Improve Your Run

One thing I've always struggled with has been my run, and one of the most common questions I get is, how do I improve my run. There are a number of things we can address, but here I'll look at a few of the most common things we can implement right away.

- Improve your stride - let's say runner X has a stride length of 3.5 feet, and runner Y has a stride length of 3.0 feet, assuming all other things equal, guess who will get to the finish line 1st - Runner X.

- Run more - the more you run, the better and more efficient you will be. There is no magic in this formula, but you should proceed with caution, too much too fast will leave you very susceptible to injury. A rule of thumb is to increase distance 10% from the previous week and limit the speed work to little to none initially.

- Find your weakness - on a typical run focus on your legs and lungs. Which gets fatigue the fastest? If it is your legs, you'll need to focus on developing nueromuscular strength, if it is your lungs, you need to focus on developing your endurance.

For more information on the above, and training plans, contact me at mgetting@efitnessperformance.com

Off Season Goals

I've put a few weeks of thought into what my off season goals should be - I've been very inconsistent in my training and I know that setting some goals will get me back on track. These are all qualitative, for the most part, but will help me get back on track so I can set some quantitative goals in the near future.

- Eat better - pretty straight forward here - too many trips to Chipolte and tailgating weekends have warranted this goal. To train right you need to eat right.

- develop mental toughness - this is a goal that always needs improvement and what a great time to do so is in the off-season - I need to fight through adversity, cold mornings, and get it done

- develop physical toughness - I believe I can tolerate a higher intensity of training when training calls for it - suck it up and reap the rewards during the season

- physical strength - I am lacking in strength, specifically sport specific strength - time for lunges, squats, pull ups, shoulder press, etc and core strength

- lose 8-10 pounds - lighter is faster, improved strength to weight ratio. I'll need to quantify this a little.

- track training data - I've always considered myself a pretty analytical person, and as a certified coach this should be a 'duh'. Never tracked data due to laziness. I've got the tools to do so, so I will track, analyze, and re-adjust accordingly.

- early morning workouts - I'm not a big fan of early morning workouts before they start, but love it when I get started and finished. No more procrastination - with the family growing and time constraints on the horizon, this is a no-brainer.

I feel good about my off-season goals, and will stick to them. Doing so will help prepare me for my best season yet and I'll have a solid base built come Jan 1.

Interval Training Seminar

Here is the link to the Interval Training Seminar I gave tonight. Let me know if you have questions.

www.efitnessperformance.com/seminars/IntervalTrainingSeminar.mht

Keys to Weight Loss PowerPoint

Here's the link to a powerpoint on weight loss

http://www.efitnessperformance.com/seminars/KeystoEffectiveWeightLoss.mht

Types of Training

There are many types of training, and all have specific benefits depending on what you are trying to achieve. Below is a breakdown of training methods. There are basically 2 groups, aerobic, and anaerobic.

Aerobic Training - any activity in which you can maintain for more than 2 minutes. Activities would include walking, jogging, running, biking, dancing, etc

Anerobic Training - an activity that you can't maintain for more than 1-2 minutes - such as weight training or sprints

Interval Training - a type of training that involves both anerobic training and aerobic training. An example would be running uphill for 30 seconds and walking down the hill, repeat multiple times. Another example would be doing the elliptical machine at a 'hard' level for 2 minutes and going slow and easy for 3 minutes

Functional Training - functional training involves using multiple actions in one movement to work several muscles at once. An example would be 3X12 squats to arm curl to military press. This would be considered one movement

Resistance Training - resistance training refers to using one's body weight, resistance bands, BOSU, or exercise ball to work the muscles. An example here would be pushups, sit ups, and wall squats

Weight Training - weight training involves using free weights to overload muscles. Examples include barbell bench press, and dumbell military press

Circuit Training - involves doing 3 or more movements in a rotation, then repeating. For example, a circuit could involve doing 12 squats, then 12 lunges, then 12 step ups with no rest. Once the 'set' is done, rest for 1 minute, then repeat.

To find out which type of training is best for weight loss, join me tomorrow at 7 Flags Fitness Center at 6:00 PM for my seminar on Weight Loss or email me for the PowerPoint slide show

Nutrition Seminar PowerPoint

enclosed is the link to the PPT I used for my nutrition seminar tonight - I hope you find it useful

Free Fitness/Wellness Seminars

I wanted to let you know that I'm giving FREE seminars at 7 Flags Fitness Center in Clive. We are located at 2100 NW 100th Street. The seminars are free to both members and non-members of 7 Flags. Participants will receive handouts from the meeting as well as a free personal training session. The sessions begin on Oct 7 at 6:00PM in Joe's Cafe, which is directly above the front desk. Below is the schedule. Feel free to contact me at mgetting@7flags.com or 515-490-4670 for more information.
Oct 7 - Nutrition: Guidelines for a Healthy Lifestyle and Weight Loss
Oct 14 – How to Effectively Lose Fat
Oct 21 - Benefits of Interval Training
Oct 28 – Benefits of Functional Training
Nov 4 - Introduction to Alternative Tools for Functional Training
Nov 11 – Aerobic Training vs Resistance Training
Nov 18 – Benefits of Personal Training
Nov 25 – Core Training
Dec 2 – Sport Specific Training
Dec 9 – Keys to Injury Prevention
Dec 16 - Being Physically Fit will help you be Mentally Fit
Dec 23 - Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation for Exercise
Jan 6 – Resistance Training Basics
Jan 13 – Keys to Fitness Success
Jan 20 – Importance of Training and Aging