Change Things Up

    I have mentioned before to always strive to challenge your body. Unless you're a competitive athlete you have no reason not to shake things up from time to time, especially if we are all in agreement that our main goal is to live a long healthy and athletic life.

    I've gotten the itch lately to go for some distance runs...gasp! 'But Kyle how will you ever get swole?' Well broski sometimes you just gotta ignore the literature and completely change the stimulus. No matter how perfect your program is on paper, it isn't the end all be all! Why, because no matter what, the results WILL come to a halt. The only way to see continued progress is to continue to force your body to adapt to ever changing stimuluses.  

    I did a short run today, not over doing it to prevent injuries such as ankle problems and plantar factitious (which I easily get if I over do it too soon) amongst others, as most of my work has been short sprint work. Over the next few weeks I plan on upping the distances and frequency. I'm going to keep a close eye to how my body responds to the running and adjust properly. Being that right now strength gain is still my number 1 priority, I will be making planning and volume adjustments to still allow for complete recovery for my strength training sessions.  Bottom line you gotta change things up and push your limits, despite what the books might say, in order to see true progress.

No Nonsense Training,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS

Owner/Head Trainer

kyle@trainstrive.com

www.trainstrive.com

Cheap Training Tip of the Day

    When it comes to training, I believe in being outside as much as possible. Unfortunately, in most gyms taking equipment outside to perform farmers walks and walking lunges isn't exactly looked upon with encouragement. So what are you to do, especially when on a limited budget?  The answer, go sledding.

Sledding isn't just for snowy hills in the winter.

    While you can go out and buy a $180 fabricated sled and then spend another $100-$120 on used Olympic plates (Which isn't much to begin with considering all of the exercises you can do), you can have a suitable sled for much cheaper.

What is needed

1. Used tire- Preferably with a rim still inside. Just head to a local tire place and ask if they have any used tires in the back. Most have a large stockpile and are always happy to clear some space. While your at it, you could always pick up a large tractor tire for some flipping Cost= Free
2. Chain- Head to your local home improvement store and pick up 7-10 feet of chain plus a quick link, carabiner, or some other piece to connect the two ends of the chains together. Cost= ~$20-$25
3. Rope- While your at the hardware store pick up 20-30 feet of rope. Cost= $13-$19
4. Stones- Head to a nearby river/creek or anywhere where there are stones a grab as many as you need.  Not only will this provide the weight for the sled, but you can perform many different exercises with the stones themselves. Cost= Free

Total Cost- ~$33-$44

Training No Nonsense,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS
Owner/Head Trainer
kyle@trainstrive.com
www.trainstrive.com

Why Avoid Traditional Cardio

    Head to any gym in America and you will see the most populated area of the gym being the cardio area. Countless people are seen performing long and boring hours on the treadmill thinking that it is going to drop the fat they desire. They will head to the gym 5-7 days a week and sometimes twice a day to perform their traditional cardio. They feel they are on the path to success, when in fact they are on the path to disaster. First-and-for-most it should go without saying that their time would be better spent strength training, building muscle, thus raising their metabolism and losing fat.  However, for right now I am going to avoid delving into the benefits of strength and sprint training and rather focus on the reasons why not to perform traditional cardio.
    Back before I knew what I know now, I'll admit that I too performed traditional cardio. I hated every minute of it as it was just flat out boring, but I kept going right along because that is what the media had told me.  Regardless of how I felt physically I felt an obligation to do it through the guilt that was instilled upon me by outside forces. All the while during this time, I would get weaker, I would grow tired faster during the day, and I would get beat down by stress. Thankfully, in my continuing search for knowledge my ways have changed. I will never again step foot on a cardio machine for the rest of my life, yet I know I will be healthier for it.

Reasons to Avoid Steady State Cardio

1. Cortisol-Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands in the body. Frequently called the stress hormone, it is used in one capacity during the 'fight or flight' response in the body, elevating awareness amongst other benefits. However, if cortisol levels are elevated to long, much like can happen from long steady state cardio, a cascade of problems car arise. Increased blood pressure, decreased immune function, a lose of muscle tissue, a decrease in thyroid function, and elevated fat levels are just a few of the problems. It should already be clear to you why you should do all the things in your power to keep cortisol levels low.
2. Joint Complications-If you have ever performed frequent steady state cardio, you are probably more than aware of the pain it can bring.  The fixed path of motion on a lot of machines can create significant muscular imbalances and cause a great deal of wear and tear on the joints of the ankles, knees, and hips. Running can lead to many ailments, one being a common condition called IT band syndrome.  The IT band, or iliotibial band is a tissue that runs down the lateral side of the thigh.  It begins at the pelvis and runs down to the tibia, and during running, can undergo constant friction with a part of the femur. This friction can lead to inflammation in the area and thus cause lateral knee pain.
3. Muscular Complications- Constant traditional running can also produce muscular problems, which can lead to strains, tears, and more joint issues. As a result of frequent and long running, the hamstrings become shortened and tightened and glute function declines due to a high volume of knee flexion and a lack of hip extension involved during running. This produces a length/tension imbalance with the lower back around the pelvis, and thus the arrival of lower back pain(It should be noted that this is not the only reason for lower back pain).
4. It's Boring-Anyone who has spent anytime doing traditional cardio knows what I'm talking about here. Spending up to an hour or more running in place makes my mind go numb. No amount of your favorite tunes or an awesome movie playing in the 'cardio theater' do anything do dull the pain. My first bit of advise to you, is to move all forms of running/cardio outside.  Why spend the free time you have not in your office inside of another building? Head outside and enjoy the fresh air. If it is rainy, wait till it lets up.  If it is cold, bundle up.  If it is hot, wait till later in the day when it begins to cool down.

    Bottom line, unless your a marathon runner, avoid traditional cardio.

    With all that said, I do not denounce low intensity cardio all together, what matters is how low of an intensity we are talking about. 45 minutes at 65% of your target heart rate is a big no, 30 minutes of a brisk walk however gets two thumbs up.

Till Next Time,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS

Owner/Head Trainer

kyle@trainstrive.com

www.trainstrive.com

Pre-Thanksgiving Advice

    As the Holiday season is upon us, many will envision the numbers on the scale going up and the person in the mirror getting larger. You are not one of those people however. You have self control and a dedication to your health.  While I am not saying to avoid all offerings your family provides for you, unless you want, these tips can help keep you going strong into the new year.

1. NO SECONDS-You wouldn't stuff your face on any other meals to the point of discomfort at any other times, so why do so now.  Take your time eating and enjoy the tastes of the Holidays with conservative portions. One trip to the food line is enough.
2. Avoid Snacking on Sweets-One slice of pumpkin pie is fine, but don't overdo it. If your hungry, do what you'd always do, snake on some fruit or veggies.
3. Keep Your Goals in Mind-Don't let the temptations around you cause you to forget about what your goals are. Remembering that goal to run a marathon in the spring or to take up tennis when the warm weather shows its face again will pay off. 
4. Limit the Carbs-Since this is more than likely an off day from training, you should already be avoiding the carbs, especially if you are carb cycling.  Have that small serving of potatoes and maybe some stuffing if you want, but try to keep most of your food limited to meats and veggies. Given that there will be a limited amount of activity, limiting the carbs will leave you feeling much better come Friday for training.
5. Have some Real Cranberry Sauce-Amongst others, cranberries can inhibit LDL oxidation, which when allowed causes inflammation in the arteries, and can possibly prevent kidney stone and cancer development. 

Happy Thanksgiving,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS

Owner/Head Trainer

kyle@trainstrive.com

513-571-2950

Listening to Your Body

    Life is a continuing evolving process.  Day in and day out new opportunities and new downfalls continue to enter our lives. Whether it be a new job, a death in the family, sickness, stress at work, or many other things, they all have a cumulative affect on the body. These things are inevitable and thus must be properly accounted for in order for you to have a long and healthy life.
    When it comes to your training, the rules are no different. Sure we would all love to go to the gym and train balls to the wall every time. However, that just isn't possible. The body gets beat up from training, and even with proper rest and recovery implemented, the added stress like those listed above WILL drag you down. You more than likely have dealt with this yourself. When this happened, some of you continued to push through, which occasionally is warranted but most if the time is only going to hurt. Others may decided not to train that day but end up feeling guilty about it later, further exacerbating the problem.
    The solution, listen to and respect your body. If you feel run down from your routine, break the monotony. Instead of your usual workout head out to the park, hit up some body weight training and lift some stones. The mental break will do you great benefits, and the fresh outdoor air will only help. If you absolutely do not feel like training, that is fine. Don't stress about it. One missed workout is just that ONE missed workout. In the end, the break from that workout will probably have done you more good than that one workout ever could have. Never underestimate the power of your mind.
   If you are to ever have long term training, and more importantly life success, understanding you body and being able to adapt your training to accommodate its' needs is of utmost importance. As strength coach Zach Even-Esh of the Underground Strength Gym in NJ calls himself, you need to be a 'Soul Lifter.' Listen to your body and train to keep it at peace because with all of the stress it faces day in and day out, it deserves our attention.

Train for Harmony,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS
Owner/ Head Trainer
kyle@trainstrive.com
www.trainstrive.com

Sunday Musings

1. Stay away from machines.  Sport are chaotic, multi-planar, and multi-directional, so why train in way that focuses on a fixed plane of motion.  Machine movements accentuate and develop muscular imbalance which will only end with one result, injury. Take the leg press for example. During the leg press, there is absolutely no balance required, as your hips and back are supported.  Because of this, you can lift more weight, 'artificially.' The use of these heavy loads on your joints and muscles that are not prepared for that weight will dramatically increase your risk of injury.  There are plenty of other negative impacts of machines, but that will be for another day.
2. Lift Heavy Weights. Men AND WOMEN alike need to be lifting heavy weights, provided they are dingo so with proper form and execution. Progressive overload through the use of heavy weights builds muscle. This increase in muscle mass, increases metabolism, which in turns helps you burn fat.  For the women out there, get the 'But I'll get bulky and look like a man' thought process out of your head. You WILL NOT! You are not a man. Significant muscle gain requires testosterone, levels that are much higher than you possess.  The only way you could get 'bulky' is if you would injecting testosterone, and I'm guessing your not.
3. The Bengals are horrible. 49-31 are you kidding me! 2-8 on the season!  Ladies and Gentleman of Cincinnati hunker down and prepare yourself for a long and tough next decade.

Let's get Ready to Bust Tail this Week,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS
Owner/Head Trainer
kyle@trainstrive.com
www.trainstrive.com

Goal Setting

    When it comes to training it seems most people either fail to set goals, set unrealistic goals, or set goals which are not indicative towards long term success. While the goal of losing 20 pounds and hitting a certain weight are a step in the right direction, as opposed to doing nothing, they are not supportive of what the true goal should be, a commitment to lifelong health and wellness.  Those goals also neglect a certain part of human nature that encourages our dedication, competition.

    Instead set goals for yourself that put you in a competitive environment(much like your training environment should be).  Competition elevates everyones performance, and thus their results. Pick goals with the end result of being placed in an environment which promotes a healthy challenge.  You could sign up for a marathon 6+ months from now or join a rec league and sign up for an activity which you are passionate about.    There are many options out there to choose from, all you have to do if pick one which you will throughly enjoy.

    The bottom line is that goal setting should not be a system of picking arbitrary numbers, rather, it should be a path for an active lifestyle.

Avoid the Status Quo,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS
Owner/Head Trainer

kyle@trainstrive.com

www.trainstrive.com

Friday Finisher

It's Friday! Time to kick some tail.  While others are too entrenched in their minds with tonights activities to train, you rise above. This isn't to say you won't go out tonight, heck I encourage it (despite myself being sort of a home body), you just have priorities. Getting out there and training like the athlete you are with reckless abandon to get stronger, more powerful, quicker, and more agile is just another day...another more satisfying day. With that said, here is a little Friday Finisher action for you that is done with zero equipment.

1A) 10-20 Body Squats
1B) 100 yard Shuttle (25 yards 4x)
1C) 10-20 Burpees
1D) 10-20 Split Squat Jumps
1E) 100 yard shuttle (25 yards 4x)

Rinse, wash, and repeat as many times as possible within 5 minutes.

Push On,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS
Owner/Head Trainer
kyle@trainstrive.com
www.trainstrive.com

3 Tips for Increasing your Bench

1. Row, Row, and Row Some More- If you want a big bench you need a strong and powerful back.  The many muscles of the back, posterior deltoids, and scapular articulators, during the bench, are known as antagonists, or opposing, muscles. Their job is to slow down and control the movement, if they can't do that, they aren't going to allowing the agonist muscles(the ones doing the work), to press to their full ability. Sort of like a car with no breaks, if you can't stop the car are you really going to try and speed it up? If those muscles are not strong, they will not allow optimum pressing.  So bottom line, including plenty of rowing into your routine.  Try a 2:1 ratio of  rowing to pushing, so for every one pressing exercise, included two rowing/scapular retractor exercises. For example One Arm Dumbbell Rows and Band Pull Aparts.

2. Improve Your Form- No matter if your a seasoned vet at the bench or new to it, I'm willing to bet that most of you could use improvement in your form.  I even have things to work on.  Lifting is a continuous learning process.  With that said, if I was training you right now on the bench the first few cues I would give would be to squeeze your shoulder blades tightly, put the pressure on your upper back and traps by driving your feet into the ground, and to keep your elbows tucked at a 45 degree angle which will keep the bar path in a straight line.  There are other factors involved, but for now, focus on those three things and become really good at them.

3. Train Your Triceps-Don't begin to fall into the lie that the bench is a chest lift.  The bench is in fact a total body lift, from your tight grip down to your leg drive, the entire body is involved.  A problem that a lot of bencher's have is that they focus too much on chest and anterior deltoid strength and neglect triceps training, and no a few sets of kickbacks and pushdowns is not triceps training.  If there is a strength imbalance during the bench, and the back as been ruled out as the problem, chances are it is because of weak triceps.  Focus on heavy close grip press work and heavy extension work.

Kickback Free since 2006,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS
Owner/Head Trainer
kyle@trainstrive.com
www.trainstrive.com

Break From the Norm

    A lot of times we can get so locked in on a style of training that we begin to lose sight of the big picture. While the plan your on might have given you results before, and maybe it still does, it is inevitable that the progress WILL come to a halt if you don't adapt and FORCE your body to change.  There is no such thing as a perfect program, which by definition, is a plan that would give you results forever.  No program, no matter what style you advocate will continue to bring that progress.  So what are you to do? You break from the norm!
    Challenge your body.   If your a strength and power guy who focuses on heavy lifting and sprinting(and not a competitive athlete), throw some distance running into the mix.  Pick a 2-4 week block and replace your sprint work with distance running, progressing in frequency slowly as to avoid injuries such as plantar fasciitis, achilles tendinopathy, and if you are higher in weight, knee injuries. If your an endurance person, do the opposite.  Begin a block of sprint work and slowly increase in frequency as the block goes on.  Begin with 4-6x30-50 yard sprints with complete recovery and go from there.  Not only will this be a kick in the butt, but it will also have a positive influence on your distance running once you return to it.  The sprint work will increase muscular strength, inter and intra muscular coordination, fast twitch metabolic properties, as well as power production resulting in improved distance running performance.
   The moral of the story is to always look for ways to challenge your body.  Never let it get comfortable in a certain training program.  If our goal is to live long, healthy, and active lives(Which it should be), continuing to adapt is the key to get there.

Never Accept Mediocrity,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS
Owner/Head Trainer
kyle@trainstrive.com
www.trainstrive.com

5 Key Rules of Nutrition

Today I wanted to write a brief post about my 5 key rules of nutrition.  There is a lot of confusing and conflicting information out there which can leave anyone crazy not knowing what to do and inevitably falling of the wagon.  Thus I give you my 5 rules to help build the foundation for your nutrition and lifestyle.

1. Raw Foods-Eat raw, organic foods as often as possible.  With the overabundance of additives and preservatives in food these days, which for some of the substances you can't even pronounce, sticking to raw foods provides the way to only feed your body what it needs and nothing more.
2. Eat Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables- This one goes without saying, but yet needs to be said. Tying in with the Raw Foods rule, choose only organic fruit and veggies and fresh over frozen if you can.  If you are eating plenty of these foods you can even rid yourself of your multivitamin, which will never be able to replace the abilities and benefits or real foods.
3. Avoid Dairy-Dairy consumption has been linked to acne outbreaks, an increased risk of cancer, obesity, while also being an inflammatory agent, which can cause arthritis flare ups amongst other things.  For some, dairy consumption is already out of the question because many are lactose intolerant and/or cow's milk intolerant (Which you may unknowingly be), which are different conditions  Lactose intolerant individuals lack the necessary digestive enzymes to breakdown and digest milk while cow's milk intolerant people are actually allergic to milk due to an immune system response.  Drink rice, coconut, and almond milks as they are the more preferred choices.
4. Consume 3-4 meals a day- There is no need to follow the adage of six+ meals a day. While I will admit I was once guilty of worrying about eating every two hours because of some evil disruption to my metabolism, I have since wised up.  Eating less frequent is actually healthier for you as the digestive process is extremely stressful on the digestive system.  Just like any other part of your body needs rest to recover, so to does your digestive system.  Another negative effect of frequent eating is that you become a slave to your diet, stressing out about getting in your next meal and turning your anger onto others.
5. Have a Cheat Day-One day a week allow yourself to satisfy your cravings WITHIN REASON. Don't be throwing down an entire jug of ice cream because 'Kyle said so!'  Lean towards healthier choices  like always, but don't be afraid to treat yourself. Try and limit the cheat to one meal on that day, however, don't freak if you have two.  The bottom line is to cheat within MODERATION. Following this one day a week will keep you sane.

Clean it Up,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS

Owner/Head Trainer

kyle@trainstrive.com

www.trainstrive.com

The Overlooked Importance of Rest and Recovery

    There is such a heavy emphasis when it comes to some people's strength training programs on performing endless grueling workouts that take a serious toll on the body.  They measure success by the number of times they, or their client throws up.  This mindset leads to over-training, burnout, and a reduction in overall training gains.  While I am not saying throwing up is a bad thing, as hellish workouts can really cause you to gain some serious mental toughness, performed over and over will lead to the negative list of problems stated above. It is the exact opposite mindset that must be taken to ensure that gains are made and kept.
    There are multiple times when recovery must be taken into consideration. First and foremost, recovery from a previous workout.  The pace, volume, and intensity of the workout all impact your considerations here.  For example, if you used a lot of high intensity (Heavy weights), your central nervous system will need a few days for recovery, thus you must plan the following workouts accordingly.
    A second time where recovery must be planned is within the entire training week.  Make sure you have at least one day a week where you do absolutely nothing.  When I design programs, I actually start the plan off by planning the rest days and building from there.  These planned rest days will enable you to recover and regain your energy for the next bouts of exercise.
    The third recovery time that is planned is after a few weeks of training.  Every 3-6 weeks preform a deload from training.  The goal of your deload should be to reduce the volume and intensity of your workouts, focusing on letting your body heal and to become prepared for your next 3-6 week block.
    The fourth recovery time you must make as an athlete is after your competitive season.  Sports are grueling and taxing on the body thus time must be taken post-season to allow for recovery.  A solid time of 2-4 weeks without weight training while undertaking various forms of recreation such as hiking, rock climbing, biking, etc. will provide sufficient time for physical and mental recovery. During this time, there should be a focus on beginning to correct imbalances that were a result of the sport season. After this, the athlete's training should build on the imbalance corrections that were beginning to be made before.
   Finally your sleep is of utmost importance to your recovery and training.  Making 8 hours of sleep a night a priority will go a long way to helping you achieve the benefits from your hard work in the gym.  The hormone responses to sleep aid in repairing and building muscle tissue.
   Also let us not forget the need for adequate nutrition in your recovery process. Perhaps it should be the dominating subject in this post because without the proper nutrients, your body will not have fuel to recover, leaving all the above weapons alone to fight a losing battle.
   As to note, physical stress is not the only element impacting your recovery needs.  Social, psychological, and environmental factors can place a great deal of stress on the body, sometimes greater than the physical stress.  While the impacts of these are outside the scope of this blog post, it is still of great importance to make considerations for them in your planning.

Recover for success,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS
Owner/Head Training
kyle@trainstrive.com
www.trainstrive.com

Bodyweight Training, a lost Art for Athletic Success?

    Over the years simplicity has been lost in the training world. Much as mentioned in the Eugene Sandow article from last month, you'll head to most 'globo' gyms and see people utilizing a never ending world of machines. You'll see one youth athlete working the leg extension machine, lifting the entire stack, and strutting around afterwards as if they have accomplished some magical feat of strength which is worthy of your gaze.  Then afterwards, they might just head over to the smith machine to pump out a few quarter rep squats, very productive. However, come game day, where is that athlete? They are no other place than on their back pinned by their opponent. Is this athlete getting quality work in during their workouts? Is this athlete challenging their body day in and day out to become THE BEST THEY CAN BE? The answer, ABSOLUTELY NOT? 

    Does that athlete sound too much like you? Let me ask you, how often do you include bodyweight training in your workouts? Once a month? Once every few months? Never?  If you answered yes to any of those three you are missing out on exercises and workouts that can elevate your performance and give you newfound strength and muscle that will help you become a feared athlete in your sport.

    You should be aiming to include bodyweight training into your program at the very least once a week (If you're an advanced lifter, which you probably aren't), but preferably every workout.  A high frequency of bodyweight training can set you apart from your competition. I personally make it a priority to include at least one bodyweight exercise per workout in my programs and often times have workouts completely dominated by bodyweight exercises and complexes. Hitting up a 20 minute circuit of push ups, pull ups, lunges, handstand walks, and broad jumps will do more for your performance and injury prevention than any long, tedious, and draining bodybuilding magazine inspired workout.

    To better understand the benefits, take wrestling for example.  In wrestling you must be able to control and dominate your opponent physically who is of near equal weight to you. You must also have an elite proficiency at maneuvering your own body to get into the positions you need to be in to lock down holds and pins. Give me a wrestler who dominates and uses bodyweight drills as a big part of his training program any day over one who follows a 'bodybuilding' program.

    So what exercises should you perform?  Since the list of bodyweight exercises is seemingly infinite, below is a listing of my top 5 favorite exercises divided up into upper and lower body.

Upper Body: Push Up Variations, Pull Up Variations, Recline Rows, Handstand Walks/Wheel Barrels, and Handstand Push Ups

Lower Body: Squats, Lunges, Cassock Squat, Duck Walks, and Single Leg Squats

    Also, don't forget the benefits of using bodyweight exercises to train explosive power. Drills like box jumps, broad jumps, plyo push ups, and stair bounds, etc. will go a long way in making you a more powerful athlete. Again the variety of exercises is only limited to your imagination.

    

    Here is a challenge for you. Go 2-4 weeks straight of performing nothing but bodyweight exercises as your mode of exercise.  After this, let me know how you feel...I guarantee you'll have amazing results.

Here is a sample workout:

Complete Max Rounds in 5 Minutes

1A Stair Bounds x5

1B Push Ups x10

1C Duck Walks x30 yards

1D Pull Ups x5

Alternatively you can use more variety and implement a workout like this:

5 rounds for time

1A Power Exercise x5

1B Upper Body Push or Walk Variation x 5-10 or distance

1C Lower Body Exercise x 10

1D Upper Body Pull Exercise x 5-10

There are many ways to skin a cat. After reading this, you should have a pretty good idea how to implement bodyweight training into your program.

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS

Owner/Head Trainer

Strive Training

kyle@trainstrive.com

www.trainstrive.com

513-571-2950