Bad Education

We as coaches and personal trainers  have such a responsibility to our clients and athletes; in fact to the public in general.

We create trends, fads, fashions and habits which are followed, believed and lived by. Lives are changed for the better or sometimes for the worse, and sometimes aren't changed at all which in some ways is the most disappointing of all.

We can change lives

I read two articles recently both of which highlighted the absence of informed education and showed the gulf in knowledge that still exists between those coaches who are professional and always endeavour to deliver the best service possible and those who are only interested in themselves or in it just to make money!

Knowledge, experience and professional conduct

I am not going to name and shame here but a well known celebrity trainer is quoted as advising women not to lift heavy weights and giving totally unfounded and truly ridiculous reasons as to why they shouldn't. Some women will believe this misinformation and miss out on making the gains and changes to their health and fitness that they potentially could. The other side of this coin is that it also shows the PT profession, coaches and all in a very bad, poorly informed and uneducated light.

The other article was an excellent piece by the BBC on the state of the nations health and it's impact on the welfare system, the NHS and the tax payer.

As a nation we eat too much, and too much rubbish as well! We drink too much alcohol and are not active enough. Weight related illnesses are on the increase as are waist lines, whilst more and more young people are being diagnosed as obese.

Healthy lifestyle choices make for fit and healthy lives

GP referal schemes are all well and good and are certainly needed but the intervention needs to be applied sooner and the education on how to live a healthy life needs to go further and deeper in order to reach more people earlier and stop the obesity/inactivity epidemic!

There needs to be more joined up thinking between the various government agencies and the fitness industry, more partnerships and opportunities for the general public to access and learn from the coaches that can make a positive difference.

At Lifestyle Fitness, Kilmarnock we have an ongoing educational programme for the coaches and the level of service provided here is excellent, I am not saying this because I am  coach here but because it is true.

I have been involved in this industry in one way or another for 30 years and I still see some poor examples of coaching and client education.  However, this is getting less and less as those who do strongly believe in this industry continue to strive to make it more professional, better educated and up to date on current practice.

Thanks for reading, please leave a comment or some feedback here or on my Facebook page Get Coached.

Road Blocks and Plateau's

I wish I had a penny for every time someone complained to me that they have stopped making gains, or that no matter how hard they try they just can't increase their back squat load etc! They are frustrated and are looking for an easy or quick answer and are even more frustrated and annoyed when I tell them that there isn't a quick or easy answer that I would recommend. I might suggest they reduce the weight on the bar and refine their technique, or take a rest from that exercise altogether for a few weeks. 

"Avoid the road blocks and blast past the plateau's"

This is more common among young lifters who just turn up and lift with a programme or a plan, or with older lifters who don't periodise their programmes effectively to allow for the increased recovery needed by an ageing body. 

Don't misunderstand me here, I am in no way saying that older people shouldn't lift or expect to make gains! They, we (as I am an older lifter) absolutely should and will; in fact it is vital to have strength training as part of a regular exercise regime as we age because of the increased muscle loss associated with ageing. An appropriate strength training programme will reduce, halt and even reverse this age related muscle loss along with maintaining a higher metabolic rate and joint range of motion.

However, this is not what I wish to discuss here. The concept of periodisation has been around for a long time with a mountain of information available as to what it is and how best to utilise the various methods.

"Periodisation is the systematic planning of physical training to maximise gains"

Traditional periodisation can be defined as the planning of a training regime into distinct phases over a period of time to maximise the benefits and reduce the risk of injury and staleness. Each phase will have a defined aim or goal and will last for a set period of time which can range from days to weeks or even months.

• Quadrennial Cycle - Multi year plan usually and Olympic cycle (4 years)
• Macrocycle - Usually a year in length and represents a complete training period
• Mesocycle - A training phase or block usually 4 weeks in length
• Microcycle - Usually describes a unit of a Mesocycle, normally 1 week in length
• Workout - A unit or structure of a Microcycle and is usually measured in minutes or hours

There are also various different methods used as well such as Linear, Block, Conjugate or Undulating Periodisation. No one method is better than another but which should be used by whom is for another discussion.

The need for a periodised training programme is essential if training for the long term, looking for ongoing gains or have a body that has been round the block a few times and needs to be "managed" appropriately to reduce injury risk and maintain a high standard of output. Building in "down days/weeks" lighter training days or weeks will allow for recovery and regeneration during a training block. A whole training block could even be dedicated to regeneration with a complete remove from the exercises and methods of previous weeks thus allowing the connective tissues, muscles and the mind a chance to recover, regenerate and get ready to go again with renewed enthusiasm and energy. 

"Recover, regenerate, rebound, READY!"

Without this type of planning and persistently using the same routine the risk of injury, staleness and lack of motivation increases whilst the chance of making gains decreases! So don't let those road blocks knock you of course or get stuck on a plateau halfway to your goal. This is not where any committed athlete wants to be, and it is certain not where any coach would want their athlete to be either. Periodisation is not a complex science, although the principles do need to be understood in order to plan and programme effectively. 

The following link to the Breaking Muscle (an excellent resource) article "A Simple Guide to Periodisation" gives a basic insight into periodisation with further suggested reading.

http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/a-simple-guide-to-periodization-for-strength-training 

Thanks again for reading this far, I hope this has proved useful? Please feel free to give appropriate feedback or suggest topics to be covered here on my Facebook page Get Coached.

Approaching 50 and Training Smart

I am going to write this piece from the perspective of an ageing former "athlete", if I can call myself that having played rugby for over 30 years and sprinted at a reasonable level for a few of those too!

Ageing actively, if not gracefully!

Sport is a fantastic thing to both do and watch, however doing it does take it's toll; but so does watching it if you spend too many hours on the couch! If you have been active all your life as I have either competitively or recreationally, then it is not something you want to stop. 

However, I have had to adjust my approach to training as my recovery time is longer and I cannot sustain the training intensities of previous years.

My training goals have also changed as I have aged, I am no longer training for sports performance. Those days are gone, pretty much; although we do have the odd over 40's roll about the rugby pitch every now and then! 

My focus now is on maintaining mobility, a decent level of fitness and strength and trying not to gain too much body fat! 

So I hear you ask "Why are you telling us this?" 

It is well known that as a population we are living longer, there are more opportunities for an ongoing active lifestyle and as such most of us want to sustain our active lifestyles for as long as possible. There are many reasons for wanting to remain physically active; grandchildren are a very strong reason, and a longer retirement will be a terrifying prospect if all you can do is sit and watch daytime tv!
So keeping fit and healthy as we age means training appropriately to keep the risk of injuries low whilst maximising the benefits of training. Training for maximal strength challenges our connective tissue and recovery time between sessions whilst just doing aerobic training might be good for heart health but has limited benefits for overall strength and mobility. A balanced programme combining strength, aerobic and mobility elements specifically designed for you will ensure that you have the best opportunity to to keep fit, healthy and active for many years to come.

Train smart, age actively, healthily and happily! 

To find out more about training smart and what a bespoke programme looks like for you please get in touch by commenting here or on my Get Coached Facebook page. Thanks for reading this article and I hope it gets you moving!