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Category: Myths and Truths

Death to Bootcamps

It is 2021, we are 10,000 months into a pandemic, and there is no better time to rethink the “bootcamp” fitness model and the bootcamp mentality.  Let’s have a fitness industry reset, shall we?  When you know better, you do better!

The implications contained in the name “bootcamp” immediately put participants on notice that they are in for a tough time. There is nothing wrong with working hard, but all too often bootcamp classes end up hurting participants rather than helping them improve their health and fitness over the long term.

YOU DESERVE BETTER.

Am I against people getting up and getting moving?  Absolutely not!  Am I against movement that will injure you, crush your spirit, and prevent you from exercising LONG TERM and CONSISTENTLY? Absolutely.

What is your first thought when you think of a bootcamp?  I will go first:

  • Military
  • Grind
  • Uncomfortable
  • Soul crushing
  • Hateful
  • Usually early mornings (to make it more hardcore)

If you look it up, Wikipedia says:  “Boot camp is defined as a type of exercise program based on military-style fitness training. An example of boot camp is an early morning class that has students doing lots of running and push ups.

 Also mentioned: … “trains groups of people, may be outdoors and may involve physical training similar to that used by the military or activities borrowed from military basic training.”

 Another Google search also turned up:   “Boot camps are part of the correctional and penal system of some countries. Modeled after military recruit training camps, these programs are based on shock incarceration grounded on military techniques. The aggressive training used has resulted in deaths in a variety of circumstances.”

A common word you’ll find in these searches is ‘disciplinary’, implying that fitness or exercise is a punishment. Fitness should never be considered discipline or punishment, but unfortunately this approach to exercise is a significant problem in our industry. A common example of this mindset is using exercise to punish yourself for eating food you weren’t “supposed” to eat, or to make up for activity goals you didn’t meet.   Exercise can and should be enjoyable, and you just need to find what is enjoyable for you.

Let’s face it, many fitness “professionals” make exercise out to be awful and use that as their main selling point.  These professionals are usually lacking expertise and experience, and they seem to believe the entirety of their job is to make people tired rather than making them better. They throw together a bunch of the most exhausting and most hated exercises in a circuit with minimal rest and call it “bootcamp” to make it sound cool.  Exercise simply doesn’t have to be like that.  It should be challenging, yes.  But it should also be something that you can do repeatedly over the long haul.

Bootcamps tend to attract people who are new to fitness, who are after quick results, or who are under the impression that the more hardcore the experience is, the better the results.  Essentially, bootcamps are money-making tools used by less-qualified trainers to attract people who, for one reason or another, have been led to believe that soul crushing “HIIT-like” workouts are the only way to get in shape.

The biggest attraction to bootcamps is the promise of HIIT (high intensity interval training), which has been marketed to burn the most fat and improve cardio faster than all other exercise methods. Research has indeed demonstrated that properly programmed and properly applied HIIT can do just that!  HIIT involves short and very intense bursts (90% of maximum intensity) of exercise (5-20 seconds) with brief (30 to 90 seconds) intervals of rest in between. This style of training should only last between 7-15 minutes, at most.

The problem? 99% of the time, people are not doing actual HIIT training as tested in the scientific research.  Real HIIT training means your heart is working at 90% of your max capacity for a very brief time period. Bootcamp classes do not get participants’ heart rates anywhere close to this. And if your class is lasting 30-60 minutes, that cannot possibly be HIIT training…because you would literally be dead. So let’s be real – you are doing moderate intensity interval training (MIIT), which is still valuable and beneficial to overall fitness and health, as long as your form is good and you are not hurting yourself.  (I would also note that you do not need to do MIIT every day to get in shape.)

ARE YOU GETTING TIRED or ARE YOU GETTING BETTER?

Most people need to learn how to move correctly before they can even attempt to do anything high intensity. The complete mismatch between low readiness for movement and high workout intensity is why and where injuries happen.  Unfortunately, most people that do bootcamps either:

1) don’t stick with it long enough to see any kind of results, and/or

2) get hurt, which is why they don’t stick with it.

These common outcomes can completely deter well-meaning people from exercise because it is grueling, it is not enjoyable, and it now comes with a fear of injury. However, the goals of improved endurance, strength, and cardiovascular health can all be improved without risking injury and crushing your soul, but you likely won’t hear the bootcamp instructor tell you that.

Unfortunately, any shitty programming may produce some of the desired results if it is done with consistency.  That’s the beautiful thing about our bodies.  They adapt, and doing anything is always better than doing nothing.  With bootcamps, however, these adaptations come at a high cost – injuries and bad habits from constantly training under fatigue.

We now know what bootcamps really are – moderate intensity circuit training.  When programed and coached properly, moderate intensity circuit training has a place!  It’s a great way to work on conditioning and endurance.  But let’s move past the marketing hype that it is a fitness panacea, and past the belief that almost puking after every workout is the ticket to being in shape.  Exercise should build you up, keep you injury-free, and not consistently crush you and prevent you from enjoying its benefits in life.

Listen, if bootcamps are your thing and they are the only thing that gets you up and moving, GREAT. I can’t hate on that.  Group-style classes are a great budget friendly way to get in some exercise, with a community, and who can hate on that.  Just be sure you are signing up for group exercise that is programmed intelligently and with the purpose of actually helping you get better, not just tired.  Always consider longevity and safety when you commit.  Don’t be afraid to ask the instructor about the programming, and walk away if they are doing burpees (See Blog “F*ck Burpees”:   https://www.svptfitness.com/fck-burpees/ ).  If exercises are programmed for longer than 10-15 seconds at moderate intensity, you are not doing HIIT.  You are doing MIIT and that’s okay…just be real about what you have signed up for.

If you are doing bootcamps for fat loss or to change your body composition, remember – “Exercise Won’t Give you a 6-Pack:  https://www.svptfitness.com/exercise-wont-give-you-a-6-pack/  Crushing your soul and body every day in the name of “HIIT” will not help you burn fat (or to the extent you think it does).  Sorry, but the truth hurts.

As always, my bias is obvious and I will always tell anyone looking to improve their fitness: hire a professional to build a program for YOU – your body, your lifestyle, and your goals – so that you can exercise, enjoy it, and STICK WITH IT.

 

Shara Vigeant, BA, NSCA-CPT, CFSC

Owner, SVPT Fitness & Athletics

To Stretch or To Not Stretch?

There are so many questions and confusion when it comes to stretching. Do we do it? If so, how often and when? Will we die if we don’t?

When it comes to stretching, the opinions are divisive. Some say there’s nothing beneficial about stretching before or after exercise, some say it’s actually a risk to stretch before activities, and others swear that you’ll explode if you don’t stretch before jumping into a workout. So, who is right?

There are a few different ways to stretch. That’s right, not all stretching is the same!

Static stretching is what most people think of first. This involves a stretch that is held for a longer period of time, while holding the same (static) position. Another type of stretching is dynamic stretching. This involves using movement and momentum to propel the muscle into an extended range of motion. There is also Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching. This type of stretching can be used to increase mobility by opening a new range of motion that was not available prior to the stretching. It uses a sequence of contracting and relaxing muscles to basically trick your brain into allowing a greater range of motion.

It seems that there is research to support any argument about stretching, largely because the research is inconclusive at best. There is a consensus that there may be benefits to stretching before exercise, provided that the stretching is not deep, static stretching. There is little evidence to support the idea that not stretching before exercise is detrimental, and you certainly won’t explode. That said, stretching is completely different from warming up before exercise. Stretching is not a warm up, and should not be used as a warm up. Stretching can help prepare the muscles for the stretch they might encounter in the activity you’re about to do, but that won’t prepare your muscles to do the WORK that the exercise demands.

For the average Joe stretching before exercise is neither definitively beneficial nor harmful. More elite athletes, on the other hand, do need to weigh the evidence that there is a temporary reduction in the ability to produce force following a stretching session. This means those in power sports, or sports that do not require a special flexibility or range of motion are better off to skip the pre-game stretch for maximum performance, unless its followed by some type of movement or other explosive type of warm up before heading into practice or game performance.

Stretching post-exercise has largely the same results in terms of studies as pre-exercise stretching. Although there is a marginal increase in reports of less muscle soreness when post-exercise stretching is completed.

It is important to note that the trials that have been completed have centred around static stretching and have not explored other kinds of stretching. It is also important to note that there are no studies that have looked at the chronic effect of stretching, as all have focused on the acute effects of stretching.

So, what does that all mean? More or less, stretch if it makes you feel good, and don’t feel guilty if you don’t. At the very least, getting your stretch on won’t hurt!

Kristen Hansen, BA, CSEP-CPT, PFT-NAIT, NASM-CES, FRCms
SVPT Fitness & Athletics

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

Hustle and bustle! That’s usually what comes to mind with the holiday season and family obligations, work parties, and other social gatherings. This usually means less free time and lots of (tasty) foods and drinks. Maybe this is what sparks the desire in most people to start up a new exercise program in the New Year as a result of guilty feelings towards a month of poor eating and neglecting your healthy routines. Many gyms thrive on the unrealistic goals of the “resolutionists”, but the best ones remain steady throughout the year because they teach balance and not using shame to make you feel like you need to “exercise away” the holiday weight gain.

The #SVPTway isn’t about shame or guilt surrounding the holidays. True LONG TERM success is about recognizing the ebbs and flows of life and not feeling bad when you have less time to give to your healthy habits. The holidays are a time for maintenance, not for making gains in fitness. But hey, if you are making gains then keep it up. We are just saying that maintenance is AWESOME during this time of year. Just keep moving and get some exercise in where you can. Be attentive to what you’re putting in your body, but life is short (READ: eat the damn cake). While the New Year might inspire you to get back into routine and maybe work a bit harder, remember that getting back into things means that you’re going to need to ease in to avoid a burnout. Remember that setting sustainable goals will help you stick to your new routine. Hiring a certified, qualified trainer can help you learn how to set attainable goals and stay motivated as well as keep you accountable which usually means sticking to the plan for longer.

Tips for December training:
● Try to get in exercise where you can – not only will this help you keep your gains, but also relieve holiday stress, and give you a moment of YOU time
● Don’t be afraid to change it up if travel and time means you can’t do what you normally do – opt for outdoor activities, a new class, etc. – something is better than nothing
● Try to incorporate movement into family activities when you can – get everyone moving

Tips for January training:
● Ease into it – don’t go all out in the beginning
● Create SMART goals that are attainable and sustainable – just because its January 1st, doesn’t mean your life has miraculously changed and all of a sudden you can do more than what you could in 2019
● Stay away from trends and challenges
● Hire a trainer to keep you accountable and teach you how to be independent, after all, you don’t want to be making the SAME goals next year. Next year you should be hitting NEW ones!

The ONLY Thing You Need to Get Fit EVER

Now that we have your attention, it’s about time we talk about this one thing that you need to get fitter, healthier and dare we say, happier:  SLEEP.

I am sure you have read or heard before how important sleep is.  Well, we are saying it’s the ONE AND ONLY thing you need to live a healthier and fitter life.  Big claim, right?  Well, we dare to say it because if there is one consistent factor we see in clients that affects their performance, mood, food choices, mental clarity, stress…it is LACK OF SLEEP.  Everyone wants to get more done in a day, and with our hectic lives, sleep is usually the first activity to be sacrificed.

We see a lot of people at SVPT and can honestly say that the one issue that keeps coming up with clients is their lack of sleep, or living in sleep deprivation.  They think it’s their training program or diet that is not working but actually it’s the fact that they just simply are not getting enough sleep! 

Proper sleep means normal energy levels. If you are trying to get in shape and sculpt your body you will definitely need energy. People who feel sleepy can’t find the energy to work out, prepare a healthy meal or simply take a walk.

On top of lack of energy, sleep deprivation also means that your body won’t have time to recover from training. In case you didn’t know, your body needs some time to repair muscle tissue after a workout and also restore chemical balances.

Here are a few other things that can happen with a lack of sleep (no citing sources here, but you can ask your doctor and the internet):

  • Memory Issues
  • Mood Changes
  • Weakened Immunity
  • Difficulty Concentrating
  • Accidents
  • Weight Gain
  • Poor Balance
  • Risk of Heart Disease
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Decreased Performance/Endurance
  • Injuries Won’t Heal 

You cannot crush fitness goals in a consistently sleep deprived state.  Normally we would say that consistency is the real key to fitness success, but without sleep you can’t apply consistency.  

Sleep is one of those things that needs to be trained, and made into a routine.  The body loves routine and homeostasis.  Make a plan to go to bed at the same time for 2 weeks.  Yes, even on the weekends.  Commit to getting a solid 8 hours for 2 weeks and see what happens to your energy, recovery and quality of life. 

We dare you.

A well-rested body (and mind) is a force to be reckoned with! 

 

Shara Vigeant, BA, NSCA-CPT*D, CFSC

Top 5 Fitness Myths That Need to Die

#1 – Lifting weights will make you bulky

This is mostly for the ladies. Simply put, women don’t have the hormonal profile to become mass monsters. Females are missing a key ingredient in muscle building – the high levels of testosterone present in men. It’s much more difficult for women to build large muscles as compared to men, and it will likely take you years if you choose to try for this goal. Even for men, the task of adding muscle mass requires a significant amount of time, work, and dedication. To add large amounts of muscle as either a man or woman, you need to be in a calorie surplus, lift heavy weights in the gym, and train very frequently. The women you see out there with bulging muscles are training incredibly hard to achieve this physique, likely spending inordinate amounts of time in the gym and using extreme training methods that are completely unsustainable for average gym-goers. (They may also have some pharmaceutical “help”). Lifting heavy weights 2-4 days a week will not make you the Hulk. Trust us, it’s okay to lift weights heavier than your purse.

 

#2 – _________ is bad for your ____________.

Any exercise that your body is NOT prepared for can turn bad, especially if you jump from the couch to 100mph. Squats are bad for your knees if you have shitty hips or ankle issues. Running is bad for your knees if you haven’t prepared your body for the force of hitting the ground repeatedly. Deadlifts are bad for your back if you don’t do them properly. Any exercise performed incorrectly becomes “bad”, and exercises that your individual body is not ready for are bad for YOU, specifically. If you have pain while doing a certain exercise, seek out the answer, don’t avoid the pain and hope it will go away. Seek out a personal trainer to figure out why it’s there, and get a modification.

 

#3 – Sweating means I am burning more fat.

NO. Just NO. How much you sweat does not correlate with how intense your workout was. It just means the room is hot, or your body temperature is high, or you are hydrated, or you are working hard, or you are wearing too many layers, or you are out of shape, or you are in great shape, or any combination thereof. Fitness marketers have you believing that a ‘sweat sesh’ to get your body dripping will have your fat crying. Help us all. (Refer to our blog: “Exercise won’t give you a 6-pack.”)

 

#4 – No pain, no gain.

If you are in pain when you are exercising, seek help. The goal should always be pain free movement. Yes, there will be the small discomfort of sore muscles after engaging in some hard work, but this will dissipate as you get stronger. Enough with the idea that workouts need to crush your soul to be effective. They don’t. And if you find yourself on the pain train, please seek help from a fitness professional so you can find peace in your fitness journey.

 

#5 – Toning. Motherfu*king Toning.

It’s mostly women who are guilty of this one. “I just want to tone”, they say. What does that even mean, exactly? Your muscles are already toned, they are just covered by body fat. And if you want to see more of them, you have to remove the layer of fat covering them. I think more women need to frame this goal as wanting to lose body fat and become leaner. Becoming leaner is directly tied to good nutrition. Defined muscles come from a high-quality diet built around fat loss. Of course, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that in order to achieve the look of muscle tone or a toned body, you need to actually have an appreciable amount of muscle…thus, you will need to engage in strength training to complement your fat-loss diet. Women want ‘toned muscles’ but don’t want to strength train to actually develop their muscles. Often, ‘toning’ for women is associated with light weights and high reps. Just because you are not directly looking to add muscle mass doesn’t mean that you should shy away from stressing your muscles with relatively heavy weight. Remember, you can’t get big and massive unless you are training extremely hard and are in a calorie surplus….which will not be the case in a fat-loss nutrition scenario. Also…refer to Myth #1.

Shara Vigeant, BA, NSCA-CPT*D, CFSC

Myths and Truths: Strength Training for Runners

The way to get better at running is to run.

This is a sentiment that many runners subscribe to.  While there is truth to the need to run to become a better runner, cross training and strength training can improve your running without the high impact.  Let’s be real for a moment, running is extremely hard on the body, so anything you can do to keep your body injury free WHILE improving your running without further impact on the body is a win-win.

A well-designed strength program will supplement your run training by adding strength and durability.  This means you will get faster, stronger, and less likely to incur an injury.

Here are a few common myths and truths about strength training as part of a runners training program:

 

Myth: You only need to do strength exercises when you’re injured to fix the injury.

Truth: As a general rule, runners exist in a vicious cycle of chronic injury. The cycle begins with an injury. The runner might then see a physiotherapist or other professional, do their prescribed rehab exercises, then jump right back into the program that injured them while letting the exercises fall to the wayside because the injury is “fixed.”

Injury occurs when the external load exceeds the load bearing capacity of the tissues. Put simply, if your joints, tissues and muscles are not strong enough to perform the tasks you’re asking of them, an injury is inevitable. When an injury occurs, it is because the tissues can’t handle the training load. When an injury is rehabbed fully and properly, it means that the tissues have been restored back to their normal functioning capacity – equal to pre-injury capacity, or ideally even higher. If you do not rehab fully, and jump back into the same running program with tissues that have lower load bearing capacity than they did before, it is no wonder that the injury reoccurs.

Strength training will increase the load bearing capacity of your muscles and tissues in a way that running can’t. This translates to being able to handle a higher training load, with a reduced chance of injury. Strength training will allow you to run more!

 

Myth:  Strength training will make you big and bulky.

Truth: Strength training will add lean muscle mass. Trust me, as someone who actively tries to gain visible muscle, I would love to be able to run everyday and also have the physique of Hugh Jackman in Wolverine. The reality is that this isn’t what happens when you lift weights unless you train very hard and very specifically.

In distance running, the goal is to get from the start to the finish as fast as possible. For many, weights equal muscles, which equal more mass to carry, and this translates to slower times. There is some truth to the idea that the heavier you are, the slower you will be; however, a gain in lean muscle mass is not the same as a gain in adipose or fatty tissue. Adipose tissue is useless weight that you have to carry, while muscle tissue can help do the work. Think of strength training as adding hands to help do the work.

 

Myth: Strength training takes away from your run training.

Truth: A proper strength routine should add to your run training, not take away from it. Your program should be designed to prepare you for your sport. Running is about efficiency, so a training program designed to strengthen hip extension, arm drive, and rotational core, will make you more efficient in your sport. If you find yourself doing a program that includes biceps curls, ditch it. Favour a program that includes functional movement (i.e., exercises that will carry over into your running ability) over isolated exercises.

You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to get strength benefits. It can mean as little as 30-40 mins 2-3 times per week. Your time in the gym should also shift as your running program shifts, meaning less time doing strength work during the high volume weeks and as you get closer to competition. Strength training is your side dish, while running is your entrée. Neither is complete on its own!

 

Kristen Hansen, BA, CSEP-CPT, PFT-NAIT, NASM-CES, FRCms

The Muddled Meaning of Mobility

“Mobility” has become a huge buzzword in the area of fitness and health. The term gets thrown around quite often in online articles, but rarely is its true meaning explained. What exactly is mobility, why is it made out to be such a big deal, and why is it so good for me?

The general definition of mobility is “capable of moving, or being moved freely and easily.” The word mobilityas it relates to the human body refers to a joint’s ability to actively achieve a certain position – that is, to move the joint using the body’s own muscular strength and control, without any external assistance. This is the joint’s “usable” range of motion, the range of motion that you are able to access at any given moment, during any day-to-day activities.

This is in contrast to flexibility, a term that is often used interchangeably with mobility, despite not meaning the same thing. They sound similar, but they are not synonyms! Flexibility means “capable of being bent, usually without breaking.” When talking about the body, it refers to a joint’s ability to passively achieve a position – that is, to use no muscular effort or activation to get there. To get an idea of passive movement, picture a yogi grabbing her foot and pulling it up behind her head. While her joints can obviously get into those positions, it requires the external help of her hands to do so. It is very unlikely that she could lift her leg into that position completely on its own, without her hands pushing it into place. In this example, she has great flexibility but limited mobility. The crucial difference between the two is the way in which her body’s joints achieve the position. Any joint position that requires external help to get into is not a usable position, but is “un-usable” range of motion.

Despite the “un-usable” label, passive flexibility is not bad. It is actually needed in order to have mobility, but it is only one part of the equation. Mobility is a combination of flexibility, strength, and control. To have mobility, you need:

Lots of available passive range of motion (flexibility)  +  lots of strength throughout that range  +  great control over that range

From this, we can see that we have the potential to convert passive flexibility into active mobility through training. Using our yogi as an example, we could train her joints to have the strength and control to lift her leg behind her head unassisted, thus giving her the active mobility to match up with her great flexibility. All of her passive range would become “useable”, which is a very good thing!

Now that we have a better understanding of what mobility actually means, we can dive into why it is so important to have it, as opposed to just having flexibility. Mobility is the key physical ability of the body. If we know that having good mobility means having active control of joints, being able to move them into a ton of different positions, and having strength in all of these various positions, then it’s easy to make the case that having mobility in your joints is the single most important prerequisite to any activity that you do in sport or life. Without the ability to move your joints into the positions needed to do a squat, to take a shot in soccer, to reach overhead and paint the walls in your house, or to bend down and pick up your toddler, your ability to perform those activities safely and effectively is severely compromised. No matter how strong you are, no matter how fit you are…if your joints cannot physically get into the positions that you repeatedly ask them to, your performance and your body will suffer.

Mobility is the base of the training pyramid, and it undergirds absolutely every other physical quality that you can train for (aerobic capacity, strength, power, speed). Mobility is what allows you to pursue and train for all of those other qualities without getting injured, without wearing joints down, without spending undue amounts of time and money on trips to the doctor or the physiotherapist. Mobility is what keeps your joints healthy as you age and prevents you from losing the ability to do the activities you were once able to do.

 

 

Maintaining the necessary mobility to do all of your favorite activities into your later years doesn’t just happen on its own, though. Joints don’t maintain themselves – it takes time, intention, effort, and a lot of movement on our part. Consistently challenging and constantly using the active ranges of motion that you currently have in your joints is the key to keeping those ranges over months and years and decades. Think of a person you know who is older than you. Have you ever heard him or her say something like “these knees/hips/shoulders just don’t move the way they used to” or “I used to be able to [insert activity here] but my [insert joint here] just can’t do it anymore”? Most people would chalk this up to simply getting older, but in many cases the main cause is actually disuse rather than age. Losing mobility in your joints is only a consequence of natural aging if you let it be. The best way to prevent this from happening is to never stop using your joints through the biggest possible range of motion you can.

Is training for mobility fun? Not usually. Is training for mobility easy? No, it is in many cases much more difficult than strength or endurance training. Is training for mobility important and rewarding? Absolutely. It should not be overlooked, or skipped, or disregarded as less worthy than lifting weights or going for a run. Mobility training is an investment in your body, a very long-term one. If you prepare your body to its very best ability to handle the tasks that you throw at it, you put yourself in the best possible position to not only crush life’s daily physical demands, but to keep your body as pain-free and injury-free as possible while doing so.

 

Erica Saunders, BPE, CSCS, FRCms

F*ck Burpees!

Literally. Please stop the madness. STOP.

We don’t burpee. Ever.

On the heels of some of the top trainers in the world, including Ben Bruno and Mike Boyle, we too are saying NO to burpees. #justsaynotoburpees

I know, I know – there are no bad exercises, only bad application. The fitness industry is awesome at fear mongering when it comes to certain exercises (squats are horrible for your knees, don’t you know??!!), but this demonizing of squats, deadlifts, or any number of other legitimate exercises is generally unwarranted and unnecessary.

However, we believe that burpees are one of those exercises that is an exception to this rule and should be retired. While ANY exercise can be dangerous if performed incorrectly, we as trainers can teach and reinforce proper technique to reduce injury risk, as well as scale the difficulty level and choose appropriate load for the trainee. But…burpees are neither coachable nor scale-able.

Simply put, there is no good way to perform a burpee! Too many things can go wrong, as instant fatigue quickly leads to a breakdown of form and feelings. Excessive fatigue leads to sloppy movement, and the resulting floundering, flapping, and flopping that is commonly observed during a set of burpees is a little bit hard to watch, if we’re being honest.

Let’s be real for a moment. There are not too many humans on this planet who actually truly enjoy doing the movement. Why push a client to do something they don’t like, when you can find something they dislike a lot less and you will get far better work QUALITY? After all, isn’t training primarily about learning proper movement and constantly improving the quality of this movement?

Why does a trainer even consider a burpee? Most trainers (and by most, I will say those that are using them regularly) use burpees to ‘punish’ or to raise the heart rate, as a conditioning tool. And of course, it works ‘every single muscle’ in the body. More bang for your buck, right? The huge downside is that as the client gets fatigued, form becomes absolutely atrocious and their risk of injury increases – especially in the lower back. All for the sake of making them tired.

Full disclosure here. Did I program burpees in the past? Absolutely. But once you know better, you do better. As a new trainer, I thought my job was to kill the souls of my clients, and what better way to do that than burpees and all the variations of burpees known to mankind!

Once I started getting more experienced and educated I thought to myself…there has to be BETTER options for the same effect (whole body movement, conditioning, energy system development). After seeing clients butcher the burpee and literally just stop having any productive or high-quality movement, I cut the exercise from my programming for good.

In summary, we free you of burpees for the rest of time. You do not have to do burpees to get in shape, to be fit and to crush goals – there are so many other options and exercises that, when programmed properly, can crush your soul all the same.

Shara Vigeant, BA, NSCA-CPT*D, CFSC

No Trends, No Fads, No Quick Fixes

Some might say what we do at SVPT is boring.  From a certain point of view that is true, as we aren’t sexy, we aren’t flashy, and maybe the cool kids don’t dig us.  But what we are great at is teaching you to master your movement and build fitness that will ultimately make you a bad-ass in life…….for the long term, not just for the next 2 months.

There is no screaming at you, making you puke, or trying to crush your soul.   We believe in building you up, not breaking you down.  I mean, isn’t that the reason you started exercising in the first place – to feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally? No one likes to walk away from a workout feeling worse than when they walked in.

It’s not about being flashy or sexy, cool or stylish – it’s about building fundamental movement skills through challenging fitness fun.  Mastering fundamentals reduces injuries, slows aging, and builds a body that allows you to live a fuller life. When you move better, you live better.  Isn’t that what fitness is supposed to be about? Living a better and more full life, because you are physically able to.

We frequently get asked, “Hey have you seen the latest fitness trend _______ on social media?”.  We see it.  We have cringed at it, and we don’t do it.  We don’t get caught up in the latest social media phenoms.   (And we won’t name any of the current trends/fads out there, because this is not about bashing them, it’s about explaining why we don’t buy into them.)

Training trends and fads are usually the ‘latest and greatest’ exercise, system, or concept to gain attention in the fitness industry or achieve notoriety on social media.  However, just as the latest diet and fashion trends die off, training fads and trends will fade.  And after they fade, you will see many coaches and trainers reverting back to tried and true ‘boring’ systems, because they work.

Boring works.  Simple is genius.  So yeah, we are kind of geniuses.

While we do continuously educate ourselves about the “new” fitness trends, we have found that the common themes of most good fitness systems in our industry involve simplicity.  As we continue our education, we continue adding more tools to our training toolbox.  But more importantly, we learn through experience when it is appropriate to use those tools.  This would include knowing when to use non-traditional or “fancy” implements such as kettlebells, bands, chains, TRX, stability balls, etc. We also know when and when not to use more advanced training methods such as eccentric training, tempo, volume, etc.

A lot of the trends and fads can be effective (for a time), but it comes down to understanding if these trends and fads serve the client’s purpose and goals LONG TERM, because we want to see you continue with your fitness, not blast a 30 day challenge twice a year.  Quick fixes in fitness are just that – quick.  Often not long lasting.  Building fitness is a skill and takes time, just like any other skill.  If you are jumping around from trend to trend, you are more than likely risking injury and not truly building a solid fitness foundation. A foundation is what you need to sustain fitness for the rest of your life.

Great coaching, efficient programming, and good results will never go out of style. More importantly, they will never stop being effective.  Mastering the basics and building a foundation will never be wasted time, and learning quality movement will always be important.  It’s a matter of understanding when the basics can be modified to make them more challenging and fun, but still effective and safe…not a circus act to post on Instagram that will eventually make the Gym Fails compilation.

So when a client vocalizes their disdain for a certain exercise due to boredom or simply because it is a hard exercise, we remind them of the why.  Something wonderful happens when you explain to a client why they are doing something. They become empowered.  All of a sudden they do that exercise just a little bit better.  Ultimately our job is for you to feel confident enough to leave our little gym nest……FLY BIRDIE FLY!   Our job is to have you not need us anymore, and if we are constantly bouncing from trend to trend, we aren’t giving you the foundations to understand fitness and do it on your own.

You will notice we do not sell anything or push anything flashy, sexy, or trendy on you except good old-fashioned hard work, consistency, and sound programming.  That is the secret, our “secret”.

 

Shara Vigeant, BA, NSCA-CPT*D, CFSC