.  Although the workouts are difficult, people seem to get addicted and stick with it.  It also builds in competition, with others and with one's self.  This keeps many people motivated to keep working hard to improve.

The type of exercises used are also a plus.  The exercises are almost exclusively ground-based, multi-joint movements, with stationary bikes and rowing machines used on occasion.  People are not just going on a circuit of fixed-motion machines, they are performing good exercises and pushing themselves doing them.



The Negatives

Although the exercises used in Crossfit are often great exercises, many of the exercises can be very technical for a beginner, and if done improperly can lead to injury, either acute or chronic.  The chances of injury from lack of technique can be increased or reduced depending on the gym that you go to.  Just like any style of training, you'll find good coaches and not so good coaches at Crossfit gyms.  The good coaches will make sure to teach proper technique and only give workouts to their clients that the clients can handle.  The individual pictured to the left is not ready to have dead lifts in his Crossfit program as he needs to correct some technique issues first.  Some coaches/trainers don't do this because Crossfit workouts are often done in group settings and it takes work to individualize workouts when working with a group.

Another negative is that Crossfit workouts often won't follow a progressive program.  This can again lead to possible injuries and possibly slow down the development of the client.  Again, a good coach can help improve this situation by designing workouts with some type of progression in intensity and exercise selection.

Crossfit for the Sport Athlete? 

In general, I wouldn't recommend Crossfit for sport athletes.  Crossfit workouts can lack the specificity of training needed for most sports.  Also, as mentioned before, the lack of proper progression can result in the athlete not learning the fundamental movements that are needed for their sport.  Also, all athletes have some areas that are weaker than others, and it is important to improve these weaknesses, but Crossfit workouts may often not work on improving these weaknesses.

Crossfit type workouts are intense and difficult, and that is why they can be used occasionally to help increase the athletes' work capacity and mental toughness.  This would mean that these type of workouts would be used to supplement the main program in a similar fashion that coaches have used strongman activities in their programs.  We supplement them in by either using them in times between switching programs, or by using mini workouts as a finisher to a regular workout.

With this said, one athlete that I would use Crossfit workouts with often are actual Crossfit athletes.  Now with the emergence of Crossfit Games, athletes whose main goal is to do better on specific Crossfit workouts will need to do these workouts.   I would also include some olympic weightlifting, power lifting, and functional training workouts with these athletes as well because these workouts will help improve their strength in the lifting exercises that are used as well as jumping ability and injury prevention.

Crossfit for the General Public?

Although Crossfit wouldn't be my first choice for the general public or even a weekend warrior, I would promote it if it is something the person is excited about and it's something that gets them to workout on a regular basis.  I would just suggest that everyone does their homework to find a coach/trainer that will teach proper technique and assign workouts that fit the ability of their clients.

I would say that I'm not neither pro- or anit-Crossfit.  I think, just as many other training systems, it can be used within a well thought out and well designed program, but I wouldn't use it as a program all in itself.  This is just my opinion.  Do your research, learn technique, work hard, have fun, and reach your goals!

Choosing or Designing a Strength & Conditioning Program: Part 2

Herschel Walker, one of my early
strength program influences

In the past, one thing that I just assumed to be true is that everyone that lifted weights followed some type of program.  I started lifting weights in at school in 9th grade.  I had always been in sports, and I was lucky enough to go to a high school that supplied strength & conditioning programs.    A year or two before that I would lift weights at home on a Kmart bench & rack set using a bar, weights, and dumbbells collected from garage sales.  Even then I would look in Muscle & Fitness magazines to get programs, and even though they were more for bodybuilding then for athletics, it started me on my way.  And even before that I followed the simplest of programs that I developed from hearing what things Hershel Walker and Walter Payton did, being push ups, sit ups, and hill sprints.  I had a certain amount of each that I would do an weekdays and a different amount for weekends.

Then when I started meeting others in my college rec center that would just go in and do whatever new thing they saw in a magazine.  This isn't all bad, but they would not record anything, and they'd change it up once they found something new in a different magazine.  I thought that was just college kids, but I am still meeting people that want to be serious about losing fat, gaining muscle, and becoming healthier, but still are not following a program.

To become better and reach your goals, you need to choose or develop a program and stick with it 6-8 weeks before moving on to something different.  That doesn't mean that you'll be doing the same thing over and over for that amount of time, but will be following your plan for that long.  There are programs out there like Crossfit that change things up all the time, which can be successful, but you should have a go strength & conditioning background before starting something like that, and even when following a program like Crossfit, you should be recording what you are doing.

If you're going to start a strength & conditioning program, you will (or should) be dedicating time to that program.  Because of your time investment, you are going to want that program to help you accomplish your goals.  That's why in Part 1 I started a list of things to consider when choosing or designing a strength & conditioning program.  The list so far includes...
       

          1. Use a program that is specific to your goals and needs

          2. Use primarily free weight and bodyweight exercises

          3. Train hard over training long

          4. Train using ground based, multi-joint movements

Here are some more things to consider when choosing or designing your strength & conditioning program.

5. Train with progression.  Einstein told us that it is insane to do the same thing over and over and expect different results.  Your body will adapt to your workouts, thus it will take more to expect results, including building strength, increasing muscle, and/or burning calories.  There are many ways to progress your workouts; lift more weight, add more reps, decrease rest time, and increase variation difficulty are a few.   You can only decrease your rest time so much, especially if you want to increase strength.  Adding reps can work to a certain extent, but can increase your workout time and lead to overtraining or overuse injuries.  I am mostly in favor of increasing weight or exercise variation.  Although it is more a subject for a different article, don't think that lifting heavy will make you grow unwanted muscle mass, there are other variables that you have to include to get there.  However, lifting heavy or increasing exercise variations will help you with any fitness component from building strength and muscle to loosing weight and getting tone.  

6. Train with variety.  Before I'd had mentioned that you should stick with a program for 6-8 weeks before moving on to a different program.  However, within that program there should be variety.  First, the exercises that you do each day do not have to be the same, even if you are following a program that consists of performing total body workouts.  When I design total body based programs, they'll consist of a minimum of two different days that are alternated.  Each day may be very similar in set up, but the exercises chosen are different.  For example, Day 1 may include the BB Front Squat and Day 2 would contain RFE DB Front Squats to accomplish the same movement.  This allows each day to be slightly different.  When following an upper/lower or a push/pull split routine, there will obviously be differences between days, but my split programs will almost always contain four workout days.  This way Day 1 and Day 3 will be similar but different, as will Day 2 and Day 4, in the same way as the squatting example above.  

The other way to provide variety is to change up the intensities and/or rep schemes throughout the program.  Some programs will have a different intensity goal for each workout in a week.  An example would be where Day 1 would be moderately intense, Day 2 would be very intense, and Day 3 would be a light day.  The style that I generally prescribe is called weekly undulated periodization, which is where I change the rep scheme weekly.  Week 1 is moderately high rep (8-12 reps), Week 2 is mid-range (6-8 reps), and Week 3 is lower rep (3-6 reps).  Usually we'd go through this cycle twice before taking an unloading week (go lighter weight and/or usually alternated exercises to give the body a break from the norm), but is some cases will throw an unloading week in after Week 3.  I also usually progress the intensity of each set during a workout, especially in the bigger lifts, going from moderate intensity on the first set to very intense on the last set.

There are many ways to include variety while staying consistent with your program.  By sticking with a program that involves variety, you'll both get good at what you're doing, reach your fitness goals, and avoid boredom, overuse injuries, and overtraining.  

7. Train with balance.  Is this case, balance refers to training opposing muscle groups or movements evenly, not balancing on one foot.  When assessing and observing the football players during my first year coaching at one school, I noticed that many of the players had shoulders issues and were much weaker in the muscles in the back of their body (hamstring, glutes, lats, etc.) compared to the "mirror muscles" (quads, chest, etc.).  I took at the workouts that they did in the previous year and was very surprised what I saw.  Their upper body day consisted of push to pull ratio of 5 to 1.  This is what was responsible for their shoulder issues.  Their lower body days contained little to no work directed at the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, low back), and any work that they did get in the posterior chain was done with exercises using very little weight or where the muscles in the posterior chain were not primary movers.  This is why they had weak hamstring and glutes, which lead to injuries.

Don't let this be you, train with balance!

Make sure to train all parts of you body in some way.  You don't need to use isolation exercises to hit all parts, I actually suggest using little to no isolation exercises, but make sure you hit all areas in some fashion, and you should work opposing muscle groups equally.  One way that I help solve this issue is by designing workouts that use a push/pull split instead of a upper/lower split.  This way, as long as you use the same number of upper and lower body exercises on each day, you will be balanced.

8. Use a program you can and will do. A buddy of mine who was not into strength training at all once told me that he could get a very good deal on a Bowflex and asked if it was worthwhile getting.  I told him that I wouldn't waste my money on it (as I don't in most machines as I mentioned in part 1), but if it would be something that would actually get him to start and stay consistent with working out, it would be worth it for him.  He did buy it and was able to follow along with the video that came with it and he was seeing good results since he was consistently working out.  He has since moved on to buying a set of Powerblock dumbbells and does mostly free weight and body weight training following the guidelines in this post and has since seen great gains in his fitness and athletic ability, but the Bowflex got him started. 

My point here is choose something you are willing and can effectively complete consistently.  If you're new to working out and are out of shape, don't start with P90X as it takes a lot of time and is difficult (there is also other things I don't like about P90X for most people, but this isn't the post to go into that).  Even if you're someone with training experience just looking for a new program, there are some things you should consider in general when setting up or choosing a program.

First, will you have enough time to complete the program the way it is written, both short and long term.  Will you have the time on each day you workout to complete the workout?  Will you be able to complete the number of workouts a week the program calls for?  It is better to start out with a program that will take less time than you think you'll have, as you can always add to it, but a program may not be effective if you can't complete it the way it is written.

Second, will you be able to perform all the exercises correctly and at the intensity prescribed?  Again, choose a program that has exercises that you are comfortable with and that any new exercises are variations of past exercises that you have been capable of doing and have shown that you are ready for the next progression.

By following this guideline, you will be more likely to complete your workouts on a consistent basis without getting injured or lowering your self esteem because you can't complete the program as written.


I hope these guidelines help, and if you have any questions or want more clarification on anything, either leave a comment or email me at joe@speadsperformance.net.  Remember, for a program to work, you have to set a goal, work at it consistently, work hard, and have fun!  If you want to see some examples of programs, visit www.speadsperformance.net and search through past BSU programs and/or tactical strength & conditioning programs, or scroll to the bottom of the page to view programs for general public and a triathlete.

Choosing or Designing a Strength & Conditioning Program: Part 1

I always talk about how we are all athletes in some sort of matter, but that doesn't mean that we should all be using the same type of program.  Football players, sprinters, triathloners, body builders, olympic lifters, powerlifters, weekend warriors, parents, tactical officers, among many others, are all athletes but generally all have different goals and thus need different programs.  When choosing or designing a program for yourself, or for others, take into account the following aspects and principles.

These athletes all have specific needs for their activities, and will have similarities and differences in their training.

1) Use a program that is specific to your goals and needs.  First, look at your sport(s) and determine what aspects of fitness are needed to do well in your sport.  Do you need strength, power, endurance, agility, flexibility, speed, size, etc.?  Most activities require a mixture of these aspects, and if that is true for your sport you need to look at both what percentage of each is important to the sport and also where do your personal weaknesses lie?  Those two factors will determine where you focus most of your training.

This leads us into the principle of specificity which we look at when deciding on exercise selection and the prescription of sets, reps, and intensity.  I believe that specificity is an often misunderstood principle because many people believe that specificity means choosing exercises that mimic the movements used in your sport.  By loading up movements specific to your sport, the movement often can be altered decreasing the efficiency of the movement and possibly increasing the risk of injury.  Instead, I consider specificity to mean choosing exercises that will strengthen the muscles responsible for improving the movements that are required for your sport.  Besides exercise selection, make sure you are using a rep scheme that fits your needs.  Generally you should rarely need to go above 10-12 reps, and most needs can be met by lifting in the range of 4-8 reps.

Make sure to also consider your needs when choosing conditioning and endurance activities.  Some people may only need to walk at a brisk pace while others need to perform sprints, agility drills, and plyometrics.  Although the different choices available are numerous and beyond the scope of this post, I do believe that no matter what a person goals and needs are, everyone should consider general health and fitness and should do some form of conditioning work.

No machine will develop strength, flexibility, balance , and muscle like this!

2) Use primarily free weights and body weight exercises.  This kind of goes hand in hand with specificity because there is no type of athletic activity that I can think of that the athlete is confined to a fixed range of motion (ROM) like you are when you perform a machine based exercise. Using free weights and body weight exercises, a person learns how to control their body and their strength in space.  Type of exercises include ones using barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, suspension trainers, sandbags, etc.  By performing exercises that involve moving weight in open space, you will also develop and improve other aspects of athleticism beside building muscle and strength, including balance, flexibility, and core strength.

These different aspects are reached not only by you controlling your ROM, but you also can work movements in all three dimensions (frontal, sagittal, and transversal), as well as training bilaterally (both limbs at a time) and unilaterally (one at a time).  Most machines involve a fixed ROM, allow movement in only one dimension, and involve a bilateral movement, however there are some exceptions.  A cable based machine, like different brands of functional trainers, allow you to performs lat pulls, rows, chops, and lifts, among other exercises that allow to control the ROM, movement type, and movement pattern.

3) Train hard over training long.  This should hold true in both your cardio and strength training.  Shorter intense bouts of work have been shown to burn more fat in the long run than long slow training.  And if you're thinking that you'll try to get the best of both worlds by doing long intense bouts of work, you may sabotaging your progress.  You're workouts should be held to around 45-60 minutes.  Any intense work lasting longer than that could increase the presence of catabolic hormones (ones that decrease the burning of fat and building of muscle).

Most strength training programs involve multiple sets of intense work interspersed with rest, but some still perform too many sets to keep their workouts under an hour.  Also, many guys are guilty of taking too much rest during their workouts.  Unless you are a powerlifter or olympic lifter, where your the amount you lift is the focus of your sport, you do not need to rest 3-5 minutes between sets.  To get even more done in a short period of time, try performing paired sets of 2 or more exercises.  Examples would be performing a leg exercise paired with either a core or upper body exercise, and move back and forth between the two with between 30-90 seconds between exercises.  Your primary muscle performing the work will have over 2 minutes rest between sets, but during your rest time, you will complete other exercises.

Who would you rather look like?
Sprinters lift weights and run intervals,
Work Hard, not long!

More people are guilty with their cardio work and still perform long slow cardio workouts as opposed to performing intervals.  There are many different types of ways to perform intervals, which I will cover in future posts (you can read a past newsletter on intervals here).

4) Train using ground based, multi-joint movements.  Ground based exercises are those that you are planted or begin planted on the ground.  Most free weight and body weight exercises fall in this category, which brings us back to the idea that most movements in life and athletics involve us performing activities on the the ground.

Multi-joint movements are exercises that involve the movement of more than one joint to perform that activity.  Exercises include squats, cleans, presses, rows, pull ups, and deadlifts, among others.  One reason that multi-joint movements are beneficial is that you can get more done in a shorter amount of time by training more muscle in a shorter amount of time, which allows you to maximize your calorie burn and hormonal response in under 60 minutes.  I'm not necessarily saying never to do most single joint exercises, such as bicep curls and tricep extensions, but if you are looking for the biggest bang for your buck, perform multi-joint movements will work both your large and smaller muscles at the same time.


In Part 2 I will suggest more things to consider when designing a strength & conditioning program.  In the meantime, if you want to see some examples of programs, visit www.speadsperformance.net and search through past BSU programs and/or tactical strength & conditioning programs, or scroll to the bottom of the page to view programs for general public and a triathlete.

4 Keys to Reaching Your Goals

If you were a subscriber to my old newsletter, you may have seen this, but it's good to see again...

I wanted to hit on a subject that will help you not just in fitness, but in all aspects of life. There are four main things that I believe you need to do to make the chances of reaching a goal much more likely.  If you're having trouble making goals, I'll have a future post more on how to set goals.  Think of a goal you do have and use the four following keys to reach that goal.

1) Make a commitment to your goal. 

After winning 8 golds, Phelps made
the commitment to be back in 2012.

Many times in fitness, this commitment is to make a change in your life. It may be as little as losing 5 pounds, or as big as finishing an Ironman Triathlon. What is more important than just making a commitment to do something is making a commitment to take the steps to get there. In fitness, it will be different for everybody, but most likely it will involve exercise and equally important, proper nutrition.  Are you willing to make the changes to reach your goals?  Also, are you willing to get by the obstacles that will get in your way?  Make sure your goal is something you can commit to.  

2) Be consistent. 

Once you figure out what the steps are to get to your goal, you need be consistent in following those steps. If you follow your exercise program one week but do not eat well, and then eat well the next week, but miss most of your workouts, you will have problems reaching your goal. Here are quick hints to help you be consistent. 

After taking break after '08, Phelps
consistently hit the gym & pool.

Every Sunday, plan out your weekly workouts. Plan what you will do on each day, and your the approximate time that you will perform your activities. You'll be less likely to miss workouts when you have them planned out.  Be realistic when you are setting up your workout times.  If you're not a morning person, don't set up times at 5am.  If you are a person that just can't give in to an invitation to hang out with friends and family after work, don't plan your workouts then.  With that being said, there will be times that you will have to a decision to make; hang out or workout?  If you're serious about your goal, you will have the willpower to tell others you have a prior commitment.  

Also, plan out your meals. You may not do this a week in advance, but at least a day in advance, decide what you will be eating the next day. If it involves making a lunch, make it the night before. You'll be less likely to just throw in things that may be unhealthy just because they're convenient. Also, pay attention to if you have special events coming up that will cause you not to eat the best things (fantasy football draft, wedding shower). Then you can make sure most of your other meals during the week are good so you can enjoy those events a little.

3) Work Hard!!!! 

Not many things of importance or value come without hard work. You may win something in a drawing or the lottery, but how often do you win the powerball? What I'm getting at is that you may come across some success in life without putting in the work, but how often do you reach that goal that you really want without putting in the effort. The same goes for fitness, you need to put in the effort to see results.  

This means that you'll have to work hard physically and mentally.  Physically, you are going to have to put yourself past your comfort level to achieve your results.  Mentally, you are going to have to resist temptations and keep in the proper mindset to stay motivated.  This is not always easy.  

4) Have Fun!!!! 

Not every part of the process may be fun,
but success is more likely when you enjoy
what your are doing.

It is possible to work hard and have fun at the same time. Not all work will be fun and not all fun things will help you reach your goals, but there is a time and a place for each. The best case is if you find fun in your work. If you can find physical activities that are fun for you, you will probably see better results than if you did a program that you did not enjoy. If you work hard often, plan some fun activities to relax. Just make sure that your fun activities do not make you take a step in the wrong direction away from your goals.

Over time, I'll hit more specifically on topics above, but I just wanted to get those four ideas out there. I hope that you can see that the above will help you achieve goals in all areas of your life.

Be Different & Get to Work

Just wanted to share a couple of good posts from some highly respected strength coaches, and then give you my take on them.

First is a post call "Join the Resistance" by Martin Rooney.  Check it out...

Basically Martin talks about how people that want to be fit are the minority in this day in age.  It's hard enough for many people to be dedicated enough to make a change in their life to work out and eat healthy, but it becomes even more difficult when so many others will, whether intentionally or unintentionally, try to sabotage your efforts.  I get this often from people, "...you can skip your workout today", "you can eat this, it's not like you have to watch what you eat".  Well myself and most others that are in good shape didn't get to where we're at from skipping workouts and eating whatever we want, we got the way we are by being dedicated, disciplined, and working hard.  You don't have to workout everyday, or eat perfect everyday, but those times when you are not doing those things need to be a part of your plan, not someone else's.  Be proud of your goals and your efforts, and don't let others that are probably just jealous of your efforts bring you down.

This is what we're up against! Don't let this be you or your family.

Second is by Jason Ferruggia called "Are You Guilty of Using One of These Pathetic Excuses"

This article just gets at the fact that if you truly want to better yourself, you can't be making excuses.  Most of the excuses he listed just are truly pathetic, but as you read them you may think that there are some legit ones.  Well look again!  I bet there is a way to get around any of those "legit" excuses listed. If you do have bad knees, find a type of squat that will help improve them, they do exist.  If you didn't eat enough today to feel like you can get a good workout in, either have a quick shake, or if you have to, do a light workout.  Just do something, and next time plan better so that you are prepared to workout.  The point is, eliminate the excuses and get things done!

Set your goals, make no excuses, and succeed!

Start today!  If you don't know what to do, go for walk, ride a bike, play with your kids or your dog, do old fashioned push ups, squats, and/or sit ups during commercial breaks.  Those things will at least get you started, but your next step is to find a workout program that will work for you, and stick with it for at least 2 months.  Don't do P90X one week, Insanity the next, then move to a functional training style program, and then to strongman workouts.  You may see results, but stick to a program a few months before changing.  Same goes with your diet, do some research and find a type that works for you.  I'm really liking intermittent fasting, but it may not be the right thing for you.  But again, whether it's Atkins, Paleo, carb cycling, etc., choose one and stay with it awhile and see if it works for you.

In the future I will try to give you more specifics on workouts and eating plans that you can utilize, but I just wanted to get these two articles out to you to hopefully inspire you to make a change and get to work!

New Speads Performance Blog

Hello All,
This blog will be used to share fitness, nutrition, motivation, coaching, and other related information with my followers.  I will also share what's going on with Speads Performance training and others that I will be working, which I will most likely be announcing a new group that I will be working with soon, just going through all the final stages right now.  Thanks for checking out the blog and I hope to have a bunch of useful information up soon!