Monday, September 14, 2009

Training Optimization

The product of fresh ingredients and a quality chef to put it all together is ultimately a delicious meal. So what goes into an excellent training program? Well, many things really. I'll review 3 of my favorites, in random order:

  1. Training Environment- Make sure you train at a facility that you feel pushes you. Lifting alongside senior citizens while James Blunt plays on the radio may not push you to break your PR in chin-ups. If you're not in a place that motivates you to push your body to new limits, then it's time for a change.


  2. Program Design- Copying workouts out of muscle magazines (I see this too frequently) will NOT yield optimum results based on your goals. Sadly, a lot of those programs are often written "by guys on drugs for guys on drugs," as one of my mentors Mike Boyle would say. Make sure your program is one based around your goals. If you're not sure if it is, seek the services of a certified strength & conditioning coach or personal trainer for an assessment.


  3. Training Partners- This applies to me right now as I recently began training with a small group of individuals whose dedication I have admired for quite some time. Our schedules worked out to train 3x/week together, and it's going great. I think what I like the most is the teamwork and camaraderie. I've played team sports my whole life, but I haven't been "part of something" in a few years. Sure, I've played in recreational basketball leagues, but that's just for fun. The workouts are far more intense than some game, and it's a small group that really pushes one another. I can see now why I often push people to try group training and sometimes, group ex. classes. Motivating others and having it constantly reciprocated is something I'm enjoying. For too long, I was the one always having to push my clients and write the programs, so it's nice to be the one on the other end of the stick.


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