Anxiety and Tension blog by Jessie Casteel
Where are my keys? I am late for work, Timmy can't find his homework and I have 5 minutes to drive across town in rush traffic to get him to school. My boss is a jerk and I can't find my keys. Does this sound like a typical morning in your home?
We have more stressors now than ever before and with nearly everyone that surrounds us on a daily basis being stressed out and an anxiety time bomb we pick up on this negative energy and it affects us even when the stress and anxiety isn't directed at us. Why is it that we can't learn to live a more rewarding life of being grateful for our blessings and substitute the negative stress and anxiety for the good stress and anxiety?
What? Good stress and anxiety you say. Allow me to explain further. You remember the times when you and your friends would be out since daybreak playing basketball or kayaking? How about yard work all day. You get home and your "Beat" but it was a good tired. Your exhaustion was a strange kind of sensuous pleasure that seemed to fill the whole body with a sleepy warmth, a sensation of really having lived.
For most of us that good tired feeling has become all too rare an experience. Now when we feel tired its just plain tired, worn out, dragged down and done in. That's mostly because of all the many causes of fatigue, physical exertion is the least common. Exhaustion due to stress and tension caused by mental and emotional pressure is far more common in today’s world than physical fatigue. The good news is that tension fatigue responds very well to one simple antidote: exercise.
Our ancestors long ago began to develop a complex response to impending danger known as the fight or flight (andreneric) response. Noise outside of a cave entrance put the cave dwellers body on instant emergency alert. He was ready to take on whatever was out there or in the case of a larger animal that was too big tuck tail and run. Whatever the case all that built up tension would be completely drained out of his system by the time his actions where completed.
Today the world is a different place and with a shortage of T-Rex's along side the fact that most of us aren't as active as we should be. So today’s working moms and desk jockeys has to make do with a chronically alerted fight or flight response. The physiological solution is exactly what the cave folks did: exercise. The benefit of a short exercise break is probably as much psychological as it is physiological. It can rejuvenate and revitalize by giving you a new perspective on things. Just by breaking up your day it will help you get through the day and offer a much needed good uninterrupted nights sleep.
Part two of this blog will talk about sleep further.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
OK Move To The Next Station by Jess Casteel
“Ok, move to the next station” by Jess Casteel
Today was a good day with the exception of into my third set of complexes I had a sudden stop due to my loss of attention causing me to slightly misalign my spine and put a slight enough pull I'm my left lat muscle to cause breathing to feel like a pinched nerve. I returned home from my chiropractor who fixed my spine up to some discomfort in the muscle so I will take tomorrow off since Saturday is lower back and legs.
So as I limped my way back to the facility where I operate from, which in itself has a lot of potential for growth and profit and is a pretty cool place to work. It does have however one quirk which I strongly disagree with and it just so happens that almost daily this "quirk" turns potential members away from signing up. That is beside the point though as I am sitting here next to my power rack which is the only free weight machine in the building other than various dumbbells that rarely get used by anyone other than the clients of the trainers who work here.
Back to the point I was trying to make about the before mentioned "quirk" I was wanting to touch on. One half of the building is one of those cheesy circuits like curves where there is that constant pshhhht ffftttt sound of pneumatic and or hydraulic cylinders that have the strength curve of a balloon and roughly 0% eccentric resistance causing absolutely no strength gain. I personally hate these circuits to no end but the vibe is cool here and I am grateful to have a facility to operate out of a mere 2 blocks from home.
The core of this message is not the ineffective nature of these machines which the other trainer and I are dead set on weeding out and replaced with decent free weight machines and multi stations but what I witnessed while waiting on a client to show up and while gasping for air from my back hindrance. I actually sat and observed a lady use this circuit and I paid close attention to a few things as I do with my clients who come in daily and sling the iron I moved in with me. I watched for loading parameters, intensity, endurance, or mostly the lack thereof and the most telling of all, the client’s attitude towards the workout.Ill describe what I observed further in order starting with loading parameters.
This one got me laughing inside because even though you can pretty much set these machines at 9 and sip margaritas while using them she didn't bother to set any of the resistances before use. It wasn't her fault because I'm sure that annoying voice on the stereo that says "OK please move to the next station" that blares out of the speakers every 30 seconds that most people turn on and don't use was rushing her. It makes sense that if the voice gives you 30 seconds to move then why burn 2 seconds making an exercise you are paying for actually hard enough to get an ounce of soreness?
Next was intensity and I can easily sum the intensity up with one simple example: Go to any funeral and you will see more action by the person in the casket. She literally spent 5 second or more strolling from machine to machine with a bored to death demeanor and near emotionless look on her face. As far as endurance goes, the most endurance involved getting on one of those squeaky ass trampolines that remind me of a few mattresses I have destroyed in my time. This is where I had to giggle because if you watch the people when they get on these and you literally want to shake them and tell them if they aren't going to get on them and actually use them then don't bother. I mean her feet never came off the damn thing and she looked like an epileptic bowling pin.The biggest contributing factor to this session for the lady wasn't the sub optimal machinery or the country love songs she was listening to in an attempt to drown out my boom box pumping some good ol up yours punk rock by the casualties. It was the the attitude of the lady that was causing this session to have absolutely no effect on health, performance, or whatever goal she had set if any at all. It dawns on me as I sit thinking about all the people I see walk through the door day in and day out as well as all the people who fall into a certain mediocrity that seems to follow many people around ready to step out in front of them at any point and block any new experimentation or pioneering spirit to expand on current knowledge or failed technique.
The status quo syndrome has killed the drive and motivation for most people and there are the people who don't care about what exercise they are doing or why they are doing it but those people will come in to a training session day after day and still trust a trainer to guide them and will perform any exercise at any set rep range without question. They typically have family, work or whatever issues but what most fail to do is think about what they are doing regardless of what implement they are using to exercise with is prolonging their lives through exercise. I'm not a fan of certain training methods but anyone who is exercising no matter what they are doing is using exercise to blow off steam and prolong their lives. We all have goals and aspirations sure but we should attack our training with some enthusiasm.
I am not a fan of people getting ripped off by instructors that are only interested in money but as long as the person they are working with is getting some kind of exercise it is going to positively do some good. If you want the most from a program it is true that you need a good trainer to progress you and know what he or she is doing but even with a bad program you should approach each session with a will do attitude. Truth is that exercise will add years to your life and life to your years as long as you approach it with the attitude of your life and the length of it does depend on what you make of your training. All of the aesthetic physique changes are secondary to living a long and healthy life.
Today was a good day with the exception of into my third set of complexes I had a sudden stop due to my loss of attention causing me to slightly misalign my spine and put a slight enough pull I'm my left lat muscle to cause breathing to feel like a pinched nerve. I returned home from my chiropractor who fixed my spine up to some discomfort in the muscle so I will take tomorrow off since Saturday is lower back and legs.
So as I limped my way back to the facility where I operate from, which in itself has a lot of potential for growth and profit and is a pretty cool place to work. It does have however one quirk which I strongly disagree with and it just so happens that almost daily this "quirk" turns potential members away from signing up. That is beside the point though as I am sitting here next to my power rack which is the only free weight machine in the building other than various dumbbells that rarely get used by anyone other than the clients of the trainers who work here.
Back to the point I was trying to make about the before mentioned "quirk" I was wanting to touch on. One half of the building is one of those cheesy circuits like curves where there is that constant pshhhht ffftttt sound of pneumatic and or hydraulic cylinders that have the strength curve of a balloon and roughly 0% eccentric resistance causing absolutely no strength gain. I personally hate these circuits to no end but the vibe is cool here and I am grateful to have a facility to operate out of a mere 2 blocks from home.
The core of this message is not the ineffective nature of these machines which the other trainer and I are dead set on weeding out and replaced with decent free weight machines and multi stations but what I witnessed while waiting on a client to show up and while gasping for air from my back hindrance. I actually sat and observed a lady use this circuit and I paid close attention to a few things as I do with my clients who come in daily and sling the iron I moved in with me. I watched for loading parameters, intensity, endurance, or mostly the lack thereof and the most telling of all, the client’s attitude towards the workout.Ill describe what I observed further in order starting with loading parameters.
This one got me laughing inside because even though you can pretty much set these machines at 9 and sip margaritas while using them she didn't bother to set any of the resistances before use. It wasn't her fault because I'm sure that annoying voice on the stereo that says "OK please move to the next station" that blares out of the speakers every 30 seconds that most people turn on and don't use was rushing her. It makes sense that if the voice gives you 30 seconds to move then why burn 2 seconds making an exercise you are paying for actually hard enough to get an ounce of soreness?
Next was intensity and I can easily sum the intensity up with one simple example: Go to any funeral and you will see more action by the person in the casket. She literally spent 5 second or more strolling from machine to machine with a bored to death demeanor and near emotionless look on her face. As far as endurance goes, the most endurance involved getting on one of those squeaky ass trampolines that remind me of a few mattresses I have destroyed in my time. This is where I had to giggle because if you watch the people when they get on these and you literally want to shake them and tell them if they aren't going to get on them and actually use them then don't bother. I mean her feet never came off the damn thing and she looked like an epileptic bowling pin.The biggest contributing factor to this session for the lady wasn't the sub optimal machinery or the country love songs she was listening to in an attempt to drown out my boom box pumping some good ol up yours punk rock by the casualties. It was the the attitude of the lady that was causing this session to have absolutely no effect on health, performance, or whatever goal she had set if any at all. It dawns on me as I sit thinking about all the people I see walk through the door day in and day out as well as all the people who fall into a certain mediocrity that seems to follow many people around ready to step out in front of them at any point and block any new experimentation or pioneering spirit to expand on current knowledge or failed technique.
The status quo syndrome has killed the drive and motivation for most people and there are the people who don't care about what exercise they are doing or why they are doing it but those people will come in to a training session day after day and still trust a trainer to guide them and will perform any exercise at any set rep range without question. They typically have family, work or whatever issues but what most fail to do is think about what they are doing regardless of what implement they are using to exercise with is prolonging their lives through exercise. I'm not a fan of certain training methods but anyone who is exercising no matter what they are doing is using exercise to blow off steam and prolong their lives. We all have goals and aspirations sure but we should attack our training with some enthusiasm.
I am not a fan of people getting ripped off by instructors that are only interested in money but as long as the person they are working with is getting some kind of exercise it is going to positively do some good. If you want the most from a program it is true that you need a good trainer to progress you and know what he or she is doing but even with a bad program you should approach each session with a will do attitude. Truth is that exercise will add years to your life and life to your years as long as you approach it with the attitude of your life and the length of it does depend on what you make of your training. All of the aesthetic physique changes are secondary to living a long and healthy life.
Funeral Parlor Gym Time by Jess Casteel
Today is another beautiful day with much needed moisture in the air here on the central coast of California and as I awoke this morning and had my usual meal of fruit, sustainable carbs and a protein shake followed by my vitamins and some coffee I had a feeling that today was going to be lacking energy.Energy not from me but more so from the facility I train my clients from. As I strolled to the gym I felt comfortably at ease with the cold moist air and the smell of freshly wet asphalt. What a day to shove some iron and work with the best clients alive.
As I turn the corner and the parking lot becomes visible I am nearly disgusted at the obvious lack of vehicles. Could everyone have decided to walk or run to workout today?As I walk through the double doors it’s almost like a vacuum that sucks the excitement out of me. I enter the facility to country love songs and absolutely no one catching a session. The steel and iron is dead cold and most of it is lying in the position it was when I left for the weekend. It hits me dead between the eyes that not only does the environment we lift in affect our moods but also the mood of the people that surround us. It always amazes me how the people that don't workout and opt for Krispy Kreme doughnuts and McDonalds Big Macs just don't get it.
The one thing that bothers me the most when in a session with either a client or my own personal training sessions is when people who don't lift or understand gym protocol constantly try to converse with my clients or myself while we are in a session. This not only is nothing short of a distraction but is also very unsafe.Even when the headphones are in and there is a couple hundred pounds on the bar it never seems to be enough of a sign that the person under the bar is busy and needs to concentrate. I was recently performing suicide bar tosses which are basically a ballistic bench press where you literally toss the bar and catch it.
This is a highly dangerous movement requiring extreme concentration and after my set I noticed once again I was being talked to. On this specific occurrence I decided to act as if I didn't hear any of the conversation and closed my eyes while making it very obvious I was listening to my headphones. I happen to find over the last weekend that a few ladies I had the pleasure to talk with used to be members at my facility but couldn't get a good workout in due to the employees following them around from station to station talking and even when headphones where in plain view this seemed to not register.Anyone who spends countless hours in the gym slinging iron or even machine molly's have their own pet peeves that get under their skin in the gym. For some it’s the chatty Kathy to the Gorilla in the corner grunting and clanging the iron. The moral of this blog is as simple as leaving each person to their routine and understand that as easy or hard as the individuals workout may be they still require a degree of concentration and is also just gym etiquette.
As I turn the corner and the parking lot becomes visible I am nearly disgusted at the obvious lack of vehicles. Could everyone have decided to walk or run to workout today?As I walk through the double doors it’s almost like a vacuum that sucks the excitement out of me. I enter the facility to country love songs and absolutely no one catching a session. The steel and iron is dead cold and most of it is lying in the position it was when I left for the weekend. It hits me dead between the eyes that not only does the environment we lift in affect our moods but also the mood of the people that surround us. It always amazes me how the people that don't workout and opt for Krispy Kreme doughnuts and McDonalds Big Macs just don't get it.
The one thing that bothers me the most when in a session with either a client or my own personal training sessions is when people who don't lift or understand gym protocol constantly try to converse with my clients or myself while we are in a session. This not only is nothing short of a distraction but is also very unsafe.Even when the headphones are in and there is a couple hundred pounds on the bar it never seems to be enough of a sign that the person under the bar is busy and needs to concentrate. I was recently performing suicide bar tosses which are basically a ballistic bench press where you literally toss the bar and catch it.
This is a highly dangerous movement requiring extreme concentration and after my set I noticed once again I was being talked to. On this specific occurrence I decided to act as if I didn't hear any of the conversation and closed my eyes while making it very obvious I was listening to my headphones. I happen to find over the last weekend that a few ladies I had the pleasure to talk with used to be members at my facility but couldn't get a good workout in due to the employees following them around from station to station talking and even when headphones where in plain view this seemed to not register.Anyone who spends countless hours in the gym slinging iron or even machine molly's have their own pet peeves that get under their skin in the gym. For some it’s the chatty Kathy to the Gorilla in the corner grunting and clanging the iron. The moral of this blog is as simple as leaving each person to their routine and understand that as easy or hard as the individuals workout may be they still require a degree of concentration and is also just gym etiquette.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Tools to build a perfect program by Jess Casteel
Tools to build a perfect program by Jess Casteel
It seems almost weekly I am swamped with questions regarding program design and the miracle cure for fat and a magical cure for lean body mass. I am a far cry from a guru and I have no such magical wand or a nifty wizard hat or else I would not be spending countless hours on program design for my clients and friends. What I do possess is the ability to absorb information on anything I am interested in and I am not happy until I consider myself good at what I do.
It seems like daily I am telling my clients not to be so hard on themselves yet I have not been able to follow my own advice. I hold myself to a standard of talking the talk and walking the walk though I get quite clumsy and trip over my own feet at times. The studying and researching I conduct daily not only fuels my love for all things fitness but also wrecks my personal life. The first thing I think of when I hear the questions about how to gain more muscle or burn more fat is a question I am fast to reiterate. How long have you been using your current routine? Most people don't get the concept of program progression and that is understandable. I'm not talking about how many sets and reps you do either.
Most people start every session with the same routine and loading parameters every day. You can almost spot the complacency when they get out of their car and stroll into the gym with their heads low and expressionless look on the front part of their heads.Have you started every leg session with squats for a year and yet you still look like you are hitching a ride on a chicken back? Sure you add reps and change foot position but when is the last time you stopped squatting for 4-6 weeks in favor of split squats? How about the tricep rope you spend more time with your hands wrapped around than someone of the opposite sex?Program design and I mean real program design is not established for a set in stone daily grind that is never changing.
You must design a program to evolve towards a set of goals that you have to establish for phases dependant on your main finishing point. If you don't have room for progression then you are doomed to plateau and in most cases give up.When I design a program for either my personal regiment or a client’s routine I consider 3 things first.#1. Long term goals or what they are looking to gain from my services. For example: fat loss, muscle tone and definition, improved athletic performance, health from the inside out, and to look better naked. All of which are the usual answers to those who are serious about hiring a trainer.#2. Specific timeline goals such as weddings, class reunions, or specific competitive challenges. All of which are considered return on investments and can be used as motivational tools by the trainer but also can be a motivation for a trainer to show his work and gain more business and recognition which in this industry is as good as finding a bag of money.
The specific timeline goals can also be the long term goal but you want to provide more room after the specific goal to allow for further fitness or once the specific timeline goal is done the trainee may fall into a ok that's done so what now mentality or a well that went well so thanks for the help and ill see ya later type deal which is ok but all that progress you made just packed their gym bag and left to go have a big mac and watch reruns of the biggest loser. Be specific but have further goals to keep them progressing. Have the client give you dates like on October 19th 2009 I want to be at 8% body fat and my deadlift weight to be at a 600lb max.#3. Short term goals that are progressive and ever changing to overlap the specific goals and drive the client straight to the long term goal with room for modification.
The key here is to offer small incremental steps and not big leaps, allow me to elaborate further with a few examples. If a new client drinks 4 sodas a day then give them goals like in 2 weeks drop that intake to 2 a day and 2 bottles of water daily. In 6 weeks drop soda intake to one a week on cheat days. If fast food is an issue tell them to drop the burger fry combo and opt for Subway sandwiches or my personal favorite Jersey Mikes.
Next is the guidelines for eating (not rules) Rules seem to change the tendencies of a new client to lean towards less effort. Explain that when eating out which at this point we will not discourage due to small steps being easily kept and giant leaps being easily disregarded, we will lay guidelines like no fried foods, no breads, and no deserts. I learned that guideline from reading Chris Shugarts articles and it’s worked well for him.Now that goals are established let's start the assessment process to determine where the must fix muscle imbalances are and where the biggest weaknesses are so we can move towards our "trainer goals" which differ slightly from the client goals. Ahhh, Catch 22 just tossed a doughnut into the fat burner and caused a huh? Moment didn't it.
Ok fast forward the boring assessment blah blah blah and get to what the trainer goals most likely look like.Obviously most clients want certain goals but you as a trainer need to be able to spot the goals they need because one of the aspects of being a trainer is the ability to spot and find muscle imbalances. This can be done by good assessment design and just observing the client as you talk with them. When they walked into the gym where they walking pigeon toed, knock kneed, slouched over, shoulders rolled forward or just crooked posture? These are obvious signs of weakness and or severe muscle imbalances but some are harder to detect without the assessment.
Once the imbalances are worked out enough to safely progress to compound lifts or any other training protocol like complexes, circuits or even explosive movements you have to continuously watch for the creation of imbalances and adjust the program accordingly. You will do fine at first setting up some big lifts with some isolations and progress from there. The main focus is noticing when the program starts getting easy for the client and at times the program may not be easy but some exercises may so change the exercise by swapping out grip, stance, or even pick a similar exercise with more fiber recruitment.
Let me explain a little further here once again. If an incline dumbbell press is too simple and you bet it is then perform an incline rotation dumbbell press or if flyes are too easy then perform a dumbbell flye press.From here play with sets and reps for a change instead of the exercise. Admit it we all get wrapped up in 3 sets of 6, 8, and 10 but try to do 1 set of 1 of five different exercises as a circuit with Maximal weight and then rest for 90 seconds and repeat. The key is to change things up and never do any program for more than 6 weeks or your inviting the fat to re accumulate on the now stale client who will soon be hiring a new trainer. Bottom line is this, grab a notepad and get a plan but don't call it concrete and don't try to reinvent the wheel either. Use the tools that have worked since before you got your jollies looking at the models in fitness magazines.
It seems almost weekly I am swamped with questions regarding program design and the miracle cure for fat and a magical cure for lean body mass. I am a far cry from a guru and I have no such magical wand or a nifty wizard hat or else I would not be spending countless hours on program design for my clients and friends. What I do possess is the ability to absorb information on anything I am interested in and I am not happy until I consider myself good at what I do.
It seems like daily I am telling my clients not to be so hard on themselves yet I have not been able to follow my own advice. I hold myself to a standard of talking the talk and walking the walk though I get quite clumsy and trip over my own feet at times. The studying and researching I conduct daily not only fuels my love for all things fitness but also wrecks my personal life. The first thing I think of when I hear the questions about how to gain more muscle or burn more fat is a question I am fast to reiterate. How long have you been using your current routine? Most people don't get the concept of program progression and that is understandable. I'm not talking about how many sets and reps you do either.
Most people start every session with the same routine and loading parameters every day. You can almost spot the complacency when they get out of their car and stroll into the gym with their heads low and expressionless look on the front part of their heads.Have you started every leg session with squats for a year and yet you still look like you are hitching a ride on a chicken back? Sure you add reps and change foot position but when is the last time you stopped squatting for 4-6 weeks in favor of split squats? How about the tricep rope you spend more time with your hands wrapped around than someone of the opposite sex?Program design and I mean real program design is not established for a set in stone daily grind that is never changing.
You must design a program to evolve towards a set of goals that you have to establish for phases dependant on your main finishing point. If you don't have room for progression then you are doomed to plateau and in most cases give up.When I design a program for either my personal regiment or a client’s routine I consider 3 things first.#1. Long term goals or what they are looking to gain from my services. For example: fat loss, muscle tone and definition, improved athletic performance, health from the inside out, and to look better naked. All of which are the usual answers to those who are serious about hiring a trainer.#2. Specific timeline goals such as weddings, class reunions, or specific competitive challenges. All of which are considered return on investments and can be used as motivational tools by the trainer but also can be a motivation for a trainer to show his work and gain more business and recognition which in this industry is as good as finding a bag of money.
The specific timeline goals can also be the long term goal but you want to provide more room after the specific goal to allow for further fitness or once the specific timeline goal is done the trainee may fall into a ok that's done so what now mentality or a well that went well so thanks for the help and ill see ya later type deal which is ok but all that progress you made just packed their gym bag and left to go have a big mac and watch reruns of the biggest loser. Be specific but have further goals to keep them progressing. Have the client give you dates like on October 19th 2009 I want to be at 8% body fat and my deadlift weight to be at a 600lb max.#3. Short term goals that are progressive and ever changing to overlap the specific goals and drive the client straight to the long term goal with room for modification.
The key here is to offer small incremental steps and not big leaps, allow me to elaborate further with a few examples. If a new client drinks 4 sodas a day then give them goals like in 2 weeks drop that intake to 2 a day and 2 bottles of water daily. In 6 weeks drop soda intake to one a week on cheat days. If fast food is an issue tell them to drop the burger fry combo and opt for Subway sandwiches or my personal favorite Jersey Mikes.
Next is the guidelines for eating (not rules) Rules seem to change the tendencies of a new client to lean towards less effort. Explain that when eating out which at this point we will not discourage due to small steps being easily kept and giant leaps being easily disregarded, we will lay guidelines like no fried foods, no breads, and no deserts. I learned that guideline from reading Chris Shugarts articles and it’s worked well for him.Now that goals are established let's start the assessment process to determine where the must fix muscle imbalances are and where the biggest weaknesses are so we can move towards our "trainer goals" which differ slightly from the client goals. Ahhh, Catch 22 just tossed a doughnut into the fat burner and caused a huh? Moment didn't it.
Ok fast forward the boring assessment blah blah blah and get to what the trainer goals most likely look like.Obviously most clients want certain goals but you as a trainer need to be able to spot the goals they need because one of the aspects of being a trainer is the ability to spot and find muscle imbalances. This can be done by good assessment design and just observing the client as you talk with them. When they walked into the gym where they walking pigeon toed, knock kneed, slouched over, shoulders rolled forward or just crooked posture? These are obvious signs of weakness and or severe muscle imbalances but some are harder to detect without the assessment.
Once the imbalances are worked out enough to safely progress to compound lifts or any other training protocol like complexes, circuits or even explosive movements you have to continuously watch for the creation of imbalances and adjust the program accordingly. You will do fine at first setting up some big lifts with some isolations and progress from there. The main focus is noticing when the program starts getting easy for the client and at times the program may not be easy but some exercises may so change the exercise by swapping out grip, stance, or even pick a similar exercise with more fiber recruitment.
Let me explain a little further here once again. If an incline dumbbell press is too simple and you bet it is then perform an incline rotation dumbbell press or if flyes are too easy then perform a dumbbell flye press.From here play with sets and reps for a change instead of the exercise. Admit it we all get wrapped up in 3 sets of 6, 8, and 10 but try to do 1 set of 1 of five different exercises as a circuit with Maximal weight and then rest for 90 seconds and repeat. The key is to change things up and never do any program for more than 6 weeks or your inviting the fat to re accumulate on the now stale client who will soon be hiring a new trainer. Bottom line is this, grab a notepad and get a plan but don't call it concrete and don't try to reinvent the wheel either. Use the tools that have worked since before you got your jollies looking at the models in fitness magazines.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
the stain on the underwear of fitness training by Jess Casteel
The stain on the underwear of fitness training
By: Jess Casteel
This article is destined to piss some people off, that being said if you drink from the kool aid that various instructors serve without investigating their credentials first then the old saying “a fool and his or her money is soon separated” may apply to you. Be warned though, this is no beat around the bush article and it is meant to serve on purpose. That purpose is to bring awareness to the general public about certain training programs and protocols as well as the hidden dangers that they may offer.
So as I have just met and signed yet another client who at the ill advised instruction of another "fitness professional" had to endure a highly preventable injury that could have easily turned into a catastrophic event that the main problem the general public seems to have is education in the field of fitness training. This is evident in gyms across the nation. Just drive by any gym and look at all the obiese individuals on the cardio equipment in the windows of any gym like they are put on display to be some sort of magnet to attract more business. Truth is if you take a picture and go to the same gym a year later the same people will be on the same equipment and will be even fatter or at least the same. It is fair to say that the cookie cutter trainers that just throw people on this equipment and walk away usually work part time as waiters because they just don't have what it takes to be a real fitness professional. If these trainers can't get anyone strong and dropping weight they should quit training and take up the window position at the nearest Burger King and stop ripping people off. That being said I know this blog is most likely going to piss some trainers off but that's just the nature of the beast and that anger is a direct reflection of a deeper feeling of knowing I am right. That being said I will dive a little deeper into the programs they teach and why they are ineffective even though they doctor the results of their programs to make them more appealing.I won't specify names but the first and most recent incident had to do with a certain boot camp style program that is in operation in my area. The client came to me and discussed how without an assessment or any other type of evaluation she was directed to basically run. First of all running is fine for heart health but does nothing for strength gains or the correction of muscle imbalances which is one of the biggest reasons for injury and joint problems. Yes you will burn fat but without teaching proper running form and not knowing past health history is it wise to take someone out to the hills and have them run while being yelled at? Second where is the nutrition advice and healthy lifestyle coaching? Now when my client complained of knee pain she was told to "keep pushing it will be alright." That shit isn't professional and that is the bottom line. I personally have talked with one of these trainers who were hired to work for one of these outfits and he took a test online for fifty dollars and had no muscle mechanics education, no biomechanics education, never studied kinesiology and most likely never studied anatomy. He didn't even crack a book to get certified! This is a very common theme with these classes since I have been contacted many times by ex clients who suffered injuries or gained weight during these programs. There is a reason why these programs are fading away fast, they don't work so if you are on one of these ships I would advise jumping off before it sinks.I can hear it now, but Jess what about the amount of fat loss they advertise? Let me say this much about these claims. First show me proof like assessment records, training logs etc... Anyone can take 3 classes of 20 ladies who rarely get any exercise and make them run 4 miles in the hills almost forcefully and they are going to drop weight but without proper nutrition advice and diet planning a lot of the weight will also include the muscle you are breaking down for energy as well as the sudden change from a sedentary lifestyle to an abrupt physically challenging regiment but the results simply won't last and in the case of heightened cortisol production the fat will return faster. Sure some will adapt nicely especially women who are more endurance or slow twitch muscle dominant anyway but the ends don't justify the means in this case.The client who hired me before this most recent case had a trainer at one of the local gyms in my area think because he was dosing anabolic testosterone injections "juice" that she would be able at a young age of 52 to squat with horrible form using a bar loaded with 45lb plates and she blew out her hip. Listen to me, if you are training natural the advice you get from a younger male who is on a different path using different aids will not work for you. Their diet, intensity, and goals differ from those on a natural fitness routine. This pissed me off because now I have to rehab her hip which by the way she gets her bottom end almost to her heels now squatting with me and the pain is almost completely gone but that's a different matter, but I also have to rewire her hard drive to unlearn all the bad habits she has learned in a short amount of time. She had many many imbalances that should have been addressed way before she even put a bar on her shoulders. I have had to take these clients back to basic training principles 101 which slow the process of progression way down wasting time, money, and days off their lives. If you don't know lifting principles then you don't need to be teaching anyone anything. Most of the problems I run across in my meeting with clients or consultations with clients of other training systems are all tied back to the ignorance of the trainers or instructors and it sickens me that these are the same people who give good personal trainers a bad name. We all seem to get lumped together and more times than not it is usually women who get scammed into these situations. I think it’s the mechanic mentality of taking advantage of a woman and that's why these trainers and programs shoot for the female demographic. This is disgusting to no end to say the least so ladies I employ you to educate yourselves and shop around. I have a client male to female ratio of 9:1 meaning 99% of my clientele consist of women and to this day I have yet to have any of my girls get injured and we move some iron buddy. I would be happy to put any of my girls up against any of their strongest in a deadlift or squat competition and watch mine out perform in form, execution, and sheer poundage. Women should be strong and they should damn well get what they pay for.I can give you examples if you would like of some of the work my ladies put in and be assured that some of my gals lift more than some men with better form, range of motion and endurance. One of my girls used to weigh 298lbs at 5 foot 3 inches less than one year ago. She started with me using stability ball and rubber band training and today she stands at 170lbs and can deadlift her body weight raw with no straps and near perfect form. She bench presses 100lbs for sets and squats her body weight with her butt to her heels. This weekend she bought for the first time in her adult life a size 10 pant. Its all her because all I did was educate and teach along with program design and progression. Another lady who hired me a mere 3 weeks ago dead lifted 100lbs after working on form diligently for 2 weeks after never dead lifting before in her life and last session squatted her body weight. She also performed 3 sets of 10 wide grip chins and chest to the bar with little assistance and 3 sets of 10 dips with biceps to forearms with little assistance. Most men can't do 1 set of 5 of either by the way. I have a female client who at the young age of 57 through little to no cardio has lost 20lbs through nutrition and while she has been with me she has gone from doing exercises with an empty bar to compound movements with weight clean for reps. Women have the ability to do any exercise a man can do because they have the same musculoskeletal system men do as far as the movements so why not be strong in said movements? I won't knock anyone for effort but what I do not favor is the mentalities of women don’t know any better. To this I say find a training system that works for you and enjoy it but choose the trainer over the system because his or her advice will make or break more than just your wallet.
By: Jess Casteel
This article is destined to piss some people off, that being said if you drink from the kool aid that various instructors serve without investigating their credentials first then the old saying “a fool and his or her money is soon separated” may apply to you. Be warned though, this is no beat around the bush article and it is meant to serve on purpose. That purpose is to bring awareness to the general public about certain training programs and protocols as well as the hidden dangers that they may offer.
So as I have just met and signed yet another client who at the ill advised instruction of another "fitness professional" had to endure a highly preventable injury that could have easily turned into a catastrophic event that the main problem the general public seems to have is education in the field of fitness training. This is evident in gyms across the nation. Just drive by any gym and look at all the obiese individuals on the cardio equipment in the windows of any gym like they are put on display to be some sort of magnet to attract more business. Truth is if you take a picture and go to the same gym a year later the same people will be on the same equipment and will be even fatter or at least the same. It is fair to say that the cookie cutter trainers that just throw people on this equipment and walk away usually work part time as waiters because they just don't have what it takes to be a real fitness professional. If these trainers can't get anyone strong and dropping weight they should quit training and take up the window position at the nearest Burger King and stop ripping people off. That being said I know this blog is most likely going to piss some trainers off but that's just the nature of the beast and that anger is a direct reflection of a deeper feeling of knowing I am right. That being said I will dive a little deeper into the programs they teach and why they are ineffective even though they doctor the results of their programs to make them more appealing.I won't specify names but the first and most recent incident had to do with a certain boot camp style program that is in operation in my area. The client came to me and discussed how without an assessment or any other type of evaluation she was directed to basically run. First of all running is fine for heart health but does nothing for strength gains or the correction of muscle imbalances which is one of the biggest reasons for injury and joint problems. Yes you will burn fat but without teaching proper running form and not knowing past health history is it wise to take someone out to the hills and have them run while being yelled at? Second where is the nutrition advice and healthy lifestyle coaching? Now when my client complained of knee pain she was told to "keep pushing it will be alright." That shit isn't professional and that is the bottom line. I personally have talked with one of these trainers who were hired to work for one of these outfits and he took a test online for fifty dollars and had no muscle mechanics education, no biomechanics education, never studied kinesiology and most likely never studied anatomy. He didn't even crack a book to get certified! This is a very common theme with these classes since I have been contacted many times by ex clients who suffered injuries or gained weight during these programs. There is a reason why these programs are fading away fast, they don't work so if you are on one of these ships I would advise jumping off before it sinks.I can hear it now, but Jess what about the amount of fat loss they advertise? Let me say this much about these claims. First show me proof like assessment records, training logs etc... Anyone can take 3 classes of 20 ladies who rarely get any exercise and make them run 4 miles in the hills almost forcefully and they are going to drop weight but without proper nutrition advice and diet planning a lot of the weight will also include the muscle you are breaking down for energy as well as the sudden change from a sedentary lifestyle to an abrupt physically challenging regiment but the results simply won't last and in the case of heightened cortisol production the fat will return faster. Sure some will adapt nicely especially women who are more endurance or slow twitch muscle dominant anyway but the ends don't justify the means in this case.The client who hired me before this most recent case had a trainer at one of the local gyms in my area think because he was dosing anabolic testosterone injections "juice" that she would be able at a young age of 52 to squat with horrible form using a bar loaded with 45lb plates and she blew out her hip. Listen to me, if you are training natural the advice you get from a younger male who is on a different path using different aids will not work for you. Their diet, intensity, and goals differ from those on a natural fitness routine. This pissed me off because now I have to rehab her hip which by the way she gets her bottom end almost to her heels now squatting with me and the pain is almost completely gone but that's a different matter, but I also have to rewire her hard drive to unlearn all the bad habits she has learned in a short amount of time. She had many many imbalances that should have been addressed way before she even put a bar on her shoulders. I have had to take these clients back to basic training principles 101 which slow the process of progression way down wasting time, money, and days off their lives. If you don't know lifting principles then you don't need to be teaching anyone anything. Most of the problems I run across in my meeting with clients or consultations with clients of other training systems are all tied back to the ignorance of the trainers or instructors and it sickens me that these are the same people who give good personal trainers a bad name. We all seem to get lumped together and more times than not it is usually women who get scammed into these situations. I think it’s the mechanic mentality of taking advantage of a woman and that's why these trainers and programs shoot for the female demographic. This is disgusting to no end to say the least so ladies I employ you to educate yourselves and shop around. I have a client male to female ratio of 9:1 meaning 99% of my clientele consist of women and to this day I have yet to have any of my girls get injured and we move some iron buddy. I would be happy to put any of my girls up against any of their strongest in a deadlift or squat competition and watch mine out perform in form, execution, and sheer poundage. Women should be strong and they should damn well get what they pay for.I can give you examples if you would like of some of the work my ladies put in and be assured that some of my gals lift more than some men with better form, range of motion and endurance. One of my girls used to weigh 298lbs at 5 foot 3 inches less than one year ago. She started with me using stability ball and rubber band training and today she stands at 170lbs and can deadlift her body weight raw with no straps and near perfect form. She bench presses 100lbs for sets and squats her body weight with her butt to her heels. This weekend she bought for the first time in her adult life a size 10 pant. Its all her because all I did was educate and teach along with program design and progression. Another lady who hired me a mere 3 weeks ago dead lifted 100lbs after working on form diligently for 2 weeks after never dead lifting before in her life and last session squatted her body weight. She also performed 3 sets of 10 wide grip chins and chest to the bar with little assistance and 3 sets of 10 dips with biceps to forearms with little assistance. Most men can't do 1 set of 5 of either by the way. I have a female client who at the young age of 57 through little to no cardio has lost 20lbs through nutrition and while she has been with me she has gone from doing exercises with an empty bar to compound movements with weight clean for reps. Women have the ability to do any exercise a man can do because they have the same musculoskeletal system men do as far as the movements so why not be strong in said movements? I won't knock anyone for effort but what I do not favor is the mentalities of women don’t know any better. To this I say find a training system that works for you and enjoy it but choose the trainer over the system because his or her advice will make or break more than just your wallet.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Chiropractic and Strength Training go Back to Back by Jessie Casteel C.F.T. and Dr. Steven Tullius D.C.
As a personal trainer and strength coach there is always a new challenge popping its head out of the bushes begging to be tackled and at times it frustrates you to as much as being tied to a chair and being forced to watch reruns of all the Roseanne sitcoms. I have recently been bashing my head against the wall trying to find an issue with one of my clients who for the sake of her using her newly gained strength against me in a flurry of right crosses we will just call her Jen. So the story goes like this; Jen contacted me for help getting her body stripped of fat which seems like the typical reason most women hire me. The problem that reared its ugly head after our second month isn't the fact of muscle imbalances or physical restrictions due to Jen's long limbs. Jen has really nicely developed arms, forearms, upper legs, and calves. The problem is that the body fat accumulation around her midsection is to say the least very stubborn. Jen brings it on every session and almost every day leaves her sessions dripping in sweat, exhausted, and hardly has the energy to drive 20 minutes home without stopping to take a nap. In other words this girl lifts with intensity that most men lack and yet it seems like we can't put a dent in the body fat percentage. This has led me to believe there is a condition within the body causing a chaotic disruption within her system some place.I ruled out hormones with the exception of cortisol due to high stress levels. (3 teenage daughters at home is enough to cause severe stress in anyone.) I don't believe cortisol is the main issue but a contributor and there could be a possible thyroid issue but for now I figured it best to work on issues to help overall health fast while we track the prime factor. After reading many articles and anatomy books to find possible causes to attack I decided to contact my mentor and trusted friend Dr. Steven Tullius D.C. Who is very savvy in total body wellness and health and has a deep love and compassion for people. I know from visiting Dr. T on many many occasions that the CNS or Central Nervous System which controls every aspect of our body functions can at times be hindered by spinal misalignments. Think about a water hose running wide open and if you step on the hose you choke back the efficiency of the hose to deliver water. Same principle but what many people don't understand is that the CNS branches out from the spinal column and nerves run from every vertebra to various areas controlling everything from firing your muscles to sex organs to digestive functions. My thoughts are that Jen may have a serious subluxation around the middle back in the thoracic spine causing problems with digestion and hindering her metabolic drive but I am not the Doc so I will be asking Dr Tullius to give a brief description of his findings to allow others with the same issues and symptoms to hear straight from the professional. I also am aware that Jen's Atlas bone was out of alignment so hopefully Dr. T can touch on those effects as well.
The following is an addition by Dr. Steven Tullius D.C.
Jessie hit the nail on the head with this one. We have three components to the nervous system. We have the sensory system which controls pain, pressure, temperature, etc... We all know when those nerves are irritated because we can feel it.
The motor system controls the movement, strength and coordination of muscle firing. We don't always know when these nerves are being affected and can often just put it off on "weak" muscles when in fact the muscle is not getting the proper messages to do the requested movement.
The third and most important component of the nervous system is the autonomic system. The autonomic system consists of the sympathetic system, fight or flight response, and the parasympathetic system, rest and digest response. Jen's sympathetic system was out of control. Her atlas, or first cervical bone, was severely misaligned, placing pressure on the brain stem as it enters the spinal column. Her body literally believed and has been for a very long time that it needed to either fight or run away. The physiological response?
Acceleration of heart and lung action Paling or flushing, or alternating between both Inhibition of stomach and upper-intestinal action (digestion slows down or stops) Secretion of adrenaline from the adrenal glands
It's no wonder she has suffered from insomnia, anxiety, excessive sweating, and trouble losing weight. Unfortunately a subluxation, or spinal misalignment, is the most often overlooked cause of system imbalance and dis-ease in the body yet it is the most common. Keep in mind that chiropractic does not seek to cure any of these problems Jen has been suffering from, it simply restores balance to the nervous system and the body does what it does best: heals and maintains life.
If you or someone you love is not experiencing optimum health and vitality, chiropractic can help.
Yours in Health,
Steve Tullius, DC www.dr-t.net
So If you have ever lifted weights to the point where your eyes have almost popped out of your skull with no results and you have practiced strict discipline with your nutrition as well as hormone balancing and still cant lose weight then maybe the problem holding back that fat loss is as simple as getting the spine tuned up so the nervous systems can function properly and get your body feeling the way it should feel.
The following is an addition by Dr. Steven Tullius D.C.
Jessie hit the nail on the head with this one. We have three components to the nervous system. We have the sensory system which controls pain, pressure, temperature, etc... We all know when those nerves are irritated because we can feel it.
The motor system controls the movement, strength and coordination of muscle firing. We don't always know when these nerves are being affected and can often just put it off on "weak" muscles when in fact the muscle is not getting the proper messages to do the requested movement.
The third and most important component of the nervous system is the autonomic system. The autonomic system consists of the sympathetic system, fight or flight response, and the parasympathetic system, rest and digest response. Jen's sympathetic system was out of control. Her atlas, or first cervical bone, was severely misaligned, placing pressure on the brain stem as it enters the spinal column. Her body literally believed and has been for a very long time that it needed to either fight or run away. The physiological response?
Acceleration of heart and lung action Paling or flushing, or alternating between both Inhibition of stomach and upper-intestinal action (digestion slows down or stops) Secretion of adrenaline from the adrenal glands
It's no wonder she has suffered from insomnia, anxiety, excessive sweating, and trouble losing weight. Unfortunately a subluxation, or spinal misalignment, is the most often overlooked cause of system imbalance and dis-ease in the body yet it is the most common. Keep in mind that chiropractic does not seek to cure any of these problems Jen has been suffering from, it simply restores balance to the nervous system and the body does what it does best: heals and maintains life.
If you or someone you love is not experiencing optimum health and vitality, chiropractic can help.
Yours in Health,
Steve Tullius, DC www.dr-t.net
So If you have ever lifted weights to the point where your eyes have almost popped out of your skull with no results and you have practiced strict discipline with your nutrition as well as hormone balancing and still cant lose weight then maybe the problem holding back that fat loss is as simple as getting the spine tuned up so the nervous systems can function properly and get your body feeling the way it should feel.
Friday, August 14, 2009
So as I and my clients have blasted through thousands of leg elevated weighted crunches over time I look at my midsection and wonder when will I get those deep cuts that we all so deeply admire? There is no other testiment to hard work in the nutrition arena and iron slinging game than a ripped midsection. Not to take anything away from a solid foundation with the legs or a back so wide and thick that walking around town is scary since airplanes are constantly asking for clearance to land on your runway and dare I not mention the mirror muscles that the real hardcore dweebs only focus on just to find a stacked bleach blond at the bar with more plastic and silicone than a playskool toy factory like the arms and chest. The real indication of good nutrition and hard work is the midsection and more specifically the abs and obliques. Why? Its simple and clearly obvious that the midsection especially in women is usually the last place the fat gets burned from. Its just how it is and the reason its harder for women is because along with that chromozone comes the genetic download to store fat here for childbirthing.
That being said let me explain why crunches may be costing you time and frustration in your routine.One of the coaches I study (he is about as elite as elite can get) brought up this point in a recent article which over the past 2 days I have studied and researched and in 2 days I have come to a solid conclusion of duh why didn't I think of that. Here is the skinny, Think about this logicaly and come to your own conclusion. A full situp like the ones our coaches in high school had us do with little or no concern about lumbar spine pressure and of course they had us pulling on our necks putting even more pressure on the smalles part of the spine at the cervicle region. Anyway when coach was standing on our feet and chit chatting with the senior volleyball captain who so conveinently was on the track jogging with the skimpy shorts at the time you where busting your ass doing situps. Ok the form here is horrible for the spine and does little to strengthen the core as a whole but we know that. The key here is the range of motion. You go from flat on your shoulder blades with flexion till your chest is to your knees. Now take the crunch and lift the knees closer to the body and situp. You just cut your range of motion by no less than one third to as much as two thirds. Does that sound like full range of motion and I won't even ask about time under tension. I do set after set after set of leg elevated crunches holding 45lb plates overhead and the only real fiber recruitment I get on ab day is from the recent purchase of an inversion board and the performance of inverted situps.
Ok so why is the crunch old hat? The abs like any other muscle need to be worked from a full stretch to a full contraction in order to gain strength through fiber recruitment. With strength comes definition. How do we do this then? Well reach into your pocket and see if you have roughly 30 dollars and get ready to laugh at the simplicity. Go buy an ab roller wheel. You have seen these before, they have the wheel and a bar with grips that go through the wheel. Be warned though if you have back issues you need to strengthen the stabilizers first so start doing 5 sets of 1 minute planks and side planks first. Then start with rollouts with a stability ball which can be bought with the remainder of your 30 bucks. If you don't have an inversion table then put your toes against a wall and sit on your stability ball and put your hands across your chest and do sit ups stretching the abs as you lay across the ball and try to get your head as close to the ground as possible. Then simply sit up keeping tension on the abs so you won't sit completely straight up. A V-crunch is good since the low back stays flat on the ground and you hold a medicine ball overhead but not touching the floor as you lay flat and the legs stay slightly off the ground too. Then raise the knees and situp all in one motion until you touch the medi ball to your toes then return to the start.
Next let's talk obliques a little since in most cases they are truely the forgotten muscles. The inner obliques fiber direction warrants twisting motion which also are the main muscles that actually pull the tummy in so learn to love Russian Twist with a medicine ball and the Palloff press. Remember the obliques don't just support twisting motion but also resist the motion as well and with the Palloff press you get that eccentric motion that is where we really gain strength anyway is in resisting the eccentric phase. The outer obliques are simple and fairly fast and straight forward. Weighted leans but do one side at a time so the non weighted side fights the eccentric pull as well and keep spine pressure in mind when loading up on weighted leans but go fairly heavy. There is a basic guideline for abs and obliques and I hope it helps you as much as I hope it helps me and my clients.
That being said let me explain why crunches may be costing you time and frustration in your routine.One of the coaches I study (he is about as elite as elite can get) brought up this point in a recent article which over the past 2 days I have studied and researched and in 2 days I have come to a solid conclusion of duh why didn't I think of that. Here is the skinny, Think about this logicaly and come to your own conclusion. A full situp like the ones our coaches in high school had us do with little or no concern about lumbar spine pressure and of course they had us pulling on our necks putting even more pressure on the smalles part of the spine at the cervicle region. Anyway when coach was standing on our feet and chit chatting with the senior volleyball captain who so conveinently was on the track jogging with the skimpy shorts at the time you where busting your ass doing situps. Ok the form here is horrible for the spine and does little to strengthen the core as a whole but we know that. The key here is the range of motion. You go from flat on your shoulder blades with flexion till your chest is to your knees. Now take the crunch and lift the knees closer to the body and situp. You just cut your range of motion by no less than one third to as much as two thirds. Does that sound like full range of motion and I won't even ask about time under tension. I do set after set after set of leg elevated crunches holding 45lb plates overhead and the only real fiber recruitment I get on ab day is from the recent purchase of an inversion board and the performance of inverted situps.
Ok so why is the crunch old hat? The abs like any other muscle need to be worked from a full stretch to a full contraction in order to gain strength through fiber recruitment. With strength comes definition. How do we do this then? Well reach into your pocket and see if you have roughly 30 dollars and get ready to laugh at the simplicity. Go buy an ab roller wheel. You have seen these before, they have the wheel and a bar with grips that go through the wheel. Be warned though if you have back issues you need to strengthen the stabilizers first so start doing 5 sets of 1 minute planks and side planks first. Then start with rollouts with a stability ball which can be bought with the remainder of your 30 bucks. If you don't have an inversion table then put your toes against a wall and sit on your stability ball and put your hands across your chest and do sit ups stretching the abs as you lay across the ball and try to get your head as close to the ground as possible. Then simply sit up keeping tension on the abs so you won't sit completely straight up. A V-crunch is good since the low back stays flat on the ground and you hold a medicine ball overhead but not touching the floor as you lay flat and the legs stay slightly off the ground too. Then raise the knees and situp all in one motion until you touch the medi ball to your toes then return to the start.
Next let's talk obliques a little since in most cases they are truely the forgotten muscles. The inner obliques fiber direction warrants twisting motion which also are the main muscles that actually pull the tummy in so learn to love Russian Twist with a medicine ball and the Palloff press. Remember the obliques don't just support twisting motion but also resist the motion as well and with the Palloff press you get that eccentric motion that is where we really gain strength anyway is in resisting the eccentric phase. The outer obliques are simple and fairly fast and straight forward. Weighted leans but do one side at a time so the non weighted side fights the eccentric pull as well and keep spine pressure in mind when loading up on weighted leans but go fairly heavy. There is a basic guideline for abs and obliques and I hope it helps you as much as I hope it helps me and my clients.
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