Consistency before intensity is critically important for any gym goer. When it comes to training, we really need to appreciate that it is a stress and repair model. When we exercise, we stress tissues and with recovery and adaptation we repair and raise these tissues to new levels. However, adaptation doesn’t happen overnight and it takes time. Thus, we need to be consistent with our training and exercises before we can raise the intensity. Submaximal, consistent load exposes the tissues to stress without creating too much damage. The constant exposure allows for the tissues to adapt to a point that...
Rate of force development is the speed (time it takes) to produce force. Those that have a high rate of force development can produce force faster than others. This is obviously important for sport and performance. In sport you only have so much time to produce force, things happen fast. So, if you can produce force rapidly, then you obviously might put you ahead of those that produce force more slowly. However, we do need to understand that the rate of force development is still dependent on the amount (max) force you can produce. Having a high rate of force...
Why should I box jump? Box jumps are one of the most used exercises, but their purpose is often misunderstood. In my opinion, there are two reasons for box jumps. The first is motivation and the second is physical. The first reason is because, well… it's just kind of fun to jump on stuff. Box jumps offer up a challenge and challenges are motivational. However, just because something is motivational, doesn’t mean it's always done in the best way possible, i.e. getting into massive lumbar flexion just to get higher box heights. This is where form tends to go out...
Heart rate variability (HRV) is a reflection of your autonomic nervous system. Your autonomic nervous systems is made up of two branches, your parasympathetic and sympathetic. Your parasympathetic system is responsible for “rest and digest” while your sympathetic system is responsible for “fight or flight”. A HRV is associated with a less sympathetic tone. Sympathetic tone is not a bad thing, but excessive activation can be a negative and limit adaptation. The Sympathetic system is responsible for mobilizing energetic reserves and if your body is spending all of your time mobilizing, you don’t have time to rebuild. This is why...
Isolation training is the idea of simply targeting a single muscle group by “isolating” the join through which it creates contraction. In simplest form, it is easiest understood by looking at muscle, say biceps, isolating one of its primary functions, elbow flexion and performing curls. The benefit to this style of training is that it removes the potential of other muscles compensating. For example, when doing a pull up, it is hard to know if your lats or your biceps are the primary mover. However, with a curl, you have isolated the joint and acting muscles. The downside to this...
