Search Results for: Shane McLean

CategoriesMotivational personal training Program Design

The Art of Distraction

You ever head to the gym, get there, and then all you want to do is leave?

No matter how hard you try you just can’t muster the mojo to get going and preserver through a training session.

I had one of those days yesterday, actually.

I stayed and swallowed a somewhat decent session down, but I definitely veered off my program and just opted to perform some random exercises that filled my training love tank that day.1

In today’s guest post by TG.com regular, Shane McLean, he shares some ideas you can implement when you just need a slight change of pace on any given day.

Enjoy!

Copyright: undrey / 123RF Stock Photo

The Art of Distraction

Years ago, my son was getting a cavity filled. Let’s face it, nobody likes going to the dentist and getting those big needles stuck into your mouth.

It sucks.

My son’s first shot didn’t take, and needed a second one to numb the pain.

Then the water works started. Who can blame him? Those needles are scary.

The dental nurse had no bedside manner plus no clue on how to turn the water works off, so I had to think fast.

“Hey, do you realize your bottom lip is so fat the astronauts in space can see it,” I said.

“What are you talking about, Dad? It’s not fat!”

“Feel it. It’s huge,” I said. He smiled, touched his lip and the crying stopped. Problem solved.

You’re thinking, “What the heck has this got to do with exercise?”

Let me explain.

Sometimes you are sore, tired, or uninspired and the last thing you want to do is knock out sets of deadlifts, squats, and overhead presses. The trick (when feeling meh) is to exercise without realizing it.

Hence, the art of distraction training.

I find the best way to achieve distraction is through game play, plus a little friendly competition because you can have fun while exercising, even if you have goals.

Plug the following drills into your warmup or as a substitute for any exercise you have planned. You’ll be sweating and smiling in no time.

NOTE: These ‘games’ work well in a personal training and group exercise setting too.

1. Balloon Tennis (Not Just a Kid’s Game)

This is a great substitute for planks, pushups, or shoulder work, and it’s simple and easy to play.

Set Up – For your “net” you need three step up risers on either side, a body bar, space, plus a blown-up balloon.

Rules – Imagine a straight line down from the edge of your risers. That is your boundary.

Now you and your partner assume a pushup position with feet wider than hip width apart and set up within arms distance from the net.

“Serve” the balloon over the net and bat it back and forth over the net until

  1. The balloon lands out
  2. The balloon touches the ground
  3. You or your opponent lose the plank position

All the above results in a point.

First to 5 points wins.  You’ll be surprised at how much this drives up your heart rate.

2. Reaction Ball Squash

This is a great drill to get you moving in all directions quickly while improving your hand to eye coordination.  Play this on the squash or racquetball court. Think of it as squash without a racquet.

Set Up – The server serves from inside the service box while the receiver stands anywhere within his or her service half.

Rules – Once the ball has been thrown against the far wall and bounces once, it is fair game. If the ball is dropped, missed, or has bounced twice this results in:

  1. If the server wins, he wins the point and the right to serve again.
  2. If the receiver catches the ball, he wins the right to serve.
  3. Only the server wins a point.

The first person to 10 points wins.

3. Core War

 

This is a fantastic drill that I “stole” from PTA Global. Core war works on the anterior, posterior, and lateral core while challenging balance.  This drill will improve hand-to-eye coordination and quickness.

Set up– Face each other with 1-2-foot distance between each other. Place your hands to shoulder height, elbow bent and palms facing towards your opponent.

Rules– Each person is trying to slap the others hand while avoiding being slapped. You can do this for time for warm up purposes PLUS each partner can keep score. First to 5, 10 or 15 slaps wins.

To make things interesting, the winner can decide a “punishment” for the loser.

4. Stability Ball Wrestle

I know some fitness professionals debate the use of stability balls and Bosu balls in a gym environment. Even some have taken their anger to extreme levels.

Note From TG: It was a dark time in my life.

However, I see them as another tool in the toolbox.

Stability ball wrestle can be used in place of single leg or balance exercises. You’ll be too busy trying to knock each other off balance you’ll never realize (and workout partner) you are training your ankle stability, mobility, and balance.

 

Set Up – Standing in front of the stability ball put your right foot on top of the ball making sure your right knee is bent 90 degrees. Your partner who is directly across from you on the other side puts their left foot on the same ball, right beside your foot. Your other foot is flat on the ground, This is your stabilizing leg.

Rules – You are both trying to knock your opponent’s foot off the stability ball by rolling the ball aggressively with the foot on the ball. There is no kicking, just pushing the ball any way possible to knock your opponent’s foot off the ball.  Person whose foot stays on the ball wins the point.

This can be done as a timed warmup, for 30 seconds on each foot.  Or turn this into a friendly competition. Every time some loses his balance it results in a point for the opponent.

First to 5 or 10 points wins.

5. The Boxer

Use this in place of any chest or shoulder exercise. This drill will work on power, muscular endurance, and hand-to-eye coordination. Think of it as a fun band chest press.

Set Up – Use a resistance band with handles looped around a solid anchor point and bring hands to shoulder level with the resistance band under and not over your arms.  Your partner puts his or her hands up, open palms facing forward and away from their face.

Rules – You hit the open palm (with a clenched fist), one hand at a time.  Your partner can change his hand position up, down, or left and right to increase the challenge.

You can do this for time and record the amount of hits or use it as an upper body finisher, using a timed interval of your choice.

Wrapping Up

These five games can be integrated into any training session to turn the tedious part of your workout into something fun that can help improve your performance too. Let’s put some fun back into exercise.

About The Author

Shane “Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.

Categoriesmindset

The Comparison Game

I hope everyone out there is okay.

Strange times we’re in, and I can appreciate the chaotic and unknown nature of what’s happening in the world is flipping everyone’s day-t0-day musings upside down.

Me and my family are trying our best to make lemonade out of lemons, trying to stay calm, and maintaining as much normalcy as possible. Let’s just say that with Julian’s daycare closed until mid-April there’s a lot more roughhousing, lightsaber battles, and pantless dinners in the Gentilcore household.2

I am in the throes of catching up and updating many of my clients’ at home workouts. To be honest: I’m impressed with how I’ve been able to conjure my inner McGyver:

“I’ve got one resistance band, a mat, a roll of duct tape, and a pair of nunchucks. Can you design a 3x per week program for me?

I want to thank TG.com regular contributor, Shane McLean, for submitting today’s guest post for me.

Copyright: aberheide / 123RF Stock Photo

The Comparison Game

Have you ever heard of this game?

If not, this is how it usually goes.

You’re flicking through a magazine, social media or channel surfing and you come across a man or women (or both) who seem to have it all. They’re good looking and the total package.

And they’re wearing nice clothes (or hardly any at all), nice things and are surrounded by money and opulence.  And to rub salt further into the wounds, they’re doing it all at some far-off exotic location.

And because you don’t have any of that, you’re a little jealous.

Or you’ve started your gym journey with all guns blazing. You’re eating right, nailing your workouts and your scale numbers are looking better. Then someone who looks amazing walks past you at the gym.

You look at them and you look at yourself in the mirror and you think ‘I want to look more like that because I look like shit.”

Starting to recognize this game now?

Recently my son nailed five bodyweight chin ups for the first time. And rather than enjoy the moment and recognize his awesome effort, he downplayed his achievement by comparing himself to a classmate who can do more.

He didn’t give himself a pat on the back because he played the comparison game.

It’s Only Natural to Play

It’s human nature to compare ourselves to others.

A man sizes up another man to see if he is bigger or better looking than him. A woman looks at other women to compare how they’re aging; or if they have better (or worse) body parts or shoes or clothes.

But I’m only going by the limited experience I have with the fairer sex.

However, I’m no expert with the comparison game in the outside world but when it comes to the health and fitness universe, it’s more in my wheelhouse. Because me and (some of) my clients have played this game.

But it’s not all bad.

The Good

Motivation to train when everything is going your way, you’re feeling good and you have the time and energy to get after it,  is easy.

However, how many days are like that?

There are days when you need a little kickstart and comparing yourself to someone else’s progress and realizing (if you fall short) if they can look great, you can too.

Although you can’t rely on external motivation to always get the job done, the occasional burst helps keep you going when you’re NOT feeling on top of the world.

The Bad

It’s hard to argue against ‘comparison is the thief of joy.’

When you’re making progress with your training and diet, but your results don’t measure up to the person you see in the magazine, on TV or the sexy gym rat, you may feel like a failure, even when it’s not the case.

Robbing yourself of wins and not enjoying the moment and all the progress you’ve made because you’re playing the comparison game is easy to slip into.

However, it’s a deep dangerous hole to fall into and it will suck all the joy out of your current progress. Because if that’s all you do, then it gets ugly.

The Ugly

If you’re constantly comparing your progress in the gym to those around you or your social media feeds and not the person in the mirror then you’re losing sight on how much you’ve achieved.

Because when you’re comparing progress to someone who is more experienced, to a person you don’t know or who maybe was born with better genetics, you’re almost always going to end up on the losing end.

Even when you’re killing it.

What to Do Instead

When I’ve caught myself or my clients playing the comparison game here’s a few tips I use to turn this around:

  1. If you’re on social media and getting sucked down in the deep vortex of comparison, get off your damn phone, tablet or computer and do something constructive, like the dirty dishes in the sink.
  2. Participate in a mind and body activities such as yoga, tai chi or meditation. This helps you to feel whole, centered, grounded, and soothed. And you’ll be off your phone.
  3. Try to make someone’s day and change the world for the better because you’re more than just your appearance
  4. Realize that person has worked hard to get to this point and you still have plenty of hard work ahead of you. So, put your hard hat on and get to work.
  5. When you see someone in the gym who looks awesome, rather than stare and feel like a creeper, go up to them and compliment them on their appearance. And if you ask nicely, they’ll give you some tips to help your progress.

Wrapping Up

Although this game is okay to use for the occasional motivational boost it’s not a great long-term strategy.

But when you find yourself constantly playing this, then finding ways to stop this thought train in your head is essential. Because you should always find joy in your progress.

About the Author

Shane “Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.

Categoriespersonal training Program Design

3 Mistakes Intermediate Lifters Make When Continuing a Fitness Program. And How to Fix Them

Last week personal trainer, Shane McLean, wrote a guest post for this site titled “4 Mistakes Beginners Make When Starting a Fitness Program (and How to Fix Them).”

In case you missed it you can check it out HERE.

When I read it I was like, “goddammit, this is good.” How dare you Shane, HOW DARE YOU, SIR, FOR WRITING SOMETHING SO SIMPLE AND ACTIONABLE AND THEN MAKING ME LOOK BAD ON MY OWN SITE.

YOU’RE RUINING MY LIFE!”

(throws chair through window).

After my tantrum (and explaining to my landlord why a chair was tossed from the 13th floor) I got to thinking: “What about the intermediate lifter? They make mistakes too. A lot of them, in fact. How about an article directed towards them?”

I suck at intros.

Let’s go.

Copyright: langstrup / 123RF Stock Photo

4 Mistakes Intermediate Lifters Make When Continuing a Fitness Program (and How to Fix Them)

I guess the first order of business is to define what the heck an “intermediate lifter” is.

The definition of intermediate is as follows:

In-ter-me-di-ate (adj): Having or suitable for a level of knowledge or skill between basic and advanced.

So, an intermediate lifter:

  • Has 2+ years of consistent (serious) training experience.
  • Can perform the basic barbell lifts (deadlift, squat, bench press, among others) with competency and acceptable technique.

NOTE: You’re still a beginner if this is my reaction after watching you perform a set of deadlifts:

via GIPHY

  • Has achieved a decent level of strength.3
  • And, most important of all, refers to a kettlebell as a kettleBELL and not kettleBALL

I’d garner a guess that most people reading this site identify as an intermediate lifter. You know, past the point where merely looking at a dumbbell makes you stronger, but not quite to the stage where you’re deadlifting 3x bodyweight or competing at the Arnold Classic.

In short, we could likely make the case that most people will stay in the intermediate category their entire training career. More to the point, I’d make the argument that unless you’re competing at a high-level – whether it’s in powerlifting, bodybuilding, Olympic lifting, Strongman, CrossFit, Hunger Games, etc – and either placing and/or getting paid to do so, you’re an intermediate lifter.

I mean, I still consider myself an intermediate lifter and I started lifting weights when New Kids on the Block were telling us to ‘hang tough.’

I’m such a Danny.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that most intermediate lifters are legit lifters and have a fair amount of experience. It’s just, much like beginners, they have their own set of mistakes they fall prey to as well.

1. Emulating the Programs of Elite Lifters

I get it.

We’re often inspired (or better yet enamored) by what we see our idols doing (or have done) in books or on Instagram and YouTube. It’s hard not to study the likes of Ed Coan, James Fitzgerald, Eddie Hall, Jen Thompson, or Arnold, to name a few, and not want to start a Smolov squat cycle, like this afternoon.

Clearly, if only we followed their programs and what they’re currently doing, the harder and more advanced the better, we’d reap the same result. We’d be the envy of everyone at the gym…

…jacked, diesel, and maybe, just maybe, Tina at the juice bar will actually make eye contact with you.

*fingers crossed*

Unfortunately, things don’t quite work this way. Mirroring what your idols do in the gym is the wrong approach. And, quite frankly, is probably going to get you hurt.

What You Should Do

A better, more cogent, reframe would be to think to yourself:

“I need to follow the program(s) that so and so did when they were a beginner/intermediate lifter. What did (s)he do 5, 10, 15 years ago that allowed them to build their base wide enough to attain a higher peak in order to do what they do now? “

I guarantee it was a program that was very basic and vanilla.

Here’s a simple example of a protocol I use with many of my own clients/athletes. I revolves around the concept of “Inverted Sets,” where you flip-flop sets/reps of a given exercise during the week.

Let’s use squats in this example.

Day 1

A1. Front Squat – 2×5 @ 75%
A2. Filler Exercise

(the rest of the day’s program goes here)

Day 2

A1. Front Squat – 5×2 @ 75%
A2. Filler

One way to periodize week to week is as follows:

Week 2: Day 1: 2×5 @ 77.5%, Day 2: 5×2 @ 77.5%

Week 3: Day 1: 2×5 @ 80%, Day 2: 5×2 @ 80%

Week 4: Day 1: 3×5 @ 75%, Day 2: 5×3 @ 75%

The idea is to increase exposure to QUALITY reps which is a concept I feel gets lost in the weeds with many intermediate lifters. More often than not the mentality is that the only way to progress is to make every workout as hard and challenging as possible.

Stealing a line from Dan John, “easy training is good training.”

2. But Training Still Needs to Be Hard

Serving as nice counterpoint, I love this quote from John Meadows I saw on his Facebook Page recently:

“Stop saying the only way to get bigger is to get stronger!

This is ABSURD.

Getting stronger is awesome and can work…do it!

BUT do you realize that when you get to an advanced stage, and have trained for years, you wont just keep piling up the reps and amount lifted. If you can congrats on benching 2000 lbs or repping 1000 15 times (and having adamantium for connective tissue), cause that’s what will happen.

You will have to find other ways to tax the muscle, for example judicious use of high intensity techniques that some people like to say do no good. So get strong, gain muscle, but realize at some point you are gonna stall and you must now actually think and include other ideas in your plan.

Please stop saying stimulating a muscle is all it needs. No it is not. The daily 3×10 with many reps left in the tank on barbell curls will not give you massive biceps. It’s called a warm-up. You will need to activate, LOAD, and EXHAUST fibers to get the desired affect once you get past the novice stages of training.”

I recognize he was directing his ire towards “advanced lifters,” but I do feel it’s a message that should resonate with intermediates as well.

As much as I’m a fan of not making a habit of training to failure or missing reps incessantly, I do find a lot of trainees fail to make continued progress in the gym if for no other reason than they don’t push themselves.

Ever.

What You Should Do

Strain.

Struggle.

You don’t have to shit your spleen or anything, but get uncomfortable from time to time.

Try this:

  • On your next bench press session work up to a challenging set of FIVE (meaning, take as many sets as you need to in order to work up to a weight heavy enough where you can’t complete a sixth rep).
  • Whatever that weight ends up being, drop the load by 10-15% and on your next set or two (or three) perform as many reps as possible (AMRAP).
  • That sucks.

Or this:

 

That really sucks.

3. Being Too Strict With Technique

I encourage proper technique with all exercises.

I’m on your side.

Really, I am.

But being too strict with technique – to the point where someone becomes that asshole nun from Game of Thrones and shames everyone within a block radius whenever they see the slightest deviation from perfect form on any exercise – isn’t doing anyone any favors.

via GIPHY

Yo, relax.

Listen, I want my clients (and you) to stay as safe as possible when lifting heavy things. When working with beginners (and holding them accountable with regards to their technique) I am that nun.

Much less assholey, of course, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t adamant they use strict form at all times.

That being said, there comes a point where it behooves everyone to loosen the reigns a bit.

Take the DB row for example.

Now, it’s one thing for someone to look as if they’re having an epileptic seizure – or as if they’re using an industrial strength Shake Weight – when performing the exercise.

It’s another thing altogether for me to permit “some” body english in order to allow progressive overload or time under tension to occur.

The strength curve of the DB Row – as broken down in THIS article by Nick Tumminello – almost guarantees that, at some point, a little shimmying is inevitable.

And it’s okay. The world will continue to spin.

Moreover, it’s important to lean into the fact that as you get strong(er) the more likely it is your body will explore precarious positions when performing compound movements like squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, etc.

I’m fine with that.

It serves as a vaccine in a way.

The more small doses of these precarious positions the body is “introduced” to the more likely it’ll be able to defend against them when shit really hits the fan.

All of this to say…

…be relentless and practice good technique. Be a champion of it.

But understand that there will be a small window (say, 5% of the time) where it’s okay to deviate.4

CategoriesMotivational Program Design

Top 4 Mistakes Beginners Make When Starting a Fitness Program. And How to Fix Them

I’m stuck in the midst of an avalanche of entrepreneurial shenanigans this week, so apologies for the lack of content on my end.

I do, however, have a first-class guest post from TG.com regular contributor, Shane McLean today discussing some common mistakes many beginners make in pursuing their health/fitness goals. But unlike a lot of articles with the same theme that go on and on and (and on) about what people do wrong, he actually provides some simple strategies to address things.

Enjoy!

NOTE: Be sure to check below for a special (and FREE) 4-week program offer from Shane.

Copyright: ramain / 123RF Stock Photo

4 Mistakes Beginners Make When Starting a Fitness Program (and How to Fix Them)

Starting something is easy.

This is evidenced by the crowds that pour into every gym after January 1st.And how many of these people are still in the gym after February 1st?

Probably not a lot.

They realize that a year’s worth of debauchery is not undone in four weeks, no matter what Dr. Oz says.

No cleanse, no magic exercise, no magic pill or diet will undo all that unhealthy living.

Like anything worth doing, it takes time and patience.

If this sounds anything like you (or a friend) here are some other mistakes (besides impatience and listening to Dr Oz.) you need to watch out for when starting out your fitness quest.

And if you recognize them and made them before, here’s what to do about it so you don’t do it again. Because learning from your mistakes is a good thing.

And learning about a potential mistake (before you make it) is even better.

1. Changing Too Many Habits at Once

When you’re first starting, your gun-ho to get this show on the road.

You want to hit the gym four, no, five days a week.

You throw away your junk food and buy all the fruits and vegetables.

And you vow to drink more water and less soda. However, the more you try to change, the less those changes stick according to Leo Babauta, the author of ‘The Power of Less.’

He states:

“In order to create a sustainable habit, you need to address one habit at a time.”

His research tells us that you will have an 85% success rate adopting one new habit at a time. Trying to change two habits at once the success rate to 33%.

That’s a huge drop off.

Trying to change more than one habit at a time is more likely to lead to failure than success.

What to do instead

  1. Start small– Most people want to create big change as quickly as possible. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight start with drinking a glass of water before each meal

 

  1. Get hooked on your habit- That’s the point. It takes a little while to make it a habit to stick. Don’t worry if you miss a day. Just don’t miss twice. The only way to fail is to quit.

2. You Think Rome Was Built in a Day

Following from above, because you’re making all these changes at once you (may) expect instant success. You feel the weight should fly off and the scale and mirror become your best friends.

Hold your horses.

Usually, it takes 4-6 weeks to see any visible changes in your body. During this time your nervous system, ligaments and tendons are getting used to the exercise you’re throwing at them.

They’re all busy making new connections and getting stronger.  Once this period is over, you’ll start seeing some changes when you flex in the mirror. The trick here is to stick it out and be patient.

Because it doesn’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

 

What to do instead

Realize it took you awhile to get here and it’s going to take some time to turn this ship around.

You need to celebrate the small wins along the way. Even if you walked for an extra 10 minutes or did an extra rep of an exercise, give yourself a pat on the back. This helps keep you going.

3. Making Vanity Your Only Reason

Self-improvement for whatever reason is a worthy pursuit.

The trick here is to keep it going and to find your why outside of vanity.

For example, training for a 5 k or bending over to pick up your kids without pain.

Because when vanity is your only reason and if your results dry to a trickle, it’s easier to give up and listen to your thoughts that are saying this exercise thing isn’t for you.

That’s why it’s important to find your WHY.

Because when you have a deeper reason for your health outside of vanity, you’re more likely to keep going.

What to do instead

Spend some time in self-reflection and ask yourself the 5 whys.

Here’s an example.

Why do you want to exercise? To lose weight.

Why do you want to lose weight?  Because I don’t like the way I look.

Why don’t you like the way you look? Because I’m 35 pounds overweight.

Why is losing 35 pounds important to you? Because I’m pre diabetic, have low energy and I can’t keep up with my kids anymore.

Why is keeping up with your kids important? Because they’re young and I want to be a better parent to them for as long as possible.

Boom. Now you do the same.

4. NOT Asking for Help

When everything is shiny and motivation is at an all-time high, exercise is easier. You’re going to the gym consistently; you’re eating better and you’re looking sexier.

Everything is going to plan until you hit a roadblock.

It could take the form of:

  • A fat loss plateau
  • Your hours increase at work
  • Your caregiver duties increase because of sickness
  • You get hurt or injured
  • Life and all it entails 😊
  • Bears. What out for those jerks.

Then you either think power through it or you begin to drop off your good habits, little by little. Either way, reaching your goals is more difficult.

But you still got this, right?

What to do instead

I’m all about making it easier, (on myself and clients) not harder. This is why I enlist the help of a friend and coach to write my programs. Because a trainer who has himself as a trainer has a fool for a client.

Please make it easier for yourself by asking for help.

This may take the form of asking the trainer at your gym for tips to work around an injury or exercising when you have limited time. Enlisting help from your spouse or loved ones, so you carve out a little time for yourself for health purposes.

Because when you don’t ask, the answer is always no.

Wrapping Up

Starting something is easy. The follow through and the ability to keep going is more difficult. Especially when things are not going your way.

But, the only way to fail is to quit. And you’re no quitter, right?

Do you need help with your exercise, getting started or overcoming roadblocks to be your best self?

Download my 4-week program here to get you on the road to better health.

About the Author

Shane “Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Best Articles of the Year 2019: Guest Posts

The week between Christmas and New Year’s I like to highlight a select number of articles featured on my site during the past 365 days.

First up were the the articles that resonated with you, the reader, as defined by analytics and what piqued your interest…HERE.

Next up were the articles that resonated with me and filled my writer’s love tank…HERE.

Today I’d like to direct your attention to the best GUEST POSTS of 2019.

Copyright: serpiandco / 123RF Stock Photo

Best Articles of  2019: Guest Posts

The State of Corrective Fitness 2019 – Kevin Mullins

This was FOUR part series DC based personal trainer, Kevin Mullins, wrote for the site that, if I were to be honest, is very much a Ken Burns’esque masterpiece.

Intro – The State of Corrective Fitness

Part I – Correcting the Shoulders

Part II – Correcting the Lower Back and Hips

Part III – Correcting the Knees and Ankles

Individualizing Your Squat Stance – Sam Spinelli

Not everyone is meant to squat the same way or utilize the same variations. Here’s how to figure that shit out (my words, not Sam’s).

The Road to Recovery is Paved With More Training –  Michael Gregory

“Just rest” just isn’t going to cut it for most people.

What Makes an Athlete Fast? – Ricky Kompf

HINT: It’s not endless agility ladders drills and weekend speed camps.

The Lost Art of Adult Play – Shane McLean

As we grow older our fitness tends to get more and more robotic in nature. We sit in machines, performing endless, mindless repetitions, all while perusing our smart phones.

Shane showcases some ways to be less of a health/fitness zombie.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 11/8/19

Copyright: perhapzzz / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…I’M LIKE, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT

1. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Athens, Greece: Saturday, Feb 29th & Sunday, March 1st, 2020

This will be the first leg of mine and Dean Somerset’s European extravaganza in early 2020. The second leg will take place in…

2. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Maidenhead, U.K: March 7th & 8th, 2020

There’s an Early Bird rate for both of these events, so keep that in mind before you decide to hold off. Dean and I are really excited for this and hope to see you there!

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

Instagram

 

View this post on Instagram

 

My brain doesn’t work like most of my colleagues. . @meghancallaway @dr.joelseedman_ahp @benbrunotraining @matthewibrahim_ @dsomerset1 @coachleeboyce Etc… . Are all examples of coaches who always seem to come up with innovative exercises and ideas. . Me? . (Crickets chirping). . However, check out this snazzy band set up I used for my close grip bench presses yesterday? . Granted, I do have the option of looping bands around pegs at the bottom of the rack, but: . 1. I was too lazy to do that yesterday. 2. Many people don’t have that luxury, so I figured I’d showcase how to do it another way. . Simply loop the bands around a pair of safety arms OR pins. . Here I’m using a pair of 1/4” mini bands, and the setup worked splendidly.

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

Debunking ‘The Game Changers’ Netflix Documentary –  Andy Morgan

Rule of Thumb: Stop getting the bulk of your nutritional information from Netflix documentaries….;o)

The Small Muscles That Will Make You Lift Bigger Weights – Shane McLean

A nice reminder not to neglect the stuff  (muscles) that you’re probably neglecting.

Inside Mark’s Head: Musings on Time Management, Critical Thinking, Effective Learning, and More  – Mark Fisher

I have smart friends.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 10/18/19

Copyright: wamsler / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…I’m Like, Really, REALLY Important

1. Coaching Competency Workshop – New York, NY: Sunday, November 3, 2019

2. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Athens, Greece: Saturday, Feb 29th & Sunday, March 1st, 2020

This will be the first leg of mine and Dean Somerset’s European extravaganza in early 2020. The second leg will take place in…

3. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Maidenhead, U.K: March 7th & 8th, 2020

There’s an Early Bird rate for both of these events, so keep that in mind before you decide to hold off. Dean and I are really excited for this and hope to see you there!

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

Instagram

STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

How Trips to Trader Joes Got Me Fat and In Debt –  Lana Sova

Slow clap, Lana.

Slow clap.

The 7 People Who Never Get Results – Calvin Huynh

I appreciate a good “rant” style article, and this one was good.

3 Reasons Why Biceps Curls Are Good For the Shoulders – Shane McLean

Next thing Shane is going to tell is that cookies are calorie free.

But seriously, bicep curls, when performed correctly, can be a handy shoulder saver.

Categoriescoaching Motivational

The Lost Art of Adult Play

I’m currently in the Barossa Valley with my wife.

There’s not a chance in hell I’m writing a blog post this week. Thankfully TG.com regular contributor, Shane McLean, was a champion and took it upon himself to pinch write for me.

Thanks Shane!

Copyright: szefei / 123RF Stock Photo

The Lost Art of (Adult) Play

When you were a kid, (I assume) you were a blur of movement.

One moment you’re tugging on your dads leg and the next moment you’re chasing the dog (or cat, sorry Tony) throughout the house, tearing shit up while your father is trying to figure out how you moved so quick.

Like the flash baby.

 

There was no stopping you.

Then age, responsibilities, jobs, kids, bills and a mortgage took care of all that. With more adult time there comes less play time because you have to grow up sometime, correct?

Well some of us do and some of us don’t.

I’ll leave it to you to determine where you are on the kid scale.

However, now to keep up your lean machine look, you hit the gym and do squats, presses, pulls and curls so you can keep up with the younger generation, to feel less like an old fart and more like a superhero, crushing everything in your path.

However, trying to recapture your childhood through exercise is fine but acting like a one (or Flash Gordon) is okay frowned upon.

So please keep your tantrums under control.

You cannot have desserts before your main meal.

Whoops, I’m projecting. Let me get back on track.

During your early childhood, you discovered what you were capable of and what you get away with through playing.

But What is Play?

Play is an activity done for its own sake, with no real goal in mind and play is characterized by flexibility (making up stuff as you go along), and the positive effect it often has on the person playing (smiling, laughing, and having fun.) (1)

The exact role of play in learning is often debated and opinion tends to exaggerate the evidence for the essential role of play.

However, other evidence suggests the important benefits of play and its contribution to learning. (2)

What Has This Got to Do With You?

 How does play benefit you now, the adult trying to shed fat and crush PR’S in the gym?

Firstly, it gives you a welcome break from the barbell. When you get wrapped up with the weight on the bar and have the blinkers on, other things like moving in different directions and a little thing called cardiovascular exercise gets neglected.

When ‘playing’ you may discover your weaker points that are holding you back.

Secondly, it may help you through a plateau and improve your co-ordination.

When you were a child, you engaged in locomotor (exercise) play, which involves physical activity to support the training of your muscles for strength, endurance, and skill.

Think of the local school or park playground and all the fun you had on the swings and monkey bars.

Back then, play was the neural and muscular basis of your physical co-ordination and physical growth. And going back to ‘play’ may help you break through your sticking points and make exercise more enjoyable. (3)

And when things are enjoyable, you’re more likely to do them.

Who’s up for crushing their goals with a smile on their face?

If you answered yes, start inserting these ‘play’ drills into your routine (or separately on off days) because the gym is the one place where nobody cares if you act like a child.

Because they’re all too busy taking Instagram selfies.

1. Reaction Ball Drills

 

And who doesn’t like playing with balls?

The beauty of the reaction ball is movement without thinking. See the ball, go get the ball. And before you know it you’ve performed squats, hinges and dozens of lunges without realizing it.

Furthermore, training hand-eye co-ordination never goes astray.

And with so much of your program planned, it’s great to add a little chaos and uncertainty to it.

2. Agility Ladder Drills

 

Some coaches’ poo-poo on the agility ladder while other coaches over emphasize it with athletes trying to get them faster.

However, there is plenty of middle ground and they’re another tool in the toolbox.

But for the regular joe, who’s looking for a little variety, a fun way to get the heart rate up and to raise a sweat while improving their co-ordination, these drills are perfect.

The agility ladder will help you learn a wide array of different movement patterns without you even realizing it because you’ll be having too much fun.

3. Friendly Competition

Exercising with a partner is shown to increase exercise adherence. Use these fun drills will a friend and you’ll be sweating and smiling in no time.

4. Stability Ball Wrestle

You and your partner will be too busy trying to knock each other off-balance, and not realizing that you’re working on your ankle stability/mobility, balance and core stability.

Set Up – Put one foot on top the ball making sure your knee is bent 90 degrees. Your partner puts the opposite foot on the ball, directly across from you

Rules – Both people are trying to knock the other one-off balance by rolling the ball aggressively with their feet.

This exercise can be done either as warm-up, for 30 seconds or so on each foot or you can turn this into a full-blown friendly competition. Every time some loses his/her balance it results in a point for the opponent. First to 5 or 10 points wins.

5. The Boxer

This exercise with work on your power, muscular endurance and hand-to-eye co-ordination. You’ll be too busy hitting your partner’s hands to realize any of this.

Set Up – Use a resistance band with handles looped round a solid anchor point. Bring hands to shoulder level and keep the resistance band tight.  Your partner puts hands up, open palms facing forward and away from the face.

Rules- Hit the open palm (with a clinched fist), one hand at a time. Your partner can change his/her hand position up, down or left and right to increase the challenge.

Do this for time (30 seconds) and record the amount of hits, and then your partner can try to beat it. Winner takes all, baby.

Wrapping Up

Exercise doesn’t always have to be a grind. Taking a slight break to think and play like a child is reinvigorating and a welcome break from the barbell.

And because you’re an adult now, you can have dessert before dinner.

Knock yourself out.

About the Author

Shane “Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.

References

  1. Learning Through Play PETER K SMITH, BA, PhD ANTHONY PELLEGRINI, PhD Goldsmiths, University of London, UNITED KINGDOM University of Minnesota, USA
  2. Smith PK. Children’s play and its role in early development: A re-evaluation of the ‘Play Ethos’. In: Pellegrini AD, ed. Psychological Bases for Early education. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.; 1988: 207-226.
  3. Byers JA, Walker C. Refining the motor training hypothesis for the evolution of play. American Naturalist 1995;146(1):25-40
CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 2/8/19

Copyright: wamsler / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…CHECK THIS STUFF OUT

1. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – 2019 Locations & Dates

Philadelphia, PA: April 27-28th

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: May 25-26th

Sydney, Australia: July 13-14th

Singapore, Republic of Singapore: July 20-21st

This workshop will piggyback on the material Dean Somerset and I covered in the original Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint.

With this iteration, though, we’ll be going a bit deeper into the coaching and programming side of things:

  • How to program around common injuries.
  • How to “connect” the appropriate exercises to the client/athlete.
  • How to squat and deadlift like a boss.

Find out more details HERE.

NOTE: For the Singapore event you’ll need to use THIS link.

2. Coaching Competency Workshop – Raleigh, NC

I’ll be making my first appearance – ever (<— how’s that possible?) – in the wonderful state of North Carolina this coming March to put on my popular Coaching Competency Workshop.

Full details (date, location, itinerary, how to register) can be found HERE.

EARLY BIRD rate is currently in effect ($50 off regular price), so make sure to take advantage of it while you can.

3) The Complete Trainers Toolbox

I’ve been pretty mum about it, but this is dropping next week…

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

Instagram

 

View this post on Instagram

 

I was training later than usual tonight after a stressful day dealing with a sick toddler. . I wanted to include a baller “filler” in between my sets of squats and remembered this doozy I saw @coachleeboyce mention a few weeks ago. . I don’t recall what he called it, but it’s outstanding. . It’s low grade, won’t affect subsequent sets of “heavy” stuff, and hammers a lot of things most people need to work on: . Lumbo-pelvic stability, scapular stability (namely serratus activation/protraction), and even hip mobility (I.e., working through hip flexion & extension with minimal lumbar movement). . I really like this one. . If you’re gonna try it, I only have one piece of coaching advice: GO SLOW. . This drill is much more effective if you take your time and not rush. . Also: my triceps look gooooood.

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

Pete Dupuis on Niche Domination in the Fitness Industry – Physical Preparation Podcast

Mike Robertson’s podcast is always a must-listen, but this one featuring my good friend Pete Dupuis was particularly eargasmic.

Pete has an uncanny ability to keep things real when it comes to discussing fitness business shenanigans. If you’re a gym owner (or plan to be)….fire this episode up.

The Sleep Tip You Should Never Give a Client (and 5 Others You Should) – Mike. T. Nelson

It’s not about more sleep, it’s about better sleep.

Awesome stuff from Mike here.

3 Things to Remember When Recovering From Lifting Injuries – Shane McLean

Looksie here.

TG.com contributor, Shane McLean, is cheating on me writing for a different site………….;o)

Awesome stuff as always my man.

CategoriesMotivational

Limit Your Mistakes

Learning from our mistakes is what we do as humans.

Like that one time I was a teenager taking my driver’s exam and I forgot to put the car back into “drive” after the “reverse” part of my 3-point turn attempt.

Oops.5

Or that other time I wanted to warm up my previous night’s dinner and forgot to take off the aluminum foil before placing it in the microwave.

My bad.

Failing, as a standard practice, is what makes us better in the long run. We fail, we learn, we (hopefully) don’t make the same mistake again.

Today’s guest post by Shane McLean delves into this concept as it relates to health/fitness. He’s made some mistakes so you don’t have to.

Copyright: oskanov / 123RF Stock Photo

Limit Your Mistakes

Starting your fitness journey when everything is shiny, and the gains are coming thick and fast is exciting. You feel like you can’t do anything wrong because every weight you touch turns to muscle.

OR

You’ve been in this game a while and you still enjoy working out, but the gains have slowed, and you’re frustrated by your lack of progress.

Any errors made at the start are covered up by newbie gains and these slip ups become more magnified the longer you’re in the lifting game.

How do I know this?

I’ve been there.

After training clients for 10 years and training in gyms for longer than I care to remember, I’ve witnessed or experienced these blunders myself that can hold back progress.

And while making mistakes is all part of the learning process, minimizing them while you’re under the bar will help keep you safe, keep you making gains and keep the doctor away.

Think of this as all gain and no pain.

1) Program Hopping

It’s natural to think the grass is always greener on the other side. After all, you’re saturated with new exercise fads and their results look incredible and besides, your program isn’t doing squat.

Change is not a bad thing.

Change is required when you plateau and or when your routine has become stale. However, too much change doesn’t give your body a chance to adapt to your current program because not everything in the weight room happens straight away.

It’s a fine line.

My general rule of thumb is finishing the program first and then evaluating whether it worked or not.

For example, loss of body fat, smaller waist or bigger muscles.

Or if you see no changes after six weeks, then it’s okay to try something new. Which brings me to the next point.

2) Not Tracking Progress

How do you know if a program working when you’re not tracking progress? That’s a rhetorical question.

Look that up, if you don’t know what it means.

If you’re not recording your sets, reps, weight lifted or taking measurements of your waist, hips, arms and legs before, during and after your program, you’re guessing and not assessing.

Because going by what you see in the mirror and the scale shouldn’t be your only measurement of progress. And occasionally testing yourself to see if you can lift more weight than before, never goes astray either.

3) Not Working on Strength

No matter what your goals are in the weight room, whether it’s muscle building or fat loss, all goals are easier by being stronger in the core lifts.

Which are:

By getting stronger, you’ll have more gas in the tank, and the ability to more work without constantly burning yourself out. And while there’s a whole bunch of strength standards in cyberspace, concentrating on adding more weight to the bar or performing more reps with the same weight is all you need to worry about.

 

Working in the 2-6 rep range in the core lifts for cycles of 4-6 weeks will get you where you want to go sooner.

4) Not Asking for Help

There’s no such thing as perfect form in the weight room because we’re all put together differently.

You can take a deep dive into cyberspace and find out how to do certain lifts, but nothing beats a trained professional (like me) to pick up on any major technique issues

For instance, I deadlifted incorrectly for years and ended up herniating three discs. If I’d asked for help sooner, I would have saved myself a lot of pain and money. So please, if you’re unsure about a lift, please ask for help.

I wish I did.

5) Ignoring Pain

Common complaints heard in gyms around the world.

“ My shoulder hurts.”

Then he goes straight to the bench press without a warm up.

“Squats hurt my knees.”

Goes back to the point #4.

“My back hurts.”

Then they go straight into their crunch routine.

There are times when stuff hurts, and you feel the need to push through it because you feel you’ll be left behind, or you need to work off the hamburger you ate last night. However, ignoring pain and exercising through it over a long period never leads to anything good.

Please remember the adage ‘if it hurts, don’t do it’.

It will save you from a ton of pain and your wallet from despair.

6) Groundhog Day

Have you seen this movie?

If you haven’t, check out the clip below:

 

Doing the same routine over and over, for weeks on end when you’re starting out is okay if you’re still making progress.

However, if you’re experience, doing the same program repeatedly and not making gains, then you need your head read.

This goes back to point 1 and 2. Finish the program and track your progress. If what you’re doing isn’t doing it for you, it’s time for a change.

Finishing Up

Yes, mistakes happen along the way but learning from them and limiting them will help you progress in the safest possible manner. Because lying on a Physical Therapist table wrapped in resistance bands is not the definition of a good time.

Author’s Bio

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.