Personal Training
How To Get STRONGER.
I get inspired daily by people, places and things. Whether that be seeing a client progress greatly in an exercise we have been working towards, or whether that be watching a youtube video of a female working hard, lifting heavy weights and seeing their accomplishments in action. Setting attainable goals is such a good measure of progress and this is something I like to make clear between myself and my clients (at the gym or via Cathy Savage Fitness)
The main goal I have for all of the females that I train as we dove into 2013 is to get STRONGER. Some of them don’t even know that I have this goal in mind for them, but as they see themselves progress, they realize that at this time months ago, they were unable to push around the weights they have been as of late. I am not trying to ‘trick’ any client of mine, but I am however, proving that they are much stronger than they think and are able to do more (safely of course) they would have ever imagined.
Today, I want to share some tips of mine for simply GETTING STRONGER thus seeing greater gains in the weight room, feeling better, moving better, and creating an even MORE efficient fat burning machine.
Squeeze EVERYTHING on every lift:
Keeping the entire body engaged and tight throughout each exercise is extremely important. If you are pulling heavy weights and nothing is connected, you are not only putting yourself at risk for injury but also decreasing the effectiveness of the given exercise. For example, when deadlifting, every single muscle in your back should be engaged BEFORE you even lift the weight an inch off of the ground. When you come up to standing, you want to be able to squeeze your glutes as hard as possible. Tightness in your body will lead to increased stability and allow you to pull heavier weights. Stay focused and in your zone. I like to completely block out everything around me when deadlifting and front squatting. I do not want to be distracted and I want my body in 100% focus mode! Blast some good music and keep your body TIGHT.
Work on Grip Strength:
This has been a huge goal of mine since really starting to lift as heavy as possible. I have noticed that the rest of my body is able to lift the weight, but I am hindered by my grip. I call it “the weak link” Sure, my body can lift 135lb barbell deadlift, but my grip often times says ‘not more than 3 reps!’ I even felt this when swinging a 20kg kettlebell, which is no problem for my body, but after about 10-12 swings, my forearms and drip begin to weaken. After all, if your hands are strong, that means you’ll be able to pull more weight in many exercises, you’ll be able to do more repetitions, and you’ll be able to train longer!
So what do you do?
- At my gym, we have a big bucket of chalk which I cover my hands in before heavy lifts to get a tight, solid grip on the bar. This has helped me tremendously and I would recommend giving it a try!
- Use the “mixed grip” technique. With this technique, you will have one palm facing you and the other palm facing the ground. This puts even tension on both hands, thus creating an instant strength boost. You will be able to deadlift and pull even MORE than you though than using an overhand grip. I start with my dominant hand facing down and non dominant hand facing up for the first set and keep alternating each set.
- Farmers Walks. I have talked about the benefits of farmers walks before. This not only works your grip and forearm but you will feel immediately that every major muscle group is involved in farmers walks. The key is to choose weight that when you pick it up, feels super heavy to hold. If you walk while holding the DB or KB, you should not be able to walk more than 60 seconds.The farmers walk works both the anterior AND posterior chain of the body. It challenges your core stability, cardiovascular system and of course back, trap and forearm strength
- Do not use straps. Simply put, if you use straps on every single exercise in order to pull heavier, your grip will remain weak. Work hard, stop cheating and include grip strength training in your program. The only time I would recommend turning to straps is in your heaviest, last set, but all prior sets should be done sans straps.
- Deadhangs or Pausing. Grab a pull up bar and hang on it until your hands slip off. This is called static holding and can help to increase grip strength. I would also recommend holding the bar at the top of a deadlift for some extra time as long as you can.
Lift Heavy Weights:
If you have goals of getting stronger and working in the 12-15 rep range, you will not see any gains in strength. Increase sets and decrease reps. Try working in the 6-8 rep range if you are just getting used to lifting heavy and then try working in 3-5 rep range (when I work in this range, I do increase sets such as 6 or 7 instead of 3 or 4) Overall strength will come by working in this range and focusing on form, not from completing 3 sets of 15 rep triceps french press with 10lb dumbbells. Most of the time, if you think you can lift heavier…you most likely are able to. Give it a try and pick the heavier weight…if you think it may be too heavy, its simple…put it down and grab the lighter one. All you can do is try. I always have exercises that I want to improve on and increase strength on!
Try 5×5, 4×4, 8×3, 6×4…the options are endless and play around! Nothing is set in stone, but all I recommend is picking up heavier weights than you are used to and get out of that comfort zone!
Warm up Properly:
Running on a treadmill before a heavy upper body day is not a ‘proper’ warm up. On the other end of the spectrum, you do not want to jump right into deadlifting 145lbs without properly being warmed up at all; this could lead to injuries! Whatever major lift I am focusing on that day, I always complete 2 sets of the 45lb bar (this is just the olympic bar with no added weight) to get my body used to the movement I will be performing. I then add weight to the bar and perform 2 sets of 5 with the additional weight. In addition to performing lighter loads before my lift, I always foam roll and perform mobility exercises prior to hitting the bar.
Follow One Program:
Pick a program and stick with it for 4-6 weeks. Seriously, if building strength is your goal, you will not accomplish this by program hopping. Have faith and be confident in what you are doing that you will see GAINS. Whether you are a crossfitter, a Savage Girl 🙂 or simply following another program with a trainer…stay consistent and keep it simple. If you are performing too much volume and feeling tired, fatigued or burnt out, you will not only lose motivation fast but you will hinder your gains in strength.
Get in a Great Training Environment:
If you are looking to get stronger and focus in on your workouts, train with others who want the same! I love being in the presence of Savage girls and my co-workers because we all have a focus on strength! When you surround yourself with others who have the same goals and desire to ‘do work’ in the gym, this will set you up for success! I love surrounding myself with others who want to push hard, take workout time seriously, but of course always enjoy the experience 🙂
EAT Especially Post Workout!
Of course you cannot get any stronger without a solid, well balanced diet. You must fuel your body in order to sustain energy during your lifts as well as recover properly. Make sure you are getting in protein at every single meal (eggs, beef, lean ground turkey, tuna, white fish, chicken breast, salmon) are some of my favorites! VARIETY is key! Keep your body guessing and spice it up! After any higher intensity workout the body is entered into a catabolic state. It is here that your muscle glycogen is depleted and the increase in cortisol levels start to break down the muscle tissue. To get out of that catabolic state, it is important to consume an easily digestible post workout meal packed with mainly protein and carbohydrates to replenish muscle glycogen in addition to aid in muscle repair. The amino acids from the protein and the carbohydrates from the post workout meal provide an insulin spike from the pancreas, which shuttles nutrients into the muscle cells. Now, in regards to fat. Healthy fats such as olive oils, all natural nut butters, coconut oil, sesame oil (the list goes on) are excellent to have in your diet! The benefits of healthy fats are endless and they are a nutrient needed by the body for energy, healthy skin, vitamin absorption and everyday bodily functions. While most of your other daily meals should contain a source of healthy fats, the fat content after a hard workout should be kept very minimal because fat slows the absorption of the carbs and protein into your body.
It is important to get in your post workout meal within 30-45 minutes post. This may take some planning on your end if you are one to shower, get ready etc at the gym and don’t make it to work or home for 60+ minutes. Pack your post workout meal!
Some ideas:
- 1 scoop all natural whey protein, 1/2 C dry oats (or my favorite pumpkin pie protein shake!)
- Pre-cooked egg white bake with 1/2C cooked sweet potato
- 4-5oz chicken breast with 1/2 sweet or white potato
- Clean beef meatballs 1/2C quinoa
- 1 banana, 6oz plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2C diced Pineapple (love this fruit post workout for the anti-inflammatory benefits!) 3/4C low fat cottage cheese
- Protein bar with a good ratio of carbs/protein between 200-270 calories
With that said, the amount of carbohydrates and protein you need will vary greatly depending on your size, training intensity, length of workout, and specific goals. Generally I recommend 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein post workout; protein 25-40g post workout.
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Need more inspiration? Here is a post about Finding motivation again! This helped me so much after one of my shows last season when I felt ‘stuck in a rut’
This snow storm that hit Boston is not killing my workouts this weekend! As always, you can get in a phenomenal BODY WEIGHT workout that will be sure to kick your butt! All you need is space, good music and energy!
Depending on your fitness level, you can complete 2-4x through!
What have you been working towards when it comes to exercise?
