It's not WHAT you do, it's HOW you do it

I love the basics... because they work!

With the use of effective cues and techniques the basics can give you more results than you ever thought possible.

Mountain climbers are used in every bootcamp and DVD you have ever seen. This is because they are a great bodyweight conditioning drill that hit the core and upper body with little to no equipment. 

The problem with mountain climbers is the fact that most peoples' asses are bouncing up in the air, hips are swaying and the exercise becomes a shoulder blaster more than anything else.

Here are 2 easy ways Stacey Schaedler Strength has changed up the mountain climber to give you more bang for your buck.  Progression 2 promises to make your core nice and sore tomorrow ;)

Progression 1- All you really need are rags on a smooth surface/ plastic plates on a rug; valsides or a slideboard.  

                                                       (Note: perform one side at a time i.e. 15 left side followed by 15 right side.)

Progression 2- A variety of different bands work well here and can be attached beneath a bench, door frame or squat rack.

                                                    (Note: wrists and shoulders in a line. Contract straight leg glute to extend the hip as you                                                      flex opposite knee into chest. Perform one side for 15 reps and then 15 on the other side.)

Give these a shot and let me know how it goes! 

End of Summer Training

Quick video of my recent training :)))


    

My Biweekly Update...PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION ;)

I strength train three days a week and yet I continue to gain strength and skill. 

Yes and you can too :) 

I have gotten to a point in my life that I don't want to spend more time in the gym then I need to. 

I need time to run a successful business, keep up with life, as well as spend with family and friends, and its SUMMERTIME :) 

In the past I have been guilty of losing sight of all that is important to me in order to pursue my goals. 

I have said this before and I will say it again...you can have it all.

Most of you now as a trainer myself, with a specialty in strength training with kettlebells, suspension trainers,body weight exercises, along with a focus on corrective exercise.  I run my business within the largest yoga studio in Boston.  I don't train athletes, I work with everyday folks looking to gain stability, get stronger and stay pain free. 

I do however continue to have my own strength goals to keep me learning and motivated rather than stagnant  because in this industry your job is never done :)  I don't believe in "talking the talk" if you yourself don't "walk the walk".  Therefore when I post videos of myself, this is not a direct reflection of what I would do with my clients.

As promised here's my biweekly update on training ;)

As usual my workout begins with 10-15 minutes of SMFR; focusing my attention on areas that I know will need to be open on that given training day. I then move into mobility and stability exercises that target my weaknesses ie ankle, hip and thoracic mobility as well as glute and scapular stability. I prepare for traditional deadlifts with medball slam and box jump variations.

A1:Deadlifts 205X 8 with 60 sec rest

A2:I usually do some sort of hip mobility drill to ensure I rest for the given time period.

B1: Pullups 4x6,

 B2: GHR 4x10 (banded and UGLY)

C1: Bent over rows 5 x8 @ 105lbs

C2: Single leg hip thrusts with chains 4x6,

 D1:GHR sit up3x 10 @ 45lbs,

D2: Prone Trap Raises 3x10@ 5lbs

Training Update :0

Just wanted to give you a quick update on training!

Monday's are a long day consisting of5x5 chin ups
5x5 wide-grip dead lifts
drop sets of wide grip lat pull downs super set with incline dumbbell press -4 sets.
And I finish it up with bent over rows super set with barbell hip thrusters- 3 sets

After that Coach Nick suggested I try boxing for some upper body specific cardio.
4-8 sets of 3 min rounds that is

Poor Greg ... I DON'T BOX.

http://youtu.be/3KRB8msq41c

HAHAHAHAH

Leg Days

As you all know I am in the middle of training for my first figure competition. I am still in the "BULKING" stage of my training. Due to the fact that I have a restricted diet because of my food allergies, it's been harder for me to put on mass.

Currently I am on a 3 day on, one day off split.
And it goes a little something like this...Legs, Upper Body Push, Upper Body Pull, followed by a rest day and then back to legs!
As you may have heard, training for your first show is full of trial and error.
You try something and if it doesn't work, you try something else.
When doing uni-lateral leg training I was definitely making huge strength gains, I just wasn't getting the muscle density that I needed. Coach Nick Tumminello changed my programming to bi lateral leg exercises so that I could get the size I needed before I lean out! He knows what he's doing.....it's working.

Thanks to some serious hard work, I have a newly found ASS; which I appreciate greatly :)
My quads, hamstrings and calves have definitely developed as well.

I am lifting HEAVY and sticking to the basics. Bottom line---The basics work. You just have to do them with CORRECT FORM! Here are a few tips for some of my lower body favorites.

When I am Front and Back Squatting I make sure to sit back with my butt rather than thinking that the squat initiates with a knee bend. From my days as a HARDSTYLE kettlebeller I think about driving my heels straight through the floor and envision spreading my heels apart as I lower and lift the weight.

When I am Romanian style Dead lifting, I make sure to keep the bar as close to my legs as possible on the way up and down and I keep a nice flat back.

As I discussed in my previous post...YOUR WARM-UP is the MOST IMPORTANT part of your workout!

I also wanted to share with you a great warm-up for a lower body workout :)



I begin with a kneeling hip flexor stretch for :30 and then I twist into it for another :30. Totaling 1 min on each side. With this I begin to open my hip flexors and engage my stabilizing glute.

I then move to lunges with arms extended overhead. With this exercise I continue to open my hips and activate my glutes but I also get some nice thoracic extension.

Moving on to activate my lateral stabilizers I perform 1 min of exercise on each leg (beginning with an isometric hold and then continuing on to dynamic lunges)

Up next I perform 1 minute of climbers in the upper push up position. I slowly bring my right knee into my chest keeping tension with my left leg and vice versa. All the while engaging the stabilizers of my shoulders, my entire core, glutes and hip flexors.

I flip myself on over and come into a static hip extension. I add in some abduction with alternating hip extensions getting some crazy glute min med activation!!!!

Next comes the tamed down version of a single leg burpee. Here I focus on driving through my heel and getting my whole posterior chain involved (a single leg dead lift of sorts)

I finish up my warm-up with some isometric squat holds(continuing on to dynamic squats) with big time thoracic extension. I want to make sure that the glutes and hips are active along with my erectors and paraspinals being lit up for my squats!

GO AHEAD GIVE IT A TRY :)))

The WARM UP ISSUE

I say this time and time again....your warm-up is the most important part of your workout. Without it, YOU GOT NOTHIN'. A proper warm up decreases the incidence of injury as well as improves performance. This is the case for several reasons, some being more apparent than others.
When you first start to move, your heart rate increases. This in turn increases blood flow to muscles and oxygen and nutrient delivery to cells goes up. Your body's systems are now aware that there is an increase in demand impending :)
This being said, you always want to make your warm up specific to your workout. Remember your warm up shouldn't make you tired, it should get you ready for what's to come!
Whether you are strength training, doing yoga, or running... you must warm up. And since these activities are all so different, your warm ups will be specific for each activity. I generally spend 8-12 minutes warming up.
I always like to say that the yogi's had the right idea thousands of years ago, they begin to warm the body with Sun Salutations, before initiating any rigorous practice.
Completing a dynamic warm up is going to automatically increase your flexibility and range of motion when done properly. Focusing in on joint mobility (ankles, knees, hips and shoulders) is also a great idea :)
Now I like to take things a step further. I include a third component. Posture plays a crucial role in body alignment. Body alignment is necessary for proper activation. And last but not least proper activation allows your body to handle loads safely and efficiently!
No body's perfect at least my body ain't! So in order to make the most of my workouts I have to have a great warmup!!!!

Check out this one that I use on my Upper Body Lifting Days...