The Power of Strength Training

The two single most reasons people don't strength train -- time and not knowing what to do.  I get it...you get off your bike and rush to work or to your family.  The days blur together and your main focus is when you are going to get your next ride (enter YOUR sport here) in.  Time is valuable with the holidays and all the obligations that come with this time of the year.

The benefits of strength training are numerous -ranging from strengthening your bones and to helping you lose body fat. For those who take their sport seriously/competitively, it will make you stronger and faster.  It increases your body's ability to buffer lactic acid, helps with balance, increases power output, trims you down, and improves muscular strength and endurance.  Whether you are running, surfing, playing tennis, volleyball, or mountain biking :) you will get faster, stronger, and also prevent overuse injuries.  not bad..eh?

you in?

This is what you need:

1. Timer (interval timer app works well)

2. Clear out some space

3. Good music 

4. List of exercises below

Here's a quick workout you can do at home without any equipment. 

20- min Quick Home Workout

30 seconds hard / 10 sec recovery - repeat 3-5 times

(How hard - on a scale from 1-10 where 10 is "all out" be at a level 8)

1.  Push-ups 

2. Side plank

3. Crunches with legs up

4. Bicycle crunches 

5. Supermans

6. Alternating forward lunge and reach down on the lunge part

I attempted to make a little video of the above mentioned exercises -  I labeled it Level 1 because there will be more workouts to come. http://youtu.be/EPm04x1JRuw. 

Happy Holidays!

Chi

Client of 2012! A snowboarder gets his Christmas wish

As a trainer, i have the privilege of working with goals and dreams.  I analyze discrepancies, muscle imbalances, core weakness, and commitment.  Achieving your dreams requires all...commitment, strength  and humility.

This year, I crown Mark as the client of the 2012...here's his story and what he has overcome..

Mark is an educated and accomplished financial director working for a Fortune 100 company.  He works long days and nights.  He also has a wife and 2 children and is able to stay connected to his family's daily activities and events.  He spends quality time with his family and extended family and has taken time to help his elderly mother.

Aside from his responsibility to his family and work, he is equally passionate about his health, fitness, and strength.  and THAT is the key, the essence of his success.   He wants to stay, feel, and be strong.  He can bench his weight and pull his weight.  Over the summer, his aching hip which was a nuiance, turned into a sharp pain in the middle of the night. and in September, Mark (after long thoughtful discussion and deliberation) had his hip replaced.  The only thing he was worried about was snowboarding in the Winter...

He came back to train in October, just 4 weeks after his surgery with hopes to snowboard after Christmas.  we had a lot of work to do...

Oct 15-30 - work on core strength, hip strength, and balance; increase hip range of motion (ROM)
sample: one-legged exercises.  bridge/chest exercises with a stability ball (SB) to challenge core, gluts and hip strength.  side leg lifts with band.  squat with limited resistance.  high intensity - battle rope, bench, pullups.  

Nov 1-15 - increase resistance on hip motion, core and balance.
sample: squats on bosu with balancing movements (e.g. twists), plank exercises on SB, TRX reverse lunges to balance.   RIP Trainer - straight arm twists.  MORE high intensity - battle rope, bench, pullups.  

Nov 15-dec 15 - bring it on!!!  high intensity, limited recovery.  Fatigue legs and hips.
sample: heavy squats with heel raises for 45 sec followed by turning squat jumps followed by SB plank & SB pike, TRX plank, Bosu obliques crunches.    also included upper body exercises.

On Dec 20th, Mark saw his doctor who gave him the green light to snowboard. :)

I'm happy to report that Mark is currently in Mammoth, snowboarding on a new hip.  When I asked how he felt..he said

" You could not have got me more prepared.  Was an awesome day with awesome conditions.  My leg has held up way better than expected.  Can't wait for tomorrow"

Mark - I'm so proud of you and your commitment.  and for all those Mark's out there..stay strong and focused!

Train hard, Train smart
A very happy trainer

Jedi Powers - the yoga link

I love mountain biking - particularly flowing with speed and grace. I ride down hills with a finger hovering over my back brake and let my body move me thru turns, manueuvering over rolling stones, and passing between narrow trees. My focus is steady and i let my body have a bit of a dance - I am totally present and thinking of nothing except what is in front of me. This focused energy and strength is pulled from a secret jedi-like power.

Training can be like spinning plates - you have to manage each one diligently without forgetting about the others. You manage strength training, cardiovascular endurance, and nutrition. For me one plate spins above others: yoga. It keeps my body strong and my head open.

why yoga?

whether you ride, rock climb, snowboard, surf, run, or hike, yoga is an excellent compliment.

• keeps you limber - tight muscles can pull your joints out of whack leaving you with some lower back issues, knee pain, hip tightness (list goes on...)
• strengthens your core - better/faster climber; improve your turns; balance
• strengthens your upper body and hips
• Ujjayi breath - we all breath but tight muscles in your upper back can inhibit your body's ability to take a real deep breath. The potential of your breath (specifically ujjayi breathing) deserves a post all its own. This is the corner stone to the jedi powers!
• learn to control your mind - focusing your thoughts and emotions takes concentration and practice. stay calm and focused.
• connects your mind and body - they have a very intimate conversation behind your back, learn the language and listen.
• recovery - after a race, intense workout, or an injury. Riding buddy, Craig, ate shit over the summer on his bike - shoulder, rib, and hip were bruised and battered. He was grateful for all the stretching he was doing prior to the crash and attributes the stretching to his speedy recovery.

where to start?

• STRETCH LONGER - do your favorite stretches and hold for a minute. Notice how you breathe and try to slow your breath down and take a deeper inhale. Exhale thru your nose. If you don't have a favorite stretch start with hamstrings, gluts, hip flexors, and lats.
• TAKE A CLASS -look into taking a class near your work or home. it can be pricey but don't let that scare you. A $15-$20 per class can leave feeling brand new. If you have a bad experience, give it a break and then try a different teacher or style.
• GET A MAT - having your own yoga mat may be a stretch (no pun intended) but if you have been wanting to start yoga or are already practicing, owning your own mat is like running shoes to a runner.

I practice as often as I can with Tim Miller at the Ashtanga Yoga Center in Carlsbad. People fly from all over the world to study with Tim and I drive five minutes to get to his studio - what a gift! There are no frills - no music, no cheering, no pride, no ego - just you and your mat. You move from pose to pose guided with your breath - the flow is like that on a bike...exhale turn left, inhale turn right, exhale roll down a rocky section. Your mind bounces from thought to thought but you keep it steady with your breath.

Train hard, train smart, and breathe

Chi

Proprioception - sharper turns, improve your tricks

Proprioception is a fancy way of knowing where your body is in time and space. I am amazed that our bodies have this super power to be able know (without looking) where each part of the body is relative to itself and to the earth. I recently finished a book about Marla Streb, a pro female racer and my new idol, who after winning a gold medal in the X-games in downhill mountain biking, continued to improve her performance with strength training and specifically proprioception. Racing downhill at 40 mph and then hitting a jump, her body's proprioception has to be completely on - to say the least.

A few simple ways to start improving your own proprioception.

level A - get started

stand tall on your feet (separated hip distance and be sure your feet are parallel) and lift one leg up in front of you/then switch. Now try the same exercise with your eyes closed. do you see how your ankle moves this way and that?!!! isn't that cool?!!! try again and engage your core. practice a few times and your balance will improve.

level B - warmed up

one-legged squats are a fun way to improve your balance while improving your strength. this exercise requires a lot of body awareness not just in your legs, but your hips and core. use a chair to get the right alignment - place it about two feet behind you. then place your hands on your waist so you can feel your core. lift your leg (as in level A) and then sit onto the chair. Repeat 10 times but just hover over the chair.

caution: don't do if you have knee problems. this can put too much pressure on the knee joint.

Add these tips to your current training program. Do bicep curls with one leg, add weights to your 1-leg squats, or do the 1-legged squats on a Bosu.

core training

Core training is probably the most important element of your training making the difference from clearing a steep hill climb, to holding a handstand, or your stance on a wave. on the trail, i call it "pulling G's" -- power and speed perfectly balanced by your body weight all thanks to your core. visual: motorcycle rider taking a turn with a knee down.

The core is complex set of muscles comprised not just of your 'six pack' but with your obliques (near your hip bones) to your waist, your back muscles, and a series of muscles under your arm pit.

1. sit up tall so that your shoulders are directly over your hips.
2. then, bare with me, imagine holding your pee and poo (these are your perineum muscles). you may have noticed that you just sat up a bit taller. pretty cool.
3. now engage your 'six pack'- draw your navel toward your spin; another 'cue' is to imagine if someone was going to punch you in the stomach.
4. finally draw your shoulders down and notice the muscles under your arm pit get intense.
there you go...your core is engaged.

strengthening your core should be done more often than not; not to keep you strong but also to align all those neuromuscular receptors.

core exercise #1 (more to come)
sit in a chair - place your hands next to your hips. next, bring your knees toward your chest. bring your shoulders down (keep your knees as high as you can) and then lift your butt off the chair. hold for 5-30 seconds. do it again.

have fun training!