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Structure of an Elite Personal Training Workout

The structure of a training session may be as follows:

  1. Dynamic Warm Up 10-mins
  2. Power/Skill Development 5-mins
  3. Strength 20-mins
  4. Functional Hypertrophy 15-mins
  5. Metabolic Conditioning 5-mins
  6. Recovery Cool Down 5-mins

You can structure your own workouts like this:

  1. Dynamic Warm-Up (10 minutes): The initial phase involves progressively practicing movement patterns that you will be training during the main workout. It’s crucial for preparing your muscles and joints, enhancing flexibility, which significantly reduces risk of injury. By practicing similar movements which you’ll perform later, your body becomes more efficient during the session.
  2. Power/Skill Development (5 minutes): After the warm-up, this portion of your workout focuses on fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are essential for power, speed, and supporting healthy aging. By utilizing short, intense bursts of intentioned movement, it improves neuromuscular coordination and explosive strength, translating to movement efficiency during daily activities.
  3. Strength (20 minutes): This is the core of your workout, focusing on major lifts like squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, or dips. There are many valid exercises to consider focusing on (like Bulgarian split squat vs. seldom doing bilateral squats). This phase is crucial for building overall muscle strength, joint health and bone density. By targeting your specific structure and aesthetic goals, it also helps in sculpting your physique as a highly functional being.
  4. Functional Hypertrophy (15 minutes): Here, the emphasis is on controlled repetitions to maximize time under tension. This promotes protein synthesis and muscle turnover (hypertrophy and atrophy natural processes) and also enhances muscular endurance and stability. It’s great for improving the functionality of your muscles in real-life scenarios, becoming functionally aesthetic in the process.
  5. Metabolic Conditioning (5 minutes): This high-intensity finisher boosts your metabolic rate, leading to increased calorie burn long after the workout (afterburn effect — gotta love it!!). It’s excellent for cardiovascular health, improving overall fitness levels and being bang for the buck timewise.
  6. Recovery Cool Down (5 minutes): The final phase is about gradually lowering your heart rate and relaxing your muscles. Start with standing stretching and then emphasize the areas of stretching which may be specific for you or related to the movements practiced during the workout. Plus, it is also an opportunity to decompress, enjoy the feeling of accomplishment, and then carry on in your powerful embodiment.

Just get moving.

Ultimately, you must believe in yourself to practice intentional movement because with consistency, you may embody both resilience and power.

Thank you for reading and subscribe below.

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How to Design Your Perfect Workout

This article will share a few ideas on how to structure your home or gym workout.

Contents of a workout:

  1. Mental check-in.
  2. Dynamic warm-up.
  3. Gradual build up to higher intensity.
  4. Plyometric or power training.
  5. Strength in the 8-12 rep range.
  6. Burnout set on a target area.
  7. Isometric stretches.
  8. Optimization of the post-workout recovery.

Before I get started, just remember that the healthiest workout possible is the one that you can do safely.

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MiR Weighted Vest Review Short Adjustable 20-60 lbs: Training for Running, Workouts, and Fat Loss

The weighted vest could be the absolute best fitness investment, but ARE YOU READY for the hard work ahead?

I have had weighted vests in my arsenal for plenty of years now and they work. They absolutely work well and are effective by helping you overcome new levels of discomfort and become whatever you want to be whether fitter, faster, stronger, leaner, ripped, shredded, athletic, muscular, toned, or you just want to burn some serious body fat.

This article was written so that you can make the best buying decisions when it comes to complicated world of fitness. I’m also extremely passionate about exercise and helping others. The links are Amazon.com affiliated.

MiR Weighted Vest Review: Short Style for Workouts, Running, Fat Loss.

The benefit of short style weighted vests is that they keep the weight in a more centered area and your core does get stronger this way. The longer vests are for people who want to distribute the weight all around and perhaps the longer vests are better for people who are using it for walks.

MiR Adjustable Short Weighted Vest on Amazon.com

Even so, in most cases, the short style will be more suited to your needs. There are great options for women as well, though women can wear either based on their anatomy.

MiR Ajudstable Weighted Vest for Women on Amazon.com

I have heard really good feedback about this one as women are becoming increasingly interested in strength and health.

Weighted Vests have what scientific support?

When I dig through the research, I find some interesting articles about muscle activation and energy use from the military of multiple countries studying loaded carriage. What has been known for a long time is that the heavier the weight, the greater the energy use. It’s a way to burn more fat in a shorter time frame.

This is a video capture of Rich Froning in a MiR weighted vest. He is one of the fittest people of all time.

MiR Weighted Vest Cons:

Let’s start with some possible drawbacks:

  • Shoulder straps can become uncomfortable especially in longer workouts.
  • Can be challenging to put on the weighted vest (best to do it while laying on the ground).
  • Fits most people, but not all.

MiR Weighted Vest BENEFITS:

This list covers some of the features that help it stand above other weighted vest brands.

  • Very compact as it is designed for max mobility.
  • Lining is doubled throughout the shoulder with contoured padding for comfort.
  • Increments of smaller weights allow you to adjust to resistance to your needs.
  • The mid-chest belt will prevent the shifting or bouncing.
  • Adjustable straps help give it the perfect fit.
  • Handles usage well and could last a lifetime.

Weighted Vests are great for men and women.

 

Science Says: Weighted Vests Burn a Ton of Calories!

 

Most body types benefit from a weighted vest training program. The key is to start light and gradually build up. Let me repeat that, the key is the start light and gradually build up. That’s why MiR offers adjustable weights so that can take them out and put them back in as needed.

Weighted vests tone the body in a way that nothing else does. I’m not saying that weighted vests are necessary for an aesthetic look, but I seriously believe that working with vests can strengthen those deep core muscles and just make you a finer physical being.

Furthermore, a larger person who trains with the vest will notice their fitness has improved in everyday life when they take off the vest. Meanwhile, an athlete or recreational fitness person can gain respectable lean muscle by increasing strength against resistance and recovering from that process.

Weighted Vest FAQ:

Is the MiR vest good for running? Yes, because of the short style the vest will work well. Make sure to start with light weights, maybe 10% of your body weight or less loaded on the vest to start initially.

Will it help build lean muscle? I have no doubt that with enough consistency, you can gain lean muscle, yes for sure. I also really feel the muscles around the lungs!

Who is a weighted vest best for? Tactical athletes such as firefighters, people who lift weights, runners love weighted vests, yoga enthusiasts, and even people who play basketball, football, and soccer.

Weighted Vest Caution Safety and Prevention Tips:

Common injuries associated are associated with prolonged load carriage so make sure to progressively build up your efforts instead of over-doing it.Some things to be aware of are foot blisters, stress fractures, back strains, metatarsalgia (foot pain), and knee pain.

Preventative action is key, such as maintaining good posture and improving load distribution. Staying hydrated is another injury-prevention method.

For the foot comfort, closed-cell neoprene insoles and use of an acrylic or nylon sock, combined with a wool sock, reduce blister incidence.

Become who you were meant to be!

There is a good chance that a weighted vest would be an incredibly valuable tool for you — particularly the MiR Weighted Vest.

The question remains though, do YOU have what it takes?

Follow the blog to stay tuned for updates!

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Why your sorry-a** posture needs thoracic spine/upper back extension today: one simple stretch to help you out

People say they just love me because I am so positive.

I can still write headlines that aren’t so fuzzy and friendly though! See above. Bahah!

Do you suffer from poor posture, pain in your spine, pain in your upper back, pain in your shoulders?

I’m only writing this because I care. Most of your friends and family won’t tell you that your posture sucks. Okay, maybe your mom will tell you to sit up straight, but most people believe that posture is your own responsibility.

upperbackextensionthoracicspineextension

Upper back/Thoracic spine extension and stretching at home on a foam roller

I’m here to help.

Be aware of the stability-mobility continuum.

In general, the neck should be stable, the upper back should be mobile, the lower back should be stable, the hips should be mobile, the knees should be stable, and the ankles should be mobile.

mobilitystabilityspine.jpg

Mobility/Stability continuum

The above statement is definitely a generality, but it applies to most people in the general population so it does have use.

By following these basic principles, a fitness professional can prescribe targeted exercises and stretches for an individual in need of optimal function.

Some people need to cure their bad posture, others are already wrecking their joints by exercising with poor form.

Here’s an example. If you are constantly performing back exercises with shrugged shoulders, over time it will probably end up stressing your joints. You need to be able to control the scapula by retracting and depressing the shoulder blade when appropriate.

Exercising with poor posture is like driving a car with axles and wheels out of alignment: it’s only going to work for so long until it breaks down.

Aside from the fact that good posture promotes a healthy self esteem and people respond better to you when you exhibit good posture, you also need to perform your exercises with good posture otherwise you’re not making the situation any better.

Our joints have a lifespan and you can increase the lifespan of your joints by exercising in good posture. Additionally, you can increase the lifespan of your joints by having training that promotes muscular balance and offers enough time for recovery.

(Related: Subscribe to my YouTube)

The healthy spine solution:

It CAN be complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s the general idea to support a healthy spine…

  1. Train your glutes hard (glute bridge, weighted barbell hip bridge, single leg glute bridge, rear foot elevated split squat aka bench static lunge aka bulgarian split squat, single leg deadlift, barbell deadlifts, dumbbell deadlifts, barbell squats, goblet squats, etc.)
  2. Train your abdominals hard (TRX Pike, TRX knee tuck, ab dolly knee tuck, ab wheel rollout, reverse crunches, turkish get up, etc)
  3. Mobility in the upper back (upper back extension on the foam roller, upper back stretches on your chair, upper back stretch on the stability ball, upper back bends in yoga, etc)

These three keys will do WONDERS for your body. Moreover, you can also go ahead and stretch your hip flexors and other tight areas that relate to the hip. On top of that, perform some ankle mobility drills and strengthen your tibialis anterior and posterior and then you’re good to go!

Say hello to good posture forever

EVERYBODY has seen an elderly person with a horrible kyphotic posture that just makes you wonder how that even happened. Well, the truth is that they probably never performed upper back exercises and upper back extensions. As a result, their backs became hunched, which can lead to damages down the chain.

Upper back rigidity can lead to lower back pain

Everything in the kinetic chain is linked. You really need to address your posture from a holistic standpoint. If you have chronic lower back pain, it’s quite possible that it is linked to tightness of the upper back. Obviously I can’t prescribe for you through this blog, but it is worth being aware of for when you visit with a healthcare provider or fitness professional.

Take care of your body so that you can life a long, healthy and high quality life.

I don’t think you get more than one life, so make it count. You’d be surprised what happens when you start taking care of yourself.

foamroller.jpg

If you’re convinced, then buy a foam roller on Amazon today.

 

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How to Structure a Weight Training Workout for Regular People interested in Fitness

If I’m not training full body (which I am a fan of actually), then I’m training upper/lower splits.

Even though in bodybuilding, many people will train chest on one day, back on one day, legs on one day, arms on one day, and shoulders and abs on one day, I’ve never found that style to be effective for me. I like to train the basic upper body exercises on the same day.

dbrow.jpg

Dumbell Row

Upper/Lower split is like this:

Monday: Lower body

Tuesday: Upper body

Wednesday: Rest day

Thursday: Lower Body

Friday: Upper body

Sat/Sunday: Rest days or other workouts, yoga, exercise classes, various activities, outings, etc.

Full Body workout would be like this:

3-5x per week with various daily emphasis and listening to your body for recovery purposes. If you are doing Orangetheory Fitness, then it’s possible you’re already doing this. That being said, if you’re serious about gaining more strength, you’ll want to do dedicated strength training sessions and not just cardio/weights combination every time.

I mostly believe in either Full Body training and in Upper / Lower training.

If you read the muscle magazines, you really need to understand that mainstream bodybuilding magazines are full of men and women on steroids and/or performance enhancers. The reason is because illegal steroids are easy to order online and widely accessible to anybody who’s willing to do a little research. Also, they work really well and have a lot of side effects.

What those people put into their bodies is none of my business, but it creates false perceptions when it comes to the, “what,” “how,” and, “when” can I see those results for myself. Most fitness magazine cover models have bodies that are simply unattainable for people who are unwilling to risk their health by taking steroids.

Benefits of full body training and upper/lower splits: Frequency

You really shouldn’t be so concerned about shredding/destroying your muscles during an excessively long weight training session full of drop sets and exercises to failure. Instead, train for frequency and continually get stronger in key exercises such as squats, deadlift variations, bench press, rows, weighted pull ups, dips, overhead press, arm curls/extensions, and leg curls.

All you have to really do is practice on the key exercises and make progress. Most people can recover the muscles sufficiently within 48 hours as long as you didn’t burn yourself out or always going for 1 rep maxes or always going to failure.

Just imagine if you trained your bench press 2-3x/week, your db row 2-3x/week, squats and leg curls 2-3x/week! You’d make progress way faster than just doing it once per week along with a bunch of isolation exercises.

Train like an athlete and follow prominent personal trainers that train athletes.

Of course my demographic is not bodybuilding on this blog even though some people will have an interest in bodybuilding. Let me tell you, I am also interested in bodybuilding and I follow it sometimes, but I am not interested in being a bodybuilder. Fitness is my game. There’s no shame in that.

overheadpress

Standing overhead press is more athletic than seated overhead press and yields more benefits for fitness.

Athletes are probably the fittest people on the planet and most of them are required to take some sort of drug tests. I’d suggest to look into how athletes train — be goal oriented and don’t spread yourself too thin in your training.

Keep it simple stupid: KISS was the mantra of a personal trainer I worked with.

For my upper body workout, I’ll usually spend a couple months prioritizing about 3-4 exercises that I would typically do first in a training session. For example, on lower body, I have recently prioritized rear-foot elevated split squats and I went from doing 135lbsx8 reps per leg to doing 205lbsx6 reps per leg — the glute growth was noticeable and my running strength improved.

No need to be fancy, just set a goal on a few exercises at any given point and prioritize them. All of the other exercises are just to support the goal of increasing strength in the ones that you are prioritizing (or to promote injury prevention).

Weight training is a lifestyle.

I can program an exercise routine for you that is top notch, guaranteed to be effective. However, if you constantly go to bed late, drink alcohol often, and neglect your nutrient intake, then you’ll never make it past the “newbie gains.”

brusellsproutsrecovery.jpg

It’s not a damn secret — vegetables are the best for you.

I love strength training with weights because of the sense of accomplishment and because I know that there is literally no way I am going to make progress in the weight room if I don’t take care of my nutrition and sleep. The weight room teaches me lessons about myself and encourages me to take care of my body.

Having some muscles doesn’t hurt either.

I feel confident from my experiences, not so much from my body. But I can tell you that if I didn’t didn’t take care of myself, then those experiences I’ve had over the years wouldn’t have been as rewarding or opened nearly as many doors.

 

Thanks for reading and I’m excited that this blog is growing. It seems like we’re getting new followers everyday!

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