Change the Plan, Gain the Results.

 

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received in my training is that sometimes the best program you can follow is the one you’re not following.  In my 10+ years working in a commercial gym environment, almost daily I’ll watch gym-goers come in and drudge through the exact same routine, time and time again.  To the point where I can predict exactly what they’re going to do next, at what speed on the treadmill, with what amount of weights, for how many reps, for how long, etc.  Now, some are happy to do this and feel satisfied with maintaining their level of health and fitness.  More power to these individuals.  However, there are many that expect different results from doing the same thing in the gym each week.  To this group of hopefuls I say, it’s time to wake up and smell the change!  You can’t expect to see progress when you don’t progress your efforts.  Change needs to occur to see change in your health and fitness.  You can’t transform your body unless you transform your workouts (and diet).  It’s time to get some serious results, in the simplest way possible. 

I’ll speak to this concept with some specific styles of exercise, but the reality is that this can apply to anyone and any style.  Whether you train like a bodybuilder, power lifter, Yogi, endurance athlete, use HIIT methods, perform explosive lifts and plyometrics or other creative means of exercise, you can benefit from stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something you haven’t done in a while, if ever at all.  Give it 8-12 consistent weeks and you’ll kick yourself for not changing your programing sooner in your training journey.

We have all heard that you need to progress your workouts to see results. You can absolutely see progress by following the principal of periodization, but there will still come a point when simply progressing the same exercises and style will start to produce diminishing returns.  Instead, flip the script completely and choose a different format and/or modality of exercise.  Your body is comprised of various muscle fiber types that respond to various intensities and training styles.  It also uses countless motor patterns in its day to day activities and exercise, with plenty more that you probably rarely perform if ever. 

For example, if you always train in the high rep range with lighter loads, you’re going to be maximizing your type I fibers to a greater extent than your type II fibers.  To that point, if your goal is to lose weight or gain strength and size, then you’re not maximizing your gains.  Type II fibers have a higher growth potential and therefore demand more energy (aka burn more calories) at rest as compared to type I fibers, which become more metabolically efficient with training (aka burn less calories to do the same amount of work)¹.  If you have been committing yourself to high rep ranges or circuit training 2-3 times per week for months on end, take one to two of those days, or all three, and perform heavier lifts in the 1-6 rep range with moderately longer rest periods.  Still follow a progressive plan over the course of 6-12 week cycles, but the heavier intensity will spark gains you could never imagine as you start to recruit more type II fibers in your training. 

In terms of your exercise format, if you’re exclusively performing your lifts using machines, then switching to free weights and body weight exercise alternatives can help you to see improved results while still using similar exercise variables (sets, reps, rest time, time under tension, etc.).  If you’re exclusively performing strength training based exercise, then incorporating Yoga or Pilates can recruit motor patterns that you otherwise would not have accomplished, leading to a more well-rounded state of fitness.  If you’re always going to your local CrossFit gym for high intensity training, then performing more traditional strength routines with progressions and training splits can help you see positive change.  This isn’t to say you can’t even return to your favorite format of exercise, but taking time away from the norm for 8-12 weeks or more will get you better results faster as compared to executing the same old methods.

To further maximize your training results, one must also take into account the motor patterns used in everyday life.  Throwing athletes such as pitchers produce a ton of force with an overhead movement repeated countless times per week, and therefore would benefit from avoiding excessive overhead exercises such as shoulder presses or other movement patterns that create internal rotation of the upper arm such as the bench press. Repeating the same movement patterns in high volumes could potential lead to pattern overload overtime and not only increase your risk of injury but reduce your production and results in the gym².

I coach my clients to plan out a years’ worth of training from a 10,000 foot view.  For example, from January to March the focus may be stabilization training in the mid-rep range.  You’re coming off the holiday season and chances are you haven’t been very consistent with your training the past few months.  To minimize the risk of injury, focus on joint health and corrective exercise.  Then from April to June it might be interval training, circuit training, or HIIT style training.  Your body is primed and healthy coming off your preparation phase over the last three months and you’re looking to shed some pounds going into the summer season, so increase your caloric output and alter your diet accordingly.  Following that phase, from June to August the focus may be hypertrophy training and high volume training to induce muscle growth and show off your new found lean physique.  Lastly, from October to December, chances are your schedule is tight with holidays, parties and sports leaving you minimal time to workout.  My ideal choice would be to focus on Olympic lifts and total body compound lifts that maximize muscle involvement but require less time in the gym.  I would combine these with sprint training or interval cardio.  You could also opt to perform superset, giant sets, circuits, or intervals if Olympic lifts aren’t your thing.  Both methods allow for quick, yet productive workouts that deliver results.  

For more Fitness, Nutrition, and Wellness advice contact Paul Wantuck or stop by the Fitness Center to schedule a consultation and get started on the path towards a healthier you!

1.     Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning 2^nd Edition, NSCA.

2.     Pattern Overload, Paul Check. New Zealand Fitness, December 2006/January 2007.

Get out of your shoes

Modern footwear often restricts our range of motion and provides external stability that our feet should develop naturally. Overtime, this unnatural body positioning and gait that shoes create can lead to inefficient movement and possibly injury. Walking barefoot can help to improve ankle stability, reduce overactive calves, improve activation of your posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes and back), improve alignment of your ankles/hips/back/shoulders, and increase proprioception of the feet to provide better balance feedback to the rest of your body. 

 

Running barefoot also has its advantages. The thicker your shoe’s heels, the more likely you are to lengthen your stride. This leads to more of a heel-first strike where the shoe absorbs the majority of the impact, thus never conditioning your feet, ankles and body to absorb impact properly. When barefoot, you naturally use a shorter stride, landing first on the outside ball of your foot and causing your arch to flatten, absorb impact and then spring back up as you advance forward, the way it was meant to work. If you decide to go barefoot running, just make sure to do so progressively.  You shouldn’t run barefoot as far as you do with shoes on at first.  Maybe start with walking barefoot and add in short intervals of running as you strengthen your feet and become acclimated to your new gait.

Past research performed on barefoot running has shown that running-related chronic injuries to bone and connective tissue in the legs are rare in developing countries, where most people are habitually barefooted.  Also, one of the most common chronic injuries in runners, planter fasciitis is rare in barefoot populations.

The benefits of barefoot activity aren’t only limited to running.  Weightlifting while barefoot also has its perks.  In addition to strengthening your feet and lower leg as mentioned above through barefoot walking/running, strength exercises like the deadlift will become easier as you move closer to the ground, thus reducing the distance the weight must move.  Other moves like lunges and squats will quickly alert you of any alignment issues, especially in the calves and hips. 

If you suffer from balance issues, shin splints, or any other hip and leg conditions or if you are unable to walk barefoot during the day, or if your commercial gym won’t allow barefoot exercise, a great alternative would be to use minimalist or barefoot shoes.  Minimalist shoes offer a 4-8mm drop from heel to toe, whereas traditional sneakers have a 12mm drop.  Barefoot shoes offer a 0mm drop and are as close to walking barefoot as you can get without actually going barefoot.  These shoes are also less bulky, which allows your foot muscles to be more engaged so that they contract and flex properly to cushion and absorb shock. 

 

Although it may not be practical to go barefoot the entire day, the more time you spend out of your footwear and training your feet naturally, the better off you will move and feel in the long run.  

For more Fitness, Nutrition, and Wellness advice contact Paul Wantuck or stop by the Fitness Center to schedule a consultation and get started on the path towards a healthier you!