Pro Grade Training: One-on-One or Group Training for Rapid Results

As I have promised in my last blog post, I have come up with a fitness plan to get people up and going and achieve their fitness potential. Initially my plan was to do a program based on advanced functional training techniques. Then I realized that maybe I should begin with the basics if I wanted people to actually start it.

It is very important to learn basic forms of movement first before beginning any sort of resistance training. Even if you consider yourself more advanced in fitness and resistance training I would still encourage you to read this article and watch the video. I find that many so called “personal trainers” leave out essential body mechanics when it comes to training their clients. Either they know it and do not apply it or they just don’t know basic body mechanics.

Why is it important to learn the basics? 

Because form is key! (Refer to Beginner Fitness Guideline # 4)

10 Important Beginner Fitness Guidelines:

1. Beginners should focus on training the whole body in a circuit format. Therefore, five or so exercises concentrating on every part of the body every training session.

2. Beginners will improve every aspect of fitness with any training. They should not worry about specializing in anything yet. Adaptation will happen everywhere.

3. Beginners should not try to kill themselves with intensity. Form is important, as well as not shocking your body too much at first and being discouraged.

4. Form is the most important part of any program. Learning bad form is like learning a bad habit. It’s also important to walk before you run when it comes to fitness. This is one of the major mistakes that I see new bees doing. They just want to lift the heaviest weights possible. If your form falls apart and you continue training like this, your body will learn poor mechanics and you will develop muscle imbalances that will lead to injury.

5. Diet is very important to get the best results and recovery. This is a separate topic. Please refer to the Paleo Diet found numerous times on this website. It’s quite easy to follow and gives maximum results.

6. Sleep is very important for the same reasons as above. Try 8 to 10 hours every night. This again depends on the individual. Changes in your adaptation to resistance training occur durning sleep.

7. As the exercises get easier it is important to know how to progress them. Changing the angle and resistance can go a long way. Changing up exercises also stimulates progression, but that will be left for future blogs.

8. Just as form is important, it is important to breath properly. If your breathing is wrong, then you will develop a bad habit. Breath out on the hard part, such as when you are pushing or pulling against a force and breath in on the easier part, such as when the weight is being taken down by gravity.

9. Be aware of your posture, form and breathing as you exercise and your body will soon learn it automatically. Concentrate and use a mirror.

10. Learning is very important. Keep learning what you experience in the gym. Ask people regarding training. Most people are happy to help out. Read articles and apply new exercises to your routine with proper form. Do not worry about looking like a beginner. It is a very valuable time in our lives to see in a beginner’s perspective.

In addition to the above, it is important that you are healthy enough to begin a resistance training program. If you have to, consult with your physician and explain what you will be doing.

The Program:

– 5 – 6 exercises done in a row as a circuit with no rest.

– Begin with 2 sets, 12 to 15 repetitions and stop the exercise just short of 2 to 4 repetitions of muscle failure (just before not being able to lift anymore on that set).

– Training should be initially done 3 times per week.

– Cardio training is added to this as well. Cardio can consist of jogging, biking, elliptical, etc, as well as the circuit itself. Try to do 10 – 20 min of cardio.

– Total time should be about 30 – 40 min, 3 times per week, which equals 1.5 hr to around 2 hrs per week. No excuses!

– Make sure to stretch at the end.

It is difficult teaching everything regarding posture, form and technique in one blog post. Try your best and get someone who knows to show you as well. I will write articles regarding posture, form and progression in the near future. Enjoy!

 – Simon Bialecki

It shouldn’t be difficult thinking of what constitutes good health and well being. Some people constantly worry so much over it that they suffer a big burden to their health, which is stress. That is why people should not take nutrition and exercise religiously. People should probably not take anything religiously, unless taking something religiously gives you satisfaction in life that you will be happy you did on your deathbed.

People should instinctively know what they should do to be healthy. I think that most of our mainstream media and medical advice steers us in the wrong direction. I am certain, as many of you are, that what we are told to be good, healthy and right by the government, certain groups and doctors is misleading, false and counterintuitive to our own good and health. I am certain that most people know this due to them just living long enough to have some wisdom. So why don’t people decide on their own what is good for them? Instead most people follow whatever the “man” says. This is why most people stress so much. They get so much false and conflicting information that they forget instinctually what is good for them.

Putting politics and religion aside, I would like to discuss what constitutes good health. If you think about it, people never ate “fake” and processed foods for thousands if not a couple million of years through our evolution. Humans also never genetically developed to eating foods that caused irritation to their organs. People never even stressed constantly about life burdens.

Every species of animal has a specific diet that accompanies their genetic code. Humans are no exception. It’s strange to me that we even have dieticians and nutritionists who we pay and who tell us what we should be eating. Shouldn’t we already know naturally and instinctually? This is kind of weird when you think about it. How do humans not know what they should be eating? Are other animals just that much more in tune and wiser about their health and well being? They certainly know exactly what to eat without paying large dollar to someone who had to go years through expensive school to figure this out for them. And the irony is that such “experts” are mostly wrong anyways.

Health Care, or as I like to call it “Sick Care” (Got that from Supersize me) has done wonders for us. People today who truly believe in health care take care of themselves before they get sick. Our Health Care System (aka Sick Care System) is not just responsible for taking care of the sick, but often is responsible for keeping people sick and alive for profit. This is why I do not donate to such organizations and do my own research when it comes to my own health.

In addition, most of medicine does not have their marbles straight regarding nutrition either. Grains (especially wheat), legumes and dairy are well known through science everywhere, even main stream science, to irritate the intestines in everyone, not just people who are gluten, lectin and lactose, etc intolerant.

Therefore, how can wheat and dairy be recommended as healthy?

Meat and natural fat have gotten a bad rap though the years for being unhealthy. They are highly nutritious (if grass feed and organic) versus bread that everyone eats anyways because health experts recommend it. It just puzzles me.

Why not eat the most nutritious and highly mineral and nutrient based foods to optimize our health?

In addition, toxins, such as many products used excessively by people in their own homes daily, are known to irritate the liver and body. Much of this is also known. If the liver and digestive system are irritated or unhealthy then that’s when an individual becomes unhealthy. It mainly all comes back to liver and gut health. Keep them healthy through a proper, clean, natural and highly nutritious diet and keep toxins to a minimal.

What other factors can constitute good health? Take a minute and write down what you think. Don’t try to remember what Dr. Oz told you or what you heard on The Doctors. Use your instinct and basic knowledge.

Here it is:

Keep stress low (Stress is called “The Silent Killer” for a reason), exercise moderately (Walk, jog, lift some weights, do a sport, anything), play (Also known as a “Hobby”), socialize (Good friends and/or a meaningful relationship), pursue a dream (Known as Self-Actualization from Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs), get good vitamin D levels (From the Sun, therefore go outside. In the winter take some Vitamin D supplements or go tanning once in a while), maintain a good gut flora (Do not take antibiotics unless very necessary. Eat fermented foods or take Probiotics) and sleep well (Pure dark room with quality and quantity sleep).

That is the prescription for optimum health. This is why many tribes people living in the forests thrive and live more healthy and satisfying lives then us!

That is true health care! I am sure that you can always add something else. Most of this stuff is enveloped in our genetic code. We evolved this way and just recently have we skewed away from what we really need. It’s no brainer.

It seems like a lot to ponder about, but the point is that most people should sit down and decide for themselves what is good for them with out stressing about it. People should keep in mind that much of the information that they are told by “heath experts” is incorrect. Going back to my first article “Bringing Live back to the Root” try to live as natural as you can and you will thrive.

 – Simon Bialecki