Got Glutes?

There’s always running commentary and joking going on at The Training Rim regarding glute development or lack thereof, in the case of those outside the facility who don’t train with us. For those of you who are new to this game, the glutes are what is supposed to be a hard round mass of muscle on the back of your hips. Sadly, it deteriorates into something less firm, down on the back of the legs somewhere for most people.

Of course, it’s difficult to have a legitimate discussion on the bio-mechanics of the glutes without the residual sophomoric humor and butt jokes that I mentioned before. (“You show me a flat foot, and I’ll show you a flat ass…” has been a mantra for Training Rim clients for years as an example.) But the reality is, the strength of your glutes is CRUCIAL to your successes from a health and exercise stand point. Yes, I am aware that strong glutes make jeans and swimsuits look much better. But strong glutes are also keep your back and knees healthy. As we say all the time at The Training Rim: It’s not just there for show – it actually has a purpose.

Enter Dancing With the Stars...

I don’t watch Dancing With the Stars. Never have – it’s just not my thing. Not even Chuck Liddell and/or Kim Kardashian got me to tune in once. But I know a lot of people do, so I pick up tidbits here and there from others’ conversations. And recently, I overheard something that caught my attention:

Erin Andrews, of ESPN fame recently had trouble competing due to back spasms. Back spasms, severe enough in their presence that medical attention was sought.

Now, in addition to all the sophomoric jokes to which I made references before, another saying that has been oft repeated at The Training Rim is this one: “You show me a flat ass and I’ll show you a bad back.”

Erin, no disrespect: you’re a good looking woman and I’m sure you’re very nice. But your back hurts because your ass is flat – period. You need to upgrade your training.

I don’t want to bore everybody with a bio-mehanics dissertation as to all the reasons behind this (heh, heh…get it? “behind”…heh…heh…), but basically when glutes are weak the lower back and/or hamstrings compensate on their behalf leading to lower back and/or knee issues.

It’s not just about the jeans and swimsuits folks – learn to lunge correctly and keep your back and knees healthy. You’ll thank me for it.

Erin, we need to discuss rear foot elevated split stance squats...

Why Body Building Sucks

Many people think I despise body building training, and its vast number of proponents, because its methodologies don’t coincide with what I preach. This is partially true, but only to a certain extent: I do have some issues with isolating body parts from a bio-mechanical sense, but the reality is I have a huge amount of respect for body builders. The level of dedication, commitment, and effort they have to exhibit every single day to both their training and their nutritional habits is very admirable. But to a certain degree, this is also where my problem lies:

People who attain physical improvements by training like a body builder fall into at least 3 of the 4 following categories:

· They have tons of time
· They have tons of money
· They are young
· They are taking something illegal

Go ahead: Name me someone who gets results training like a body builder who doesn’t fall into at least three of those four categories.

The reason bodybuilding sucks, and the real reason I mock it, is because 99% of people who train like bodybuilders WILL NOT get results. They will complain of back, shoulder and knee pain, or they are still overweight and/or look like they walk on their knuckles from their posture being so ridiculously bad.

The alarmingly low percentage of people who do train like bodybuilders and get good results, fall into at least three of the four categories I mentioned above.

Think about it: How much time does it take to train every single muscle group in your body individually (you know, “doing abs” then “doing back” then “doing bi’s” etc.)? Hours upon hours per week, and then some…there are hundreds of muscles in the body for crying out loud.

Generally, people who have hours upon hours per week either have someone who pays the bills for them, or have enough discretionary income that they can make their training a priority over their work rather than the other way around without financial harm being done.

Young people (18-25) by definition can do more than older people and have an infinitely lower chance of being injured while exercising. Combine that with someone else paying your rent for you, and a job (maybe) that you aren’t going to have in 6 months anyway so who cares about it, and you have a perfect recipe for training like a moron and still getting results. (On a side note, this is why I smirk at 40 somethings who still train like this but can’t figure out why they’re fat and their backs hurt – “seriously, I played high school football 25 years ago, I know how to lift.” Bawhawhawhaw!!!)

Or illegal performance enhancing drugs are used, which as someone who worked in commercial gyms for about 8 years, I can tell you are far more common than you may realize.

I’m not even going to get into the unbelievably high tolerance for boredom you need to train in this manner. My GOD there are only so many ways to flex and extend your elbow and knee – how can you possibly stand doing the same three exercises every…single…day…uuugghhh…

Now you can see more clearly perhaps why I think bodybuilding is a ridiculous choice of training methodology for 99.9% of us. The overwhelming majority of people I know don’t have 10 or more hours per week to exercise, do not have excessive discretionary income, are not 20 years old and don’t use drugs.

For those of us who aren’t young, rich and bored with all our free time, we need to come up with alternatives. We need to get results in a few hours per week, without risking our health, without bankrupting ourselves, and have fun doing it. I know, that’s not an easy task – luckily, you know me.

Send your hate mail to thetrainingrim@gmail.com.

GET FAT FOR SUMMER!

This is an article that's going to appear in The Monitor magazine next month: It may be old news to my loyal readers, but worth a review anyway...

No, that’s not a misprint. Of course nobody WANTS to get excess body fat before donning the swimsuits and heading to the beach, but unfortunately that is precisely what people do when taking up an exercise program more often than you may realize.

The reasons for this are multi-factorial and far too expansive to get into here. Typically due to misinformation, half truths and outright prevarications seen in the media and heard from friends at “the gym” many people perform activities that not only are ineffectual for fat loss, but may actually contribute to adding body fat.

However, if indeed you are one of those few who are looking to have some extra cellulite on which to rub tanning lotion this year, here’s what you need to be doing if you want to GET FAT:

1. PERFORM LONG “CARDIO” SESSIONS

Performing long cardio sessions ensures that you will keep your metabolism very low. There is an inverse relationship between the intensity of exercise and the duration of exercise. Therefore, going at a slow to moderate pace only guarantees the intensity of your workout will stay down, decreasing caloric expenditure not only in your workout but through the rest of the day, week, month, etc. And if you think those long cardio sessions are tough, you may want to reconsider: By definition if you can do something for 30 minutes, 45 minutes, etc, it can’t be too intense or you wouldn’t be able to do it for that long.

2. AVOID STRENGTH TRAINING

People mistakenly associate strength training with hypertrophy, or “getting big”. Strength training and hypertrophy are not synonyms. By avoiding strength training, you are only avoiding becoming stronger. Possessing more total body functional strength in itself forces you to burn more calories. Additionally, in the event you do crash diet and lose weight temporarily, without muscle tone you’ll look like a skeleton covered in loose gray skin. Very hot…

3. USE BENCHES AND MACHINES AT THE GYM

If you’re exercising on a bench or machine – you are SITTING! Seriously, have you seen the padded seats on some of the machines at the gym? I have recliners in my TV room that aren’t that cushiony. This is not an issue that requires a degree in physiology to understand: You are burning exponentially fewer calories sitting than when you are standing. And there isn’t one exercise in existence that utilizes external support like a bench or machine that can’t be modified so it can be performed standing.

Conversely, if you find the thought of adding body fat unpleasant and are looking for alternatives that will get you looking better for beach season, come check out some of the one on one sessions and small group sessions at The Training Rim. You’ll get results and you’ll have fun doing it – we guarantee it.

About the author: Jon Rimmer is the owner of The Training Rim personal training studio in Belford and has been training clients of all ages and ability levels for over a decade. He holds a Masters Degree in Exercise Science and is a contributing writer for strengthcoach.com and ptonthenet.com, two of the world’s leading resources for trainers and conditioning specialists. He is also the author of “Iron: Kettlebell and Body Weight Training 101” to be released in the spring of 2010.

How to Choose a Trainer

The problem with choosing a personal trainer is that all trainers are not the same.

Yes, I know there is no profession where all of its practitioners are the same. Not all teachers are the same, not all lawyers are the same, etc.

But all personal trainers are REALLY NOT THE SAME.

This is because the personal training industry has no regulatory bodies that govern minimal qualifications to practice.

All lawyers are not the same, but they all went to law school and passed the state bar exam.

All teachers are not the same, but they all graduated college with a bachelor’s degree in their field of practice.

Personal trainers have no such regulations. YOU COULD BE A PERSONAL TRAINER RIGHT NOW WITH NO PREVIOUS EDUCATION OR EXPERIENCE.

A Doctor from Stanford with a Phd in physiology, and a 20 year old who just read “Muscle and Fitness” could train you and they would both simply be called your “personal trainer”.

Obviously, there will be a big difference between the two, but guess what? Their business cards will both say “personal trainer”.

This is why it is CRUCIAL that you perform some research before choosing a trainer and/or training facility. Here are some things you should look for:

Ask about the trainers’ educational background: Are they certified? If so, from what organization? How long ago were they certified and how have they progressed their knowledge since then?

If they don’t have a certification, do they have an associates’ and/or Bachelors’ degree in a related field?

Does anyone on the staff hold a Masters’ Degree in Exercise Science, Physiology or Bio-Mechanics?

What about practical experience? How long have they been a trainer? Full time or part time? How many sessions have they performed with what client base?

I don’t want to go into a detailed explanation of my competitors qualifications and lack thereof, but here’s what I can tell you about the staff at The Training Rim:

The LEAST educated trainer has a nationally recognized personal training certification that required a 6 week hands on course. All programming and exercise methodologies are designed and supervised by a trainer with a Masters’ Degree in Exercise Science.

The LEAST experienced trainer has over a year of training experience. Training is programmed, designed and overseen by a trainer with over a decade of experience in the field.

You can try, but YOU WILL NOT FIND A TRAINING STAFF WITH BETTER CREDENTIALS.

And when comparing cost, you’ll find The Training Rim’s one on one personal training packages are LESS than our competitors in almost all cases.

OUR SMALL GROUP RATES ARE ABOUT HALF THE COST IN MOST CASES.

So again, we encourage you to shop around – when comparing apples to apples, you’re going to be surprised at what you find.

Ice, Ice, Baby!

What’s your “ICE” score?

As you know I’ve been doing this a long time, and as much as I try to make it more complicated than it is sometimes, there are some very basic indicators of success and failure when it comes to exercise. Almost without exception, I can ask you three questions using the above acronym and tell you with almost 100% accuracy whether or not you’re getting results. And if you’re not getting results, this test will tell you in one sentence or less why you’re not getting results.

I is for “Intensity":

Are you exercising intensely? Seriously, be honest with yourself – are you fatigued at the end of a workout? Are you trying your best with every exercise and pushing yourself to a limit that’s within safety of course, but beyond what you consider comfortable? Yes, I know, “intensity” is a relative term. What’s intense to one person is not intense to another. So again, are your workouts intense for YOU?

If the answer is “no”, then you will not achieve the results you want.

C is for “Consistency”:

Are you exercising consistently? We all miss workouts occasionally because life will get in the way sometimes – that’s not what I’m talking about. But is 3 workouts a week for you the norm or the exception? And no, 6 workouts one week and zero the next is NOT 3 workouts per week. 3 workouts per week means occasionally two, occasionally four, but usually 3 workouts per week. The number in itself is not a big deal: 2, 3, 4, workouts per week, etc. But staying consistent with it is.

If you do not exercise consistently, you will not get results.

E is for “Efficiency”

Are you exercising efficiently? This is a tough one because many people just don’t know what efficient exercise is and is not. A good rule of thumb is if you are exercising intensely and consistently as mentioned above and you’re not getting results it’s probably because your workout sucks. Another good rule of thumb is if you’re exercising more than 5 or 6 hours per week to get the results you want, your workout probably sucks.

This is where a good fitness professional can come in handy: Are you exhibiting proper technique when exercising? A squat done incorrectly for example, will reap few benefits. Are you making the best programming choices? Quite often, there is just a more efficient better option to get the results that you want than the exercises you’re choosing.

If you’re not getting what you want out of exercise, give your “ICE” score an honest assessment, and get back to me with any questions.

Send your hate mail to thetrainingrim@gmail.com

The Trainer's Role

Last week I mentioned that we shot some seriously impressive videos. Given that I’d like to give each one its due justice I’m going to break them down into a series rather than hit you with them all at once.

On a seemingly unrelated note, another one of “those” conversations seemed to come up often enough recently that I think it would help if I expanded on it somewhat. I’ve realized recently that many people have a somewhat misguided view of what a trainer’s role is – and isn’t.

So I’ve decide to clarify the trainer’s role for you, and use these bad ass videos as a visual.

What I’ve noticed quite often recently is that many people view the job of a personal trainer as a tool to provide intensity to a session. Although a level of intensity and difficulty in a workout may be a residual side effect of having a trainer, it should NOT be the goal of either the exerciser or the trainer.

It’s been said before and it needs to be said again:

Any moron can make you feel discomfort and sweat a lot – you don’t need a trainer for that. Why an exerciser would pay for that service is beyond my comprehension.

The question is: Is that pain and sweat improving your performance, and along with it, how you feel and how you look?

Quite often, unfortunately, the answer is “no”.

The trainer’s role is to improve your levels of movement, stability, strength and power. Along with it, if those missions are accomplished, it will be accompanied by improvements in how you feel and how you look.

If a trainer or an exerciser has anything else in mind, one of two things will occur:

1st, the likelihood of injury, either acute or chronic, skyrockets.

Or, the level of results attained will certainly halt due to the fact the exerciser isn’t getting stronger, more stable, more powerful, etc. All the exerciser is doing is sweating…

Moving furniture around is hard work, will make you sweat and probably have you sore the next day, but I wouldn’t have my clients do it because it’s not good for them.

Having a trainer yell at you that you need to do “FIVE MORE!!!” might make you hurt, but it’s probably not good for you, especially when your form dictates you probably should have stopped a few reps ago.

Just the fact an exerciser would pay to have someone count for them is funny in itself to me.

Sure, if I wanted to be a jackass simpleton, I could have my clients walk in, grab the 70lb kettlebell and swing it until they dropped. But would that help them improve, or would it be more likely to hurt them?

Probably the latter.

At The Training Rim we systematically program workouts for both the short term and long term that will elicit actual long term improvements, as opposed to simple short term discomfort.

Along those lines, here’s video #1 as an example:

This is video #1 of 4 videos that illustrate how we utilize appropriate exercise selection within a small group session to elicit positive results. In this case, we’re looking to develop core power.

The exercises:

Rope waves, kettlebell swings, elevated plank, stability ball bridge.

Goal: To improve core power. This is accomplished by having 1 anterior core explosive movement (ropes) one anterior core stabilization move (plank) one posterior core explosive move (swing) and one posterior core stabilization move (bridge).

Notes on the exercises:

These are advanced versions of these exercises. The women in the video all have trained with us for awhile and have progressed to this level. Please don’t think you can do this without mastering the appropriate pre-requisites. (And no – you can’t do what they’re doing. I’ve seen your bridge and plank. You bridge looks like it collapsed and your plank looks like bad yoga…)

Kettlebell swing: Everybody in the video is performing the “hand to hand” swing. Keeping a flat back while exploding with the hips is NOT easy. Most knuckleheads just hyper-extend their lower backs.

Rope waves: Alternating between little waves, medium waves and big waves from a staggered stance.

Elevated plank: plank with feet on a 12” box, and not one person in the video has protracted shoulders, extended spines or externally rotated lower bodies.

SB bridge: 20 seconds of hip extension without involvement of the hamstrings and/or lower back like these women do it only means one thing: they have a FIRE in the BIG HOUSE!!!

And incidentally, for the unconvinced macho readers out there: the women in this video all had something in common when this circuit was over:

Sore glutes, sore abs, and a lot of sweat. But it was done the right way – yeah, baby…

Email me with any questions or comments and stay tuned for video #2 next week!

Training Ropes!!!

As much as everyone loves these new ropes we have, some clients have expressed pleasant surprise at where they “feel it”.

Yes, there have been reports of arms on fire. Yes, I’ve noticed the heart about to explode from my chest look on my clients’ faces. Butt…

One client proclaimed in mid circuit: “Jesus, I fell this in my butt!!!”

Another client sent me a text message one night after using the ropes that morning. It said, “…the rope has made my ass hurt with every step.”

This may seem somewhat confusing. It’s not to me. Why?

Because my clients’ glutes WORK - period.

For those of you who aren’t sure what the glutes are, it is what’s supposed to be the hard round mass of muscle on the back of your hips, just below the back. For most gym goers, it’s the soft flat gushy thing halfway down the thighs, close to the knee.

Why do Training Rim clients have glutes that work and regular gym goers don’t?

Because flexing and extending the hips while stabilizing the spine is not an easy thing to do. In fact it takes tons of practice and training. Bending the elbows and knees is a piece of cake. This is why gym goers have no problem getting definition in their arms and legs. Glutes and abs are another story. Getting the glutes to work just isn’t that easy without a professional showing you what the bio-mechanical issues are.

Which is why any compliant client who trains in our facility for any appreciable amount of time has that “look” of a Training Rim client. This look has been reported to be a thinner waist and a hard round butt.

So now when a client of ours has a giant rope’s momentum pulling them forward, their bodies instinctively use their glutes to stop that momentum.

Most exercisers whose glutes don’t work, would have their lower backs and hamstrings go into overdrive to compensate for their soft flat ass when they swung these ropes. This is why most of the planet has lower back and hamstring tightness. It’s not because those muscles are tight and need to be stretched, it’s because their ass doesn’t work – literally – and their lower backs and hamstrings are spasming out from trying to compensate.

Want to have a tight lower back and hamstrings? Go to a gym.

Want to have “the look”? Come see us…

Here's fitness model Tania Bobbi giving a quick demo as part of a circuit: