When Do You Need A Coach?

     Although most physical training is relatively simple and straightforwards some training depending on your goals as well as the difficulty of the activity may require getting a coach.


     While many of you are already competitive athletes & already have coaches in your sport, others, especially tactical athletes ( military, first responders ) & just regular people may consider doing certain activities in order to improve your fitness.

      2 examples include swimming & Olympic weight lifting. For example military swimmers & lifeguards obviously need to swim as part of your job. Would a coach help?  If you're new to swimming or even mediocre you may want to consider a swim instructor or even joining a swim club for awhile until you bring your swimming skill up to necessary times ( BUD/S students at least 500 yards side stroke in under 12:30, US Lifesaving Assn. 500 meter freestyle stroke in under 10:00 ). But remember, competitive swimming is different from swimming on the job or even swimming just to stay in shape. In competitive swimming swimmers spend a lot of time doing swimming drills which everybody can benefit from but also things like learning to dive off blocks, swimming with pulleys, are totally unnecessary for most people. Also competitive swimmers compete in Speedo suits or even special swim suits meant to glide through the water easier. They also usually shave the hair off their body.  While lifeguards & military swimmers have swim tests in regular swim suits or UDT shorts , which aren't too bad , they certainly aren't the same as  laser suits  ( in fact LZR suits as you see were banned after the 2008 Olympics ).Also in BUD/S you'll be swimming in the cold waters of Coronado, Calif. You'll want every advantage to stay warm & shaving your body hair definitely isn't going to help!

      Olympic weight lifting is an even better example. The 2 lifts ( clean & jerk & snatch ) & their derivatives ( drills, partial pulls ) as well as the no longer used clean & press are definitely good for explosiveness, strength & overall fitness but they're also quite technical & also often require good mobility of ankles, hips & shoulders. While you could probably do these lifts at home you'd definitely be limited in terms of weight. Often times an empty 45 lb bar is all you may be able to handle safely. Certainly if you want to lift any significant weight safely, even body weight let alone double body weight a coach is an absolute must! And if you think that's over caution even a gold medal winner like Matthias Steiner can have an accident ! I should add if you don't have the time or money, you could train those lifts with kettle bells or dumb bells ( as a side note kettle bell competitions in fact contain the exact same Olympic lifts as well . But again choose between sport & training. ).


     Boxing & martial arts are another example of differences between general fitness vs competition & skill. While you can get a reasonably good & safe workout shadow boxing or even on the heavy bag to become skilled, especially for competition ( boxing or UFC) & self defense to be good definitely requires guidance & instruction.

    Gymnastics & diving are other examples of activities that definitely need a coach. Sometimes if you're having a problem even in a relatively easy activity like running or you want more detail to help you in something like Spartan Races or triathlons you may want to consider a coach.

      I'm not trying to say that you need specialized coaching for all activities & especially for general strength & fitness or towards an athletic test , whether sport or job related.  However as you've seen some activities are so technical & can be dangerous you have to consider the risks vs rewards. And if the risks are many or you want to compete in that sport that's when you almost definitely want to go to a coach.

      I hope this post has been helpful.Good luck in 2018 achieving your goals. Remember to like & subscribe & if you have any questions please feel free to email me at mbrls2000@yahoo.com.

Why You Should Keep Track of Your Training

         Keeping track of your training is important if you want to succeed in your athletic performance. This is true for everyone from beginners to the pros.


           I thought of that recently after I finished my strength endurance workout. I had earlier in the morning done about 20:00 + of lunges & presses, then ran a moderately quick 1.6 mile rainy run. I then headed off to the pool but work was cancelled due to storms. So after taking care of a few errands, I returned home & started my strength endurance workout.

           As usual pull ups were the focus of my work out. And as I mentioned in my earlier post   on "How to Go From 0 - 20 Pull Ups" I try to get a minimum of 100 pull ups 3 - 5 days a week. Since I had time, I decided to push it & see if I could hold at 10 reps per set, completing 10 sets. Remember, 20 reps is my current max so this is obviously 50 % of my max.

          Previously, I've stopped at 8 - 9 reps per set  and this was very tough. But recently I've been able to hold 7 - 8 reps per set, including some difficult type pull ups like ledge pull ups & towel pull ups. So I thought maybe I could push it up to 10 regular pull ups per set.

           Of course recovery between sets is another factor.  And remember, to achieve maximum fitness & athletic performance it's best to do active recovery, in circuit form, activities which work other muscles . So in this case I chose to do 15 push ups, 25 lower back Superman exercise, 25 abs ( leg raises or flutter kicks,etc) & 5 one leg squats. Each set averaged 6:00 - 7:00 per set! One of the main reasons was maintaining balance in the one leg squats. This workout combined mostly strength endurance for high reps ( pull ups, push ups,lower back & abs) but also included maximal strength & balance ( the one leg squats ).  But you get the point.

       It took me an 1:11:00 + but I achieved what I wanted, holding 10 pull ups per set. Compared to just a couple of recent months ago I improved. And this is why it's important to keep track of your workouts.

        The same thing I found out about my running. As I mentioned in my post on Accomplishments, in January & February I had a terrible half marathon & full marathon. However I started to work on my speed again, doing shorter races . My goal has been in both training & races to get my miles under 9:00, and at the last mile a sub 8:00 pace as well as when I do track work ( quarter miles, half miles ). Well, in the last few months I've been able to get miles in the sub 9:00 in medium distances  ( 2 - 6 miles) , & yes getting my last mile in under 8:00. I've also been able to get quarters & halves on the track in the sub 8:00 pace. Again, compared to a few months ago a definite improvement. You see what I'm saying.

     When you keep track of your workouts it's a good idea to make notes about the variables. As I mentioned earlier when I did 10 pull ups per set I was active but I was also averaging 6:00 - 7:00 per set. In the future if I can do 10 pull ups in 5:00 or even 4:00 per set I can see my recovery time has decreased. Or in the case of running, using my Garmin GPS watch, I've been able to see my stride rate & stride length greatly increase in fast miles. This type of feedback can tell you what can help you & where you need to work on.

     There are many websites & apps , some free, that can keep track of your workouts. For endurance athletes especially ( running, swimming, biking) ,you may want to consider  something like GPS apps like Garmin or Polar which as I mentioned track your pace, cadence, heart rate,etc. They also usually allow you to make notes about your workouts. There are other factors which can affect your activity. When running for example, take in to account whether it was windy, was it hot? When running on the beach there are more factors such as whether it was soft sand or firm sand as well as were there lots of shells on the beach, was it slanted,etc?

       I should add while these GPS watches have all these features they definitely aren't cheap! And as a beginner you certainly don't need to buy those. A simple stop watch is more than enough. And for strength athletes/activities ( Olympic lifting, body weight exercises, boxers,etc) a GPS watch is definitely not needed. Even for those who do endurance activities as part of your training/job ( military, first responders, obstacle race challenge athletes,etc ) a  notebook is  probably good enough unless you can afford it. However for endurance athletes as you improve, you may want to consider investing in one of these GPS watches. They are a definite plus in endurance training.

     So start keeping track of your workouts, along with all the variables around them, & use these to improve your performance & achieve new heights.

Why You Should Consider Multiple Workouts A Day

   In order to make improvements in your overall fitness & athletic performance you may want to consider multiple workouts in a day.

     Obviously this isn't for everybody. If your schedule doesn't allow it ( very long work hours,classes,traveling time, etc) don't worry. Just do what you can in the time you have, prioritizing.


        However if you do have the time this is something you should consider. Especially for serious/multi activity athletes ( swimmers,boxers,triathletes, military/first responders ,etc) this is a good way to improve your performance.

      Let's go over some of the physical benefits. Some benefits include lower blood pressure, more calories burned & overall heart health. Much of that has to do with increased EPOC ( excess post exercise oxygen consumption ) , basically the after burn of a tough session.

       Other benefits include improved activity performance , whether strength or endurance. Also you can get more work in. For runners this means more miles, for swimmers more meters, or if you're trying to increase your push ups or pull ups clearly two workouts will allow you to get more reps/miles,etc than just one. In fact kettle bell expert Pavel Tsatsouline described this "greasing the groove" method in his book " The Naked Warrior" , having people do pull ups every time they passed a pull up bar! You get the idea.The benefits are clearly there. Of course there are a few factors to consider.

       One thing to consider is your level of fitness. Are you a beginner, intermediate or advanced? Obviously if you're a beginner you need to proceed carefully. Start slowly, maybe just one or two doubles a week , increasing the number as your fitness improves. Another thing to consider is your type of activity. Is it a single activity ( track, swimming,etc) or multiple activities ( triathletes, tactical athletes )? Also, if it is a single activity is it skill based, anaerobic ( Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, 100 meter dash) or longer & aerobic ( long distance running ). Some activities are a mix. Examples include boxing, wrestling, 400 meter free style swimming. Recovery time plays another important factor. For example ,anaerobic skill based Olympic lifting requires short workouts & at least a couple of hours between workouts, & that's for top Olympic lifters. Generally 6 - 8 hours is good for most people, regardless of skill & activity. Also make sure you're eating good, nutritious food & staying very well hydrated.

     Next, & this can be tough, is planning your day. For most athletes ( except for people like gymnasts, Olympic lifters) they can benefit from mixing up activities like aerobic work in one work out & actual activity work or strength in the evening. So  for example a boxer could run a few miles in the morning & maybe even do some exercises like push ups & pull ups if there's time, then in the evening he could do his boxing related work ( bag work, sparring,etc ). You can adjust your workouts as needed ( work or school schedule, equipment,etc). Just make sure you're rested and ready for your next workout.

      I hope you found this insightful & of course I hope it improves your performance. So give it a try & let me know how things turn out. Like & follow me for more useful training info. See you next time.

   

 

   

Putting Fitness to the Test at the SEAL Museum HEWPLA Challenge

       Recently I tested & found some of my strengths & weaknesses at the first Navy SEAL Museum Hard Exercise Works Challenge. It was interesting to say the least!

        They had us in teams of 2 in 3 different categories, advanced, intermediate & just for fun. I was realistic & chose just for fun. Some of the obstacles had me & my teammate jumping rope 200 times while my partner did lateral hops over a small hurdle, flipping a tire back & forth down a field, dragging a tire , medicine ball throws, rope climbing, swimming out to a boat with an oar , carrying a "victim" ( a 60 lb sandbag) on a stretcher down the beach , over a wall, & back, log lifts, paintball target shots. Being based on SEAL training there were also mind games , such as moving weight disks of different sizes around in correct order , 1 at a time. The final challenge was alternating sets of push press/thrusters with pull ups. Whew!

        While this obstacle course challenge was more geared towards SEAL training there are basic similarities between most obstacle challenges ( Battle Frog,Spartan, Ninja Warrior,Cross fit Games,etc). Most consist of some jumping, pulling, short runs, carrying objects, maybe some overhead pressing or throwing of objects. They may also be in tough terrain ( mud, soft sand, hills,etc). Some , like this one, may involve swimming. The main thing is all consist of moving from one  activity to another with almost no rest.

       Aside from tri athelons, most of these obstacle races often involve using anaerobic energy over an extended time. For example,in one of our early activities we flipped a tire down a field for about 30 meters, then went back the same direction flipping the tire. Our last activity was alternating 3 sets of push presses/thrusters, 65 lbs in our case & pull ups in reps of 21, 15, 9.

    As you can see these obstacle challenges aren't for total beginners or people who are deconditioned. However this is something that you as a beginner can use to motivate yourself to train for , something to look forward to ( see my last post on motivation). Intermediate & advanced athletes will find this fun but definitely challenging. I should add, if this is your first obstacle challenge ,even intermediate & advanced athletes may want to consider entering as a beginner if your race allows it. Unless you know all or most of the challenges, & you're 100 % healthy, you're setting yourself up for possible failure.  This is what I meant when I talked about finding your weak points & being realistic. Advanced teams were required to do all events. And they had much stricter standards. For example the weight they had to press was much heavier & more reps, they had to dive down to retrieve an object from the bottom of the ocean floor , during high tide & much lower time standards. Obviously in my case I knew because of shoulder problems as well as limited explosiveness, I should enter as a beginner. Currently I can only strictly press an empty 45 lb bar, & only for a few reps. As mentioned earlier, we had overhead presses a few times in the challenge, first on the beach & later at the museum. But because we were beginners , on the beach we allowed to lift 45 lbs, certainly relatively light. And even then I still had to push press. And even worse was a medicine ball press/throw over a pull up bar to my teammate. By the way, this wasn't some firm 5 lb or even 10 lb ball but rather a soft but pretty big medicine ball used for wall throws, thrown over at least a 10 foot bar. Even using my legs, I had a very hard time getting the ball over the bar. Fortunately event organizers allowed our team to do horizontal chest passes to each other. Another event had us jump on & off a big tire. I could only do 1 jump so they let me do step ups. Obviously, I'll have to work on my explosiveness. On the other hand because of my grip & pulling strength I was able to climb a rope & easily handled the pull ups. I should add they expected 6 climbs up the rope , with no rest! However for times sake they let me go with 1. And my teammate's pull ups also counted towards our teams total reps & scores. This is another part of many obstacle races, working in a team. This can help when one of you has a weakness the other team mate can help out. You see what I'm saying about these obstacle races.

       I should say, for those of you who are advanced, & especially those of you who want to do "real" challenges ( elite military training, first responder academy,etc) these races are something you may want to consider. The longer the better. Many of them, especially Battle Frog & those hosted by the National Navy/UDT SEAL Museum, are based directly on actual military training. Of course there are major differences, the main thing being these challenges are just a few hours. In the "real deal " ( BUD/S, Air Force PJ Pipeline,Police SWAT/Fire Rescue Academy,etc) you'll be doing these challenges almost all day , 5 - 6 days a week, possibly for several months! However if these are your ultimate goals these challenges are something you should consider trying so as to give you a taste of what to expect, over a long term.

     So what should you do to prepare? Basically have a good basic fitness base. This means stabilization & strength which can be developed first through heavy strength exercises & low reps ( squats, overhead presses, dead lifts, maybe balance board training,1 arm 1 leg exercises ,etc). After awhile move on to high rep body weight exercises ( push ups, especially pull ups,etc). Pulling power & grip strength as I've said will be quite important. In almost all of these races there are usually walls to climb over or ropes to climb up. Remember the SEAL Museum Bridge Challenge? We climbed up a 70 foot caving ladder, with a ( fake ) MP 5 strapped to us.Even going down taxed our grip & biceps. Most of these races also usually will have you carry objects for some distance. The farmers walk, walking with an object like a kettle bell, at your side will test your grip  & even core strength. This can be developed first through lifting/pulling heavy weight up like the heavy dead lifts ( which can also help with tire flipping),carrying objects ( the Farmers Walk) & very important, working on pulling your body weight which can be developed through high rep pull ups. If you have access, try & climb up ropes. Another major activity in some, but not all of theses races, involves jumping. Either jumping up  & down on to an object or jumping over 1 or multiple objects. This will require basic leg strength developed by heavy squats & low reps & then  followed by explosive strength which can be developed through plyometric (jump) training. Something I'm working on  Of course train carefully, start small & avoid injury. Trust me, I know about that!

          Mix up your training to include aerobic & anaerobic training. Your cardio respiratory system will be tested. Short intense bursts spread out over half an hour are a bare minimum to train. Examples might include 50 yard sprints followed immediately by plyometrics ( burpees, jump squats,etc) followed by snatches or push presses ( weights, dumb bells or kettlebells)  then sprint back, doing this for several sets with almost no rest.Other areas you may want to train in depending on your race include swimming & training in similar outdoor terrain ( mud, sand,etc). Basically you want to become comfortable being uncomfortable!

      This is just a partial list but hopefully this advice will help you conquer as many obstacles as possible. Now go out there & conquer this challenge!

      Special thanks to the National Navy UDT/SEAL Museum for hosting , as usual, another incredible event. Obviously thanks to Randall Greer & the crew from Hard Exercise Works Jupiter for putting this incredible event together. And an extra special thanks to my team mate, in team Kick Ass, Richard Moseley. You really helped me get through some tough spots with your shoulder strength, explosiveness & marksmanship! I couldn't have done it without you!

   

Why Accomplishments & A Lifestyle Change, Not New Years Resolutions, is the Key To Staying Motivated And Achieving Your Goals

              It's late early March as I write this. How many of you have kept up your training? I thought so!

             Although this post is oriented more towards beginners even advanced athletes can lose motivation and benefit from the suggestions I'm going to make.

             The majority of beginners who quit are usually the type who've made New Years resolutions. Often times they look for easy solutions, quick fixes. Examples include so called starvation, miracle diets (Grapefruit, Nutri- System,etc), diet pills( green coffee bean extract, Garcinia Cambogia,etc), drugs ( HCG), exercise fads  ( Biggest Loser). Some even go for surgery!  Unfortunately almost all of them end up in failure.

          The first thing is to realize is there's no quick fix, no magic bullet. Next , what were you trying to achieve? Things like getting in shape for a wedding, a class reunion, a doctor's visit, and worst of all New Years Resolutions almost always end up in failure. Those are too short term and require unrealistic training. Instead think of a lifestyle change. For example, instead of reaching for ice cream when you feel depressed get up and do a few sets of push ups or presses,etc. If you've been following me, as I've mentioned, I've changed my life dramatically. Instead of counting how much I smoke, nowadays ( 16 years & counting) I count how many gallons of water I drink.

      Another thing that goes with a lifestyle change is aiming for new heights. That's why I hate when I hear people say "What's the point of doing 20 pull ups, running a 7:00 mile, dead lifting double body weight,etc?" I can see they're being unnecessarily contrary and they're setting themselves up for failure. I mean why do anything? The feeling of accomplishment is an incredible feeling. In fact, attempting to accomplish something is a major reason to stick to a plan and not give up. While most of us won't become professional athletes we can become competitive people. Maybe finishing a marathon, completing an adventure race, etc. These clearly require a lifestyle change. Obviously junk food, smoking,etc are incompatible with such goals. And for more advanced guys, maybe you want a faster mile or heavier military press as well as maybe you've got wrestling finals coming up or a military test coming up. These clearly require you to stay "clean" and stick to your training plan.

      Some of us have come off bad losses maybe. I know, I've been there. In fact my last marathon in February was terrible! I'll go in to more detail in the future. Long story short, I barely made it in 5:30:00. I however haven't stopped training. Instead I'm still running, strength training, eating right,etc.  I have however changed my focus, concentrating more on shorter distances and faster speeds a couple of times a week. In fact the following week I ran a 10 K in okay time. In fact each mile was faster than the last, the last 3 miles under 9:00 and the last mile was 7:55. I didn't place but you see what I'm saying. It was a small personal victory but nevertheless a victory. It felt good. I came back doing the best I could.And you can come back. Maybe you'll need to delay your big goal and focus on smaller things. In my case, qualifying for the Boston Marathon is going to have to wait. I'm still doing long distance running but I'm focusing more on 5 K's and 10 K's, maybe even a half marathon. Also you may want to step back and choose easier activities in your training or easier competitions.For example I chose the Fleet Feet Run For Your Heart 10 K, partly because it's a very flat course. A hilly course would probably have had a very different result. Obviously your activities are probably different but the point is the same. See where you're weak, work on those areas, and continue to improve your strengths and eventually you'll rebound.


     I hope everyone, beginners and advanced athletes,  will think about these things when they feel like giving up. I especially  hope beginners will think beyond New Years resolutions or even blood sugar tests and think about the long term possibilities. Think about what you might be able to achieve. Advanced athletes, don't let bad times stop you from working to improve your future performance. Like most topics I write about here , I've personally gone through my ups and downs. However I've been able to overcome these bad times , for the most part. I'll let you know how things go throughout the year. And please let me know how your year goes. Like and follow this blog, and let me know any training questions you may have.