Paving Your Path!
Many of us think that the sweatier and/or more sore we get from a workout, the more effective the workout is. While the human body must endure some damage to create strength and endurance adaptations, it also needs slow state, steady work to compliment those adaptations. Some of the most effective workouts will not produce sweat or soreness. Periodization, a scientifically proven form of exercise programming in which strategic implementation of specific training phases to create adequate adaptation, allows your body to recovery in order to prevent injury while making strides toward fitness goals.
When we move repetitively, as in exercise, we are creating movement patterns. Imagine these patterns are dirt paths. If we plan to use these paths often, we will want to pave them so they can support heavy use. As well planned infrastructure is to building long lasting roads, our mindful movements are to building long lasting movement patterns. First, our foundation must be evenly graded to support the repeated pressure of the movement patterns. We must always work to perfect basic human movements before loading them with intensity. In this analogy, we need to grade our path before we pave it, so that we avoid problems later down the road.
If our dirt path has faults or large gaps, it is not ready to be paved. So, if your hips are so tight that your squat form is improper, it is not time to add weight to that squat. Stretching of the hip flexors and drills that work lumbo pelvic stability are ways of leveling the path. If you lack the core strength to execute a push up without losing stability in the lumbo pelvic, there is certainly no sense in trying out hand stand push ups. Drills that encourage core strength and stability in the low back will give you greater gains toward the goal of whole body function. Unfortunately, many “fitness” programs will encourage you to pave your road too soon. Whether its asking you to put a bar on your back before your squat is ready for it, or stand on your hands before your core is strong enough, its not their path to pave. It’s up to you to be humble enough to decide when you are ready to advance to that level of training.
Faults will not be made better by simply pouring cement on them. A path must be made solid in order to provide the support needed to invite a heavy stream of travel like a back squat or handstand push up. If we pour that cement too soon, we risk major cracks in the pavement. This is the intersection where road blocks become injuries. Judging workout quality only by how sweaty and sore we are afterwards may leave us under construction forever and this is certainly not the goal of any fitness program.
Be smart about your training. Your body is not meant to go 150% all the time. Programs that encourage this are not well programmed, and certainly not based on current exercise science. If you are in a perpetual state of soreness, you are over training and injury is imminent. If you have worked a program based on periodization principals, with phases that allow for adaptation, implementation and recover, you will have success. Yes, you may be sore sometimes, and surely you will sweat. You will also find that over time, your capability to endure will increase. When you repeat a workout with the same intensity you have done in the past, you will not be as sore or as sweaty. This is proper programming, this is a well laid foundation and a road that is ready for the wonderful trips that lie ahead.
To a path well paved,
Coach Michelle
A beneficial workout can be as simple as stretching to music with a partner (or two!)
DIY WALK & STRETCH!
Warm up with a half hour brisk walk, then perform each of these stretches in coach Jentrys sequence for 6-10 breaths!
Gumsaba Outdoor Fitness Class schedule Tuesday 7/19/16
5:30AM Sunrise Danville Womens only class – Coach Michelle – TRX Strength
5:30AM Sunrise Danville Mens only class – Coach Joel – TRX Strength
6AM Sunup Lafayette Co-Ed class – Coach Jentry – Weightless
9AM Sunshine Walnut Creek Womens class – Coach Michelle – TRX Strength
11:00AM Cytosport Advanced Boot Camp – Coach James (private class)
12:00PM Cytosport Vinyasa Flow Yoga – Coach Jentry (private class)