Long Distance Running and the Bike are BAD NEWS

 I still enter large health clubs to watch and view trainers and also members from time to time. It's the same old thing,  trainers not watching their clients and members doing the same exercises and wondering why they aren't getting healthier.  What about the guy that sits at his desk all day and answers the phone?  He comes to the gym and performs some more flexion crunches and then sits on the stationary bike.  Hey, I wonder why your back hurts after 8 plus hours of the same posture.  You enter a gym or health club and get a pre-made club program that sticks you on the machine line and a trainer who doesn't care because he or she isn't getting paid to take you through the assembly line. Do you guys see a problem?  I went off the subject a little but the point is what is your membership and club really giving you?   A bike ride and treadmill program?

If you watch any one sport on TV or in person certain people were made to perform certain sports better than others.  It maybe hard to believe for some but its true.  I love the people that prove this wrong but for the most part all runners look the same all football players by position look the same and so on.  Are you ever going to see a Lebron or Dwight running marathons?  The answer is no they aren't made for those type of activites.  Could they both do a marathon, maybe but the pain and injury they would put themselves through would be extreme.  I'm not trying to turn people off of certain sports or exercises but just think for a minute about what your make up is and what your goals are in life and your sport.  If your a business guy and sit all day don't you think something to open up your hips and avoid tons of squats might be a good choice?  Don't ride the stationary bike or do lots of bench press this isn't what you need.  You are already are in this position all day so why do you want to reinforce this pattern and make yourself become more rounded? 

I'm an average female and don't have a tiny dancer frame and have average hips, what should I do?  I want to train for a marathon so I start running and increase my distance every week like the magazine said and trainer told me.  I'm getting back pain and shin splits but I'm getting skinner.  You see this is fine but at what cost are you looking better and how far will this take you?  Are you making money doing this and is your life depending on this pain?  The answer is no, so choice exercises that are better suited for your body type and can still get you the results you need and want.  Running isn't bad but this female isn't made for super long distances week after week.  The long distance is BAD just like the bike is BAD for the business guy who sits and then sits some more on the bike.  I think you get the idea now.

I will never look like Arnold or dunk like Dwight but I can sure reach my potential in activities that my body can become better at.  For kids don't listen to this you play every sport you want to and have fun but for you adults or higher level thinking athletes your exercise choices need to be smarter.  A short story I want to share about a dancer I trained two years ago.  Great girl, super athlete but she wanted to run a marathon and had never run longer then 3 miles before.  She was use to 3-5 minute intense dance practices and game performances.  What do you think happened to this young lady?  She ended up with very bad shin splits and back pain but did finish her first marathon.  I'm all for trying new things but she would have less pain and more success in picking a challenge that suited her body type and fast twitch fiber makeup instead of long distance running. She just wasn't made for this event plain and simple.

 Try new things but also learn and listen to your body as you progress and get past the high school level. You can still run and bike and do whatever but we have so many choices of competitive events and workouts that can suite you better and not get injured. 

I'm sure I pissed off a few people by saying this but I'm in the same position as a lot of you that are reading this.  I'm not getting younger and still play every sport and run but my body type is better suited for activities that my body make up is made for.  I'm always trying to make you think when it comes to fitness so train smarter the older we get.

This looks like fun doesn't it?

The Russians Were Ahead of Western Training

Everyone has seen Drago in Rocky IV and how his training was so far ahead of what Rocky was doing correct?  Yes, Rocky won but just think about what Rocky could of accomplished if he trained the way Drago did.  No steroids, real athletes don't need them.  You also have the it factors like mental toughness, work ethic, genes and technical ability which I won't talk about much.  Every great athlete has those but we are focusing on training better and smarter.  These are some things to think about next time you pick a performance coach.


1.  Develop a wide variety of qualities, physical strength, speed, coordination, and endurance, together with will-power moral conduct and all the above that I mentioned.  Some have more these traits than others so why are you spending time with what you already have?  Train for what you need and will hypertrophy make you move better on the field or do you need better movement flexibility training?  Do you need more static strength or eccentric strength?  Do you know the difference?

2.  Do you know how to train for better movement or do you think running cone drills and sprints will make you a better mover?  A performance coach better know how to get you to move better or find another coach guys.  What is your sport or goal of the training?

3.  Injury prevention to reduce tissue stress.  Static postures create tissues that accumulate micro deformations.  A well designed warm-up movement prep or whatever you call it can introduces motion as these tissues regain their "normal form" and helps prevent bad destructive movements.

4.  Repetition for athletes is key.  First stage is the learning with full concentration with coaching.  If you can't do a movement correct/fix it with proper coaching from mobility/flexibility/strength program.  Second,  repetition perfecting the motor and skill ability.  Third, athlete no longer needs to concentrate on task since its automatic.  Recover and repeat while adding stimulus.

5.  The stimulus or next stage is specialization.  Distractions and challenges to make it more game like.  For example, why have someone go through a ladder or cone progression when they don't have the correct arm drive or ankle knee placement on cuts and turns?  Doesn't make sense to me.  Are you training smart or just training hard?

6.  Individualization is key with program design.  At our training center we do have program designs and they are very progressive and build upon a base but everyone is different.  This is a huge reason why a program for Dwight Howard is different from what the college player might do.  Now there is always some overlapping but if you want to get the most out of you, your program needs to be designed for you.

Coach B Meyer Training Staff
www.bmeyertraining.com

Stack Magazine

Updates from Coach B

-Monday Red Bull will be visiting B Meyer Training Center to discuss the recent trip to Australia that Evan G and Coach Mark just came from.  Evan didn't make the finals but had strong showing in the JR. surfing event.

-Brazil youth basketball team trains with Coach B on Saturday.  The boys team is traveling the state of Florida and also got the chance to train with Mt. Verde Coach Sutton.   Great experience for the young athletes.

-This past week Coach B started training a new high school basketball player from Winter Park.  Coach B is super excited to make a difference and get this athlete to new heights.

-In the next few weeks Coach B will starting with The Orlando Predators Dance Team and had a chance to help in judging the finals for the girls.  Most people don't realize that some of these dancers are extremely good athletes.  Its gonna be another great year with the dancers.  Go Predators!

-Stay tuned for videos and conversations of Coach B talking with the Brazil basketball team in the coming weeks.

Thank you Muscle Milk and Adidas for you support in 2011.

Coach B Training Staff

http://www.cytosport.com/products/muscle-milk

 http://www.adidas.com/us/homepage.asp

The Treadmill is Dead and So are Machines


Of course this isn't true, but for fat loss and metabolic training let us take a moment to re-think your workouts. Most people are still stuck on the 20-30 minute cardio hit using machines and then feel better as they have completed a “workout” correct?

If you goals are to get in overall better anerobic and aerobic shape and lose some fat and look like an athlete, then stop these workouts now. Why? I think you can answer this question can't you? You look the same and you aren't making any progress toward your goals and it has been months and you probably haven’t defined what your specific goals are.

The big buzz in the fitness industry for awhile has been the metabolic or complex type of training but taken to the extreme. Are we trying to impress our clients by killing them? It often results in injury or someone throwing up. This is great if you like those type of workouts, and yes they are fun to push to the limit, but I prefer to do it safely and progress the metabolic workouts.

What are metabolic workouts? Examples include the following.

1. Multi-joint movements such as box step ups for 30 seconds

Rest 30 seconds

2. TRX pull ups for 30 seconds

Rest 30 seconds

3. Spiderman pushups or regular pushups for 30 seconds

Rest 30 seconds

Repeat for 3-5 rounds

So you have different levels of fitness and how can you progress one and regress the other?


1. Lower box/higher box

2. Add different planes/directions when you step up

3. Add medicine ball/weights and curl press up onto box

4. Perform 1 arm TRX pull ups/regular pull ups

5. Regular pushups/slide board pushups

6. Add longer rest periods/shorter rest periods

7. Longer work time

8. The next round you match or beat your number of reps performed on each exercise (perfect form).

So you can see a very simple 3 exercise workout covers upper and lower body parts and you are done in less than a half hour. The calories your burn in 30 minutes is much greater than what you would burn by jogging or walking on the treadmill and you can leave the gym with a sense of accomplishment and start improving.

A deeper look into metabolic training




The key is progression. Even very simple exercises like the example above can become very intense. Trainers put these great complex workouts together but often lack education and teaching while trying to impress their clients with toys and crazy routines. Remember, not every workout is for every person, but simple changes can make every program fun and effective.

At the B Meyer Training Center we have quick metabolic programs that are simple and easy to follow, so the client learns the movements and can progress in a safe manner.

Stop by the B Meyer Training Center and we will show you how effective they are. You won't be disappointed. Start your 2011 in Feb. it is never late to start. Write those goals down and commit. You can do it!