Morning class was a good one.
Sprints, ladder and cone drills, burpees, band work, more sprints, slams, drills, planks, push ups and long jump burpees to finish. It was a very humid day so the sweat was a pourin’.
After that, on to the gym for
-bicep curl/shoulder press super sets 25lbx15, 35lbx12, 40 lbx10
-farmer walk @ 75lb 45 seconds (grab a heavy weight, walk slowly for time, put weight down.)
-side to side pull ups 3 setsx10
-clean and press@65lb 2 setsx10
-lat cable pull down@70lb each side x12
-L pull ups 3 sets x10
-body up pull ups (knees and chin go over bar, body is flat as possible) 3 sets x8
-kneeling lat pull downs 100lb each arm x3 sets
-kneeling one arm pull backs 110lb each arm x10 each arm 3 sets no rest
-hanging pelvic pull up (hang arms, pull pelvis and thus core up as far as possible) 3 sets of 8
protein, water, stretch.
30 minutes doormouse cardio circuit…
one minute on 30 seconds off.
jacks, burpees, stairs, deadlifts, pullups, push ups, etc.
3 super sets (one exercise after the last, no rest with the same bar never touching ground)
@ 65 lbs…
barbell bicep curl x10
jump squats x10
over head iso hold (press bar overhead and hold) 20 seconds
barbell row x15. rest one minute in between supersets.
treadmill intervals
one minute warm up
six one minute sprints {2.0 incline, 5 minute mile speed (12.0)} with one minute rest (4.5 speed)
extended yoga stretch, deep breathing cool down.
Yesterday I saw a full 180 in a client. It was his third session. He had come in looking for what everyone looks for. Six pack abs. Fine, yes, you can have that. Stop eating, move to a third world country. Abra cadabra, six pack abs revealed. We all have a six pack buried beneath. We do not all have core strength, balance, functional fitness tools. Ask the biggest meanest lifter at your gym to do ten burpees, ten pull ups and ten squats. See what happens. Now have him repeat it. And again. I fail to see the point of bench pressing 500 pounds and not being able to touch your toes. Give me a leap, a run and the ability to chase my kid any day. To each their own.
Anyway, the client mentioned had the breakthrough in the middle of a balance drill. All of a sudden he realized that he was doing sport specific movements without knowing it. He made a point that he no longer cared about six pack abs, but wanted to focus on his balance, his flexibility, his core strength. I cannot deliver this to a client without the person coming to this realization themselves, I can only guide them to this point. It was a good moment for both of us and one that I strive to deliver to every person I work with.
Today…
Morning class…full body.
Gym….
warm up
-bench assisted one arm push up x8 each side
-L pull up x10
-feet on bench pliometric push up x10
-135 lb bench press x20
set one:
bench press 185 lb x8, x7, x6, x5
set two:
hammer machine chest fly 70 lb. 3×10
super setted with dips 19, 15, 15
set three:
handstand push ups assisted 3X5
dumbbell clean and press 45lb x8 each arm, 2 sets. 50lb x8 each arm with ten burpees
set four:
three rounds of…
bodyweight skull crusher x10
close grip push up x10, 8, 7
cable pull down 110lb. 2 sets x10, 1 set @100 lb.
assisted stretch finish.
Yesterday was rest, body still recovering from the Sunday beating. Today energy is low, light total body work with cardio. Tomorrow back to the big stuff.
Now that we are up and running our task is to define what it is to train at “The GARAGE”. In this process we must consider the environment we have created, resources at hand and the subject. In order to facilitate this process we have eliminated distractions, technology and excuses. In this way we attempt to get down to the essence of what it is to be “in it”.
On Monday I managed to get through an entire training session with a long time client without any deviation from what I had planned for that workout. He moved fluidly from one exercise to another with a focus that I have rarely seen in him. He even began to tell me about something non fitness related and had to stop himself in the middle because it was not in line with what we where doing in that moment. A big step in the right direction.
Why this change? Why now? I believe that there was nothing familiar (like another member or “sit down in” machine) to cling onto or to distract him. It was only me. His attention was entirely on me for the first time in a long while. His often empty stare evolved into one of focus and intent. I had supreme power and he was left to follow my lead. His brain is now “dialed in”.
The brains role is vastly overlooked in fitness. By eliminating something you have to climb into and replace that with exercises that demand focus you force a neural response which starts the body on the right track to making a real connection with the task at hand and the body’s place in space. The nervous system receives and sends info for the muscles to react to. Not the other way around.
We are told you have to train people how to treat you. This is true for 1 on 1 fitness as well. Set the tone right from the start and be consistent. Give time for gossip and personal issues (last 10minutes of session) but not until they have earned the right and never initiate an unrelated conversation. If they still want to talk at the end then let them. By that time they will be so exhausted it wont even matter.
Our job is to help people align their goals with their actions. By creating an environment that forces full body awareness we help people to get back in touch with themselves and yield results.
Remember: Just because they pay you does not give them rights to an hour of ownership. Not in my gym!
Peter K
