For the purpose of this blog I am going to dive into common pitfalls I encounter with people from all walks of life, who want to take on the world, yet fall dismally short; time and time again. These are common occurrences within all industries and I am not here to single anybody out, however will give examples from my profession as it is a realm that I have good experience within.
Mentoring:
Regardless of the industry which you are working or seeking to work within, my advice would be to surround yourself with those who can help your development and guide you to becoming valued and at the top of your game. In order to do this, you not only need a good sense of direction yourself, something that will change and develop over time, but you also need to be surrounded by those who are well on their way to being successful.
Understanding de-loads.
Whilst there is always going to be the right tool for the job, we need to keep an open mind to the factors which lead to success or failure within the weights room. More often than not, people place a great deal of thought into their accumulative phases and not as much time is spent considering the metabolic costs and resultant fatigue of their endeavours. It is with this premise that I aim to give you the best understanding of how to best structure a period of work, followed by what is commonly known as a “de-load” or decreased intensity phase.
Understanding intensity:
“Athletes and coaches seek to maximise sporting performance through training. In order for the training sessions to be optimal they should be based upon scientific principles and an understanding of the dose-response nature of the training methods employed.” A lot of people are lead to believe that intensity simply means how hard you feel you worked during a session. This is not the case and I will be giving you some examples as to why, and how to better understand work rates for the purpose of more objective and purposeful training prescriptions.
Understanding the Deadlift and performing it correctly:
For the purpose of this article I am going to highlight the benefits as well as pitfalls of the Deadlift, probably one of the most commonly performed lift within the gym. As this exercise comes with a huge amount of benefit, it also comes with some risks and I am going to hopefully mitigate some of the grey areas within this blog, and have you not only understanding the lift more clearly, but also able to performing it more correctly.
How to be professional within the fitness industry:
Throughout this blog I am going to draw upon my 11 years of experience within the industry and provide you with some tips to always ensure you stand out and are seen as the professional you are trying so hard to be.
Mobility and travel. How to fight the red eye stiffness:
It is not uncommon to experience some pain and discomfort as a result of flying. Common areas of concern are the neck, mid back and lower back and can often hinder your time away. Whether you are travelling for work or play, I have devised a list of mobility exercises which could assist you in feeling human again after a red eye for work, or a single stop over Airbus to Europe.
Training to failure is training to fail!
The purpose of this blog will be to inform you of the potential negative effects a “training to failure” style work out can have for your overall strength and hypertrophy goals within the gym.