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!
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I am all for novelty (within reason) and having fun in the weight room. But ya’ll: barbells and dumbbells still work really, really, REALLY well.
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.
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
Learning Through Play PETER K SMITH, BA, PhD ANTHONY PELLEGRINI, PhD Goldsmiths, University of London, UNITED KINGDOM University of Minnesota, USA
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.
Byers JA, Walker C. Refining the motor training hypothesis for the evolution of play. American Naturalist 1995;146(1):25-40
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…
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One thing I try to keep young trainers/coaches more cognizant of when writing training programs is grip intensive exercise. Example: Row paired with DB Reverse Lunge. Both require a lot of grip. Maybe switch to GOBLET Reverse Lunge? Boom, you’re a program writing Jedi.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There’s no shortage of shenanigans, tomfoolery, and outright WTF’ness tethered to everyday life. We can multiply this by a factor of infinity when talking about stuff we see and hear in the gym.
The gym is a petri dish of grit, determination, chalk, high-fives, blood, sweat, and other bodily fluids I don’t want to think about, plumes of Axe Body Spray, cheesy one-liners, groutfits, selfies, rusty barbells, and a spectrum of head scratching, eyebrow raising, head tilting dumbfoundedness of human behavior.
Shit can get weird.
Today’s guest post by regular contributor, Shane McLean, scratches the surface.
Whenever I go off on a tangent and start raving about some minuscule subject, my wife often dismisses me with ‘whatever floats your boat dear.’ My reply is ‘you’re the one who floats my boat dear.’
Okay, that’s enough dirty talk.
We all have our own idiosyncrasies, things we do without thinking or habits we do that other people look upon as strange. And if you’re a fitness professional or a hardcore gym goer you probably have a bucket load of things that your family and friends brush off as weird.
However, if you’re anything like me, you either don’t care what people think or you believe it’s completely natural and everyone should do it because it’s awesome.
For example, checking out your abs in the mirror while every else is lifting.
I’ve been around gyms for over 25 years as a gym goer and a trainer. And in that time, I have developed my own strange habits and I’ve also seen things that I can’t forget because it’s been burned into my subconscious.
The following list is like therapy for the soul.
Let the healing begin.
1. Don’t ever show your underarm fat to a trainer and ask, “What do I do about these chicken wings?”
If you must know, I like them battered and fried and smothered with BBQ sauce.
2. It’s okay to sweat but please, clean up after yourself. The habit of not cleaning up after one’s self and leaving a pool of sweat on the gym floor like a calling card to gross. Your mum is not there to clean up for you, so you do it.
3. I love training bare foot.
I love my feet touching the dirty gym floor because it gives me better feedback on how I’m doing.
Unfortunately, not everyone digs it as much as I do.
4. Do you remember when Monica Seles graced the tennis courts?
Don’t be that guy after every rep.
A little is okay but a lot is not.
5. Do you know the dude who wears a weight belt while doing 55-pound barbell curls? Don’t be him either.
6. If you’re getting dirty looks while on your cell phone, you’re talking too loudly. No one needs to hear what you ate last night. On that note, why are you talking on your cellphone in the gym?
Get back to lifting.
7. Why do people wake up at the arse crack of dawn to run on a treadmill? The weights are over there.
8. Don’t text and lift. It’s hazardous for ones health.
9. Laying the weight plates by the weight stack doesn’t count as putting them away. Don’t be lazy and re rack your weights.
10.Stop bragging to everyone about how much you lift.
Somewhere, someone is warming up with your max.
11. Who doesn’t enjoy eating out of Tupperware containers?
12. There’s a time for dancing and a time for lifting.
Don’t get the two confused.
13. Do you drop your dirty plates on the floor after you’ve finished eating? Of course not. Pay the dumbbells the same respect.
14. What am I doing with the lacrosse ball?
Don’t ask.
15. There’s a reason gyms have lots of mirrors, so take advantage of it you sexy thing.
16. Don’t make me wait for the water fountain while filling a gallon container. Are you really that thirsty?
17. Wearing sunglasses while training is never cool unless your Corey Hart. Is the sun shining in the gym?
18. Playing Candy Crush on your phone while spotting your partner bench pressing goes beyond stupid.
Yes, this actually happened, and I still can’t get it out of my brain.
19. There are some exercises that look like you’re getting lucky. Please don’t maintain eye contact with anyone while doing these.
20. Squatting while on a stability ball is a trainers worst nightmare. It’s still giving me the cold sweats.
Wrapping Up
It’s my hope that you feel better now.
I certainty do.
I’ve saved a bunch of money on therapy.
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.
I’m currently in Europe.[/efn_note]Nah, nah, nah, nah, nahhhhhhhh.2
I had a speaking engagement Bonn (Germany) this past weekend, and I’m doing a 2-day workshop in London this coming weekend.
Before that, though, Amsterdam is on the docket starting tomorrow. Figured it would be a good idea to queue up this guest post from personal trainer Shane McLean today rather than wait till any shenanigans and debauchery take over.
Which is to say: I’ll still be in bed by 9 PM. Who am I kidding……;o)
Confessions of a Middle-Aged Personal Trainer
If you’re thinking this is some old dude ranting, who longs for the good old days, then you’re partly right.
I’m not yet 50, but I love stepping up to my soap box and offering my opinion.
Although gyms have been around for a while, personal training is still a relatively new profession that has a (reasonably) low barrier for entry and has seen its fair share cowboys come and go in the attempt to make a quick buck.
To pay the bills as a fitness professional usually involves getting up at the arse crack of dawn, working long hours, attending management meetings and consuming copious amounts of coffee in the hopes you have enough energy to workout.
NOTE – this is changing due to the rise of online personal training.
And when working for most commercial gyms, the trainer will be lucky to earn a 50/50 split, which sounds good in theory but those new to the industry fail to account for all the work that goes into preparing for a session.
Hint, when the trainer is a newbie (like I was) it’s a lot.
However, most fitness professionals want to help people and not stack their wallets full of cash, unless you’re a celebrity trainer who really likes to be on TV endorsing crappy products that act as overpriced clothes hangers.
Do I really need to name, names? I’ll get into trouble.
However, I’m stepping off my soap box now and stepping into the confessional and revealing my deepest, darkest secrets that I’ve been hiding from my clients for years.
I hope none of them are reading. 😊
1. I’m a Lousy Repetition Counter
There’s a saying around the industry that trainers are gloried rep counters. They count the reps, write it down on the workout card and say “good job” as they move on to the next exercise.
Unfortunately, for my clients I’m terrible at counting reps because I’m focused on technique, external cues to fix their form or encouraging them. Amid all of that, I lose count and when they ask how many reps to go I say, ‘Do 2 more.’
Then a dirty look comes across their face as they respond with ‘you’ve got no idea.’
I’ll never tell. However, wait, I just did.
2. It Never Turns Off
Being a coach and getting paid for it is one of the greatest jobs in the world. Essentially, coaches get paid for telling people what to do, how do it and to rip them a new one when they screw up.
Furthermore, coaches get to wear comfortable pants and pass off their caffeine addiction as hydrating. However, there’s a price to be paid for this……….
The coaching button is always on.
When I’m working out or training a client, I’m always looking around the gym and judging people’s form to see if they’re performing an exercise well or poorly. And the more I tell myself not to look and judge, the more I do it anyway.
So, when you see some guy at the gym slapping his forehead and shaking his head while someone is humping the ground doing push-ups, that will be me.
Please wave and say hi.
3. Do As I say, Not As I Do
Good nutrition and exercise work hand in hand for superior health. One is better than none, however both are ideal if you want to crush your goals. And I recommend this to all my clients like a broken record but there’s only one problem, my diet is far from perfect.
I love chocolate, beer, potato chips and burgers and sometimes all at once. If it’s battered and fried, it’s in my mouth and when I eat out, I finish what’s on my plate, no matter how full I am.
When telling a client, they must eat better, cut the crap and suck it up if they want to lose weight, I feel like the biggest hypocrite of all.
4. I Am Working, Really.
The gym floor is a unique workplace environment because the trainer is always on show. It’s not like your usual office cubicle with a desk, chair and a computer where you can pretend to work while catching up on the weekend highlights.
You can definitely tell when a trainer is not working.
However, it seems hard for the general gym public to realize when a trainer IS working with a client. I’ve lost count the amount of times I’ve been interrupted (other trainers can back me up here) when a client is in a middle of an exercise.
“Can you take a picture of me and my friend?”
“What’s the best exercise for (insert body part here)?”
“Are you using this?”
“Is this squat rack free for biceps curls?”
“Do I look fat in this dress?” Oh wait, now I’m getting confused.
I often reply with ‘can’t you see I’m working?’ Which is often met with a blank, confused stare and snooty huff and puff as they storm away. The next person who does this to me, I’ll go all Samuel Jackson on their butt.
That will learn teach them.
5. Sometimes the Gym is the Last Place I Want to Be
Like a chef who orders pizza for dinner when he or she gets home from work, sometimes I’d rather watch Oprah re runs than drive to the gym and train.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the gym environment but after a while of training clients, watching silly people do silly things and the management chewing your butt out for not tucking your shirt in, the weight room is the last place I want to be.
I’d rather take my dog for walk.
Finishing Up
That feels great to get that off my chest and I hope it was as good for you as it was for me. Please keep in mind that coaches are human too and they’re not perfect.
And please don’t break my concentration when I’m working. You’ve been warned.
About the Author
Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.
I’m heading out to Kansas City today for The Fitness Summit.
My boy, Shane McLean, was kind enough to send along this stellar article extolling the merits of “reaching” and how it can help make your shoulders not hate you.
Reaching: The Underrated Key to Key to Shoulder Health
When you’ve lifted weights for any length of time (I’m assuming you do because you read this site) you’ve probably had some type of shoulder injury. They suck as hard as a mother in law getting all up into your business.
And as a result, your gains and patience grind to a halt.
The shoulder is a shallow ball and socket joint that has the incredible ability to move in multiple directions. This allows you to lift humongous weights, throw baseballs and footballs really fast or to do the wave when you’re bored out of your mind at a baseball game.
All that mobility is great, but the shoulder needs stability too. The four muscles of the rotator cuff work hard to keep this ball and socket joint in a vertical position no matter you do to your shoulder.
However, the rest of the stability equation is up to you by getting the muscles around the shoulder girdle strong. This is (usually) achieved by doing variations of pushes, pulls, shoulder raises and planks.
Push-Up Palooza
Pull-Up Palooza
Meathead Palooza
Even when you minimize the risk of injury by doing the right things, the occasional shoulder injury can happen while lifting because sometimes we (yes me too) can get a little over ambitious.
However, there’s one little movement that most lifters neglect to do that can help prevent niggly shoulder injuries from occurring at all.
Do you what it is?
Reach, baby, reach.
What were you, thinking? More bicep curls?
Reaching is a movement that you perform every day. You reach for
the food in the fridge
the food in the pantry
the door
the dumbbells to do more curls
Adding a reach while performing pushes and pulls is important for your shoulder health because this allows the shoulder blades to move across your ribcage as intended.
The muscle that allows this magic to happen is the often neglected and unloved Serratus Anterior. This a broad muscle that wraps around the ribcage and acts to stabilize the scapula by holding it against the back of the thoracic wall.
In other words, it’s kind of a big deal.
When you’re lifting in the horizontal plane with exercises such as one arm cable chest presses/ rows or pushups, the Serratus Anterior main job is to protract/abduct the shoulder blades.
Now if the Serratus didn’t do its job correctly, then the scapula doesn’t move around the ribcage like it should (scapular winging) and muscular imbalances and mobility limitations may result.
And nobody has time for that.
However, just by adding a simple reach to a horizontal push or pull will help strengthen the Serratus and take your shoulders through a fuller range of motion which makes for happier shoulders and maybe a happier mother in law.
You can only hope.
Reaching vs. Rounding
Reach and Row
The simple act of adding a reach has huge implications for your shoulder health and strength and it’s an easy movement to add to your lifting repertoire.
The Serratus also plays a vital role in scapulohumeral rhythm as an outward rotator of the scapula that allows your arms to get into an overhead position. This is vital for lifting weights overhead and for reaching for anything above your shoulders.
If the Serratus is inhibited in any way, the body will find a way to perform the movement regardless and that faulty pattern over a period of time may lead to pain and dysfunction. This usually occurs in the upper traps, neck and lower back.
Stop for a moment and see if you can raise your arms above your head, getting your biceps by or behind your ears without your ribcage coming forward or your lower back over arching.
This test is best performed in front of a mirror without a shirt on. I thought you’d like that.
Now, if you can that’s great but if you can’t, try foam rolling the lats and performing some Serratus wall sides and then re testing your shoulder mobility for any improvement.
Serratus Wall Slide Variations
However, even if you don’t have any problems in that department, performing the Serratus wall slide is still a fantastic warm up and mobility exercise for your shoulders.
Wrapping Up
Taking care of the shoulders is imperative when you’re crushing the weights because you probably don’t think about the health of your shoulders until it’s way too late.
However, by showing a little love and affection to the Serratus Anterior, you can keep lifting pain-free and stay off the Physical Therapists table to boot.
Therapy, who has time for that?
About the Author
Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.
Straight sets, pyramid sets, drop sets, cluster sets…
…it can all be rather confusing to the newbie lifter, or even seasoned veteran. How many sets should you do? What exercises are the best fit? What about rest? Is it normal to not feel the right side of your face?
All are pertinent questions and with today’s guest post Dallas based personal trainer, Shane McLean, helps to clear the air.
When I first started lifting, I had no idea about all the different types of sets.
When I went to the gym, I would saunter over to the dumbbell rack and bust open my biceps with some curls.
And when I did curls, I did them it front of the mirror and the whole gym knew about it.
However, my biceps remained small and so did I.
That’s until I started learning about all the set schemes that exist in the iron universe. Like most boys when they started out lifting weights, I did the workouts from muscle magazines hoping that it would make me look like the guys on the cover.
That didn’t work out at all but, it was the first time I heard about pairing sets together, known as supersets. You mean you could pair exercises together, increase training efficiency and build muscle all at the same time?
My mind was blown.
This led me further down the rabbit hole of all the different set methods which in turn led me to be armed with a coffee cup, a clip board, a stopwatch and telling people what to do with a dumbbell while wearing comfortable pants.
Yes, that’s right I’m a Personal Trainer.
Now you can benefit from my 25 years in the iron game, with eight of those years writing programs for people that get results.
Read on and learn things.
NOTE: These are guidelines and there will be exceptions to the information presented here.
1) Straight Sets
What Are They? – Doing just the one exercise for one or multiple sets with rest in between sets
The Best Use For Straight Sets? – They’re often used for barbell exercises like deadlifts, squats, presses and rows. All your energy is focused on getting stronger with that one move.
Types of Exercises That Straight Sets Work Best For? – Compound barbell/dumbbell like those discussed above.
How Many of Sets Should You Do?– It depends on how many reps in each set. More reps mean less sets and less reps mean more sets. Another factor is load. The closer you are to your one rep max, you’ll do less reps more sets and vise versa.
For example- 3 sets – 3 reps 90% 1 rep max. Or 4 sets of 5 reps 83% 1 rep max.
How Much Rest Between Sets?– usually 2-3 minutes rest between sets.
2) Supersets
What Are They?– Is one set of an exercise is performed directly after a set of a different exercise with minimal rest in between them.
The Best Use For Supersets?– They’re ideal for building muscle, fat loss and for those who have a limited amount of time to train.
Types of Exercises Supersets Work Best For?– Really anything goes here. Barbell, dumbbells, kettlebell, bodyweight, resistance bands and machine exercises all work. You can use compound (exercising multiple muscles groups) or isolation (single muscle) exercises.
Different Types of Supersets
1. Compound supersets, when both exercises work a similar body part.
For example:
1A. Squat
1B. Lunge
2. Non-competing supersets, pairing a lower body exercise with an upper body exercise.
For example:
1A. Squat
1B. Dumbbell bench press
3. Isolation/compound supersets which you pair a single joint exercise with a compound movement or vise versa.
For example:
1A. Triceps extension variation
1B. Barbell bench press
How Many of Sets Should You Do? – Anywhere from 2- 5 sets (depending on how much time you have to train) and repetitions can range from anywhere between 6- 15 reps per set.
How Much Rest Between Supersets? – Limited rest between the exercises themselves and anywhere between 60-120 sec rest between supersets.
3) Tri-Sets
What Are They? – Doing 3 different exercises back to back to back.
The Best Use For Tri-Sets?– They are ideal for fat loss, muscle building and for people who want maximum training efficiency.
Types of Exercises Tri-Sets Work Best For?– Really anything goes here also. Barbell, dumbbells, kettlebell, bodyweight, resistance bands and machine exercises all work. Furthermore, having all the equipment close to you will cut down on transition time between exercises.
Different Types of Tri-Sets
You can use them to bring up a lagging body part.
For example, shoulders:
1A. Single arm shoulder press
1B. Lateral shoulder raises
1C. Reverse fly
Or mobility tri sets to help improve your movement.
For example, hip mobility exercise for the squat:
1A. Goblet squat
1B. Push up
1C. Half kneeling hip flexor stretch
Or when pushed for time you can combine strength and cardio exercises to get the best of both worlds.
For example:
1A. Leg exercise
1B. Upper body exercise
1C. Cardiovascular exercise 30- 60 seconds
How Many of Sets Should You Do? – Usually 3- 4 sets and anywhere between 6- 15 reps per exercise.
How Much Rest? – Limited rest between the exercises and 90-120 seconds rest after each tri-set.
4) Timed Sets
What Are They?– Doing an exercise for certain amount of time or completing the programmed reps in a certain amount of time.
The Best Use For Timed Sets?– They can be used for building muscle but they’re excellent for incinerating body fat.
Types of Exercises Timed Sets Work Best For?– Any piece of equipment that allows for an easy transition between exercises is a winner. For example, barbell, dumbbell, bodyweight, kettlebell and resistance bands.
Different Types of Timed Sets
Every minute on the minute sets where you complete a certain amount of reps and then rest the reminder of the minute before moving on to the next exercise.
For example:
1A. Goblet squat- 8 reps
1B. Row- 8 reps
1C. Goblet reverse lunge- 8 reps on each leg
1D. Chest press- 8 reps
1E. Biceps curls – 8 reps
Or you can scrape the reps and it’s just you versus the stopwatch where you try to do as many reps as possible in a pre-determined timeframe. For example, a full body circuit using bodyweight, barbells and dumbbells.
1B. Push variation- Incline push up, Push up or Dumbbell bench press.
1C. Single leg exercise- Reverse lunge, Forward lunge or Side lunge
1D. Pull variation- Rack pull, Dumbbell bent over row or Standing cable row.
1E. Core- Alternating side plank, Mountain climbers or Front plank.
How Many of Rounds Should You Do? – It depends how long you’ve got to train. Using the above examples, these circuits takes 5 min to complete so 3- 5 rounds would suffice.
How Much Rest?– You rest when you’re done.
5) Ladder Sets
What Are They? – One big superset when you compete the reps of both exercises in an ascending or descending order. For example, 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 or 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10.
Best Use For Ladder Sets – They’re great way to finish your training and to add volume to a body part that needs working on. Furthermore, they can be used for a stand-alone training when pushed for time.
Types of Exercises Ladder Sets Work Best For?– Bodyweight, kettlebells, medicine balls, battle ropes and dumbbells work great.
For example, the kettlebell swings/medicine ball slam combo:
Instructions:Do 20 reps each of the swings and the slams and go down by 2 each time you perform a round until you reach two reps for each exercise (for example 20-18-16-14….2). If you don’t have access to medicine balls, substitute in battle rope slams.
Battle Rope Slams
Med Ball Rotational Slam
https://youtube.com/watch?v=YHgXAFY4H1Q
How Many Rounds Should You Do?– Just one will do, if you’re doing it right.
How Much Rest? –Again, you’ll rest when you’re done.
6) Cluster Sets
What Are They?– Sets with a predetermined rest period between reps within the same set.
For example:
Load the barbell to 85-90% of your maximum, a weight you could normally lift 3 times.
Do one rep and rack the bar.
Rest 10 seconds.
Do another rep and rack the bar.
Rest for 10 seconds.
Do this 4-6 times total
Best Use For Cluster Sets– They’re best used for building strength but be warned, when using heavier weights with shorter rest periods while increasing volume can lead to fatigue.
For example, (4×2) x5 sets – is 5 total clusters of 4 mini sets of 2 reps with 10 seconds rest in between. That’s 40 reps at 85-90% of your 1 rep max.
Types of Exercises Cluster Sets Work Best For?– Barbell exercises like squats, presses and rows but can be used for chin-ups also.
How Many Sets Should You Do?– Anywhere from 3- 6 clusters.
How Much Rest Between Clusters? – 3 minutes or more between clusters because of their demanding nature.
7) Drop Sets
What Are Drop Sets? – Is a method where you perform an exercise and then reduce the weight (usually 15- 30% drop) and continue for more reps until you reach failure.
Best Use For Drop Sets– Ideally, it’s your last set of the day. This method is used to add muscle and volume to a body part. However, it’s not for the faint of heart because you will feel the burn.
Types of Exercises Drop Sets Work Best For – Barbell, dumbbell and machine exercises.
A Different Type of Drop Set
Rather than dropping the weight and lifting till failure, you can perform mechanical drop sets where you use the same weight the entire time. You start an exercise in a mechanically weaker position to one in which you’re in stronger position.
For example, the dumbbell bench press mechanical drop set:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=KfYNhAGAm0w
This is a truly sadistic method for building muscle, but it works. If you want more ideas, read this excellent article by John Romaniello.
How Many Drop Sets Should You Do? – Once per training and probably no more than twice per week.
How Much Rest? – If you’re doing it right, you’ll need a nap.
Wrapping Up
Wow, you got to the end and you’re probably hungry. Please go get some protein.
Now, you’re armed with the knowledge to take your training to the next level and to hulk smash your way through any plateaus. Happy lifting.
About the Author
Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.
It may come as a surprise to some reading, but I have a coach, someone who writes my programs and to whom I’m accountable towards. It’s one of the best things I have ever done.
Likewise I have a number of coaches as clients myself, and I feel it’s one of the highest compliments I can receive. One such individual is Shane McLean who’s a personal trainer in Texas.
He took the time to write up this short summary of why he chose to hire a coach and why he feels it’s an important component for anyone to consider, coach or not.
It was the middle of July in the sweltering, unforgiving Texas heat and my football coach was making the team run 200-meter sprint repeats at the END of practice. As you can imagine, we were all thrilled and no one complained at all.
After a few intervals, most of the team was gassed and we still had a few more to go. When my turn came around, I took off sluggishly and the coach was none too pleased. He started to scream a few choice words in my direction.
It was nothing that bears repeating here because what’s said on the field stays on the field, just like what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
However, among the expletives, he dropped a pearl of wisdom.
“Practice should be harder than the game, so the game is easy.”
That was all the motivation I needed. I sucked it up, dug deep and ran out my final intervals without compliant.
That’s the beauty of having a coach.
The coach picks you up when you’re feeling down and makes you dig deep when you’re spent and can still see the good in you when nothing is going your way.
Coaches Need Coaches Too
Being a personal trainer, I see the value of coaching from both sides of the fence. I coach clients in a one-on-one setting and I also reach out to fellow professionals for advice when I’m struggling with my own progress.
Because there are times when coaches need coaches.
You can benefit from having a coach in your corner at some time in your life, whether you’re already a coach or you’re looking for something bigger and better in your life.
A little of Drill Sergeant Lou (or Tony Gentilcore) can be just what you need.
He’s a thinking man’s coach.
And because Lou was busy, I reached out to Tony (lucky for me he responded) because I was struggling with my own progress. My goal was and still is to deadlift twice my bodyweight.
However, after a back injury and long break from deadlifting, I had no clue where to start.
Tony loves to lift heavy things and I wanted to lift heavy things, so doesn’t this sound like the start of a beautiful bromance?
However, I was in a bit of a pickle because I couldn’t afford to pay him what he’s worth, so we came to another arrangement.
That tells you what kind of person he is.
He’s not only a man who makes people suffer for a living, he has a heart also.
After a year of online training with Tony, I realized what good coaching is and I decided to share this bromance knowledge with you.
Now, if you’re on the fence about hiring a coach, hopefully my experience with Tony will push you over the edge.
1) Coaches Bring Out Your Best
I’m a believer that you already have the tools inside of you to be a success.
You weren’t put on this Earth to be ordinary, you’re put here to be extraordinary. You may feel like this is new age mumbo jumbo but bear with me for a moment.
Like a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client, you fail to look at yourself objectively. You’re either too hard on yourself or fail to see the good inside of you. You cannot see the forest through the trees.
This just makes us human and not Sheldon Cooper.
However, do you know who can help you access those tools and bring out the best in you? A good coach, that’s who.
Several times during the year, I got down on myself because I was either injured, not lifting what I thought I was capable of or struggling with certain lifts that I suck at, like squats.
The moment I’d express this sentiment to Tony, he would quickly turn the tone around and offer me encouragement, advice and exercise cues to help me keep crushing my workouts.
Being on the receiving end of a pep talk is very empowering.
2) Coaches Provide Knowledge
After 25 years of lifting and over 8 years of coaching clients, I thought I had my shit together.
However, after being exposed to different programs, philosophies and training techniques, I realized that my way wasn’t the only way of doing things.
Imagine that?
Every new program and interaction I had Tony was like a sponge moment. All I needed to do was soak it all in.
3) Coaches Provide Accountability
One of the reasons why people hire coaches is to provide them with accountability because they’ve made an investment of money and time in the pursuit of better health and fitness. It always helps to have some skin in the game.
However, if they don’t show up, they’re wasting their money and the trainer’s time. This can result in one pissed off trainer. Trust me, you don’t want to upset the person who writes your exercise programs for a living.
Before Tony I had the dreaded case of do as I say, not as I do and I was accountable to no one. Now I feel accountable to Tony because he has eyes everywhere (like a ninja) and I also report in every week.
A good coach will help keep you on the straight and narrow.
Wrapping Up
You cannot go through this life alone. At some stage, you’re going to need some help. That’s what a good coach will do, help you be more awesome than you already are.
And who doesn’t want that?
About the Author
Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.
In today’s guest post by Shane McLean he touches on a topic that affects every fitness professional: the “line” or boundary that exists between trainer and client.
What the boundary is and how far a coach/trainer is willing to go to cross it is every individual’s personal choice. It’s an important topic and I’m glad Shane took the initiative to discuss his own experiences.
I’m going to pull back the curtain on training clients in a one-on-one environment. There’s a lot more to personal training than designing programs, counting sets and reps and wearing tracksuit pants. Sometimes the professional/personal line that exists between coach and client gets crossed.
Let me explain. Since being a personal trainer, I’ve had
Three clients pass away
Three who have beaten cancer
One who’s got dementia
Several clients who have had their joints replaced and gone through painful rehabilitation
When studying to become a trainer, these situations never came up in any of my textbooks because nothing prepares you for things like that.
Only life can.
When dealing one-on-one with these clients while they’re suffering, the professional boundaries that trainers should have with their clients gets blurry.
How can it not? Trainers are not robots.
Although my (and most) personal training clients come to the gym to forget their problems, sometimes the burden they carry is too heavy and they need someone to talk to. All a trainer can do is lend a sympathetic ear much like your hairdresser or local bartender.
And for most personal trainers (myself included), personal training is much more than a pay check or a business transaction. It’s a real opportunity to make a difference in the lives of their clients whether they’re fighting fit or not.
Trainers share in their clients’ successes, failures and heart aches. Often exercise is the easy part of the equation during a session but the mindset or ‘getting into the mood’ can be more difficult.
Trying to get clients into the right frame of mind when they are in pain takes this mindset thing to a different level. Because let’s face it, exercise can be hard enough even when we’re healthy, let alone sick.
Over two years ago I was hired to work privately with an elderly couple in their home. Both had their share of health problems but the male was in bad shape. He was unable to perform simple self-care duties and found walking extremely difficult.
He and his wife performed simple balance and mobility exercises and fundamental human movements once or twice a week. Even at their advanced age, they were looking to improve their quality of life.
Both were so sweet to me that it was difficult not to get close to them. I would often stay after our sessions to hear their stories and join them for lunch. They welcomed me into their home like I was a part of their family.
However, the male’s health took a turn for the worst a few months into our time together and a few weeks later he passed away peacefully.
It was one of the saddest situations I’ve ever witnessed and made me feel very fortunate that I got to spend time sometime with him and his wife. I’ll cherish the stories they told me forever.
Earlier this year, I was rocked by the death of former client who was taken from this earth because of pancreatic cancer. When we worked together, over two years ago now, he had turned his life and health around.
He was fit, strong and full of life and then cancer robbed him of this. He fought to the end with humor, grace and dignity. I still miss him to this day.
Both of these situations provided a challenging conundrum for one who’s business is personal. When does professional become personal? When is it ever okay for professional/personal boundaries to be crossed?
Most of us know it’s not okay for a trainer to sleep with their client and for a teacher to get sexually involved with a student.
That’s clearly crossing the line.
However, on the other hand, is it okay to visit a client who’s on life support in hospital and to be there for support? Is it crossing the line to go out to lunch with a client and share personal stories?
Like some laws are meant to be broken, some boundaries (I think) need to be crossed, especially when it’s a matter of life and death. However, there is some inherent risk involved here.
When putting yourself out there and crossing boundaries your feelings or the client’s feelings may get hurt. Your wallet may suffer, and if you ever witness sickness or death it’s going to be painful for all involved.
I made a judgement call (and will continue to make it) that I’m going to be there for clients when it comes to life, death and sickness. Am I crossing the line?
You can be the judge.
However, I feel in matters of the heart, you should follow the heart more often than not and the boundaries that exist between a service provider/client should be tossed away.
Wrapping Up
Personal and professional boundaries exist for a reason. It can stop laws and feelings from being broken. However, when suffering and death happens and you’re in the middle of it, lines will get crossed.
About the Author
Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.
