It is a good feeling to have someone you can count on to pick you up and encourage you to get that last set of kettlebell swings in, or run that extra mile. But what do you do if your training partner is out sick, or your trainer is on vacation? Maybe the 12-week running group has ended, and you are worried that you won’t be able to keep it up on your own.

I always tell my client your success or failure is not up to me. I lay the foundation down, teach you the proper exercise techniques and give quality nutritional advice. The rest of the challenge is up to you, and you must hold yourself accountable in order to succeed. I only get to see most of my clients for 1 hour a week, so the other 167 hours are up to them.

Here are five tips to stay motivated and hold you accountable.

Make it a daily habit

If you have to pick up your child each day at school you usually do so, right? You don’t brush it off and say, “I don’t feel like picking her up from school today. I’ll skip it and take the day off.” Most people usually brush their teeth each day, and tend not to take the day off because they don’t think it is important. Working out is no different. It is a daily priority to move each day. If we start to look at our health as a regular part of our day we will start to make some progress.

Keep it on your calendar

If you have a weekly appointment with a trainer, or attend a class each week, keep that day and time reserved on your calendar regardless of whether it is still scheduled or not. If your trainer is out of town, or the class or group is canceled for some reason, keep the appointment for a workout session for yourself. If you belong to a fitness club, try another class. If your trainer is out of town have them give you homework and make the trainer hold you accountable to do the workout. Keep up the habit.

Have a back-up plan

I am a big believer you should plan a day ahead. When it comes to your daily meal plan, workout, work and family, you should always be thinking ahead. This way you always have time to make a back-up plan. If your friend calls you the day before and tells you they can’t go on the usual lunch time walk, try and find another person to walk with, or just enjoy a peaceful walk alone. If your trainer is sick and can’t workout, email them and ask for an alternate workout. If your gym is closed for the day, find another that is open and try it out for a change of environment.

Life can often throw us some curve balls, so be ready to improvise your workout schedule even if you are a creature of habit (like most of us). It is always good to mix up your workouts.

Blame game

We all have our excuses to why we are not able to workout. Family, job, and traveling are common excuses for why my clients can’t fit a workout in. I sympathize just a little with them for those reasons, but not much. I will NEVER sympathize with someone if they blame it on someone else. Be honest with yourself and make the extra effort to get the job done, on your own.

Put Yourself First

If you do get into a situation where someone else is preventing you from working out, take action and change that pattern. If your workout partner or trainer is not staying consistent with your time, or keeps canceling, dump them and find a new one. You may think you are hurting their feelings by doing this, but you really are putting your own health first.

Most of us forget this concept as we get busier trying to take care of our work, families, and friends. If anything, that trainer or workout partner will have a spark to motivate themselves to stay committed to working out and stop letting you down.

Always put yourself first, and your body will thank you in the long run.

Since I work with many clients that need fast results in a small amount of time, I have them perform what is called “metabolic conditioning training.” This type of training consists of various strength, power, and core exercises in a circuit or interval type training method.

This allows me to increase my client’s metabolism, burn a ton of calories, and increase their VO2 max (in easy terms, increase their conditioning) in a very short amount of time. If you want some science to prove my method, read the kettlebell study by Truman University that supports my methods by using the kettlebell swing exercise. A staple here at State of Fitness to get our athletes and clients in shape.

A recent study came out of Truman State University and looked at the metabolic effect of kettlebell training. The subjects were asked to swing a kettlebell as many times as they could in a 12 minute period (sets, reps and rest period it seems were frees tyled — the subjects rested whenever they wanted).

The researchers found that the subjects completed between 198 and 333 swings in the time frame (265 swings average) and worked at an average heart rate of 86% of max and at 65% of their previously measured oxygen consumption [VO2max]. They concluded that,,”Continuous kettlebell swings can impart a metabolic challenge of sufficient intensity to increase Vo2max. Heart rate was substantially higher than Vo2 during kettlebell swings. Kettlebells provide a useful tool with which coaches may improve the cardiorespiratory fitness of their athletes.”

Next time I will be talking about why metabolic conditioning training is safer, more effective, and an example of how to do it!

Justin Grinnell is the co-owner of State of Fitness. Check out the State of Fitness web site here.

Injury reduction

Injury rates for young athletes are at a higher rate than ever. Over 70 percent of ACL tears in the United States come from athletes between the ages of 13 to18 years old. This is due in part to less physical activity outside of their sport; thinking the sport itself will get you into shape; specializing in one sport too soon; and the lack of implementation of proper strength, conditioning and cross-training methods. We need to make athletes aware that physical fitness is the foremost effective way to reduce the risk of injury. They should also understand that specializing in one sport increases their risk of injury due to continuous use of the same movement patterns. If an athlete chooses to specialize, then he or she must understand that cross training, by implementing a strength program, is even more important.

Improving athletic performance

Athletics at the junior and high school level are becoming more competitive every year. With competition there is much more demand on the athlete tosucceed. I do believe every child should be given the opportunity to participate in a sport and should never be discouraged from playing a sport. Having fun and learning life long values such as discipline and hard work are always a priority. At the same time there is a point of reality where the best players move on and play at a certain level, whether it is trying to make the JV basketball team, or earning a scholarship to a college. Talent is usually a large determining factor, but hard work does pay off. Working hard at a solid strength and conditioning program will help the student become stronger, faster, more powerful, and a better conditioned athlete to participate in their chosen sport.

Sometimes these factors can be the difference between more playing time and continuing on to the next level. If an athlete is seeking ways to improve his or her ability to earn playing time, or move on to the next level, the difference is usually hard work and a solid strength and conditioning program.

Learning physical fitness: Life after sports

After I graduated from high school and decided not to continue to play at the college level, I quickly realized I needed to find a way to stay in shape and stay active. I was fortunate to have participated in a decent strength and conditioning program in high school, and that sparked my interest in continuing to work out and stay healthy and fit.

Unfortunately not all former student athletes continue to stay active after their playing days are done. It is a very well known fact that overweight and obese children are on the rise, and our current generation of kids may be the first to be outlived by their parents. I think the best way to change that is to implement other forms of exercise to keep kids from becoming sedentary.

When I train young athletes, I not only try to help them become better at their sport, I want to give them knowledge, skills, and motivation to continue to stay active for the rest of their lives. Educating our youth about the importance of exercise should be the main goal when introducing them into sports.

Correct exercise technique and program design

With so much information available about exercise, it can become quite confusing to decide which exercise program is best for an athlete. That is where a qualified and educated strength and conditioning coach comes in. An athletic trainer is there to take care of injuries, a basketball or soccer coach is there to help improve the team and athlete’s basketball and soccer skills, and the strength and conditioning coach is there to help the athlete become stronger, faster, powerful, and more resilient to injury. A strength coach’s first goal should always be to teach a young athlete proper exercise technique and to keep them in a safe training environment.

A well rounded program should consist of foam rolling, stretching, dynamic warm-up and power drills such as plyometrics, Olympic lifts, strength training, core training, and conditioning should round out a proper training program.

The bottom line is that a good strength and conditioning program is the best form of injury prevention and means improving athletic performance. Teaching our youth that there are other forms of exercise than sports is crucial in order to help then continue to stay active and lead a healthier lifestyle.

Written by: Justin Grinnell. Grinnell, B.S., CSCS is a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and a Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He is the co-owner of State of Fitness in East Lansing. You can reach him at 517.708.8828.

You must always remember,a short workout is better than no workout. I have designed many quick, yet effective workouts because of these situations for my clients. One of my favorites is the FAB FIVE stability ball workout. A stability ball is very inexpensive and a very multi-functional exercise tool that can be used almost anywhere.

The “FAB FIVE” is a stability ball circuit designed to train your powerhouse, the “CORE”. Stability, balance, and overall full body strength will also be a result of using the FAB FIVE.

PUSH-UPS HANDS ON BALL

• Assume a push-up position with hands on ball
• Keep your body fully extended with core tight
• Lower your body using your arms and go down right before chest touches the ball
• Push away from the ball until arms are fully extended

LEG CURLS

KNEE-INS

LOG ROLLS

UPPER-BODY ROTATIONS

Routine

• Perform as a circuit
• 10-15 reps for each exercise
• 2-4 sets in a workout
• Use pain free range of motion with controlled movements
• Keep core tight at all times

For more workout ideas, visit mystateoffitness.com.

Here are five new things to think about to help you lose those unwanted pounds for the nice weather ahead:

Try Tabata Interval Workouts

If you don’t already know what a Tabata interval is, it’s a high intensity interval training protocol originally created by Japanese researcher Dr. Izumi Tabata. Each Tabata interval consists of 20 seconds of high intensity (as hard as you can go) exercise followed by a 10 second rest. This is repeated for eight rounds for four mintes at a time. It’s simple, effective and a great way to increase your metabolism and burn body fat. You can use a variety of modalities such as a bike, treadmill, and even your bodyweight!

Keep workouts short and intense

One of the least talked about training methods is workout density, which is the amount of work you do in a given time frame. The greater your density, the greater your caloric expenditure. The best way to increase workout density is to decrease rest periods. The longer you drag out your workout, the less likely you can keep up the intensity. An easy way to do this is set a time limit. Try to get as much of your workout done in that time frame. Each time you do that workout, try to beat your previous time. So if you are trying to lose body fat, get out of the mindset that you have to work out for hours and hours. The harder you work in less time, will equate to a higher metabolism, and a much more effective weight loss program.

Finish your workout with a bang!

If you ever came to one of my classes, or trained with me, you are well aware that I like to end a workout with what I call finishers. These are exercises that are short, intense, and very demanding. My favorites are sled pushes and rope training circuits. These exercises are sure to get the heart rate up, and keep your metabolism rocking for the next 12-24 hours after exercise due to the increased oxygen demand that is called EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption). EPOC is defined scientifically as the “recovery of metabolic rate back to pre-exercise levels” and “can require several minutes for light exercise and several hours for hard intervals. “ Essentially, we are looking for activities that keep us burning more calories after the exercise session.” Be sure to end your session with a bang to keep your engine burning all day long!

Spice up your food

There are many spices that you can use to help foods taste great, but who thought that many had so many health benefits, and could lead to fat loss? Two of my favorites are turmeric (curcumin), and cinnamon. Turmeric the spice can help reduce inflammation, helps detoxify the body, and may aid in fat metabolism and help in weight management. There have been endless studies on turmeric in both a spice and supplement form that help support these claims. Cinnamon is another great tasting spice that can help promote a healthy blood sugar level. In short, if your blood sugar level is off due to not eating often enough, or consuming too many processed carbs, this can lead to excess storage of body fat. Try adding a little cinnamon to help keep your blood sugar level on the right track, keeping your metabolism in the right gear.

Practice table pushaways

Table pushaways simply mean step away from the table. The old saying that you can’t out train a bad diet is so true. I tell my clients seeking to lose body fat to forget the word meal and use the word feeding. Five to six small feedings a day is the key. If you do this you will reduce your chances of overeating and storing food as body fat. Combine this method with the hard training protocols above, and you will lose fat in no time! Table pushaways are the hardest exercise of all, and they are psychological, not physical.

written by Justin Grinnell. Grinnell is the co-owner of State of Fitness.

Here are five things to think about when deciding which fitness facility works best for your lifestyle:

Level of Professionalism

First in my book (and I’m biased as a trainer) is what kind of professionals are available at the facility. A solid fitness facility should always have a well educated group of personal trainers. They should all have a college degree in a related field, years of experience, and nationally accredited certifications.

You should also see if they have specialty certifications such as athletic training, physical therapy, massage therapy, and certified strength and conditioning specialists. These individuals are there to help guide you in the right direction when you decide to embark on a proper exercise. They are the leaders in helping educate you to lead a healthier and more active lifestyle.

Customer Service

You want everyone from the front desk worker to the owner and director of the facility to be visible, eager to help, and care about you every time you walk through the door. I am a firm believer that each person that works at the facility should interact with members and clients regardless of their position at the facility. They should not view you as just another member.

They should show you that they are interested in listening to you about everything from their personal life to what they want to see done differently at the facility. Loyalty, honesty, and integrity play a major role when trying to provide a great service.

Cleanliness and Organization

There is nothing in the world that is a bigger turnoff then a dirty facility. A proper fitness facility must always be as clean as possible. When you are dealing with so many people in one facility working out, it must be sanitary health reasons. It’s always better to workout in a clean environment too. It just feels better that way. The locker rooms, mats, benches, and floors should be on high priority when keeping the facility clean.

Hand sanitizer, spray sanitizer, and clean towels should always be available. If the facility is not clean, it is a sure red flag to go somewhere else. Not only should the facility be kept clean, it should also be nicely organized. All dumbbells, weight machines, weight plates, and other pieces of equipment should be kept in a safe and orderly fashion. This helps control traffic and flow of members, you have a better understanding where everything is located, and helps reduce the risk of injury. There is nothing more appealing than a neat, clean, and efficient fitness facility.

Current classes and the latest equipment

The fitness world evolves quickly and with that comes new ideas for equipment and classes. A fitness facility should always be looking out for fresh ideas in group exercise, as well as the latest high-tech equipment. Classes such as Yoga, Zumba, boot camps, and TRX Suspension Training classes should be available, along with specialized classes on nutrition, injuries, and lifestyle.

Machine based training is a thing of the past, and is not how we need to be doing fitness. A fitness facility should have plenty of room filled with Kettlebells, slide boards, free weights and medicine balls. Plenty of cable stations, foam rollers, speed and agility equipment, and cardiovascular machines with Cardio Theater should round out the equipment list. I think you should also be able to ask for help on any piece of equipment and be able to use them independently, if you choose too.

Environment with Energy

With everyone leading a busier lifestyle these days, it sometimes makes it tough to work up the motivation to even go to the gym. Having a place to go workout in a fun, welcoming, and
energetic environment makes it all the more motivating to lead a more active lifestyle. You should walk into a fitness facility and be able to leave your problems at the door, and know that you will have a hassle free workout. The key in helping people lead a more active lifestyle is to provide continued support and motivation. They need to feel like someone is interested in helping them stay healthy, and that they can look forward to being surrounded.

written by Justin Grinnell B.S., CSCS. Grinnell is a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and a Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He is also a co-owner of The State of Fitness.

Don’t Skip Breakfast!

Many people either start their day off with no breakfast, or a poor quality breakfast. Try to make sure you get a balanced, high quality meal each morning as soon as you can. This meal should be your most calorically dense meal of the day. You want to feed your body more in the beginning of the day, and eat fewer calories in your snacks and meals as the day goes on. This will keep your metabolism up, and fat burning hormones in check. According to the American Dietetics Association (ADA) people who eat breakfast are less likely to become overweight, and are more likely to exercise at some point throughout the day.

Invest in Some Greenfood

I know very few people who eat enough vegetables, and I am not one of them. I constantly struggle to get enough veggies in, especially the green ones. That’s why I make sure I use a whole food based multi-vitamin/mineral food supplement, wheat grass cube, and or a powdered green super food drink. This is the best way to make sure that your body is getting enough whole food based vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other phyonutrients that are high in antioxidants. You should make sure that the product you buy is high quality, and you get what you pay for. This is the best investment for your body.

Eat Loads of Healthy Fat

If there is one macronutrient that I focus on getting in each day is healthy fat. As Americans we just don’t eat enough healthy fats, and consume far too much unhealthy fats such as hydrogenated oil, and other poor quality oils. Every morning with my greefood supplement I take either 5 capsules or 1 teaspoon of Lemon Flavored Cod Liver Oil. In the second meal of the day with my oatmeal I also have 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds. And for snacks I always have some almonds, walnuts, or trail mix throughout the day. These are my favorite snacks because they are easy, nutrient dense, and a quick form of energy!

Keep Your Body Alkaline

Our bodies go through a lot stress throughout the day. Your body is exposed to a lot of toxins as well. Overtime that will make your bodies PH level to high and you will be more acidic. Exposing your body to acidic foods such as too much coffee, soda, and processed foods also causes your body to work harder to stay alkaline. Too much acidity in the body can lead to acid reflux, cellular damage, mineral loss, and low energy. So each day I make sure to consume water in an environmentally safe plastic, and at night I have 10-16 ounces of mineral water. While both sources are alkaline and help rid the body of toxins, mineral water is higher in mineral content, thus more alkaline.

End the Day in Control

Eating too much later in the day, especially late at night will cause a metabolic pitfall. If you are really hungry at night and end up eating way too much, then that is a sign of not getting enough nutrients in throughout the day. Not consuming enough healthy fats, protein, eating every few hours, lack of water, and not having a high quality breakfast will cause you to eat way to much at night, and will push you too make poor food choices. Limit your carbohydrates in your last meal of the day as well. We tend to overeat foods high in starchy carbs such as breads, pastas and potatoes, and the calories add up fast! To control portions stick to healthy fats, lean protein choices, and tons of veggies. My dinner usually consists of a piece of chicken or fish, roasted broccoli or asparagus in extra virgin olive oil, and a salad with various greens and vegetables. “Eat like a key in the morning and a peasant at night”.

Here is your daily checklist:

High Quality Breakfast: Begin the day well
5 capsules or 1 teaspoon Cod Liver Oil
2 tablespoons ground golden flaxseeds
Trail Mix
Almonds or Walnuts
Wheatgrass cubes/ green food drink
Whole Food Based multi vitamin/mineral

Justin Grinnell B.S., CSCS is a Certified Personal Trainer by NASM and NSCA, and is a Senior Personal Trainer at The Michigan Athletic Club

Nate Schafer and Justin Grinnell

Functional training is a relatively new term that is captivating the attention of the fitness and rehabilitation industry. This term has various meanings to fitness professionals due to the absence of a true definition. Science recognizes that the human body is comprised of musculature, tendons, bones, ligaments and tissues that all work simultaneously to provide one with the gift of Function also referred to as movement. Science has categorized movement into three basic planes of motion. These movements are within the sagittal plane (forward and backwards) frontal plane (side to side) and transverse plane (rotational).

Although this knowledge of Function exists the fitness industry has failed to apply these principals into training and conditioning programs. In an athletic contest of any sort movements are various, simultaneous, dynamic and often unpredictable. Thus, for one to achieve their full athletic potential they must synergistically move the body in compliance with the functional threshold of the sport. In order for one to optimize this functional equilibrium, maximize athletic performance, and reduce the risk of injury the body must be trained in accordance with a three dimensional training regimen.

The multi plane training principles adopted by the 3 D Dynamic curriculum are directly from extensive training with internationally renowned physical therapist, trainer and strength coach Gary Gray. Gray has been deemed the “Father of Function” and has spent decades studying the dynamics of the human body referred to as applied functional science. Gray is sought out for his expertise by world renowned athletes, doctors, and rehabilitation specialists in order to gain a greater understanding on his three dimensional outlook of and application to the human body.

3 Dimensional Dynamics is unlike any other training program in that it incorporates three dimensional training into an all in one package that includes strength, plyometrics, speed and quickness. 3 Dimensional Dynamics builds off the traditional training approach which is dominated by sagittal plane movements and expands the exercises to fit into the principals of applied functional science outlined by Gray.

As coaches we expect our athletes to remember and execute their assignments to the best of their ability. If your team only executed their assignment one third of the time would you expect to have a successful season? Similarly if one is trained to move in a single place of motion then ones functional threshold is reduced, optimal athletic potential is not achieved and body synergy is decreased.

3 Dimensional Dynamics Program Offerings

Since athletics never happen in controlled isolated settings, the movements in the 3 D dynamic program are designed to create various chain reactions to improve the efficiency and functionality of the biomechanical patterns of the body. Each exercise variation deliberately replicates and exceeds the positional demands an athlete may encounter in competition. Systematically training these positions creates an environment for the functional demands of ones sport to become second nature, and movement throughout 3 dimensional spaces optimized. In addition to accomplishing movement equilibrium, optimal athletic performance requires one maintains a high level of focus and awareness to their surroundings, as well as the predetermined task at hand.

This neurological component of sport is simulated in the 3 D Dynamic program by performing multiple actions concurrently within performance training, as well as within structured motor patterns that force the athlete to maintain a high level of concentration and attention to their movement assignment.

The strength portion of the program is composed of squats, power cleans, dead lifts, bench press, pull-ups, rows, and medicine ball throws. These are simply traditional lifts that have been tweaked to meet the three dimensional demands of function. The strength portion increases muscular and tissue strength as well as pliability and flexibility. Dynamic core stability and mobility are also maximized through the various feet positions and movements associated with the core lifts associated with the program.

Speed and quickness are the great equalizers in sports, and essential to the success of teams and individuals in athletics. 3 D Dynamics focuses on training maximum acceleration, velocity, endurance and power in compliance with the multi plane nature of function. This unique approach allows the athlete to develop their speed potential in both a linear and multi plane manner.

Lastly, the plyometric portion of the program is designed to decrease the amount of time it takes for one to accelerate and decelerate the muscle fibers of the body. In doing this one decreases the rate in which muscular contractions occur within the body. Thus, the result is increased explosiveness, acceleration and power.

The 3 D Dynamic performance package is unlike any other performance program in the world in that it systematically intertwines the accepted scientific principals of kinetics and applies the concepts to strength and conditioning programs. You have the opportunity to implement a revolutionary multi plane training system in your program today that will optimize athletic performance, and reduce the risk of injury. Make the investment and witness the supremacy of 3 dimensional training today.