Think you’re fit? Give Hi-Max Training a shot

We’re lucky enough to be working with a strength and conditioning coach by the name of Tom Kelso.  Tom is formerly the Director of Sports Performance for Pinnacle Performance Training and has recently taken a position with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department as an Exercise Specialist and Programming Director.  Tom is a very knowledgable guy and the audio interview we did with him was outstanding.  Those clips will be available at Hybrid Fitness when we go live.  In the meantime, register your name and email address on the site so we can keep you informed.

Here’s a video of Tom in action, working with one of his clients.  This particular type of training is called HIMAX Training.  As Tom describes it, normal HIMAX sessions result in about 12 – 15 exercises/intervals per 1/2 hour session and around 20 exercises for an hour session.  They factor in about 10 minutes of stretching as well, so the actual work duration is around 45-50 minutes.  As Tom says, “most who come to us are looking to lose fat and look better, thus we try to push them to their limit to maximize energy expenditure”.

Check out the video and feel free to post your comments.

Coaches Corner: Exercise Variety

Achieving Variety in Exercise

Once an athlete has moved beyond the beginner stages of strength training they often find that gains in strength begin to level off. One way to combat these plateaus is to incorporate variety in ones training. The purpose of introducing exercise variation is to provide a novel stimulus which may help to induce a continued strength and growth response. Below are seven ways in which one may add variety to their training program.

1. Variation of Exercise Equipment: Become familiar with as many types of equipment available to the program.

2. Variation of Exercises: Become familiar with muscle physiology and use as many different exercises as possible for the same muscle group.

3. Variation of the number of Exercises: Vary the number of exercises per workout as well as per muscle group on a regular basis. Remember to keep volume in check to avoid over training. Limit the number of exercises during the competitive season or when peaking for a competition. Emphasize quality over quantity except for brief “blitz” Cycles.

4. Variation of Sets and Reps: Don’t always follow the same pattern for sets and reps. Manipulate these variables throughout your training cycles. (Keeping accurate records will allow you to note what combinations of volume, intensity, frequency etc are the most effective at any given time).

5. Variation of the Order of Exercises: Again, do not follow a set pattern at all times. Consider alternating Upper – Lower, Push – Pull, Pre-Fatigue – Post-Fatigue etc. (Exercise order manipulation is a high priority variable).

6. Variation of Overload Manipulation: Experiment with using a variety of Advanced Overload Techniques. Examples include but are not limited to Forced Repetitions, Heavy Negatives, Stage Repetitions, Zone Training, Pre-Exhaustion, Assisted Repetitions, etc. (Be sure to use proper super-vision when implementing Advanced Overload Techniques).

7. Variation of Recovery Times: Experiment with manipulation of recovery times both between exercise and between sets. Decreasing total workout time without sacrificing exercise form can be an effective way to boost the metabolic conditioning effect. (Be aware of over-training and keep accurate records so that recovery periods are not neglected).

Remember all athletes will experience plateaus in their training at different times and for different reasons. Very rarely is it because they have reached their absolute genetic potential. Incorporating exercise variation concepts may help to overcome or limit these inevitable stagnation periods. By properly implementing a system of exercise variation you may find that you approach your training with renewed vigor and experience uninterrupted progress for long periods of time.

PAU for NOW

TAKU
www.hybridfitness.tv

$110?? Gimme a break!

So I’m getting my fill of daily news articles and I come across this gem of an article from wnbc.com.  The link appears below.

To summarize, a gym in Manhattan is charging $110 per hour for training on a Nintendo WiiFit.  A trainer walks the client through a series of exercises ranging from boxing, tennis, dodgeball, etc.

http://www.wnbc.com/news/17086168/detail.html

All I can say is, if you’ve got a bunch of disposable income and you’re looking for a place to blow it, move to Manhattan, seek out this gym and spend all the money you want, then see what you get after 6 months…or a year.  My guess is, not much.

Conversely, if you’re looking for top notch articles, programs, video and audio clips, nutrition information and some of the most useful fitness and training information you’ll find anywhere on the web, go to www.hybridfitness.tv, register your name & email address and we’ll let you know when the site goes live.

Suffice it to say, you can train for ONE HOUR in Manhattan, or an ENTIRE YEAR OF ACCESS to Hybrid Fitness for the same price.  Trust me, it’ll be well worth the time and price.

Until then, keep training hard.