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What Matters Most, for Most

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Today we have a great article by coach Dan Zwirlein about the importance of habit formation and behavior.  You don’t want to miss this one.  If you are looking to start creating some sustainable habits this new year, be sure to check out rufpchallenge.com and join our 21 day program to get started on the right path!

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When trying to learn how to be successful in getting stronger, healthier, losing weight, etc. people always want the tactics.  They want to know specifics, the details, the minutia. They want you to tell them exactly what to do. They want a cookbook, a supplement to buy, a new exercise routine to try. Should I eat x or y? Should I buy this brand or this brand? Should I train in the morning or the evening? And on and on. I guess this is probably due to the fact that the things that get the most exposure are magazines like Muscle and Fitness and online forums like bodybuilding.com, etc. These mediums are always posting new workouts and random pieces of information that only serve to confuse the masses. For most, giving out a lot of specifics is not practical nor necessary, and especially not all at once. Giving someone the exact details and minute to minute actions will end up leading a person to failure at some point because it is not sustainable, especially if the actions are the result of a list of details and not formed habits. Most people don’t need a complex, detail oriented plan that’s hard to execute to be successful anyway.

 
So what matters?

 
What matters is not a single training or eating ideology; many roads can lead to Rome. What matters is having a simple plan for in and outside of the gym that can be executed correctly and consistently, and with an unwavering mindset.

 
Having a plan and executing it consistently
It’s easy to use the quote “if you don’t have a plan, you plan to fail” but having a general plan for reaching your fitness or performance goals is imperative. Even if your plan is not optimal (i.e. crossfit), it’s still better than not having one at all. Why is this true? Because the plan provides structure and guidance in the face of scrutiny from peers, bad days at the gym, social functions ( see excessive alcohol consumption), and anything else life throws your way. So when life happens, and it will unless you live in a vacuum, you receive guidance from the plan. For example, when you go out to eat with friends you can adjust accordingly. This means that you can indulge a little, a lot, or not at all. The fact that you did or didn’t doesn’t really matter. What matters is how you adjust or stick to your plan leading up to and after. If you indulged a lot maybe you up your training volume; if just a little maybe you just need to adjust your diet the next day; and if not at all then you probably stuck to your plan. Discipline with the plan leads to freedom and versatility because you always have the plan to go back to. It helps to calm the guilt associated with going off your “diet.”

 
A plan can also calm some of the effects of decision fatigue. Decision fatigue is a result of the total amount of brain power a person has to use over the course of the day: when you have to decide what clothes to wear, what route to take to work, what to eat for breakfast, what brand of tooth paste you want to use. Those decisions take up valuable brain power; thus, when you get home from work and that bag of (insert treat here) looks really good and accessible, you are a lot more likely to just grab it since you don’t have to put in any work to make them and use more brain power that you might not have. The more brain or thinking power you used over the course of the day, the more likely it is that you will give in to the temptation of eating outside your plan. However, if you have a plan in place, it can do a few things: it can prevent you from buying tempting foods in the first place, it can remind you what is and isn’t on your plan, and finally, if you do give in, it can give you a way to adjust for stepping off of your plan. Another example of this in action is when you don’t feel like going to gym. Now, there are definitely times when listening to yourself and your body is a good thing and you should take a break, like when you are hurt or are sick. I am not talking about those times. I am talking about when motivation is low but otherwise your body feels good or you just have some mild soreness. Making a commitment to go to the gym will be the first thing to go if your decision fatigue from the day is high and your motivation to workout is low. However, if you have a plan in place and it calls for you to go workout that day you don’t have to make the decision. This is one often overlooked aspect of why having scheduled coaching sessions can be so important for many people. It keeps you accountable.

 
The anatomy of a plan
Having a good plan makes sure everything is accounted for and fits together. Does your diet and training address your goals? Do they complement each other? Are you able to execute your current training, diet, and lifestyle goals? These are the questions a good plan can answer. It should consist of guidelines for inside and outside of the gym. It should address your goals, your current lifestyle or where you are now and where you want to go. Once again, it needs to be easy to understand, easy to execute, and finally, it needs to be flexible.
Let’s take a look at the two areas where you need at least some resemblance of a plan.

 
Inside the gym
This is the easiest part to execute because it can be controlled the most. What matters is attacking the moment. Being in the present. When you are in the gym, whatever you are working on needs to be your focus even if you are stressed, unmotivated, and tired. Going in and just half assing a workout is going to get you half assed results. So when you are in the gym you need to be all in. In regard to specifics, hard weight training with a barbell, dumbbells, and bodyweight that addresses your goals should be a focal point. The movements should address squatting, pushing, pulling, and hinging in different planes of motion and with complex multi joint exercises as well as single joint exercises. Combining this with aerobic/ cardiac output training is a good starting point for just about everyone, and for most, a good ending point. Do these things 3-4 times a week and you will be surprised at how far it can take you.

 
Outside the gym
Life outside the gym is where most people fail to get things right. All the distractions of work, family obligations, social events, etc. can make things challenging, but if you have your plan in place and you are steadfast in this plan these events will become a lot less stressful. As mentioned earlier, you can plan around social obligations so you don’t have to be that guy or gal eating out of Tupperware at the party. You can enjoy these opportunities without the guilt because you are disciplined 90% of time. Even 80% of time will be enough for most. Now, this does not work if every weekend or weeknight some social obligation comes up and you just say, “screw it, I was on my plan for one day so now I get rewarded,” but I think this is common sense. Outside of the gym most people just need to hit the low hanging fruit: get 8 hours of sleep, drink water throughout the day ( besides what is in your protein shake), eat “paleo-ish” and eat carbohydrates up to your activity level. This means consuming whole foods, protein from quality sources, and some carbohydrates to fuel training. That’s it; no secrets, no gimmicks, no fads. These are things that most people are already aware of but over-think or don’t seem to execute. A lot of this has to do with the fact that hardly anyone understands what portion sizes actually are, which is usually the underlying mechanism to why they are gaining or losing weight. So once this is understood, the biggest need outside of the gym is having the discipline needed to make it work; it has nothing to do with not having enough information. Prepping food, keeping portions in check, or in the case of gaining weight, eating another meal when you don’t want to is the struggle. Get 8 hours of sleep, drink water, eat real food. Checkmate.

Habit formation/change
Forming the habits to execute a plan is imperative. It goes back to the point made earlier about a plan not being optimal but still being effective. You could have the most perfect training program and diet on paper but if you don’t execute it, who cares? On the flip side, if you can execute a less than perfect plan you are going to see results. Could your results be improved? Absolutely, but the flawed plan you execute is always better than the perfect plan you don’t. So what does this have to do with habit formation and change? Once again, your plan needs to account for your current habits and training level. You need to establish very simple and easy to execute action steps for your current self, not the action steps of someone who has been training and eating properly for 5 years, which is what most try to do. The more wholesale changes you try to make all at once, the more likely you will fail. This is why you see people on and off “the regimen” all of the time. There is always the person that says, “I am going to go to the gym three times this week” after months of not going at all, but if you were to suggest that they start with one day a week or just start walking they look at you like you are crazy. Be patient, be confident in your execution of the habits you are working on, and make slow but steady progress. Another good example of this in action would be to first be aware of your portion sizes and the macro- nutrient composition of your meals; and then the next step would transition into actually tracking your daily intakes.

 
Mental buy in
Once you have a plan in place, the mental buy-in must also be in place. Your mental buy-in will allow you to stick with a plan when maybe it doesn’t seem to be working, or in some of the scenarios above, like going out to eat with friends. If you are mentally invested in your plan, and more importantly yourself, you will be a lot more likely to invest time into making yourself better. Part of being mentally invested is having the long term in mind. Doing the day to day tasks in accordance to your goals knowing that at some point they will pay off. This is a hard concept for most to grasp but it is really the habit of the daily practice that leads to your success. Not today, or tomorrow, or next week, or next month but sometime in the future. But your goal will never be accomplished unless you stick to your plan in the present. If you don’t have a long term mental mindset, it’s going to be hard to convince yourself to stay focused; it’s going to be hard to convince yourself that the work you are putting in now is going to come to fruition in the future.

 
Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative
Another part of the mental side is accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative. This is kind of a cliché thing to say but it still holds true in this context. If you have a positive mental outlook on what you are doing you will be a lot more likely to stick with it, especially in stressful times. Accentuating the positive also means celebrating small wins like setting PR’s in the gym or dropping 10 lbs. It means looking at what you are doing right and what is working with your plan. It also means surrounding yourself with other positive people who support what you are trying to accomplish. The other side of this coin is eliminating the negative. The starting point is finding your bad habits: the ones getting in your way the most and slowly eliminating them. It also means down the road finding things in your plan that aren’t working and possibly making a change. It means eliminating negative people in your life who don’t support what you are trying to accomplish or who feed into your negative habits. The more you can feel positive about, and the more negativity you can eliminate, the better you will be able to link your physical and mental health.

 
What really matters
All of the things that I have talked about in this article revolve around becoming behavior based and not focusing so much on outcomes; meaning the way that you become successful with fitness, strength, weight loss etc. is not by focusing on the future outcome or so much on the exact minutia of the details, but by focusing on the day to day behaviors. Are you doing the day to day things necessary to be successful? Are you putting time in to prepare your food? Are you committing time to getting good sleep every night? Are you training hard when you do go to gym? Are you sticking to your plan? In my experience, if the proper behaviors are developed, the details work themselves out.

In summary,

*Have a plan or get someone who knows what they are doing to help you develop the plan.
*Execute the plan most of the time, adjusting when you need to.
*Have the proper mindset: accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative.
What really matters is that you have a plan and that you can execute it. Start with this and the rest will take care of itself.

In Motion Movement Series – The Pull

Check out the third part of our movement series on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s In Motion and learn how to properly pull and row.

Watch the video HERE (sorry, link unavailable)MJS_Motion_The_Pull

If  you haven’t already done so, check out our 21 Day New Years Challenge Program at www.rufpchallenge.com.  21 days of developing sustainable habits to jump start your success in 2016!

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Amplify the Slow Twitch

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When it comes to skeletal muscle, our bodies contain different types of muscle fibers.  Generally speaking, there are slow twitch and fast twitch fibers.  Slow twitch are more geared towards endurance and low force activities like a marathon run while fast twitch are more geared towards fast, high powered, high force and shorter duration activities like a sprint.  Different muscles throughout the body will generally be composed of more of one than the other.  Furthermore, different people will genetically have more of one than the other.

While fast twitch can technically be divided to multiple different subsets, the two main subsets agreed upon by most are type a and b; with type a known as fast twitch oxidative.  Fast twitch oxidative fibers have some good potential for good force and power output while still having the capability to assist with endurance activities.  Through specific training, we can manipulate them to develop their oxidative potential to a certain extent. (or manipulate them the other way if that is the goal).  By developing this oxidative potential in the weight room, these fibers can benefit an endurance athlete to a greater extent outside of the weight room.  In addition to this, while most endurance athletes seem to grasp the concept that slow twitch fibers are utilized heavily with their runs or their bike rides, many don’t realize that they can be developed and trained in the weight room.  How do we do this? The answer is Tempo Lifting.

While there is more than one way to do this, I will discuss a method we have been using with a former elite long track speed skater now turned competitive cyclist.  I took a lot of this specific programming idea from sports scientist legend Yuri Verkhoshansky and his “Special Strength Training Manual for Coaches” and adapted it how I needed to for the task at hand.

Using the Yoke Squat as our main exercise, we will do the following for the first and key part of the training session on one day in the current programming phase.

In 1 series, he’ll hit a set of 15 to 20 slow tempo squats (currently 3 seconds down and 3 seconds up) to tap into his slow twitch fibers and get some hypertrophy out of them, followed by a set of 20 to 25 explosive squats to tap into his fast twitch oxidative fibers in order to prepare his body for the pace changes that can occur in a race. This is done for 3 series in his current program.  There is 90 seconds rest between sets and 3 to 4 minutes rest between each series (of 2 sets).  The weight for the explosive set is lighter than the slow tempo set.

To hit the oxidative fibers, we need enough resistance to require the body to utilize the fast twitch fibers (need to tap into their larger motor neuron) but also enough time with that resistance to tap into the oxidative side of things.  The multiple series of the high reps with enough resistance and the explosive nature of the reps is a recipe to make this happen. So within these series we accomplish a few good things that are race specific:

1. We get some slow twitch hypertrophy (muscle growth) to help with their resiliance during the course of the race

2. We get some fast twitch oxidative development to help the slow twitch fibers on their journey and to help with the turbo boosters that will be needed at various points of the race

3. We train our bodies and muscle fibers to be more resiliant, stronger and more adapative to the tempo, intensity and pace changes that will inevitably occur through different stages of an actual race.

 

He follows this up with prowler pushes used in a similar manner.  Trip 1 is slower paced followed up immediately by Trip 2 at a sprint pace. This is done for 5 to 6 sets. This is then followed by different accessory exercises such as glute ham raises and static inverted row holds.

His other lifting day in the program is focused on max strength and speed strength, which are also very important to any endurance race enthusiast though also often overlooked.  He then has multiple bike days where we will develop specific energy systems and their subsets depending on the stage we are in leading up to the race.  We can cover more on these other qualities in another article.

The goals for this article are to make you aware that we can develop and train slow twitch and the oxidative capability of type a fast twitch fibers in the weight room to help performance in that next race.  Check out the videos below of Liam hitting his squat sets.

 

Tempo Squats

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Explosive/Fast Twitch Oxidative Squats

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Are you getting the most out of your race performance?  Train with a purpose!

Note:  It is essential that you have a decent strength training base built up before diving into something like this.  You should know how to squat with proper movement/form and should have a decent level of general strength built up.  Also, Liam is an elite athlete and can handle the workload and volume discussed.  Those at a lower training level might not need as much.  This is where the individual coaching comes into play 🙂

Behavior Is King.

Today we have a special article from in-house Sports Nutritionist and Strength Coach, Alex Rosencutter, discussing how to simplify behavior change to meet your goals.  Take it away Alex.

Whether you were prepared for it or not, the New Year is here, and with that territory comes all of the newly dedicated New Years resolution fitness fanatics with the goals to look like 70’s Arnold or the latest Victoria Secret model.  That is until they don’t grow the gorgeous chin or lats of Arnold or the bodacious booty of the most recent Maxim cover girl within the first two weeks. 

Two Weeks? 

Your body is not a chia pet.

BEHAVIOR IS KING

The first thing that gives out on these people is their mindset, and that mindset is what drives an individual’s behavior.  The problem here is that most individuals do not have the mindset or behavior to even start the journey toward achieving their goals.  We all start with the end in sight and wanting to reach the mountain top overnight.  We all do things we know we shouldn’t do and we all know there are things we should do but justify not doing.  We have all decided to sleep a little later and skip breakfast to get to work on time.  We have all chosen to eat the scrumtrulassent (SNL reference) chocolate bar instead of the bowl of greens.  We have all chosen to skip a workout to go out with friends.

The one thing that any individual with six-pack abs or any person that steps on stage all have in common is the mindset to get them that lean body they want and need.  The more advanced your goals become, the more your behavior needs to advance.  Developing this behavior takes time and should be done in steps. 

MISCONCEPTIONS

1. No matter if you are just getting started or if you are a seasoned vet, people often develop the “I worked out today so I can have that cheesecake” mindset.  With this mindset, comes the misconception that with just a few tweaks to one’s exercise regimen and diet, 6-pack abs and a eye popping booty is sure to come.  This justifying gets individuals in trouble.

2. You have to make HUGE changes all at once to get to where you want.  WRONG.  Truth is, one change at a time will do much more for you in the long run versus trying to overwhelm yourself with the castle all at once.  Small steps will build the right mindset in the long run.

3. You must restrict and sacrifice the rest of your life.  Wrong again.  It is not about placing huge restrictions or sacrificing important parts of your life, it is about finding the right balance.

DO MORE OF THIS AND LESS OF THAT

In order to develop the right mindset to support our training and goals, we must make changes to our individual behavior.  This may mean waking up 1 hour earlier to fit in our workout for the day, eating more vegetables and less cookies, or drinking more water and less soda/alcohol.   Do more of this and less of that.

Results take time and hard work.  Ask anyone, Rome wasn’t built overnight.  Make one behavior change at a time and make up the right mindset to support your training and goals.  After all, if we want to reach the top of the mountain, we have to climb it first.

DEVELOPING YOUR BEHAVIOR
No, I am not talking about spanking yourself in the ass like your parents use to.  Or, perhaps I’m just crazy and none of you were even thinking that…awkward.  Follow the tips below to help yourself make small behavioral changes to your nutrition and training and get after your goals in the new year.

1. Focus on one change at a time and make it become habit.  It takes roughly 14-21 days to make something new become habit.  With this practice you’ll most likely just find it to become routine.

2. Drink more water and less soda and alcohol.

3. Practice eating slower and listening to your body.  It generally takes 15-20 minutes for the brain to signal satiety.  Therefore, the faster you eat, the more you will consume.  The slower you eat, the better chance you give your body to register the food intake while feeling more satisfied and consuming less.

4. Increase your training slowly.  Don’t go full blast if you’re just starting.  Start with 1-2 workouts/week, adjust your schedule accordingly, and build from there.

5. Eat 1-2 palm sized servings of protein with each meal.

6. Eat more vegetables than fruit and only eat processed carbs/desserts once every 1-2 weeks.

7. Balance out your omega-3 fatty acid intake with a high quality fish oil supplement.

8. Use a support system.  The more people you surround yourself with who have similar goals and lifestyle aspirations is beneficial to you.  Hanging out with the local Oscar in a trash can will only detriment your goals.  Those with similar goals will help keep you motivated and on track.

9. Focus on each of these tips one at a time for 14-21 days.

10. COME SEE US =)!!!

 

Steppin Into Fitness

www.complexbuilders.comToday, we have an article by our fantastic trainer and coach Brittney Wilinski about staying active and eating healthy while traveling.   Great information for any of you traveling out there……….

 

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Brit doing her thing on the beach

Recently, I went on vacation to St.Petersburg, Florida for a week… and let me tell you, the weather was much more beautiful and consistent there! Like myself, I am betting there are quite a few of you who will be traveling, even if it is a 3-day weekend vacation. It is definitely a time for relaxing, having fun with family and friends, and most likely splurging a little more on food and drinks. But what about all that hard work you’ve been putting in at the gym and all the time you’ve been slaving in the kitchen making healthy meals?!

News flash, you don’t have to completely ditch your workout and eating habits just because you are going on vacation! It really is pretty easy to stick to your normal routine for the most part. While I was gone for a week in Florida, I stayed in a condo and was able to go to the grocery store and buy food for the week that I could cook or prepare easily. Some of the main foods I grabbed were: eggs, turkey, chicken, a bunch of veggies, Greek yogurt, fruit, granola, and salsa and guacamole (I love eating my veggies with both of these!). Even when we did go out for lunch or dinner I would try to order something that was more towards the healthier side and stayed away from deep fried, super greasy foods. One day I got a Jerk Chicken sandwich but ditched the bun and put it on a bed of lettuce… it was amazing! Don’t be afraid to ask your servers ‘weird’ or ‘picky’ questions, it really pays off because many times restaurants are very flexible, so you get a healthier meal and they get a better tip 😉 Win, Win!

Eating healthier is one goal to stick to, but there is also the working out and being active part! One thing that I tried to do every single day was walk on the beach. Again this is a win, win situation: I got to enjoy the warm Florida weather and amazing view, while also getting the benefit of being active. Another way to enjoy my vacation while also getting some exercise in was by walking to shops or stores, swimming in the pool or ocean, and playing volleyball or fun pool games that required me to move around a lot.

When I wasn’t outside enjoying myself, I was in the condo doing a quick bodyweight circuit to start my day off! Here is what my circuit consisted of:

1a. Suitcase Goblet Squats 3-4×12
1b. Pushups 3-4×15-20 60s. rest

2a. One leg hip thrust 3-4×10
2b. Suitcase rows 3-4×12 60s. rest

3a. Step-ups 3×12/leg
3b. Suitcase offset carries 3x 45s. rest

4a. Planks 3×6 w/10 sec. hold
4b. Double Leg Lowering 3x 30s. rest

5. Bent over ITY’s 3×15 30s. rest

I used my carry-on suitcase and loaded it up with a computer, book, and some full water bottles for my squats and one-arm rows. You could also do bodyweight squats and add a pause to make it more challenging. For the offset carries I used a larger suitcase that had some shoes in it and added my computer and book to make it slightly heavier. In our room there was a bench and chair; I used the bench for my hip thrusts and the chair for my step-ups. If a bench isn’t available, you can do glute bridges (double leg/single leg/march) from the floor and add a few more reps. To add weight to your ITY’s you could use water bottles or soup cans, or just body weight with more reps. If you are doing body weight or very light weight, you are still getting a great metabolic effect by doing more reps with less rest time.

As you can see, it really isn’t that hard to stay somewhat on track while you are out enjoying yourself on vacation. The main thing is to plan ahead of time what you will do for workouts and figure out where the nearest grocery store is. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to check out some restaurants’ menus to see which ones have healthier food options especially if you are going on a road trip!

Travel workouts can be some of the best and most fun workouts you will have.  Be creative and spontaneous and you can get some awesome training in while you are away!

 

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