When a man loves a woman, can't keep his mind on nothing else.
When a man works out with a woman, can't keep his muscles working as well?
We know that men, most likely, have stiffer and larger muscles, and are typically stronger than woman. We know that woman, most likely, tend to be more flexible and have better fundamentals than men. I'll say right now that I think women can surpass men in overall fitness if men do not get it out of their minds to always lift heavy. But, women also have to escape or dispel the notion that they will get big if they lift weights.
Men love to lift weights. Heavy weights. But, more could be done to improve dynamic balance and power and to avoid using the same workout program from 1996. Women love cardio and group fitness classes...Lots and lots and lots of cardio... But, more could also be done to improve strength and to get over the fear that "I will get big if I lift more."
But, hey, both genders are tyring. We all are trying.
The fact of the matter is that women have the ability to show off a plethora of fitness skills as long as the effort exists. Check out this example: there are plenty of barrel-bellied men who workout, but the barrel does not proficiently disappear. However, there are plenty of legitimately pregnant women who workout up until the day of birth and beyond - change gradually occurs believe it or not in this population.
Most women seek assistance in reaching their fitness goals. Men also seek assistance, but the, "I can do it all by myself and compile my own workout," takes over. Personally, the best team of group training is one comprised of men and women: so everyone can learn something new from each other; so everyone is motivated; so everyone can have less fear and more grit when working with the opposite gender!
Take care of yourself,
Derek
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
TEEM Performance Training - HAHPN - August #2 2011: Summer Showcase
Health and Human Performance e-Newsletter
- Save The Dates
- Labor Day Is Coming
- Athletics - Just A Word As Fall Approaches
Save The Dates
It does matter whether you are in the Boston area the weekend of Saturday, October 8th and Sunday, October 9th. It is my pleasure to introduce to you TEEM Performance Training's first ever Wellness Seminar, which be held at the University of Massachusetts-Boston Campus (UMASS-Boston). More details will follow, but you can at least mark your calendars. Before saying that you have to run an errand between, say, 10am to 11am on those days, there will be an opportunity in which you can come for both days, one day, for at least one segment, or drop-in. They will also be different prices for each category. Therefore, you get to run errands, attend previously scheduled engagements, and attend this fall 2011 seminar.
Current Tufts 10k training group participants - you get in free!
Labor Day Is Coming
Labor Day is entirely a subjective holiday. Meaning, it is not the official end to the summer. It is the beginning of:
"Oh, darn the kids are back!"
"Oh, man school started last week or starts this week"
"Traffic. More traffic!"
"Really, Christmas cards are out already?"
"Hmm, what will be my New Year's Resolution?"
Let's focus on the last one and reminisce on the others.
So, yes, the summer is about to close when this holiday comes around. But, as spoken before, it is a time of new beginnings and hectic schedules. If we take a look around our community or work area, we may notice that there are fewer people and fewer congested areas. If we observe those same areas when school begins, the sites, sounds, and distractions are different. For those in high traffic cities, let's keep the road rage to a minimum! Now, "hmm, what will be my New Year's Resolution?"
Well, with September as a month of new beginnings, more flow, and more congestion why not make a resolution now instead of in December/January? In this way, by the time D/J arrive we will be well into the new resolution. From a health and fitness perspective, we could drop, safely, about 32lbs. of weight by Jan. 1st if the start is closer to Labor Day and the level of personal seriousness and boundaries remain high. From a health and fitness perspective, we could see significant changes in musculature by Jan. 1st, especially if the goal is to tone or gain muscle. But, we have to be willing to change our normal Fall-Winter regimen. From an athletic perspective, a lacrosse player or baseball player can make firm changes in his/her game as the off-season begins, continues, and ends during this time period.
So, why wait until December 31st, 2011 at 11:59pm to say, "Well, here it goes!"?...Then, January 15th, "OK, now here it goes!"
Athletics - Just A Word As Fall Approaches
You can find definitions for "health", "fitness", "wellness", and "athletics" on the website, which is undergoing changes. However, these definitions are different then the ones normally read in a dictionary or textbook. These definitions have been analyzed and contemplated. Athletics are vast, consuming, diverse, and multi-skillful. The August and September corridor marks a significant increase in the number of athletic events and games across the nation. With the NFL lockout lifted, football, the largest team sport, is working on all cylinders (i.e., rec, youth, high school, college, semi-pro, and pro). Also, the outdoor race season sees its best weather since April during this time.
Most importantly, it is our time commitment that will make this athletic transition smooth. Whether we are watching an event on TV, in-person, or online, our attention shifts or juggles between our primary agenda to our agenda of relaxation, which is athletics - our love of watching athletic prowess is not the only thing, but it is exciting.
Take of yourself,
Derek
Derek Arledge, CSCS
Founder, TEEM Performance Training
Strength & Conditioning, Specialist
www.teempt.com
Training because it is a passion. Serving because it is vast.
- Save The Dates
- Labor Day Is Coming
- Athletics - Just A Word As Fall Approaches
Save The Dates
It does matter whether you are in the Boston area the weekend of Saturday, October 8th and Sunday, October 9th. It is my pleasure to introduce to you TEEM Performance Training's first ever Wellness Seminar, which be held at the University of Massachusetts-Boston Campus (UMASS-Boston). More details will follow, but you can at least mark your calendars. Before saying that you have to run an errand between, say, 10am to 11am on those days, there will be an opportunity in which you can come for both days, one day, for at least one segment, or drop-in. They will also be different prices for each category. Therefore, you get to run errands, attend previously scheduled engagements, and attend this fall 2011 seminar.
Current Tufts 10k training group participants - you get in free!
Labor Day Is Coming
Labor Day is entirely a subjective holiday. Meaning, it is not the official end to the summer. It is the beginning of:
"Oh, darn the kids are back!"
"Oh, man school started last week or starts this week"
"Traffic. More traffic!"
"Really, Christmas cards are out already?"
"Hmm, what will be my New Year's Resolution?"
Let's focus on the last one and reminisce on the others.
So, yes, the summer is about to close when this holiday comes around. But, as spoken before, it is a time of new beginnings and hectic schedules. If we take a look around our community or work area, we may notice that there are fewer people and fewer congested areas. If we observe those same areas when school begins, the sites, sounds, and distractions are different. For those in high traffic cities, let's keep the road rage to a minimum! Now, "hmm, what will be my New Year's Resolution?"
Well, with September as a month of new beginnings, more flow, and more congestion why not make a resolution now instead of in December/January? In this way, by the time D/J arrive we will be well into the new resolution. From a health and fitness perspective, we could drop, safely, about 32lbs. of weight by Jan. 1st if the start is closer to Labor Day and the level of personal seriousness and boundaries remain high. From a health and fitness perspective, we could see significant changes in musculature by Jan. 1st, especially if the goal is to tone or gain muscle. But, we have to be willing to change our normal Fall-Winter regimen. From an athletic perspective, a lacrosse player or baseball player can make firm changes in his/her game as the off-season begins, continues, and ends during this time period.
So, why wait until December 31st, 2011 at 11:59pm to say, "Well, here it goes!"?...Then, January 15th, "OK, now here it goes!"
Athletics - Just A Word As Fall Approaches
You can find definitions for "health", "fitness", "wellness", and "athletics" on the website, which is undergoing changes. However, these definitions are different then the ones normally read in a dictionary or textbook. These definitions have been analyzed and contemplated. Athletics are vast, consuming, diverse, and multi-skillful. The August and September corridor marks a significant increase in the number of athletic events and games across the nation. With the NFL lockout lifted, football, the largest team sport, is working on all cylinders (i.e., rec, youth, high school, college, semi-pro, and pro). Also, the outdoor race season sees its best weather since April during this time.
Most importantly, it is our time commitment that will make this athletic transition smooth. Whether we are watching an event on TV, in-person, or online, our attention shifts or juggles between our primary agenda to our agenda of relaxation, which is athletics - our love of watching athletic prowess is not the only thing, but it is exciting.
Take of yourself,
Derek
Derek Arledge, CSCS
Founder, TEEM Performance Training
Strength & Conditioning, Specialist
www.teempt.com
Training because it is a passion. Serving because it is vast.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Alignment and Control
Alignment and control are two major things that we all need in our workout programs and in the exercises that we execute.
If we do not have alignment and control, then we are setting up ourselves for injury, poor movement, weakened muscles, compensation, less than full range of motion, and bad pain (pain that is injurious).
We are aligned when our bones and joints follow our movement or another bone or joint. For example, when we squat our knees should follow our toes, preferably our big toe. Primarily, the knee cap follows the semi-anchored position of our toes. When we lunge, our knees should follow our big toe. However, due to lack of balance, tightness and weakness imbalances, and lack of coordination our knees follow a different direction. This movement is not true for everyone, but it is true enough that it is a prominent issue.
We have control when we lift a weight or lift our body weight and can steady ourselves with good posture. Again, we can see this with lunges, with diagonal lifts or D2 Flexion exercises for our shoulder and rotator cuff region. For example, with lunges if our lower backs are weak or tight then it will act like it is folding when we are at the bottom of the lunge position - lack of control. We see a lack of control with overhead lifts when our arms extend either too wide due to weakness in another muscle upper body muscle group or our arms cannot remain steady. The shoulder, in this case, suffers.
Putting both of these together makes movements easier and more particular and regular. We can do and perform much better when we have a firm foundation for what we are lifting. When we are aligned our kinetic chains work harmoniously from top to bottom or physiologically from bottom-to-top.
Alignment comes before control. When we are performing an exercise that involves our entire body in a standing position, the feet work, the ankles work, the knees work, the hip works, the lower back works, the torso works, the shoulders work, the neck works, and the head works. All of the muscles in between work well too.
Therefore, we must remind and solidify our beliefs to know that controlled movements are good ones!
In performance,
Derek
If we do not have alignment and control, then we are setting up ourselves for injury, poor movement, weakened muscles, compensation, less than full range of motion, and bad pain (pain that is injurious).
We are aligned when our bones and joints follow our movement or another bone or joint. For example, when we squat our knees should follow our toes, preferably our big toe. Primarily, the knee cap follows the semi-anchored position of our toes. When we lunge, our knees should follow our big toe. However, due to lack of balance, tightness and weakness imbalances, and lack of coordination our knees follow a different direction. This movement is not true for everyone, but it is true enough that it is a prominent issue.
We have control when we lift a weight or lift our body weight and can steady ourselves with good posture. Again, we can see this with lunges, with diagonal lifts or D2 Flexion exercises for our shoulder and rotator cuff region. For example, with lunges if our lower backs are weak or tight then it will act like it is folding when we are at the bottom of the lunge position - lack of control. We see a lack of control with overhead lifts when our arms extend either too wide due to weakness in another muscle upper body muscle group or our arms cannot remain steady. The shoulder, in this case, suffers.
Putting both of these together makes movements easier and more particular and regular. We can do and perform much better when we have a firm foundation for what we are lifting. When we are aligned our kinetic chains work harmoniously from top to bottom or physiologically from bottom-to-top.
Alignment comes before control. When we are performing an exercise that involves our entire body in a standing position, the feet work, the ankles work, the knees work, the hip works, the lower back works, the torso works, the shoulders work, the neck works, and the head works. All of the muscles in between work well too.
Therefore, we must remind and solidify our beliefs to know that controlled movements are good ones!
In performance,
Derek
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
TEEM Performance Training - HAHPN - August #1 2011: Summertime Chits
Health and Human Performance e-Newsletter
-Magic Diet Stuff
-National 'Insert Your Family's Name' Vacation
-Mending The Past
Magic Diet Stuff
Recently, I heard on the radio about a diet smoothie that one guy was trying to promote.
Can I share something with all of you? Good. I am not a big fan of the word 'diet'. Why? Because if one diet is the absolute best, then it is what it is...the absolute best. There would not be any other need for other diets. However, there are so many diets out here that the results work in the opposite direction. Individuals get off diets, take breaks from diets, gain weight from diets, see no change from diets, lose weight from diets, lose strength from diets, etc.
If diets are so perfect, then why are there so many different ones? For that matter, not all exercise programs, the addition to eating well, are perfect. If we are looking for perfect solutions, then we are just stressing out ourselves. As we know stress contributes to many other health issues. Therefore, there could very well be a correlation between dieting and stress. Honestly, I had to change the radio station when I heard this commercial. Unfortunately, someone else probably listened to it, will buy into, and spend oodles of dollars drinking a diet smoothie although the individual really needs a sound movement/performance/exercise program in addition to an adequate nutrition plan among other more controllable active lifestyle qualities.
Seriously everyone, quick remedy programs will not help us maintain our goals. We have to work. Now, one thing the radio advertisement did mention was changing the way we eat. I, wholeheartedly, believe that if we change the way we eat then we can make major gains before considering to invest in a movement/performance/exercise program. But, we have to want it.
National 'Insert Your Family's Name' Vacation
So, this title is a play on the movie, National Lampoon's Vacation. In that movie, the Griswald's always had something on their agenda and comedy usually ensued. This message is more of a declaration. Please enjoy your vacation. I mean, pretty please. It is a vacation after all, so do things that you do not normally do at home. For example, instead of wasting the day away get out and enjoy the atmosphere. See some things. Plan some things. Eat some new things. Walk to locations that you can walk to. Experience the new location.
Mending The Past
Very short message. While working in gyms, I have run across several individuals who have participated in personal training or strength and conditioning; but were lead away from it because another trainer or coach, well, ruined the clients' experience. The bottom line is that no one is perfect in teaching or learning. However, different approaches work for different people. My overall approach is to be a motivator, pusher, and a coach. My niche is not that of a drill Sargent. Anyone with a voice can yell like a drill Sargent. I understand that some individuals respond well to the yelling, which is fine. In that case, it is up to the trainer or coach, including myself, to re-adjust the approach per pupil. But, time is valuable for everyone. As a trainer or coach, it is important to empathize, understand, relate to needs, build relationships, design and implement effective, and sometimes, individualized programs...That is it for now. Just a quick note.
Be Fit,
Derek
Derek Arledge, CSCS
Founder, TEEM Performance Training
Strength & Conditioning Specialist
www.teempt.com
Training because it is a passion. Serving because it is vast.
-Magic Diet Stuff
-National 'Insert Your Family's Name' Vacation
-Mending The Past
Magic Diet Stuff
Recently, I heard on the radio about a diet smoothie that one guy was trying to promote.
Can I share something with all of you? Good. I am not a big fan of the word 'diet'. Why? Because if one diet is the absolute best, then it is what it is...the absolute best. There would not be any other need for other diets. However, there are so many diets out here that the results work in the opposite direction. Individuals get off diets, take breaks from diets, gain weight from diets, see no change from diets, lose weight from diets, lose strength from diets, etc.
If diets are so perfect, then why are there so many different ones? For that matter, not all exercise programs, the addition to eating well, are perfect. If we are looking for perfect solutions, then we are just stressing out ourselves. As we know stress contributes to many other health issues. Therefore, there could very well be a correlation between dieting and stress. Honestly, I had to change the radio station when I heard this commercial. Unfortunately, someone else probably listened to it, will buy into, and spend oodles of dollars drinking a diet smoothie although the individual really needs a sound movement/performance/exercise program in addition to an adequate nutrition plan among other more controllable active lifestyle qualities.
Seriously everyone, quick remedy programs will not help us maintain our goals. We have to work. Now, one thing the radio advertisement did mention was changing the way we eat. I, wholeheartedly, believe that if we change the way we eat then we can make major gains before considering to invest in a movement/performance/exercise program. But, we have to want it.
National 'Insert Your Family's Name' Vacation
So, this title is a play on the movie, National Lampoon's Vacation. In that movie, the Griswald's always had something on their agenda and comedy usually ensued. This message is more of a declaration. Please enjoy your vacation. I mean, pretty please. It is a vacation after all, so do things that you do not normally do at home. For example, instead of wasting the day away get out and enjoy the atmosphere. See some things. Plan some things. Eat some new things. Walk to locations that you can walk to. Experience the new location.
Mending The Past
Very short message. While working in gyms, I have run across several individuals who have participated in personal training or strength and conditioning; but were lead away from it because another trainer or coach, well, ruined the clients' experience. The bottom line is that no one is perfect in teaching or learning. However, different approaches work for different people. My overall approach is to be a motivator, pusher, and a coach. My niche is not that of a drill Sargent. Anyone with a voice can yell like a drill Sargent. I understand that some individuals respond well to the yelling, which is fine. In that case, it is up to the trainer or coach, including myself, to re-adjust the approach per pupil. But, time is valuable for everyone. As a trainer or coach, it is important to empathize, understand, relate to needs, build relationships, design and implement effective, and sometimes, individualized programs...That is it for now. Just a quick note.
Be Fit,
Derek
Derek Arledge, CSCS
Founder, TEEM Performance Training
Strength & Conditioning Specialist
www.teempt.com
Training because it is a passion. Serving because it is vast.
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