Sunday 25 July 2010

Training partner chemistry



Today I was speaking with a friend about a mutual friend of ours and he said,

"I don't want to train with him. I don't want to personal train someone for an hour when I'm trying to train."

Now, while this may sound a little cut-throat to some people, it's a fair point. It got me thinking about training partners, the chemistry between two training buddies, successful training relationships and the other side: arrangements which have a negative impact on training and results.

I see all combinations, two best friends training, large groups working together, solo-trainers or friends who became friends through the gym. However.. some are more successful than others.

Here's a few tips when picking your training partner:

Train with someone who brings something to the table...
Everyone has their first visits to a gym, and we're all constantly learning. No one knows EVERYTHING about working out, but the relationship needs to be a two-way street. It's one thing lending someone a hand, pointing them in the right direction, sorting out their program etc, but it soon wears thin when you need to spoon feed every part of the session.

Find someone that has prior knowledge or a different sporting background to yours but similar goals. For instance, as a rugby player I enjoy gym training with other rugby players but also fighters, sprinters and other power related athletes. Take a break from your usual routine when it's offered. Learn about flexibility from someone, move to a more cardio-based session if someone offers to show you a few bits. Approach sessions with an open mind and be willing to learn.

Big groups don't always mean big results...
I see it LOADS.. big groups of guys and girls who go to the gym together. It probably started as a pair and someone invited someone and so it went on. Bad news.. these aren't great for the gym.
More likely than not, these will be the groups who spread their time between working and chit-chat. For large groups doing weights based exercises, it's going to be a pain adjusting weights to suit everyone; an even bigger pain waiting around for your second set and getting cold while the other 4 do theirs.

As for peak time training, good luck finding 5 treadmills together or enough dumbells and benches for you and your pals.

Last but by NO means least, it's pretty unlikely you're going to find a group of friends all with similar goals. Which leads me to my next point...

Train with people who have similar goals...
Sessions can become HUGELY unproductive if time is spent arguing over exercises, repetitions, order of session etc if partners have different objectives. It's ESSENTIAL to find someone who wants the same thing. True, there's more than one way to skin a cat, but if your goals are poles apart the session is going nowhere.

Working hard... or hardly working?
Make sure when you pick a training partner it isn't someone who is more intent on catching up with you, telling you about their day, their family, their life and every other detail that isn't going to benefit your gym session It's fine to train with a friend but keep the social time and gym time seperate. If your gym partner is a talker or is spending their time trying to look good in the gym and attract members of the opposite sex, then change them. Or, explain your situation and ask them to change themselves. You'll bot benefit from it as the intensity of your sessions will increase so don't be afraid of offending them - it's for their own good.

Get pushed...
A little competition in the gym is always healthy. While I always use the old saying "train your body, not your ego", competition from your friends can improve the intensity of a session. It may be difficult to find a partner of equal size and strength but you may compete in other ways. For instance, weights wise use a percentage of your body weight as the scale for strength. Can you both bench press 100% of your own body weight? What about chin-ups and dips?

With regards to cardio, why not race? Give the less fit person a head start then let them try to not get caught while the fitter person tries their hardest to make up lost ground. Think laterally and introduce competition for the sake of improvement, not for the purpose of an ego boost, embarrassing your friend of to show how big and clever you are.

Without this level of competition and someone pushing you on, it's easy to get complaisant that you are the bigger or stronger or fitter person and if this continues, progress in the gym will be seriously damaged.

Listen up and be open minded...
You may be bigger, faster, leaner, fitter than your training partner, but you don't know everything. If they have an idea, go with it. Variation is key! Likewise, you see something you like that someone in the gym is doing, don't be afraid to ask. We're always learning so if you can get a little something from another gym goer then soak up all you can. I know I said to train with people similar to you, but if the opportunity comes to train with someone new as a one-off session go for it. If you trained with a gymnast and a powerlifter on two separate occasions, you may hate it but if you can take away just one thing from each session then it's been productive. Learning what you don't like and what doesn't work for you is just as important.

One-man(or woman)mission...
To the solo trainers. These guys have it in their favour in terms of time spent in the gym. I myself am usually a solo trainer most of the time and like that I don't need to wait for friends to finish sets, explain an exercise or adjust weights for other people and I can be done with a session quicker than most partners.

However... there are some things you don't get training alone. No spotter for heavier sets, no "let's do one more set" on the day you're feeling tired or even more essential for some people, "we ARE going to the gym - don't be lazy" discussions.

Most significant in my mind, is that unless you consciously aim to do so, sessions will become formulaic and stagnant. Without variety, suggestions from a training partner, tweaking of exercises and new approaches, most people will plod through the same sessions week after week and seriously compromise results.

Don't forget, you can follow me on: http://twitter.com/MichaelD_PT

Thursday 22 July 2010

"WOW-WOW" - 22/07/10 ("Words of Wisdom" - Workout of the Week)




Welcome to the first "WOW-WOW". This is the "Words of wisdom" - workout of the week. Don't be fooled by the name, it won't be a weekly post, just when I piece together an interesting workout, one I especially enjoy or just one I fancy sharing.

Today I had a day off so this in my head means "crank it up - you don't have to work afterward". So.. I did.

It was my day for shoulders and I was feeling a little lethargic and "under-cardioed" (I don't think that's a phrase?.. basically I felt lazy). So I went on down to the Gallery gym in Windsor and this is what went down. Try it if you like...

Warm up...
- 5 minutes steady rowing
- Rotator cuff/shoulder warm up (3 sets: 20,15,12 reps - see video below)
- 3 x 1 minute rounds of kettlebell swings varying between 2-hand and 1-hand swings and increasing the weight each minute

The rotator cuff exercises I use are like this dude but with bigger weights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhAPCPAskJU

Exercise one...(Increasing the weights for each set)
- 1 minute treadmill run
- Standing military press (15 reps)
30 SECOND REST
- 1 minute treadmill run
- Standing military press (12 reps)
30 SECOND REST
- 1 minute treadmill run
- Standing military press (10 reps)

Exercise 2...(Increasing the weights for each set)
- 30 seconds rowing
- Arnold press (20 reps)
30 SECONDS REST
- 45 seconds rowing
- Arnold press (15 reps)
30 SECONDS REST
- 60 seconds rowing
- Arnold press (12 reps)

Exercise 3...(using the same weights for each set)
- 90 seconds stepper machine/rolling stairs
- Front raise, lateral raise super-set (12 of each)
30 SECONDS REST
- 90 seconds stepper machine/rolling stairs
- Front raise, lateral raise super-set (12 of each)
30 SECONDS REST
- 90 seconds stepper machine/rolling stairs
- Front raise, lateral raise super-set (10 of each - I was puffing a bit by now)

Exercise 4...the "finisher"...
Shrugs(dumbell or barbell style)... tabata style. 4 minutes my hands won't forget any time soon!
(If you're not sure on what exactly "tabata" is, you can find an explanation in my previous blog post "HELP, I don't have time to train!")

After this workout I was pretty much dripping. My heart was working overtime towards the end of each set - vascular shunt at it's finest (look out for future posts on vascular shunt training). Blood was travelling to the legs, then not only to the upper body, but all the way above the heart and over head. (This kind of workout is not recommended for anyone elderly or with a heart conditions or weak heart of any kind!)

This is a great workout and a quick one too. Great calorie burning and a method which can be applied to most muscle groups or styles of workout.

There are just a few issues to consider before trying it.

Issues to consider...
- Don't do it if you're new to the gym - you'll feel sick for sure!
- Don't do it if, as mentioned above, you are elderly or with a heart condition or weak heart of any kind
- I personally wouldn't do it with a complete leg session. It works well with one or two exercises but ultimately the cardio will impact the performance of the legs and ultimately compromise the quality of the session
- Think about your gym layout and the time that you're going to try it. It won't work if you need to move miles between equipment
- Likewise, if it's busy and someone is likely to use the equipment as soon as you move off it, this won't work either. Probably not one to try at peak time
- Be kind. Adjust the weights etc for the next set, THEN take your 30 seconds rest - you've earned it! If this is new to you allow a little extra time to regain your breath

Don't forget to follow me on www.twitter.com/MichaelD_PT

Saturday 17 July 2010

"HELP! I don't have time to train"



It happened again today, someone said to me,

“I struggle to make it to the gym as sometimes I work late.”

A common complaint and one that has a whole HOST of solutions; here are just a few:

TABATA TRAINING...

Tabata training is a gift from the time gods (no, it’s not bread training!) The principle is that you work as hard as you can for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and repeat another 7 times on the same weight or settings. (Total time: 4 minutes).
This can be applied to pretty much anything, from cardio such as sprints/walks, or rowing. Or for a weights program (nothing to heavy mind you). This is first on the list because, as my colleagues will tell you, I love it!

BENEFITS: Workouts can be completed quickly and still offer a lot of benefits. High calorie burn, short session time, HUGE pump, good for growth as a natural pyramid in reps will occur due to fatigue. Whether you want to do a complete session in this part (ie: all back exercises), a "finisher" to your session for one body part, a full body workout, or a varied cardio workout, tabata offers something for everyone

ISSUES TO CONSIDER: Fatigue plays a big part in this training. If the first set is difficult your weight is too heavy! If the move is very technical and has potential for form to be an issue, try to avoid it. Moves such as deadlifts can be a little too much for tabata. If it's your first time and you're unsure on weights, try machines as this will allow you to adjust weights in the 10 second gap - lat pull down is a great choice!

FYI: I found my GymBoss timer helped with this massively! It keep timing accurate, keeps you on track and makes you stick to all 8 sets. £15 well spent if you ask me: http://www.gymboss.com/

CLASSES...
There are LOADS of different classes available these days. Likelihood is you won’t like all of them, but don’t knock them ‘till you try them. Give them a whirl, it could just be the shock you need to boost your training and speed up results

BENEFITS: They’re 45 minutes to an hour guaranteed – no long gym sessions. You need no prior knowledge or expertise as someone will guide you through it. When you’re feeling unenthusiastic and could potentially have a lengthy and unproductive session or worse still, avoid the gym all together classes can be the motivation you need. If you’re an appointments kind of person these are ideal, you can work around an exact time and schedule it in your daily routine. Classes can run all day long so if you have an hour before work, at lunch, or in the evening then you’ll find something

ISSUES TO CONSIDER: Don’t be put off before you even try it – everyone was in your shoes once and joined a class for the first time. You’ve got to start somewhere. Don’t give up after one visit, most classes at a gym are included in the price so try them all. If you’re not hooked after one visit, give it a second go. You’d be surprised how much more enjoyable a class is once you have a vibe for the format and an idea of what's ahead

CIRCUIT STYLE or SUPER SETS...
Try working for a short time at high intensity, set out a pre-designed “lap” of the gym with up to 8 stations and work from one to the next with only the walk between and adjusting the equipment as your rest. Alternatively, work this on a smaller scale and use two apparatus for the same muscle groups and use them back to back to create a "super-set" (EG: Dips super set with tricep pull down to overload the triceps).

BENEFITS: You can cram in a session late in the day, up the intensity and get yourself home. Great calorie burner and gives you a real sweat and feeling of being pumped

ISSUES TO CONSIDER: Peak times could put an end to the circuits idea; that or an active gym team clearing equipment away as you use it. If that’s the case a super-set session should still be workable

SHORT AND SWEET...Keep your sessions to a maximum of 45 minutes. a) no one wants to spend their entire evening in the gym (well some people do but we don't talk about them!) and b) (most importantly), long session don't necessarily mean more results. I know, this is HORRIBLE to hear for those people with a "If I do more, I get more" mentality, but sorry... it's true!

BENEFITS: You're in and out in 45 minutes (surely you can spare an hour or so!?). You get the most benefits from your workout in terms of cardio improvements, calorie burning and muscle growth

ISSUES TO CONSIDER: Time restrictions mean that it can be difficult to do a "power" session as you may need more rest. To be fair, you should only have session of this kind on a monthly basis unless you training/sport requires more. For "average Joe", 45 minutes is plenty!

So there you have 4 great ways of getting an effective session in when work only allows for a short session. All comments/suggestions/additions welcome.

This was 2 minutes of work and REALLY gets the heart going and works the body from top to bottom. Surely you have time for that?...


Don’t forget to follow me on: www.twitter.com/MichaelD_PT

So I'm blogging...

So here I am...blogging.

I’m not claiming to be an “industry figure” or a “source of all knowledge” for that matter. There are thousands upon thousands of heavily established individuals and organisations in the fitness industry who are extremely well placed to offer advice to everyone from the lunchtime gymer to Olympic athletes.

BUT... working as a PT, I do have access to a lot of everyday people... “Joe public”, “guy (or girl) next door” types and will be probed on a variety of issues.

I’m going to attempt to answer common questions that the average gym-goer or sports enthusiast may have, with my own knowledge and that of others in the industry – fingers crossed people read, enjoy and on occasion, learn from some of my posts.

Oh well... here goes nothing...

You can also follow me on: http://twitter.com/MichaelD_PT
and view my YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/BigMikePT

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