STS Fitness Blog

How to Run Faster: Use Your Arms

2013-03-31T06:34:00.001-07:00

Whether you want to run your first half marathon or your fastest 10k race, your arms can help. Incorrect arm mechanics could be costing you time, energy or even lower back pain.

Many runners are unknowingly slowing themselves down by keeping their hands too close to their chest, failing to swing from the shoulder and allowing their hands to come across the chest.

While these three habits may conserve energy in the arms and shoulders they ultimately cost us energy from our legs.

Co-ordinating Arm and Leg Drive

We swing our arms in time with our legs when we walk down the street. Our left elbow swings forward as our left knee comes back. On the other side our right knee moves forward as our right elbow swings back. Try to disrupt this rhythm and you'll soon realise how natural it is to us.

Try it Yourself

Walk with your right elbow swinging forward at the same time as your right knee and repeat on the other side for 20m.

Try the same with a jog and you'll get the same result. Your body just doesn't want it to happen.

Arm Drive in Sprinting

Our use of this natural rhythm is very different when sprinting as we are actively using our arms to make our legs move faster and through a longer stride. Watch the arm drive of any sprinter and you'll soon realise that that they seem to be putting as much, if not more effort into the driving their arms compared to the driving of their legs.

This is because although the legs are what propel us forward they rely on the arms to create an opposing force with which to propel off. Each time we drive an elbow down, on its way back, there is a downward force created which allows the foot to gain more traction and propulsion.

The faster the elbow is pulled back the stronger the knee can drive through in recovery for the next step. The higher the hands come the higher the knees can lift and the more time we spend gliding through the air.

Arm Drive for Distance Runners

All of this is very important for sprinters but not so useful for amateur long distance runners who will be doing well to have any energy left for a sprint finish. None the less, many people do not use their arms at all and therefore mess up the natural rhythm of their running.

Some allow their chest to turn left and right which is their bodies way of trying to balance what the legs are doing.

If you try to run with your arms by your side or pinned to your chest the you'll feel your chest trying to turn.

Correct Elbow Position for Distance Running

Watching the arms of any decent runner on TV, you'll notice that the elbow stays at an angle of around 90 degrees. Very few amateur runners hold this elbow position and in failing to do so lose efficiency.

Holding 90 degrees throughout the entire arm swing optimises the forces our arms can elicit on our legs regardless of whether we are sprinting, walking fast or running long distance.

Try it Yourself

Stand tall and, with straight arms, swing them at around the rate you'd expect your legs to move in your chosen running race. It's tough right? There's no way you'll be able to achieve an arm drive fast enough with this elbow position.

Now try swinging your arms with your hands tight to your chest. It will feel super easy and is actually quite a popular position for many amateur distance runners because it feels like they're saving energy. The problem is that they're not using their arms to counter the movement of the legs so end up rotating the chest instead.

Turning the chest while you run is going to use far more energy than swinging your arms and can also lead to back pain as your torso is constantly bracing itself for each step in a rotated position.

Correct Forearm Alignment for Distance Running

Your forearms should always aim parallel to one another in order to support the same alignment in your legs. If your hands are swinging in front of your belly button then they're going to create rotational forces through your torso which effect your legs.

Keep the hands in the same line as your shoulders and you'll feel more balanced when you run. Holding this alignment will feel like you've got your hands outside the width of your elbows, not a glamorous look, if you're actually doing it but the sensation will go away as the muscles regain their natural, stronger, position.

Making the Changes to your Running Technique

Keeping the elbows at 90 degrees is often the hardest to change as far as habits go. If you can actually manage to keep the elbows in the correct position, expect to have some sore biceps one day after or even during the first run.

If you can learn to keep the elbows at 90 then learning to swing your elbows forward and back, instead of across your chest should come a little easier. If there's any muscle soreness it'll be in the back of your shoulder where your muscle have to work to prevent your hands coming across your body.

So, which of these changes could you utilise to help you run faster?

Have you tried implementing of them yet? How's it going?

Changing your technique can be frustrating as it will actually make you more tired in the short term but will uncap your potential in the long run.

As part of the Cheltenham Running Club, we offer one to one and small group running technique workshops to not only provide the changes but also the feedback and fine tuning to help make the new habits stick.

If you're not able to come to Cheltenham then we may be able to provide coaching through video analysis and a Customised Running Technique Programme.

How to Run Faster: Run Tall

2013-03-14T06:28:00.002-07:00

If you'd like to run faster then this is one of the easiest ways to do it.

Teach your body to run tall and you'll also:

Increase your stride length
Improve your lung function
Share the load of impact throughout the muscles in your legs
Decrease the likelihood of experiencing lower and middle back pain
Become a more stable runner
Find it easier to accelerate when required

Sounds good right?

Anyone can bring about these improvements but they do require us to form some new habits.

How to Run Taller

There are 3 cues to focus on when learning to run tall:

1. Head High, Watch the Horizon

The easiest way to think about running tall is to imagine a piece of string is attached to the top of your head. It's right in the centre and is pulling the top of your head straight up, so that your head sits directly over the base of your neck and your chin is about a fist from the top of your chest when the thumb is pointing down.

This position will keep your neck in a neutral position and prevent your head poking forward as will often happen when we get tired.

If you imagine the string running all the way down through your spine to your pelvis then it will also naturally lift your chest.

2. Chest up

By lifting your chest you'll open up the space with which your lungs have to inhale each breath. The more air you can naturally inhale per breath the more oxygen your muscles will get and the better they'll be able to hope with the demands of your faster running.

If you're not used to this cue then you'll likely get tired in the muscles which run up the middle back, directly between the shoulder blades. The more you can practice this during, before and after your runs the sooner it'll become habit and strengthen these muscles.

Keeping your chest up will also help to create more support in your core by pulling the skin of your tummy closer to your spine. Creating support in your core helps you run faster by stabilising your hips.

3. Belly Button to Spine

Pulling your belly button in towards your spine improves the stability of your hips. Having stable hips prevents the right hip from dropping each time the left foot lands and vice versa. If your hips are collapsing every step you take then you're unable to apply as much pressure to the ground and therefor run as fast or efficiently as when your hips are well supported.

Another way stable hips help you go faster is with pulling the recovery leg through to take the next step. If the hips are stable then the knee can come through straighter and faster.

You can test this out by first standing on one foot and with a relaxed tummy, lift the knee up as fast as you can. Rate how powerful it felt on a scale of 1-10. Take note of any crunching or head movements your body performed in order to get the knee up quick.

Next stand on the other foot and with belly button pulled to spine repeat the lift. It should feel much more stable when rated on a scale of 1-10.

Implementing the Changes to your Running Technique

There are a wide range of exercises you could do to strengthen the various muscles required to Run Tall but none of them will create a lasting result unless you turn the cues into ingrained habits.

Walking, standing and sitting tall will all strengthen your tendency to Run Tall and in doing so make you a stronger, fitter and more efficient runner.

Have you tried bringing these technical cues into your running?

How'd it go?

Introducing Garmin Connect

2013-02-28T07:52:00.001-08:00

Garmin Connect allows us to communicate training routes so you know what to expect before each outdoor workout.

Click on the picture to view the web page in your browser

The aim of this type of post is to empower you with the ability to run the sessions without us, should you be unable to attend an Outdoor Workout.

This is the sort of map you'll see in emails and blog posts to help you know where we're going.

If you have yet to join the running club then there's no better time than now.

Visit www.stsfitness.com/running-club to join now.

Why Running Hurts and What You Can Do About it

2013-02-14T15:04:00.000-08:00

Pain is a harsh reality for many of us who choose to run as a means of getting fit.

Sore knees, ankles, shins or hips lead us to believe that we're simply not built to run.

This is a real shame because the majority of these pains can be completely eliminated with some targeted injury prevention work.

Almost any niggle which gets progressively worse when we run is simply a result of certain muscles becoming stronger and shorter. When muscles shorten to a certain length they either pull bones out of their natural position or cause inflammation at the site where muscle attaches to bone, via ligaments.

Sore Knees while Running

One of the most common niggling pains people associate with running is a soreness which develops around the kneecap.

This pain is usually as a result of the front and outer thigh muscles pulling the kneecap out of the position it is most comfortable in when running.

Every time our foot lands the thigh catches our entire body weight which can result in a reasonable amount of muscle damage after enough foot steps. This then leads to the muscle repairing in a slightly shorter position unless we do something to bring the muscle back to its normal length.

Knots of repaired muscle tissue form in the muscle which effectively prevent it from releasing back to its healthy length.

Massage for Runners

Massage is an effective way of getting rid of the knots. If you've ever had a sports massage you'll have noticed that the therapist will gravitate towards the knots and apply pressure to effectively smooth them out.

Professional Massage can be an expensive way to get rid of knots and although its more effective, self massage can do the job too. Foam rollers allow us to roll tight muscles over them, achieving a blunter version of a massage therapist's hands. Rolling and holding pressure on the most sensitive knots is a great thing to do just before stretching the tight muscle.

Unfortunately, sports massage and rolling hurt when muscles are tight so it helps if you can learn how to adjust pressure on the muscle to make it bearable. Some will say the more pain the better the outcome but we tend to keep away from pain we cannot control so it's best you learn how to control the pressure if you want to make the most of this effect injury prevention strategy.

As a general guide: if massaging a muscle hurts like hell then it's probably one of the muscles causing the joint or bone pain you're experiencing after or during your runs.

Stretching for Running Flexibility

Most of us do some form of warm up or warm down stretching for the thighs but few spend the time required to bring about lasting changes in the length of the muscle. Flexibility stretching requires a minimum of 60 seconds per muscle to bring about lasting improvements but even doing this each run is unlikely to be enough if we're running regularly.

There are a lot of other activities which shorten the thigh muscles. Just sitting at a desk or standing up for extended periods of time can encourage the muscles to shrink to better accommodate that position. Strength exercises such as the squat, lunge, leg press and any jumping exercises lead to strengthening and shortening of the thigh muscles. Ditto, rowing and cycling, skipping and every push off from the wall when we swim.

The reason running tends to remind us about the sore knees more than these other activities is the impact but if the muscles were not so inflexible then they may not hurt at all.

It's easy to visualise the pain from running coming as two bones are squashed together by the weight of the body as it lands from each step but this is rarely the cause of knee pain unless there has been significant wear of cartilage or an accident where cartilage or other joint padding has been damaged.

Other Injury Prevention Strategies

Strength and stability training can also improve the muscle's ability to cushion landing forces but unless the muscles are free and flexible they can still cause pain.

Another sure cause of running injuries is simply going too fast and or too far. If we haven't run 5k in the last two months then running 10k with any amount of speed is going put a lot of stress on the muscles, ligaments and bones of our legs.

We all love the feeling of running fast enough to get our lungs working but in order to make this happen we have to run reasonably fast for our current running ability. Our legs need to do some short and slow runs to build up some durability before they can handle regular high intensity runs.

Run at a pace which you can maintain a comfortable conversation at when getting back into running. Your legs will start to feel heavy and that's a good sign that they've had enough for that particular run. With any luck you'll have a small amount of muscle soreness which you can stretch out over a couple of days, then get back out for another run.

This is far more effective than obliterating your legs by running too fast, not stretching or massaging then doing the same thing, only faster a week later when your legs have finally recovered from the previous workout.

Summary

If you avoid running for fear it'll aggravate a niggling joint then don't give up hope. Start rolling and stretching your calfs, front and outer thigh to address pains in the shins, knees or achilles tendon. Progressively rebuild your running distances at conservative speeds and you'll find that the pains have simply stopped.

This article has provided some ideas for how you can stop running from causing you pain but figuring out exactly what your personal causes of pain are is obviously not possible without assessing your situation.

If you'd like help rehabilitating an injury contact your local physiotherapist. If you'd like help with your running fitness and injury prevention then contact the STS Fitness Running Club.

The STS Running Club provides speeds for every member to run at, which are based on the individual's time trial result. This means each run is paced correctly for the current condition, taking into account any events which need to be peaked for.

There is a free membership and paid memberships starting from just £20/month for those who want programmes and one to one coaching.

All Programmes are online and videos are provided for injury prevention exercises via the online Fitness Application GymCalc.

Why You Should be Running this New Year

2013-01-20T13:03:00.001-08:00

With so many options for getting fit these days, more people are turning to lower impact forms of exercises instead of running.

This article explains why running is so good for helping you lose weight and improve fitness.

It also explains why those moving to non impact exercises should think again.

Running Increases your Metabolic Rate

Most of us think of running as a form of cardiovascular exercise which lets us burn calories quickly while we run. This helps us burn fat by taking energy we've eaten and using it to fuel our muscles the same way it does when we cycle, swim and walk.

All cardiovascular exercises increase our metabolism while we do them but few have the after burn effect which running and strength training causes. This after burn effect is the prolonged increase in metabolism required to repair micro tears in the muscles.

Running can cause more muscle soreness than cycling, swimming, rowing, the cross trainer, stepper, elliptical machines because none of these exercises have a significant lowering or impact phase of the movement.

The lowering or, in running's case, landing phase requires our muscles to catch our body weight to prevent it collapsing in a heap. When our muscles catch our body weight or lower something like a barbell there is more muscle damage caused and this is what leads to the repair and increases in the after burn effect.

This makes running a fantastic exercise for burning fat because the calories are not only burned while running but also while recovering from a run.

Worried about this very impact leading to injury?

Subscribe to this blog to find out how to avoid common running injuries associated with impact.

Running Saves You Time on Fitness

Focusing your precious training time on an activity you can do without having to drive to another location is great for busy people. Minimal preparation makes running the most time efficient form of cardiovascular exercise you can do.

If you've got a gym membership then running is even possible when the weather is miserable. While any cardio machine can become monotonous in the gym, running is the easiest to take outdoors and allows us plenty of options for mixing things up.

You can do laps of the block, hill repeats, fast and slow intervals or take your workout to the bush or countryside if it's close enough. All of these options allow you to get a quality workout in minimal time. Invite a friend to join you for additional competition or support.

Practically every other form of cardio exercise you can do in the gym either requires you to be at the gym or another location such as the pool. Cycling does allow us to start our workout from the front door but requires much more time to get ready.

Running is Relatively Inexpensive

Running is far less expensive than most sports for a number of reasons:

no equipment purchase or maintenance required
no entry fee for training venues
relatively low entry fees for events
less travel expenses for trainings
no uniforms or venue hire

A good pair of running shoes will cost you around £100 every 8-14 months if you use them regularly but this is no more than what you'll pay for a decent pair of footwear for any other sport.

There are also a number of reasons people choose not to run. Many are due to the impact and associated injuries but many of these niggles are simply due to:

over training through running too fast or too far
lack of strength and stability in the muscles which prevent the injuries
excessive tension in the muscles which cushion the impact of landing
poor running mechanics or footwear

The good news is that all of these obstacles can be overcome the same way any athlete recovers from a niggling sports injury. Practically any injury which comes on slowly as a result of exercise can be completely fixed with the correct mix of strength, flexibility and massage therapy.

If you'd like to get back into running but suffer from an ongoing niggle or old sports injury then maybe it's time to visit your physio or tell us about it to discuss the best steps you can take next.

Visit www.stsfitness.com/running-club and register your interest if you'd like to discuss how you're going to get back into running.

Our Running Club is available locally in Gloucestershire and online through the fitness application GymCalc

3 Ways to Improve your Running Through Winter

2012-12-03T05:57:00.001-08:00

Whether you're running to improve general health, lose weight or beat a previous best time, motivation to progress your running through the winter months can be tough.

It's obviously colder but just as importantly the hours of daylight are significantly less.

While there are good strategies to combat these obstacles some of us enjoy the fact that running is convenient and most of those strategies simply do not suit.

This article will focus on how you can take your running to another level using the Trusty Treadmill.

But the Treadmill is so Boring!
We hear it all the time. Running on a treadmill does not allow you to:

feel the breeze evaporate sweat from your skin
to see the end of your run approaching as you drive yourself forwards
to negotiate the various imperfections of the footpath, trails or fields

I get it...Running outside rules, but the treadmill does offer some advantages which outdoor running does not:

knowing that you're about to run on a consistent surface
drink bottle at hand (not in hand the entire run)
a clean toilet less than 20 seconds away
an automatic pacing and incline system
a tv with audio
the ability to run with a friend who is twice as fit as you

I'm not saying I prefer to use a treadmill by any means but if it's dark, wet, slippery and freezing outside when my clients are supposed to be running then I have no issue with suggesting they use a treadmill.

Strategy 1. Follow a Progressive Running Programme

The best way to motivate yourself with anything is by achieving success with it. If your running programme calls for you to run for a certain duration or distance and actually provides a speed which is based on your ability then you can see before taking a step exactly how your fitness is going to improve over the next 2-6months.

Programme Session Plan Example

All you have to do to achieve the success, so vital to your motivation, is stick to the programme. Each workout you do is a step in the right direction and treadmills make this easier than ever.

Running outside takes you out of a stable environment and makes following a structured running programme much harder to achieve. If the programme is based on you running speeds in a stable environment such as an indoor tack or treadmill then there's a good chance that unless you train in this environment regularly, you're going to struggle to keep to the session plan.

Wind, inclines, foot traffic, puddles, mud and hail can all disrupt your running rhythm which will lead to inefficiencies and therefore higher intensities than were originally intended by the programme designer.

A treadmill on the other hand allows you to focus on maintaining good form and rhythm meaning you can carry out the workout as it was supposed to be performed.

A truly effective running programme will offer a minimum of two workout routines which progress at effective and sustainable rates. If you're just getting back into running then one of those workouts should address your technique.

Strategy 2. Practice Good Running Technique

Running Technique drills are the easiest way to get fast improvements in your running. You don't need to run long distances if you're just getting back into it.

One longish run (whatever distance that is for you) and one or two shorter runs with a technique element should allow your legs to strengthen up without leading to chronic injuries such as achilles tendonitis or one of the many forms of shin splints.

It's so common for runners to over-stride when trying to bring more speed into their workouts. Over-striding is what happens when your foot lands in front of your centre of gravity. It not only leads to breaking forces but increases your chance of injury thanks to the lengthening of the hamstring just as the force of your full body weight travels through it.

Running Technique Drills can teach you to land the foot correctly as well as improve:

your running efficiency
speed when you need it most
running posture
your breathing capacity
leg drive and recovery
much more...

You can find most of the running technique drills online these days but unless you've got someone to provide feedback, you're completely in the dark.

STS Fitness holds Running Technique clinics for people who want to take their ability to a new level.

Running Technique Clinics

Strategy 3. Attend a Regular Treadmill Running Class

RunFit Classes

Stationary cycling classes are extremely popular with cyclists and are responsible for making thousands of non-cyclists think again about using their bike for exercise.

While Treadmill Fitness Classes have not taken off in the same way, they're on the rise.

Thanks to the latest developments in fitness conditioning methodology, conditioning coaches can now run classes which push multiple participants to similar intensities, taking into consideration the wide range of abilities.

STS Fitness holds RunFit Classes at Fitness First in Cheltenham for anyone looking to:

train towards a 5k, 10k or half marathon

improve stamina and endurance

increase running speeds

get a fun and high energy workout

burn calories fast

improve their metabolic rate

So what do you think about Treadmills?

Do you use one to get the mileage up through winter or stick steadfast to the great outdoors?

The STS Top Four Exercises

2012-04-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

Every personal trainer has their favourite exercises and we're no exception. The difference is that our Top Four are used for more than just getting fit...

These four exercises represent four major movements which we make as human beings. By assessing our ability to perform these movements under load we can offer resistances to lift in your gym programme.

The Cable Pulldown

This Upper Body Pull exercise is great for strengthening muscles of the middle back and arms.

Extremely important in correct shoulder function, the Lat Dorsi, Middle to Lower Trapezius and Rhomboid muscles help us to prevent injury and poor shoulder posture.

The Barbell Half Squat

This Lower Body exercise strengthens the thighs, lower back and core.

Using the biggest muscles in the body, the Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core Stabilisers and Erector Spinae are all responsible for getting us from A to B, while also ensuring that gravity doesn't get the better of us with age.

The Barbell Bench Press

This Upper Body Push exercise is used to increase strength of our chest and shoulders.

Mostly used for strengthening the Pecs, Deltoids and Triceps, good performance of this exercise also requires the middle back and lower abdominals to hold good position under load.

The Barbell Deadlift

This Core exercise requires most input from the abdomen, lower back and legs.

Brilliant for strengthening the Errector Spinae, Abdominals, Glutes and Quads, this exercise can help to prevent lower back problems when used with good technique and appropriate weights.

These Top Four Exercises become very familiar to members of The STS Fitness Club. They are used to indicate each member's ability to perform the exercises in their on-line programme. We have strong systems for teaching the exercises and protocols for using them in assessment.

7 Steps to Bouncing Back from Christmas

2012-01-15T14:57:00.000-08:00

The festive season should be a fabulous time of year and I truly hope it has been for you.

If you read my previous post, Fitness Around Christmas then you've either taken some of the suggestions on board and want more support converting the benefits into further success...

OR...

You really struggled and want to get some ideas on how to turn things around.

Either way, the steps from this post are worth working through now.

Step 1. Record your New Year Resolutions Personally
New Year Resolutions are only of use if you record them AND refer back to them regularly. First write them down on a piece of paper in front of you...NOW.

Then, before you get back to the hustle and bustle of your routine day, turn them into an A3 or A4 Poster. It's up to you whether you do this with crayons, paint or a software programme like Paint.

If you're proud of how they look then you'll be proud to see them staring back at you on your screen saver, office/bedroom/bathroom wall.

Step 2. Tell Everyone!!
Whether you generally share your day to day thoughts in person, online, offline or all of the above, you'll feel much better about your resolutions if you share them with people who you know are going to support you in sticking to them.

This simple act will give people a range of ongoing topics to ask you about in conversation. Though this may sound a little scary, these are resolutions you've decided to hold yourself to right?

Why not allow your friends and family to also hold you accountable?

If, in the worst case scenario, you decide that any particular one of your resolutions has become unrealistic, there is no shame in telling friends why you have changed it. So long as you change your resolutions for reasons you're unashamed of then why should you be scared of sharing those reasons.

In the best case scenario you'll encounter ongoing support in turning your resolutions to reality and feel proud enough to inspire others with your success.

Sharing your success is about more than you...it's about inspiring others to do the same.

Step 3. Get your Eating Sorted Out
Regardless of whether your New Year Resolutions are around food or health, you're far more likely to make them happen if you know what foods agree with you and when to eat them.

There's far too much emphasis on quantities these days, with the highest profile diets based around points and calories. It doesn't matter how much or little you eat of any particular food if it causes an inflamatory reaction in your gut. It's going to make you feel poorly and distract you from carrying out your personal resolutions.

Next, know that you need to eat the foods which agree with you every 3-4 hours you're awake. Doing so any more or less often will stuff up your blood sugars and lead to poor levels of concentration, if not worse.

Detox Diets are extremely popular at this time of year and while many are seen as extreme or even dangerous, there are a variety of healthy Detox Plans which won't make you starve. If you're unsure see a nutrition professional who can help you make the plan work for the foods which agree with you.

While Detoxes are relatively short lived and not part of a lifestyle change, they can give you short term success. You can then convert this into a long term resolution to eat less of the foods which make you feel like rubbish and more of the foods which worked for you in the detox.

Step 4. Get your Exercise Sorted Out
By sorted out, I don't mean register for a 6, 8 or 12 week challenge.

I mean figure out what physically active pursuit actually excites you and plan a way to get into it. If you haven't done this yet then maybe you need a Fitness Philosophy to Change Your Life.

If you've found out what excites you, but you're not quite sure how to make the most out of that motivation then here's a quick process to follow:

1. Google events or a social/competitive season which you have time to prepare for. It should be at least 12 weeks away and within reach. If you're unsure whether it's possible just flick me an email telling me where you're currently at and what you want to do. I'll reply to let you know whether you're being realistic, based on what I know about our potential to improve over time.

2. Get out your calendar and put the event/ first match into your calendar. Figure out how many weeks you have left and what kind of fitness you'll need to have worked on before D-Day arrives.

Work backwards from the event

If you were to allow 4 weeks to work on the following 3 phases, would you still have time to be ready for your event?

Phase 3. Race/Game Specific Fitness and Explosive Power
Phase 2. High Intensity Training and Base Strength
Phase 1. Base Distance Training and Injury Prevention

If you spent the minimum time of 4 weeks on each of these phases then it'd take you 12 weeks. If you've got more time that this, you should add more weeks to each of the phases and start researching each of these phases so you know exactly what kind of activity you should be doing to improve them.

I would love to be able to offer more info on how to prepare for these phases but what you need to do depends so much on your and your sport's specific demands that it would be irresponsible for me to try and do so in this post.

Step 5. Get your Friends Involved or Find More!
Starting Fresh
If you're looking at doing something new then chances are you don't know too many people who are striving for the same thing. If this is the case then you have a fantastic opportunity to make some new friends. Look up training squads in your area and ask the organiser how you can find people who are looking to do the same thing you are.

Every administrator who runs a physical based club loves being approached by people because it means they didn't need to look for you. Just showing the nous to approach them is a clear sign of your commitment and commitment is what will encourage an administrator to invest their time in you.

Stepping it up
If you're working towards something which people already know about then you don't need to shove it down their throats. The beauty of Facebook and other social media is that anything you post about your fitness will show up on friends news feed, not arrive in their cluttered inbox.

If they're interested in what you're up to then they'll read your links and as a result get more of your status updates in their news feed. Those who have any chance of either wanting to join you or simply become inspired by you will "like", comment or contact you to show their support.

As with the NY Resolutions, any feedback you get will either further encourage you to consolidate your fitness aspirations or give you someone to prove wrong.

Step 6. Commit to Cycles of Improvement
The beauty of working around a cycle of training and social/serious competition is that there is always something different going on.

At any given time you're either:

recovering from a training, match or season
preparing for a training, match or season
participating in a training, match or season

Your day, week, month and year all go through cycles of improvement and stories are coming out of each event.

Unfortunately, the most common way people look to get fit does not offer such variation. Without a season or competition to look forward to you're essentially just training to:

train
get fit
loose weight or tone up

Even if these motivations provide some short term success they're not sustainable because they don't offer a long term cycle of variation and improvement.

Step 7. Record Everything!
Take photos of everything you do. If you bring your car to a training or match then make sure you've got a camera to capture you in your kit and ready to play. The results you get and the fun you have will mean even more if you have ongoing records of what you accomplished.

If you didn't quite achieve what you set out for in a particular season then having records of the approach you took becomes invaluable in deciding how to go about things the next time around.

Maybe you had the race of your life a few months back, but can't figure out why you were so strong. If you only kept the programme then you'd be able to look back and find out what worked for you back then.

It doesn't have to be Time Consuming
When I tell people to record things they often think about the time it takes to do so but it can be very easy if you set things out properly from the start. If you've got a programme mapped out before you start it then you don't need to record what you did, you just tick it off on the programme which was already there from the start.

If you embrace the social sharing idea then that's another great way to record what you did and how it made you feel. The details you post friends about your training can be made up of the exact details you should be recording.

Any time you want to know how you dealt with an event or phase in the past, just have a look through your status updates or blog posts to find out.

It's far more fun writing things down when you know someone else could read them. A blog is a great way to record how things are going, while also giving people to opportunity to read, encourage you and become inspired by your success.

In Summary
Congratulations for making it to the end of this post on what is likely to be a busy day for you.

The key messages to take out of this article are based around Cycles:

Plan what you're going to do
Share it with your friends
Do what you've planned
Share it with your friends
Record what you do
Share it with your friends
Plan what you're going to do....and so on :-)

So many of my clients tell me they wouldn't do what they do without me. Naturally, I help them carry out most of the process above in regards to planning, doing and recording, but what they may not be consciously thinking about is that what I offer most is someone to share their success, struggles and learning experiences with.

It really is the sharing and feedback which keeps them coming back for more.

Why not share this post?
Please take a few minutes to share this post with your friends any way you can.

Even better, comment on how you plan on making this your best year ever, then share this post!

Fitness Around Christmas

2011-12-03T13:44:00.001-08:00

Talking to friends and clients over the last 10 years has taught me a lot about how people view their exercise through December and January.

So this is Christmas

It's a particularly tough time for many people so I've written this post to help others understand why some struggle and others thrive.

I'll also discuss how you can set yourself up for daily exercise, without sacrificing quality social time.

The Different Mind Sets

For many people, who I've talked to, the festive season is the absolute hardest time of the year to work out. Routines become disturbed by holidays, discipline is tested by Christmas gatherings and many of the organised trainings and competitions take a break.

For others it's an annual opportunity to train without having to fit it into a pre-arranged time slot such as before the birds wake up, the working lunch break or after a full day at the office.

These people love the opportunity to spend more time with friends and family but also love being able to schedule a longer workout between a backyard cricket match and the family lunch.

Fun Time with the Family

1. "I'll get back into it in the New Year"
When asked to attend a staff function, some of my clients see it as a great opportunity to let the hair down and if it means having to miss a workout then so be it. Regardless of how many functions they're invited to, they are special occasions and any loss of health or fitness through this period is simply what happens during the festive season.

Many people actually figure they're going to make the most of Christmas by eating all of their favourite unhealthy foods, drinking till late and putting a hold on their exercise. They've been sacrificing all of these behaviours since last January and they're not going to get do so again for another 10-11months.

This mind set is a sure sign of someone who has not actually embraced the concept of a healthy and balanced lifestyle. They put weight on each Christmas and struggle to lose it in the months between. They hate coming back to work in the new year and hate coming back to exercise even more.

Don't make exercise harder than it needs to be

2. "I'm Just Too Busy"
Some of the reasons I hear for not exercising during the festive season are actually very similar to those I hear from people who can't fit exercise into their working week.

They refuse to prioritise the time over other important tasks and will not put this very personal need over the needs of others who may not understand.

Many people just aren't used to putting themselves first, so spend all holiday running the kids around and cooking meals for others. They may have tried and given up asking for help, but figured the job will get done faster if they do it themselves.

Christmas is a time for giving so why not give your body the attention it deserves?

3. "Yahooooo, it's Christmas!"
The clients who I find come back to work feeling the best about their holidays are those who:

took their training to another level
attended and enjoyed various social functions without eating or drinking to excess
spent plenty of quality time with their family

Having achieved all this for their first Christmas ever, returns the happiest of clients. They managed to push ahead with their training, not only keeping everyone else happy but even managed to get them involved.

I can't think of a better way to enjoy your kids than while exercising with them. Contrast this with having a hangover as you try to enjoy the summer sun and active kids who would give anything to have you join them.

Get up for the Sun rise this Festive Season!

How to Thrive through Christmas!
If you'd like to truly enjoy your holiday then that good feeling needs to last beyond the Festive Season. If you spend half of your time racing around trying to get everything done, or recovering from the previous night's excesses then you're not going to look back on your time so fondly.

Here are some big things you need to setup if you'd like to be able to look back on a Great Festive Season:

1. Build a Team Environment
You'll be surprised how well people will grow to enjoy helping around the house if they notice the positive effect it has on you. If you can catch up and bond with friends and family while they help clean the kitchen or cook then they're more likely to do it without being asked later on.

This will free up time for activities which everyone can enjoy such as Back Yard Cricket, Scrabble or Sing Star! Setting out a couple of teams such as Boys and Girls, Old and Young or Tall and Short can add some ongoing, friendly competition which encourages banter and a great atmosphere around the house.

Tug of War is a Great way to bring people together

2. Promote your Daily Exercise Time
Once you've got everyone in a mood of sharing and caring, it's time to let people know when you're going to be out training. You may get some funny looks at first but each time you return, positively glowing from a workout, they'll accept it and hopefully get in behind you.

Whether you go off for a jog, a swim at the beach or a game of tennis, this is something you need to be proud of and committed to doing each and every day. You don't need to train hard each time you go out, in fact, you should either make every day a light session or alternate between easy and hard.

Every day seems like a big deal, but it's not. This is not just your time to exercise, it's your time to do get away and think about how you're going to make this day a joy for everyone you see. Doing it every day removes the question of when and whether you're training and it's the perfect excuse for going to bed at a reasonable hour.

Go and explore the neighborhood!

Few people have the opportunity to book out a slot for themselves every day during the working week, but over the festive season you'll actually find people congratulating you for your commitment.

3. Settle for a Great Time
For most of us, the middle of the day is for kids, the afternoon is for family and the evening is for fun. This means your best opportunity for a daily workout is probably in the morning. One of the biggest killers of this morning workout is a late night of excesses.

If you find it hard to resist the urge to enjoy your food, drink and company into the early hours of the next day then this may just be where you're doing the most harm to your holiday experience.

There's nothing wrong with having a few drinks after dinner, but there comes a time when you're either going to:

turn in with a glass of water, excited about your early morning workout

Party hard, but not too late!

grab another drink, a handful of crisps and destroy any hope of waking in time to enjoy your Daily Exercise Time

Getting back on the Scales should be Fun!

Sorry if this Upsets You
What you've just read will either make perfect sense or annoy you to no end.

Many people see the festive season as their reward for sacrificing over-indulgence all year so will only consider my suggestions when their doctor warns them to.

The people I most want reading this are those who want to get fitter and feeling better about themselves at the end of their holiday. If this post did make perfect sense and you think others could benefit from reading it then please forward the link on to a friend.

So what do you think?

Is any of this achievable?

I'd love to hear how you're planning to actually improve the quality of this festive season for yourself, your friends and family.

Feel free to come back and tell me how it all went.

Merry Christmas!!!

How Fitness Won the Rugby World Cup

2011-10-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

The All Blacks have finally won the Web Ellis Cup and it took all of their fitness and depth to do so!

France Hit their Straps
Previous World Cups have shown France to be a bit of a 'One Hit Wonder', managing to pull off one fantastic performance when it counted against a higher ranked opposition but playing below their potential for most other matches.

Just when it seemed like they were about to buck the trend they pulled out a rippa performance, to give the All Blacks (and most of New Zealand) a massive scare.

New Zealand Convert their Potential
The All Blacks bucked the even less favourable trend of playing untouchable rugby before being bundled out of contention in an act commonly referred to as 'Choking" (no longer a swear word). Learning from previous Cups the All Blacks managed to get ahead on the scoreboard, leaving France to chase them instead of being the team having to push the play.

They defended well and made the most of the fact that few referees will award a match winning penalty for a minor infringement, especially in such an important fixture. As a result France were the ones to cough up possession with 5minutes left in the game and the All Blacks held on to win.

Piri to the Rescue
The All Blacks showed fantastic fitness in the tournament but there was one player not exactly known for his fitness who was pushed to his limits. Piri Weepu came into the cup expecting and prepared to play a rotating role at halfback: 50mins one game, 30 the next.

Instead he found himself playing brilliant, but intensive 80minute games, kicking goals and being publicly branded as the 'go-to-man' with Dan Carter out injured. Fatigue, public pressure, along with the added stress of losing a family member would no doubt have further lowered Piri's immune system and eventually resulted in him catching a bug before the Semi Final.

Other over-strained symptoms were the niggle he picked up in warm up and relatively poor performance in the Grand Final. Both absolutely understandable based on what he had to go through.

Piri Weepu was my Player of the Tournament.

More Injuries and More Depth
Thankfully the All Blacks had fantastic depth and a setup which lead to fringe players being ready to be come into camp, prepared to play the role of whomever needed to forfeit their position. The most obvious example of this was at first five where three replacements all managed to play the required role.

What does interest me is why three first fives managed to fall to injury. Most would call it bad luck but those responsible for each of the players' fitness would know of weaknesses predisposing each player to their particular injury. There's no doubt these players were match fit but I hope we're not about to see a continuing trend of first five injuries at Rugby World Cups.

The Effects of Fitness on this World Cup
From the start of the Rugby World Cup I've discussed the effects fitness was having on the performances and results. In the pool matches I pointed to the ability of the minnows to get up for their first match due to the state of freshness and need to prove their place.

Those performances steadily declined as teams were forced to back up 4-5 days later and lost players who did not have suitable back-up. Things got progressively worse for the underdogs but whenever the odds were even you could usually count on the team who had the lightest lead in to come out on top.

The Quarter Finals went freakishly according to who was in the best physical state, following their final pool match. The Semis were both won by the team who started the strongest and held on for dear life as did the Final. They say World Cups are won with defense and defense requires fitness.

How this all Relates to Our Own Sporting Success
Every team sport has had rule changes which make the game faster and as a result more entertaining for the public to watch. The hard thing about this is that the rule changes are also applied right down to club level, meaning less rests and more running.

If the fittest international teams are winning then the same is also happening at club and provincial level. This leaves massive potential for those teams prepared to dedicate more to their fitness. Professional sports people generally have an inactive Off-Season of 2-3 weeks, before getting back to building a base and preparing for the next campaign.

Amateur endurance athletes and individual fitness based athletes such as swimmers, runners and rowers train all year round, similar to how Winter Team Sports people play relaxed versions of their sport in Summer. The difference is that these fitness based athletes have always known their sport is about fitness, whereas many winter sports have only become fitness oriented in the last few years due to the rule changes.

Whether you play Rugby, League, Football, Netball, Hockey, Touch or Ultimate Frisbee, you are playing a Fitness based sport. Learn to make fitness part of your year round activity and you'll incur less injuries, become faster, perform better and get more game time.

Go on, Start Now before your competition get's ahead!

All Blacks Through to the Final!

2011-10-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

Another great couple of games have decided the two finalists for the Rugby World Cup with France kicking and defending their way to victory over Wales and the All Blacks dominating Australia.

Were Wales Robbed?
There is a lot of talk about how Wales were robbed by the red card after about 10minutes but I really don't think it would have made a difference. An extra man is not going to stop you from coffing up the ball and kickable penalties.

France did what every team has done to win in these and practically every World Cup playoffs: get ahead then defend like your life depends on it. Watching Wales go through phase after phase of attack, making very few inroads tells me they just didn't have an answer to the French passion. I only hope Wales keep Warren Gatland on for the next World Cup because he'll have learned a lot over the last four years and Wales will come back stronger for it.

Can Anyone Win Pretty?
France didn't win pretty and but neither did Australia against South Africa or the All Blacks against Argentina. I said France may just have played their final against England but I was wrong. I'm even a little concerned they may not have played their big game at all so far, but hopefully they don't actually have a big game to unleash on this World Cup.

Although the All Black performance was fantastic in almost every way, we only scored one try and scoring tries is supposed to be how the All Blacks win matches. Great to see Cruden take the initiative with a drop goal and although Dagg's attempt was poor it shows that the All Blacks have accepted that winning ugly is more important that losing pretty.

The Physical and Psychological Toll
Australia did play their final against South Africa and had little left to compete with the most passionate All Blacks performance we have seen in years. Everyone bar Sonny Bill stepped up but I wasn't surprised to hear Weepu has caught a bug.

He will not have prepared for the amount of high intensity rugby he has been asked to play. Throw in the stress of expectation and the loss of a family member, Piri was always going to suffer some over training symptoms. Most bugs are coming to an end after a week so unless his stress levels remain high this week we should see the new 'go to man' take the field in the number nine jersey.

So will the All Blacks brush off France as Expected?

Tough to say. We're starting to see some signs of fatigue in the All Blacks Squad but once again they had the depth to allow tiring players to sub out early where as France had to fight all 80 minutes to get their win. We all know the All Blacks are the better team on paper and they'll run France off their feet but there is still some chance France will get a lead and hold on to win.

My pick, based again on fitness is that the All Blacks will win and by a big margin.

What do you think?

When to Start Pre-Season Training

2011-10-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

The New Zealand Winter Sports Season is over for 2011 and many Football, Rugby, Netball and Hockey players are happy to have their Saturdays back but when should we start building fitness towards the next season?

Start Now!!

Whether you’re 3 weeks or 3months out from your first competitive match you should be doing something to prepare for next season. The less you do at the end of your season the harder it’ll be to get back into it.

It doesn't need to be painfully hard training. In fact in order to improve the durability of your ligaments it needs to start softly. Start early enough and you can progress slowly. Start slowly and you might even enjoy it.

Leave it till the last minute and you'll have to train harder and go through more pain before having another unsatisfactory season.

Getting it Wrong
Starting back in January or February when your Coach's Pre-season Training begins is dangerous!

It always starts with a hiss and a roar but our bodies just aren't ready for high intensity training yet. The coach has every right to expect the team to get straight into the sprints, shuttle runs and high intensity games because there's only one month before that pre-season tournament or the start of the season proper.

If we've taken the last 4 months off exercise then there's a good chance we're going to get unlucky and fall injured before the first game of the season.

So How do we Prevent all of that Pain and Risk of Injury?
In order to have a great pre-season with your team from January till March you'd ideally do a couple of months of Base Fitness Training before the festive season break.

Base Fitness Training should be aimed at:

Increasing the distances we can run
Improving our running, speed and playing technique
Improving our durability

Two months before Christmas means starting at the end of October.

It sounds early but for most of us that's August, September and most of October which we're letting ourselves get less fit for our sport and the rigors of our Coach's Pre-Season Training.

If we don't have a Coach's Pre-Season Training then the entire team is looking at a season with moments of brilliance but dominated by cramping, injuries and frustration.

So if you want a great season for you and your team get them together and Start Now!

Rugby World Cup Semi Final Analysis

2011-10-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

The Quarter Finals presented four great games with France redeeming their poor showing against Tonga to beat England, Wales peaking right when it counts to beat Ireland, Australia just managing to outlast South Africa and Argentina proving that they would be able to foot it with the All Blacks if they could only sustain their passion for 80 minutes.

So how will the Four Remaining Teams Fare in the Semi's?

It really is so tight that i'm going to base my picks purely on Match Fitness

Wales were fantastic against Ireland and showed better execution, equal passion and good match fitness when compared to France's win. Wales also had a slightly easier game than France and to me that'll decide it.

France showed that they do deserve to be in the playoffs by beating England but both teams were poor and I'm picking that game to have taken enough out of them to have em struggling against Wales.

The effects of a previous fixture on match performance will also be the undoing of Australia. While I believe their freshness following the pool stages helped them against South Africa, this game hurt, requiring their 'go to players' stay on the field and give 100% for the full 80minutes.

A Spanner in the Works
Though I don't want to believe it; history could have a say in this World Cup.

Apparently, every team who beats the previous World Cup Winner goes on to win the title...but we don't take history that seriously right?

The All Blacks had a hard 50minute encounter against Argentina and that hit out will have given them a better sense of the big match familiarity they require to get up for the semi final. It won't have had the same physically taxing effect as the Australia v South Africa game so I'm expecting our boys to run the Aussie to a stand still.

The only way the AB's can loose is if Craig Joubert has a shocker and allows Aussie to slow the game down.

So who will be in the Rugby World Cup Final?

The Mighty All Blacks vs The Perfectly Timed Peakers (is that a word?): Wales

Other points to consider:

Eden Park-The AB's do not loose to Aussie at Eden Park!
Injuries Gallore-I've intentionally disregarded the raft of injuries as they effectively cancel one another out...Has Piri really "got this"?
Is Quade Cooper due a match winning performance? He'll be reeling after his poor Quarter Final
World Cup Ch@#ers: Four years of success means nothing if our boys choke against Australia

Can Wales make their first ever World Cup Final?

What do you think?

Speed Training Methods: Speed Interval Training

2011-10-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

STS Speed Interval Training involves repeated medium to high intensity runs to a cone which is set at a particular distance from the start line.

Each athlete has their own cone and each cone is set at a distance depending on each individual's personal fitness level. This means that fitter athletes run further in the same amount of time as the less fit.

180 degree turns, 'Get up and Go', 'Jump and Go's' and other pre-sprint activities add variation and specificity to the set.

In Early Pre-season you'll find there are lower intensity runs with less recovery time than in Late Pre-season. This means athletes are able to perform more high intensity activities when we switch to Late Pre-season in January.

See photos of Speed Interval Training in Action

See a video from You Tube

My Rugby World Cup Playoffs Analysis

2011-10-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

This Rugby World Cup will be won by the team who performs with the best Tactical Execution, applies the right amount of Passion when it counts and has the best Match Fitness to convert the previous attributes into vital wins.

Tactical Execution
From what we've seen I think it's fair to say that the All Blacks and South Africans lead in this department but every team in the quarter finals has shown their ability to get up against good opposition, if only for brief moments, over the last six months.

There's no doubt that once again, the All Blacks have the best running game but previous World Cups have proven that you can't always rely on tries and that earning penalties and drop goal attempts in the last quarter do pay off. I just hope they've worked on this 'Plan B' option.

The Element of Surprise
If any team have been holding on to a secret strategy which they can execute well then it could lead to a major upset. We know the South Africans are going to turn to the drop goal in the big games and that Australia can play very smart when it counts. I'm just glad they're playing each other before the All Blacks.

Passion
The amount of heart each team puts into their play-offs campaign will be unquestioned. From the 'Backs to the Wall' circumstances of the underdogs in the Northern Hemisphere to the 'Defending Champions' status of South Africa and the well documented 'Favourites', 'Chokers', 'Home Nation Pressure' labels which are cast on the All Blacks. I doubt we'll see one team out passion another unless a radical tactical strategy is employed, effectively psyching out it's opposition.

Passion could enable a less skillful team to outperform a favourite but only if match fitness allows it.

Match Fitness
This comes down to pre-tournament fitness, rotation policy, depth on the bench and the toll of previous performances. Though it was prevalent in the bottom 12 teams, I don't recall seeing any of the top 8 fading in the final 15mins so far this tournament.

Looking at the quarter finals, on the other hand, the only team which does not have a hard road into the semi finals is the All Blacks. This could have added to thier undoing in previous World Cups where players were kept relatively fresh at the expense of competition familiarity which is required to perform at the highest level in sudden death sport.

Still, fatigue does carry from week to week and for those who have been asked to play big games three weekends in a row, maintaining Passion for 80minutes could become too big an ask.

South Africa, England and France have had very hard final pool games where as the All Blacks, Australia, Ireland and Wales got their hardest pool matches out of the way earlier in the tournament. I'm expecting this to give Australia the edge over South Africa on Sunday.

Player Injuries
There have been major injuries in all the top teams so depth has become a major factor in this tournament. If someone told me Dan Carter would not survive the group stages three months ago I'd say we've got no chance but because there are so many injuries in other teams and the rest of the squad is so strong, I'm still backing Black...

My Picks for the Quarter Finals

Wales to beat Ireland based on Tactical Execution and a very subtle difference in Match Fitness.
France to beat England based on Passion, helped by their loss to Tonga.
Australia to beat South Africa based on Match Fitness.
NZ to beat Argentina based on Match Fitness and Tactical Execution. I'm hoping Eden Park and the home support will nullify the Argentinian Passion...Please do not mention the word 'Complacency'!!

Go the All Blacks!!!

Fitness Variation vs Progress

2011-09-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

They say "Variation is the Spice of Life", but how should we apply variation to our fitness?

With the invention of new methods and fitness products many Personal Trainers are ensuring their clients get a completely new workout every time they train together.

The positives are obvious to the Trainer:

Show off your expertise and physical ability by demonstrating and teaching new exercises regularly.
Offer clients the sense of achievement from learning new exercises.
No need to plan anything because you have a wider range of exercises in your head than the client.
No need to record anything because you're not going to use the same exercise variables next session.

Each of these points can be justified to an extent as it's important for trainers to demonstrate their expertise and few can spare time to plan or record and store training data.

The negatives exist only for the client:

If you're learning a new exercise you're not progressing on a more familiar exercise.
If you're not progressing then you're stuck doing beginner weights and progressions.
If you're not actually progressing in any particular exercises then you're using less energy.
If you're using less energy then you're not burning as much fat, let alone asking your body to consolidate any muscular adaptations it's made from previous sessions.
Doing new movements causes more muscle damage and while you may think more pain equals more gain excessive muscle soreness slows you down and can even bring you down emotionally.

Muscle Confusion Theory
Trainers will often point to the idea that every newly performed workout is more effective than a regularly performed one because the body never gets a chance to make the adaptations which lead to plateaus, hence the muscle confusion theory.

The problem is that the whole point of fitness training is to stimulate the body to adapt. It's only by adapting to a workout that we can then perform the same movements with higher intensities, weights and volumes.

How to Avoid Plateaus
Fitness plateaus are inevitable if we don't vary our training at all, but so long as we change the reps and weights every 2-3 sessions then it's going to take at least 8 sessions before we hit a plateau. The fastest way people hit a fitness plateau is to either :

Keep the Programme Light - This is most common in those who are not interested in exercise and simply expect that by showing up and doing anything they should see improvements.
Keep the Programme Heavy - This is most common in those who have the best intentions but lack guidance.

In order to avoid plateaus and keep our training varied we need a programme which encourages Progressive Variation.

Progressive Fitness Variation
Making non-stop improvements in our fitness really is easy:

Whatever exercises you use, start easy. Enjoy the first few workouts of your new programme by completing the prescribed reps and sets at weights and progressions which you can do at 65-70%. The better conditioned you are the harder you should start but the first session should be no higher than a 7/10.
Gradually increase the intensity and volumes, session by session, increasing the reps of each exercise but maintaining the same weight or progression level. This will still feel relatively easy (and fun) but by the end of each session you should notice that you've done more than in previous sessions.
Continue to increase reps every 2-3 sessions for 3 weeks, by which time you're finding the workouts quite tough and unsure whether you'd be able to increase the reps again the following session.
This is when you can drop the reps and increase the weight or progression level. Decrease the reps enough that you get a few easyish sessions with your new weights. This "back off week" is when your body get's a chance to recover from the incrementally hard training it's been doing over the previous weeks.
Repeat steps 2-4 with the new weights and you'll find yourself working up to higher reps with heavier weights and progressions.

As you can see, the progression and variation lie in the reps and weights, not just the exercises. There are no reasons why you couldn't use this process with 3 workout routines, each with a different range of exercises, which are each performed once or twice a week, on non consecutive days. Using split routines like this add further variation and allow a wider range of movements to be truly mastered, not just learned and forgotten.

How Often should I Train?
If you only perform any particular exercise once a week then you're not going to improve as fast as if you do it 2-3 times a week. If you're only training 2-3 times a week then doing 2 or 3 workout routines is going to mean slower progress at each exercise.

The equivalent could be running once a week, swimming once a week and cycling once a week. You're going to get fitter at each but not as fast as focusing on any one of them.

The same principles work for non gym based exercise, with weights interchanging with speed and reps relating to distances. Increase distance first, then drop it and increase speed.

How Progressive Variation Works

It's easy to think that light exercise isn't going to get us anywhere and if it's all we do, it won't. But starting light does lead to neural adaptations which prepare the body to perform the same movements under heavy loads down the track.

Progressing slowly means we get less muscle damage, which enables us to train more frequently without getting injured or having to reduce intensity for fear of causing more pain. Muscle soreness is normal with many forms of training but by minimising it we actually enable more consistent progression.

Isn't Consistent Progress what we want in our Results?

Finding a programme which starts at the right level for you can be frustrating because few fitness professionals have the time or technology to estimate the best weights to lift or speeds to train at. If you'd like affordable programmes which help you progress visit any of these pages on the STS Website:

2011-09-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

Rugby World Cup Fitness

After just one round of the Rugby World Cup many are talking about how far the "minnow" nations have come.

But what would have happened if they were able to maintain their first half performances into the final quarter of play?

Argentina scared the English, Romania scared the Scottish, Japan performed well against France, Italy had a good first half against Australia and USA had great moments against the Irish, but in every match the favoured team finished the strongest and won.

Fitter and More Skillful
The only game where a favoured team dominated from the start of the match, showing a completely different level of skill, was the All Blacks vs Tonga, but even that didn't go the way New Zealand fans were expecting. Tonga came out of the sheds looking fresh in the second half and managed to hold their own, scoring a good forwards push over try, only to fade away in the last quarter.

Backing up Against Fresh Opposition
Canada, playing their first game of the tournament beat Tonga who were playing their second game, in a match they would usually be expected to lose. Scotland have had another tough second game against Georgia who were playing their first, winning by just 9 points and unable to dot down over the Georgian line when they were also favoured to win by a big margin.

The Effects of Fatigue
If any of the minnows mentioned above were able to maintain the performance they displayed when fresh, the Rugby World Cup would be a much tighter competition. In each of the games there was a stage in the second half when the under dog nation's players started to slow down. Whether expressed with mass outnumbering on defense or guys stopping to stretch out cramps.

Players stretching their calf and hamstring muscles is a tell tail sign that they're struggling to keep up with the fitness demands being placed on their legs. The more players from minnow nations get into high level proffesional rugby the better prepared their teams will be for the physical demands of International rugby and the more upsets we'll see in future world cups.

Back to Status Quo
As for this Rugby World Cup, you can expect to see less convincing performances from the underdogs in their second and third games against the top tear. Russia, playing their first game, will push the USA but results will start to go back to what was originally expected as the minnows incur more injuries and are forced to play their top team game after game to avoid embarrassment.

2011-09-14T02:37:00.000-07:00

STS Online Fitness Coaching
Ever thought about what you could do for your fitness if you just had a plan to follow?

Online Fitness Coaching is not new but it has come a very long way in the last few years. Online Fitness Applications such as Map My Run, Garmin Connect and GymCalc have made it easier than ever for coaches to provide quality programmes and feedback.

Features Include:

Value for Money
A Training Plan you can see and use
Goals and Methods of Achievement Kept on Record
Your Training Calendar
Fitness Testing
GymCalc Client Log-In Included
Print or access your Programme on Smart Phone, Tablet, Laptop or Desktop
Easily Record your Training
Analyse your Results
Other Online Tools such as Map My Run
Discuss you Training with your Coach

Programmes can be written for:

Marathon, Half Marathon and 10km Running
Football Fitness
Rugby Fitness
Other Team Sports Fitness
Gym, Weights, Flexibility and Stability Programmes
Strength Training, Plyometrics, Power Training

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Running for Speed: Part 3

2011-07-22T22:56:00.000-07:00

Know How Fast You're Running

There are a range of ways to estimate how fast you're actually running, while you do it:

Knowing the distance and time regularly such as on a 400m track, 500m or 1km marks on a flat footpath. All you'll then need is a stopwatch and a good mathmatics brain/calculator.

Pedometer based systems which calculate speeds based on a pre-entered stride length multiplied by stride frequency which is recorded each time your foot lands.

A GPS training system which calculates your speed depending on how far you travel every second or so.

Treadmills turn the conveyor belt at the speed you input, meaning you just need to keep up.

Each system has it's advantages and disadvantages which I'll discuss in this post. I'll also discuss my preferred methods and where i see the future of speed analysis going.

Distance Track with Stop Watch

Using a track can be boring if you're not used to running in such an environment. Even a 1km track can get monotinous if you're running more than 6km. If you're a numbers person and can keep your focus on pace and running technique then the time can fly by but that also depends whether you're doing even paced or interval training.

Using a basic stopwatch and a track as described above is by far the cheapest option as the most tracking devices rarely come for less than $300NZ.

It is harder to know whether you're going at the right speed until you're approaching the next marker/lap as you can only see how much time you have to get to the next marker. This can often leave you speeding up or slowing down to a walk in order to stick to the correct average speeds.

If you're using the most basic stopwatch you'll need to print out your split times or record them on your hand every workout. If you have a lap timer then you only need to know how much time you're allowed on each fast and slow lap which means no comparing pen to watch. If you don't keep an eye on the overall time it's easy to get away from the overall average speed of the workout, even if you're only missing the prescrided time by a few seconds each lap.

GPS Training Devices

GPS is the most accurate distance running speed analysis tool i have used next to a cycle speedometer. The ones i have used fluctuate a lot at slower instantaneous running speeds but level off at average speeds over 100m+. As a result i set the display to average lap speed so i know i just need to keep the speed as close to that prescribed as possible until the next marker/split.

If you can set an auto lap then you can run anywhere flat and with relatively little wind. Having used the Garmin Forerunner series of devices i struggle to go for a run without one now as i just can't stand not knowing my average speeds and heart rates. When you can download your speeds, heart rates, elevation and distances into a graph and chart it doesn't take long to figure out why you got that stitch, muscle cramp or simply started feeling empty. It will also become obvious why you had such a good run that you just wanted to pick up the pace over the final 2km to use what was left in the tank! This is the best feeling you can get in traininer and part of the reasons we runners run.

GPS Application on your Smartphone
There are now hundreds of Applications such as RunKeeper and Map My Run which are gaining popularity and I suspect it won't be long before the wireless watch and heart rate monitor are made available to make it easier to monitor speed and heart rate while you run.

RunKeeper allows your iphone's built in GPS system to display your current speed, distance and time. I am yet to use one as i don't have an iphone, but i've had a few NZ friends report that the GPS keeps loosing signal so i'd be interested to hear from anyone who has tried this app overseas. I've read good things on the website so i'm sure the GPS signal will improve as will the application. As technology advances, i doubt the training aids will be able to keep up with the cell phones although i haven't run with an iphone strapped to my upper arm yet.

Foot Pods/Pedometers

My experiences with top of the line polar pedometers are not great when compared to cycle speedo and gps in the same session. Due to this i do not use them but if you've paid out for one and do not want to switch to a gps device then try to recalibrate it to match the speed of a cycle speedo over 1km at around 80% max. Even if it's not spot on it will at least give you an idea of when you're slowing down or going too fast relative to what you were at the start of the session. You can still compare how long it took you to run the total distance to the prescribed time to determine whether you went too fast or slow.

Treadmills

Treadmills are very good at keeping us at the correct speeds but how much they help our outdoor running is up for discussion. I suggest using a 1-2degree incline to make up for the fact you're not actually propelling yourself forward so much as you are propelling yourself vertically. I'll use a treadmill if it's no good outside but you need to find out how much easier you find the same workout on a flat treadmill so you can figure out the amount of incline to use.

In Summary

It's not good enough to be prescribed workouts based on time running at perceived intensities

You can get a program which sets the speeds for you to run at

You can run at those speeds, knowing that you're doing the best to make optimal improvements to your running.

This article is derived from the STS Fitness and Nutrition Website

Running for Speed: Part 2

2011-07-12T01:15:00.000-07:00

Knowing the Right Speeds to Train and Race

What you and your coach really need to know is how fast you should be able to run other distances such as a 5km, 8km, 12km and so on so they can give you at least an approximate idea of how fast you should be running, depending on how far you're going in each session.

The speeds you are asked to train at should take into account the fact that you're not going to be able to run 12km at the same speed as you ran a 10km time trial at 100%. It should also take into account that you're not going to be able to run at your 100% speed, for any given distance, every time you train.

Progressing your Running Fitness

How does your running program progress you?

If you're asked to do your next run 5% faster than last time do you think you could stick to it?

Even a mind set of increasing speeds by 5% will often be enough for us to increase speed 0.5-1kph, leading to an increased effort intensity of more like 15-20%. What seems like a small increase in speed over 30-90mins often magnifies the intensity effect, leading to lactate buildup and detrimental pacing.

Interval Training
If you're doing interval training, your programme needs to be able to give you faster and slower speeds which take into account the fact that it's going to be much harder, if not impossible to maintain the same average pace (that's average speed of entire run) as you would be able to hold in an even paced run.

Don't agree?

Try running your next race at significantly different speeds each kilometre and see how you get on...it didn't work for the hare when he raced the tortoise!!

The best runners in the world run negative splits (first half of the race slightly slower than the second half) but to most it would look as if they're running the entire race at the exact same speed. Their ability to keep such an even pace is part of what makes them such good runners as they're less likely to go too quick in the first half, putting them into that state discussed in Part 1.

Knowing your Speeds

There are means of finding what speeds you should run at and a few on-to-it running coaches know these means. There are many calculations involved in creating a program, dealing with times, speeds and conversion factors. Many coaches simply don't have time to do the math.

You can see how STS Running uses these methods to create intelligent running program on the STS Website

So assuming you do know how fast to run in k/h or mins/km, how do you then know how fast you're going? Read Part 3 to find out.

Running for Speed: Part 1

2011-07-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

The Problem with Running for Time at Perceived Intensities

When our coach or programme tells us to perform a running workout they'll usually give us a type of session, the time we're running for and the approximate percieved intensities we should aim for.

Eg. do a long run for 90mins at around 75%

The problem with this workout description is that 75% at the start of a run is likely to be considerably faster than at the end due to cumulative fatigue and muscle damage. Only the most experienced runners can pace themselves accurately, based on this kind of a workout description but even they can struggle after a couple of weeks of enforced rest due to illness or injury.

The Reality of Running to a % Perceived Intensity

We've all gone out for a run with an idea of preserving ourselves so we can get through the prescribed time only to get carried away due to feeling great over the first 20-30mins. You think you're running 65-70% of your max because you feel so damn good, but you're actually going at 90-130% of your maximal speed for the designated time you're supposed to be running for.

This can only end badly unless you recognise you're going too fast and slow things down. Problem is that by the time you've realised you're working too hard there's a good chance you've already caused enough damage to make the rest of your run painful, no matter how slow you go.

I believe that the number one reason people give up running is not because they find it boring, but that they simply let their speed get too high and spend the rest of the run in pain. You see it all the time, guys looking absolutely broken with another 2-4km to run. Hunched over with a look of complete agony on their face and thinking "why do i do this?".

So Who's to Blame?

If a running coach put you through this workout you'd never use him again, but chances are the workouts your coach or program is giving you has put you into this state many times before. It's not your fault as you thought you were going at the right speed. It's not really the coach's fault because they don't know how to keep you at the pace they have in mind.

There is another problem here though.

How does your coach know how fast you should be running?

If you had your coach cycling next to you with a speedo, what speeds would they be asking you to run at?

Say they've timed you over a 10km race or time trial and found out your average speed. They now know how fast you should be able to run over 10km on similar terain at 100% of your max. This is great if they only plan on having you run 10km time trials in training. No matter what distance you aim to be your best in, you cannot rely on one distance or time to run for each time you train.

So how else can your program describe your workout? Read part 2 of this article to find out or visit the complete 3 part article on our website.

All Blacks Fitness Leading into the Rugby World Cup 2011

2011-06-12T04:29:00.000-07:00

In 2007 I attended a Strength and Conditioning Workshop in Brisbane run by the Head Trainer of the almighty Brisbane Broncos, Dan Baker.

Towards the end of the Workshop we had a Q & A's session when, being the only Kiwi, I had to ask Dan what he thought of the All Blacks "Reconditioning Period" leading up to the 2007 Rugby World Cup. At the time I was extremely confident about our AB's and understood exactly why the Sports Science Staff wanted to keep our boys out of the Super 14 in favour of a Recovery, Speed and Strength building phase.

Dan chuckled and simply replied;

"It's not how I'd do it...What'll happen to their match fitness?"

I brushed it off telling myself we'd get enough match fitness in the Tri-Nations and Rugby World Cup pool games. Alas...we dipped out to France in the Quarter Finals.

All Black Injuries
Now I should be careful here and state that I don't believe that the Reconditioning Period was the sole reason for our AB's bowing out of World Cup Grand Final contention but it only takes a couple of injuries to seriously inhibit a team's performance and lead to loss in a high priority match.

Coming back from the reconditioning period, we suffered major injuries, blow, after blow from players getting themselves into "unlucky" positions such as Chris Jack's Hyper-extended knees or simply pulling up short with muscle strains such as Conrad Smith and Reuben Thorne.

Then the most significant injuries ever to hit the All Blacks...Dan Carter and Ritchie McCaw both pulled out of the most important and devastating game since the previous world Cup, the Semi Final against Australia. Right when we needed the two best players the world has seen in their positions, they're forced off with injury.

Was it Typical Bad Luck or was it a Lack of Match Conditioning?

There's no way to be sure but Henry and co survived and the conditioning staff were given the boot. This time around there is no "Reconditioning Period". Every All Black, in the running for this year's World Cup is allowed to play in the Super 15.

Will this make a Difference to our Rugby World Cup Success?

So far there are few injury concerns to speak of and our teams seem to be performing well in the Super 15. We haven't done anything obviously conservative this time around and our boys seem to be getting plenty of rugby, with no talk of "needing a break from rugby".

We all know a fit All Blacks team can beat any side on the planet but will they remain fit enough?

Getting Back into Running

2011-06-06T03:16:00.000-07:00

I love getting back into running because I know I won't have to put much time into it in order to get fast results. When I've had a big break from running it literally takes me 25-30mins of easy running before I feel my legs tighten and know that if I don't stop I'll be very sore the next few days.

The good news is that just that 25-mins at an easy pace is all I need to do to get improvements to my running fitness. Once I've built my running durations up and got over the initial adjustment period, it takes a lot more running to elicit the same results.

Start Easy to Avoid Pain and Maintain Improvements
If you're getting back into running, the worst thing you can do is go out without thinking about how long you should run for. A run should always start fun and easy but that's because we're fresh. If we get carried away and think that somehow we never lost any running fitness, then we're destined for a painful few days of recovery.

Now you might think that "the more sore we get the better the results" and it's often true that muscle soreness tells us we've done a challenging workout but if you're sore for more than 3 days then you're probably not training during that time.

If you're not training then you're missing the opportunity to improve or even maintain your fitness level. If your legs are sore they will come back stronger but in that time, your cardiovascular system isn't being exercised so will start heading backwards.

6 Steps to Easing Back into Running

1. If you can figure out and stick to the appropriate duration and speed for your first run then you'll have a great first run back. Figure out your first run details or follow those in step 2.

2. If you haven't run in a while but used to run lots, then start at 20mins and see how far you get running around a park at a 7/10. You can use the footpath if you prefer but stay on the flat to keep it simple.

3. Do exactly the same as above a few days later to consolidate. Don't go faster just because you feel better.

4. Next time run for 25mins at a 7/10 and consolidate a few days later. Follow this pattern for 4 weeks (taking you to 40mins) then peg the duration back to 30mins for an easy couple of sessions.

5. After your easy week go back to building up durations until you reach a duration you're happy with such as 50mins.

6. Now that you know you can run at a comfortable pace for your target duration it's time to slowly increase your speeds. If you have a means of monitoring your speed then record it each time you run and increase it in the same way you did your durations.

Increase speed in one session, consolidate the next. Do this for 3 weeks, then peg the speed back for a couple of easy runs. You'll soon hit a plateau which is when you should look at introducing hill and interval training.

If you have a gym membership then running on a treadmill will allow you to know exactly what speeds you're going and if you record each run speed and distance then you'll learn for future runs and see concrete improvements.

Treadmills are a good way to get monitor your progress

Walking to Jogging
The above steps are a brief guide for getting back into running and will only work for you if you've done a fair bit of running in the past. If you've never done much running then I suggest you use the same 6 steps discussed above but with walking.

When you're no longer getting challenged and find yourself becoming impatient, bring in a short jog to increase the speed of your workout. Jogging increases the demands of your workout a lot so once again, increase your speeds slowly and progressively to assure comfortable, ongoing improvements.

Summary
This article will sound very conservative to many of you but if you're looking to get back into running as a lifestyle change then your progress does not need to be fast. Running is far more fun when you're experiencing non-stop progress and planned recovery weeks as opposed to non-stop muscle soreness and chronic injury lay-offs.

Visit our Website for information on how The Cheltenham Running Club can help

I Love Swimming

2011-06-06T01:19:00.000-07:00

Jee I love swimming.

This video just makes me want to race...maybe not 100m right now but I should be able to last 25 or 50m at a decent rate...once :-)

If you have never really got into swimming this video should give you some idea of why swimmers swim.

If you swim then let's have a race, just for the fun of it.

Directed by Lionel Hirlé & Grégory Ohrel
Music credits
Artist : DatA
Title : "Blood Theme"
Label: Ekler'o'shock / EOS Records
Publisher: Naïve Editions
Special Thanks : Alain Bernard, Arena France Stade Nautique d'Antibes & Agence Tokyo Elegangz
Canon France

Visit our website to see how STS Fitness and Nutrition help

Winter Sports Training in the Wet - Part 2

2011-06-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

Optimizing Each Individual's Trainings

Asking amateur team sports athletes to put in extra fitness training off their own back is a common request but often ineffective. Those who do it would have been training in their own time regardless of what the coach says. Those who don't won't unless they have an extraordinary reason to do so. In this post I'd like to offer athletes a range of training options they may have considered and how useful is mid to late season.

Running Fitness

A totally over rated form of training for team sports mid season is straight line, even paced running. It is about as specific to most team sports demands as cycling but involves far more impact.

This form of training is great in the off season and early pre-season as a means of getting back some base fitness but has little purpose other than as a recovery session during the season.

Games Based Conditioning
This is the most specific training an individual can do for their sport as it mimics many of the demands they experience on match day. Social leagues in the city make this form of training easier to do than ever before but it can do more harm than good.

Athletes playing and filling in for multiple teams per week often pick up over training symptoms in the form of muscle strains, ligament sprains and bruising which does not get time to recover between match day and social league games. I would only recommend these leagues for the fittest and injury conscious of athletes or the most unfit and least likely to do anything else between match day.

Gym Training
The most common forms of gym training I see team sports athletes doing is mirror training for next summer. If each athlete could be given even a generic but progressive gym programme to do in their own time it could prevent useless weight gain and injuries while improving performance.

Once a gym programme with exercises, reps, sets, weights and rest times becomes available athletes can develop a relationship with gym staff to teach and correct technique as regularly as once every few sessions, for free.

What many gym users don't realise is that most the gym instructing staff are employeed to either clean, walk the floor, introducing themselves and offering technical tips (which is not fun at all) or helping members who actually want their help. By utilising these qualified members of staff and a decent gym programme athletes can do some great training for no more than their gym membership.

Speed and Agility Training

While this form of training can put more strain on tired bodies between match day, performed with the right amounts of rests and work durations, speed and agility training is just what every team sports athlete needs mid week.

The challenge with Speed Training is that few athletes know how to run a good session without a session plan or a coach with them. A good coach or team trainer will put together basic session plans for individuals to either use alone or with a couple of team-mates, mid week.

Speed Interval Training

Improving each athlete's ability to perform repeated maximal sprint efforts with restricted recoveries holds the biggest potential for improvement in any team sport. It's very similar to the physiological demands of a fast match and can be designed specifically for the individual's fitness level and position.

As with speed and agility training, speed intervals are near impossible to expect of an individual unless a suitable session plan is available to follow. Again, I believe the coach or team trainer who does not provide this to each athlete is missing an enormous opportunity to boost the overall performance of the team and capitalise on the opposition's complacency.

In Summary
Your club has a great opportunity to move up the ladder this winter by simply training with the same enthusiasm they have done in pre-season. It may take some creative thinking on the coach's part to maintain motivation but providing session plans and holding players accountable for doing them may lead to a turn around in the Winter Club Training Culture which is prevalent in New Zealand sport.

Visit our website for more on Team Sports Training

STS Fitness Blog

How to Run Faster: Use Your Arms

Co-ordinating Arm and Leg Drive

Try it Yourself

Arm Drive in Sprinting

Arm Drive for Distance Runners

Correct Elbow Position for Distance Running

Try it Yourself

Correct Forearm Alignment for Distance Running

Making the Changes to your Running Technique

How to Run Faster: Run Tall

How to Run Taller

1. Head High, Watch the Horizon

2. Chest up

3. Belly Button to Spine

Implementing the Changes to your Running Technique

Introducing Garmin Connect

Why Running Hurts and What You Can Do About it

Sore Knees while Running

Massage for Runners

Stretching for Running Flexibility

Other Injury Prevention Strategies

Summary

Why You Should be Running this New Year

With so many options for getting fit these days, more people are turning to lower impact forms of exercises instead of running.

Running Increases your Metabolic Rate

Running Saves You Time on Fitness

Running is Relatively Inexpensive

3 Ways to Improve your Running Through Winter

Strategy 1. Follow a Progressive Running Programme

Strategy 2. Practice Good Running Technique

Strategy 3. Attend a Regular Treadmill Running Class

So what do you think about Treadmills?

The STS Top Four Exercises

Every personal trainer has their favourite exercises and we're no exception. The difference is that our Top Four are used for more than just getting fit...

The Cable Pulldown

The Barbell Half Squat

The Barbell Bench Press

The Barbell Deadlift

7 Steps to Bouncing Back from Christmas

Fitness Around Christmas

How Fitness Won the Rugby World Cup

All Blacks Through to the Final!

When to Start Pre-Season Training

Rugby World Cup Semi Final Analysis

Speed Training Methods: Speed Interval Training

My Rugby World Cup Playoffs Analysis

Fitness Variation vs Progress

Running for Speed: Part 3

There are a range of ways to estimate how fast you're actually running, while you do it: Knowing the distance and time regularly such as on a 400m track, 500m or 1km marks on a flat footpath. All you'll then need is a stopwatch and a good mathmatics brain/calculator.

Pedometer based systems which calculate speeds based on a pre-entered stride length multiplied by stride frequency which is recorded each time your foot lands.

A GPS training system which calculates your speed depending on how far you travel every second or so. Treadmills turn the conveyor belt at the speed you input, meaning you just need to keep up.

Running for Speed: Part 2

How does your running program progress you?

If you're asked to do your next run 5% faster than last time do you think you could stick to it?

Don't agree?

Knowing your Speeds

There are means of finding what speeds you should run at and a few on-to-it running coaches know these means. There are many calculations involved in creating a program, dealing with times, speeds and conversion factors. Many coaches simply don't have time to do the math.

You can see how STS Running uses these methods to create intelligent running program on the STS Website

So assuming you do know how fast to run in k/h or mins/km, how do you then know how fast you're going? Read Part 3 to find out.

Running for Speed: Part 1

All Blacks Fitness Leading into the Rugby World Cup 2011

Getting Back into Running

I Love Swimming

Winter Sports Training in the Wet - Part 2

There are a range of ways to estimate how fast you're actually running, while you do it:

Knowing the distance and time regularly such as on a 400m track, 500m or 1km marks on a flat footpath. All you'll then need is a stopwatch and a good mathmatics brain/calculator.

A GPS training system which calculates your speed depending on how far you travel every second or so.

Treadmills turn the conveyor belt at the speed you input, meaning you just need to keep up.