Movement Based Training

In the strength & conditioning and personal training world, we at seem to get a lot of inquires about what the purpose of training is, how is a certain exercise different from other exercises, and how important is the application. We want to take this time to really explain our concepts and strategies behind movement based training and how it really relates to people's functional lives and athletes' performance capabilities to create a balanced and effective program.

First, let's talk about variations for the general population and how different exercises would be selected to accommodate different needs and demands. One example is a mother who needs a program to deal with the strength demands of keeping up with a young child. Muscular strength, lower body & core strength, and cardiovascular conditioning should be a very important part of her program. In order to be able to pick up her child without risk of injury, exercises like deadlifts, squats, and core-focused lifts should be incorporated. In order to be able to play soccer or frisbee with her young child, metabolic circuit training will also be a focus. Another example is a middle-aged gentleman who sits at a desk most of the day, but who enjoys cycling on the weekend. He will have different needs than the mother. His program will require more postural strengthening due to long bouts of sitting in his daily life and in his sport. He will also need more muscular endurance, specifically in his lower body, and core based endurance. Lighter weight and higher reps will give him the stamina he needs to keep up with his riding buddies without having to fear gaining too much extra muscle weight.

Next, let's talk about the competitive athlete. Simple variations in exercise selection can make a big difference in improving the specific mechanics needed to play a sport well. An example of this can be demonstrated within kettlebell training. If we are working with a basketball or volleyball athlete that is looking to develop more explosive lower body power, the use of a rectilinear snatch variation (pulling the bell vertically from the floor) will mimic movements used in their sport and potentially have the best carryover in performance. Whereas if we are working with a baseball player or a golfer that needs to generate power from their hips, a curvilinear snatch variation (swinging the bell out and up) would be preferable as this more closely mimics demands in their sport.

These small variations can be integrated into a comprehensive program that help create balance and optimize performance in any person. We do this by ensuring equal amounts of pulling and pushing exercises, stabilization exercises, and single leg/single arm exercises. All of this together gives the training and overall purpose and really creates the value our clients are looking for. For us training with a purpose is what it's all about!    

The 4 "E"s

BT Fitness continues to do everything in its power to bring a results driven approach to our clients through our small group classes. By offering an environment that gives you the ability to work out with other like-minded fitness enthusiasts, we feel it will boost morale and commitment. In addition, we believe that by offering a multi-disciplined approach with a greater selection of training protocols, you will develop a more well-rounded and functional fitness routine. Finally, although some may not want to hear this, we do feel that training 3-5x a week is a must, thereby making small group classes the best option in that they are affordable and a more realistic approach to working out. As a result, at BT Fitness we consistently reassess to make sure that we, as owners, do exactly what we preach to our clients so that our business remains credible. This concept is something we call the 4 "E"s and it includes the following:

Evaluate: It is our responsibility to continually evaluate our own performance when it comes to our level of service. Do we stay up to date with current fitness trends? Do we invest in new tools that will be beneficial to our clients' training? Do we keep our workouts fun and exciting for our clients? Do we have a plan every time we show up to train? Do we keep our facility clean and inviting to create a welcoming atmosphere for people to get healthy and fit? Do we continue to do the little things day in and day out? Just the other day we went to take a class at a well-established studio for the first time only to find that when we walked in the door we were greeted by an instructor who remained recluse behind the desk and on the phone. Let me tell you it had an impact and we were completely turned off by it! These are the habits that, in our opinion, can threaten value and make the difference in the client experience.

Educate: This is something that we put special emphasis on. Our continuing education as trainers and owners allows us to continue to educate our clients to the best of our ability with the most up to date information in the health & fitness world. We never want to become "comfortable" with what we know because there is always more to learn. We stay committed to this by attending workshops, meeting with fellow health professionals and clinicians for brainstorming sessions, and designate specific programming  to stay sharp in our exercise selection and delivery.

Embrace Change: Let's face it we are in an industry that is built on change. What was hot last year or three years ago may be completely obsolete now. Therefore, we do our best to stay abreast of new trends in our field. I think at times we can get into a place where we fight change because it requires effort and adaptation to what was once a successful model. But there are much more benefits that come with change; it ends up helping us grow as practitioners. A perfect example of this was illustrated yesterday while we were working through a functional movement screen with a chiropractor and specialist in A.R.T. He noted that when he started to gain interest in the world of "functional training" other chiropractors in his field viewed this concept as time wasting. If we don't look forward to the continuing changes and advancements in our field, then we will inevitably get left behind.

Evolve: This final phase of this cycle is where we truly get better: the evolution process that takes us from GOOD at one thing to a MASTER of many things. We appreciate the fact that there are many different theories and opinions out there and are willing to evolve even if that means changing our own ways. At the end of the day our focus is on giving the client the safest and most reliable method to success that we can and we will continue to strive to do whatever it takes to achieve that.

Drills for Drills

Lately the both of us have been doing our due diligence before our studio opens to keep ourselves abreast of trends and styles in the group class exercise community. We have been attending classes and visiting facilities to "get a lay of the land" so to speak. We feel it is beneficial to see how others structure their programs, cue their clients, and execute their overall training strategies in a group format so that we may get a better sense of how to keep our studio running optimally. We have realized many great qualities in these facilities when it comes to atmosphere, culture, attendance and instruction, however we have also found one unfortunate commonality amongst many establishments: workouts and programs are not being planned ahead of time. Randomized workouts are being improvised on the spot and fragmented exercise selection and improper progression may not be ultimately obvious by the untrained eye, however for us it is blatant. So it begs the question what is the goal?? Are you doing drills just for the sake of doing drills?

The group class format is obviously very different from one-on-one training in that results and individualized success is more unpredictable so you cannot control your variables as tightly as you might on an individual basis, but that doesn't mean proper programming should be done away with altogether. Our goal is to have a clear and concise game plan for each class that offers balanced exercise selection, proper warm up and cool down procedure, adequate implementation of intensity, modification options to accommodate all participants, and finally, sensible exercise parings. By having a plan for each class we are aiming to provide you with a variety of classes throughout the week so that you can schedule your strength workouts, endurance workouts, metabolic workouts and regenerative workouts throughout the week. As a result, you can train more thus ensuring results, but have less risk of over training.

In our opinion, the beauty of offering small group classes is that our clients are given the best opportunity for success. If they only have to pay about $20 per class instead of $75 per session, as is often the case with private training, they can now afford to see us 3-5x per week rather than 1-2x per week, thereby giving clients the proper tools and time to achieve their goals. Results require training hard, but also smart as well. Offering a greater diversity of "response" classes (meaning what the training effect will be ie. strength, endurance, power, etc.) will ultimately allow clients to place themselves in continuous adaptation and therefore, continued results. It is our belief that a committed client is an informed one. Understanding your weekly workout schedule, how it works to keep you on track, and the benefits you receive from each visit is powerful stuff! Everything needs to make sense in the overall scheme of things. So don't just do drills for the sake of doing drills, make every workout count so that you can accelerate the process of reaching your goals.

Updates on BT Fitness

The process for opening our studio is definitely underway and we have made some great strides in the last few weeks.  For those of you who still haven't heard where we will be located, we have secured our location in San Clemente, California in the Courtyards at Talega, which is located at the intersection between Avenida Pico and La Pata. The last step in our journey to opening is waiting for the City of San Clemente to grant us our Conditional Use Permit, which, fingers crossed, we are hoping to receive by the beginning of February. If everything goes right with the City, we will begin a minor amount of renovations to get our studio set up and hopefully ready for you to come train in February! 

During this waiting period, we have been visiting trade shows and business workshops, attending various networking meetings, and volunteering our time at community based events!  We have to say the process is exciting and demanding but we can't wait to open our doors and see our vision become a reality. After working out at a chain gym yesterday and seeing the same "box gym" layout consisting of machine-based fitness and station-to-station training, our confidence in our mission - to offer high quality training and instruction with an affordable results driven approach - was reinforced. We truly want to offer a progressive approach to working out and contribute to what we believe to be the future of the fitness industry.  We will continue to keep everyone posted as we get closer to our grand opening. We are passionate in the continued belief that our principles will transform your fitness...and transform your body.          

Play More. Eat Better.

This past weekend we were fortunate enough to be able to participate in the annual community event Play More. Eat Better sponsored by Mission Hospital to help encourage health and wellness among children to battle child obesity.  The event was absolutely awesome!  We got the opportunity to work hand in hand with Mission Hospital along with other volunteers to run the fitness station.  We were able to meet profession soccer players from team Chivas USA, talk with a volunteer who is currently working with Mark Verstegen at Athletes Performance in Carson, interact with various local families of all backgrounds and origins, and best of all we got to have some fun with kids by getting them pumped up about health and fitness.  BT Fitness brought some complimentary fitness manuals, a speed ladder, and some jump ropes for the kids to try out.  It was unbelievable to see how fast they were able to master the drills on the speed ladder.  We participated in a hula hoop contest, did some Zumba, and ran obstacle courses with the kids as well.  We were especially honored when Mission Hospital asked us back next year to participate not only in the San Clemente event but in the San Juan Capistrano event as well.  We were also asked to come out as guests to do some demos for the local fitness groups held within our community.  All in all the event was a huge success and all the kids that showed up got to have a great time and really learn about eating right, exercising, and staying active.  Below are some pics of these talented youngsters as well as our attempts at some of the festivities!

  

NFBA Workshop - We Can All Learn Something New

We recently attended a two day workshop in Newport Beach, CA sponsored by the National Fitness Business Alliance where we were given the ability to hear from well-known, successful fitness professionals from throughout the country. Led by key note speaker Thomas Plummer, who has years of experience in opening fitness facilities, helping traditional box gyms adapt to the ever changing fitness industry, and in helping fitness business owners make the most of their product, the workshop was aimed at giving individuals who own or manage fitness facilities a look into where the fitness industry is going and how to adapt with the changes. In addition to Thom Plummer, we heard Bill Parisi, founder of Parisi Speed School, talk about the obstacles he had to overcome to open his facility back in the 90s and we heard Alwyn Cosgrove speak informally on his opinion on running a fitness facility. On the second day, we were lead by Bill Parisi and representatives of Fitness Anywhere, Perform Better, and Star Trac in a pretty aggressive workout that included a TRX, kettlebells, super bands, undulation ropes, medicine balls and resistance bands.

Here's what we learned and what we plan to take with us in our goal of opening up a fitness studio that seeks to transform fitness in a way that most people are not used to:

1. RESULTS are the product (not classes or private training)

2. Train everyone (from professional athletes to stay at home moms) like an athlete to improve performance in their every day lives

3. Train the client in a way that they could do the workout on their own if you aren't there - it's not about how many reps they are doing, but rather educating the client about why they are doing an exercise

Once the workshop was over, we had a bit of time for some fun. Fitness Anywhere held a 40/40 Challenge on the TRX , where you had to do 40 Atomic Push Ups, only 1 minute rest, then 40 Body Weight Rows. Instead of participating myself, I graciously volunteered Adam for the challenge (you'll see why when you watch the video) because I knew if anyone could complete the challenge, he could. He put up a strong fight by knocking out the first 40 Atomic Push Ups in an amazing pace. I was convinced he was going to win. Watch the video to see how the challenge ended...


Adam did an awesome job representing us in the challenge! He also wants me to make it known that the only person who won the challenge was a former Navy Seal :)

Expanding Your Arsenal

We posted a video today on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZArDpMeBB-k) that showed me working with a new tool that I was very excited about.  This of course was the sandbag.  After listening to fellow strength and conditioning professional Josh Henkin discuss all of the great benefits of his ultimate sandbag, I was compelled to give this thing a shot.  He explained so eloquently how the dynamic loading patterns really encompassed true functional training and how variable load conditioning can really enhance proprioceptive awareness, stability, core strength, and increase intensity substantially.  I have to say he delivered on all of these promises.  Not only was this tool constructed with superior quality but it offered all of the elements Josh had spoken about.  After one workout all I thought to myself was how amazing this tool was and how I couldn't wait to get these into our studio to use them in our classes.  Of course I knew that I would need at least 30 days of intimate exposure and self sacrifice with this tool to really become more familiar with it.

It dawned on me how if you do not keep your hunger up for new knowledge you could be not only sacrificing your own benefits but what you are able to offer others as well.  Additionally, it is these new challenges that reignite the passion in what you do... full force.  The mastery process of a new tool, how it can benefit other areas you have already grooved, and ultimately how well you understand your craft - that is what it's all about.  At times I see trainers fall into the habit of finding certain techniques, certain modalities, and certain equipment choices, deeming them the best and never trying anything else.  This can be a fatal flaw simply because as Josh says "this tool is not meant to replace any other tools, it is merely meant to compliment them."  This really is important because if you think about your approach to training from a strategic viewpoint, who has the advantage in becoming capable of greater performance: the person who uses one or two tools for everything or the person who utilizes a variety of tools in a way that improve many different aspects of performance?  I think that one of the best practices one can have is throwing themselves into new and unfamiliar territory and learning how to adapt to the philosophies and techniques within that discipline. This is where not only improvement, but true self discovery is fostered.  All I know is I am excited to be in this profession that I am in and cannot wait to keep learning and improving....every day!