Kettlebell Training
Core Conditioning and Functional Training
Bodybuilding Type Training
Assessments
Integrative Training
Like many others I started out lifting weights in the gym in my teens to gain strength and size. However, rather than trust my progress to chance I got busy learning as much about exercises, proper technique and nutrition as I could. I studied magazines, books by respected coaches and champions, educational videos and footage of competitions in order to gain an insight into the most effective methods of training.As I've continued studying and implementing the various methods advocated by the luminaries of the industry I also worked on developing my own philosophy of training. While I started following a purely bodybuilding method of training I eventually realized that while good for aesthetics it was limited in its application to other sports, functional physical ability and rehabilitation. As such I sought out the best methods to train to increase functional, dynamic strength, core strengthening and integration, athletic ability and effective post-rehab training.
Over the years I developed a philosophy of an integrative approach to training. What this means is that I don't believe that any one method is totally superior to another. Most of the various training methods, so long as properly implemented and performed, have merit in different applications, depending on the person's goals and abilities, or limitations.
My integrative philosophy involves training, nutrition, lifestyle choices, and more. But for now we'll focus on the training. As I said, I started my training as a bodybuilder and I still believe strongly in bodybuilding type training -- so long as the goal is to be a bodybuilder or to specifically improve some aspect of one's aesthetics. For things like improved sports performance, bodyweight management, strength, conditioning, strength endurance, stamina, agility, mobility and just overall physical wellbeing other methods of training offer more advantages.
Keep reading to learn more about the various methods of training.
Kettlebell Training:
One of the best tools for developing functional, dynamic, usable strength is the kettlebell. It is also one of the best tools for developing strength endurance, stamina, conditioning, explosive power, grip strength, coordination, agility and mobility. This is also a tool that almost everybody can use, assuming they have received proper instruction in the use of a kettlebell. The kettlebell is one of the premier tools for functional training. The effectiveness of a kettlebell, as indeed the effectiveness of all training, is directly proportional to the correctness of technique and the implementation of such. Please visit my kettlebell section in the menu bar for more information on kettlebells.Core Conditioning and Functional Training:
One of the most important, and least understood, fields in the modern fitness industry is core conditioning. I have seen the most ridiculous, anatomically unsound and sometimes downright dangerous "exercises" performed in the name of functional training and core conditioning.The idea behind functional training is to use exercises that will allow people to function properly either in their everyday lives, jobs, sports. Because of that the exercises that are used aren't the normal bodybuilding style exercises, but rather exercises that help to integrate muscles within the body so that they may work as a whole, in unison. This may be in the form of specific exercises, like the wood chop with a lunge, or more traditional gym exercises, like the standing dumbbell press (rather than a seated barbell press.) Also, please watch out for an article about why the name "functional training" is a misnomer, and why "athletic training" should be used instead.
Core conditioning is also a very misunderstood aspect of the modern fitness industry. Many people suffer from chronic pain or dysfunction because of weakened core musculature or improper function/activation. Core conditioning is intended to restore proper function to the musculature of the core, which then allows the person to perform all other activities more effectively and pain free. Many of the abdominal exercises performed in the gym do not only a good core conditioning program make, but rather help to tear down the proper function of the core, cause bad posture due to muscular tightness or imbalance, and more.
The proper order of training the abdominals is lower abdominals first (the Transversus Abdominis -- TVA), followed by the Oblique muscles, and only then by the Rectus Abdominis (the "6-pack.") If you are not being trained in this order, than you should question your trainer as to the reason, and possibly look for a new trainer.
Bodybuilding Type Training:
This section is perhaps one of the largest in the field of resistance training. The current boon in fitness was arguably started by the most famous bodybuilder (and, in fact I would say currently the most famous person in the world) Arnold Schwarzenegger. Through the exposure that his career in Hollywood allowed Schwarzenegger inspired thousands if not millions to hit the gym and get into shape. Just as the fitness industry has grown tremendously in the past few decades, so has bodybuilding science. Now there are many schools of thoughts on bodybuilding type training such as high volume, high intensity, Doggcrapp and many more. There is application of such concepts as muscle confusion, pre-exhaustion, drop sets, negative reps, unilateral training, periodization and many more.While there are many experts deriding bodybuilding I am not one such. As I have already stated before, bodybuilding type training is great if you want to be a bodybuilder or improve your aesthetics.
However, bodybuilding type training, as it is performed currently, is not conductive to dynamic strength, muscular stability or coordination in movement. Bodybuilding type training is by its nature isolation training. This means that the muscles are trained in isolation of each other and therefore do not know how to function as a single unit. This is why there is such a high occurrence of people who are very muscular and can lift vast amounts of weights in the gym hurting themselves while performing regular everyday tasks. Therefore people looking to get into better shape, perform better in sports, develop usable strength, develop proper anatomical function and in most cases even achieve better aesthetics should strive to utilize other training methods.
Assessments:
Some of the assessments I perform are proper range of motion and mobility testing, TVA activation, strength and endurance testing, heart rate, bodyweight and bodyfat percentage.The range of motion and joint mobility assessments help us to locate tightness and constriction within the body so that a routine of stretching and joint mobility could be designed to address the specific limitations of the body. This also helps in the prevention of injury and also in a more targeted program that will speed up progress and improve health long-term.
The TVA, Transversus Abdominis, also known as the lower abs (under the bellybutton) activation test allows us to make sure that the TVA activates properly. The TVA is a very important stabilizer muscle and its proper strength and activation is key in the treatment of lower back pain, elimination of the sagging lower belly, and stabilization of the body for injury prevention and performance of virtually all physical activities.
The strength, endurance, heart rate, bodyweight and bodyfat measurements allow us to determine both the strengths of the individual and the areas that need improvement. It also helps us to set a baseline against which progress can be compared.