Fundamental Movement: Squat

Fundamental Movement: Bend

Fundamental Movement: Lunge

Fundamental Movement: Twist

Pull

Pulling exercises don't really need an explanation, do they?

I break down upper body pulling exercises into:

- Horizontal Pulls (Rows)
- Vertical Pulls (Pullups)
- Arm Pulls (Curls)

Body Row With Feet On Bench

Fundamental Movement: Push

Pushing exercises are those where you, well, push.

Push ups, shoulder presses, bench press, dips, and so on are all pushing exercises.

Feet Elevated Pushup

Fundamental Movement: Gait

Gait movements are locomotive exercises such as walking, running, skipping, crawling, etc.

One of my favorite ways to train gait is to use a sled.

You can pull a sled forwards, backwards, sideways, light and fast, or slow and heavy. Or even my personal favorite, which is heavy and fast.

Forward Sled Dragging

How You Move

There are 7 fundamental human movements.

These are:

1) Squat
2) Bend
3) Lunge
4) Push
5) Pull
6) Twist
7) Gait

A comprehensive training program will address each of these movements.

Following the order above, a weight-training athlete might have these exercises in her program:

1) Barbell Front Squat
2) Hex Bar Rack Pull with Chains
3) Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
4) Incline Cable Press
5) Body Row
6) Reverse Woodchopper
7) Forward Sled Pulling

Now, it’s important to remember that there is much more to developing an exercise program than exercise selection. There are sets, reps, progressions, loading, and all sorts of other things to keep in mind.

When it comes to upper body pushing and pulling, we’ve got vertical and horizontal movements, and the arms.

So, if we’re focusing on improving upper body strength, we might have an overhead barbell press (vertical push) and a flat bench dumbbell press (horizontal push). This takes care of pushing in both the frontal and sagittal planes.

In a program that is aimed at maintaining upper body strength, we might have only the incline press, which combines the horizontal and vertical pushing. This way we can address both the frontal and sagittal plane pushing movements without excessive volume or time away from our main focus.

An example of horizontal pulling is the bodyweight row. Vertical pulling is displayed in the classic pull-up exercise.

A hybrid vertical and horizontal pull would be the bent forward rope row.

The next few posts will be an example of each of the seven fundamental human movements, so make sure to check back for the next seven days!

Want more, do more, BE more,

~Lucas Wold

Protein

Here is an email I recently wrote to a friend of mine, in response to her question "How much protein does your body really need?"


Very interesting word choice, to use "need."

The question of "how much protein does your body need" is very different from "How much protein should I consume to optimize body composition and athletic performance."

You're a researcher. You know that the word "need" is in no way associated with optimization. Researchers look to the minimum necessary to prevent death.

So when someone asks me how much protein they need, they're actually asking me "What's the minimum amount of protein I can get away with to prevent wasting away and eventual death?"

Now, 90% of people I consult with are eating less protein than I'd recommend. So I can stimulate results by simply increasing protein intake while making a few concomitant (Is that the word I want?) changes to fats and carbs.

Here's the short list of why we need more protein to optimize body composition and performance:

1. Increased auxiliary nutrients
2. Increased nitrogen state
3. Increased protein turnover - (I'm writing a manual on how the greater your body's turnover, the better your body composition)
4. Greatly improved weight loss profile - (This could be a list by itself, everything under this heading)
5. Reduced cardiovascular risk - (You can also reduce heart disease risk by replacing carbohydrate calories with fat calories)
6. Increased IGF-1 - (You spare muscle when restricting calories)
7. Increased TEF - (It takes more calories to digest protein)
8. Increased glucagon - (greater fat loss during dieting)

I'd prefer not to have any dairy products in my weight loss clients' diets, with the exception of whey protein. Milk greatly increases the inflammation in the body, which is one of the biggest health problems in America. (Wheat sucks too)

In my actual classes, I make an exception for whey protein supplements, because if you tried to get all of your protein from meat alone, you'd probably have a gut like a hippo and a butcher bill that looks like a ransom note.

(Figure competitors trimming down for competition or models for a shoot, they get almost all whole food protein. They are eating so little that I want their diets to be as satisfying as possible. If your entire breakfast consists of one piece of turkey bacon, a dice-sized piece of havarti, and a half cup of spinach, you want to savor every nibble.)

I'm working on a plan that will allow lighter clients (mostly women) to eat only four times a day, like I do for figure competitors. If your diet calls for 1300 kcals/day, and you're supposed to eat 7 times, each "meal" is less than 200kcals. boo to that!

But if you can break it into four chunks, that's something like 325kcals each, which is doable.

Ah well, enough from me.

Buck Buck To The Bang,

~Luke

Dieters Warned: Halloween Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

Carson City, NV – October 17, 2008 – Local fitness expert Lucas Wold has information every dieter needs to know: Halloween is when the holiday weight gain really starts. While December is usually the month blamed for holiday weight gain, Wold warns those wanting to lose weight that thanks to Halloween the pounds actually start to get packed on in late October.

“The amount of candy that people consume is alarming”, Wold was quoted as saying. “One of the main problems is the smaller ‘snack sizes’ that the candy manufacturers have made available. Eating several ‘mini’ chocolate bars is something people see as ‘ok’ because of their smaller size.”

But this fitness expert reminds dieters that just because something is smaller doesn’t mean it’s ok to consume as many as they want. “For men and women trying to lose weight it’s imperative that they follow a plan and goals. They can’t just have bags and bags of Halloween candy laying around for ‘Trick or Treaters’ and not expect to have their fair share – if they don’t have a plan.”

Wold recommends these 4 tips for keeping the pounds off while still allowing for a Halloween treat:

1) Allow yourself just one piece of candy in the morning and then one at night. Skip any desserts that you would normally eat after dinner.

2) Only buy enough candy so that you expect to run out before the evening is over. It’s crucial to weight loss success to not have “trigger” foods lying around – the temptation is often too great.

3) Increase your exercise activity by thirty minutes on every day that you eat your two pieces of candy. This will counteract the increase in calories that you are consuming.

4) If people indulge a bit too much it’s important to forgive themselves and move on. Dwelling on the past will not help their success.

Lucas Wold is the owner of High Sierra Bootcamps and has been a fitness professional for over 7 years. Wold is available for interviews or to discuss other story ideas related to weight loss and fitness. He can be reached at 509-945-3856 or via email at LDWold@Gmail.com. For even more information please visit www.CarsonCityFitnessSystems.com

Good Idea

My dad sent this to me today:

"If a man is going down the wrong road, he doesn't need motivation to speed him up. What he needs is education to turn him around."

Great stuff!

Friendship

This is a very cool video...




Have a great weekend!

Want more, do more, BE more,

~Luke

Evening Bootcamp!

Woo-hoo! We're starting an evening bootcamp session!

Here're the details:

Who: Both men and women who are looking to get in kick-butt shape, lose some fat, and get a great new spin on working out.

What: A 50-60 minute full-body session designed by an Exercise Scientist to take advantage of the best research and experience has to offer.

Where: Silver State Athletic Center, 5680 Morgan Mill Rd in Carson City.

When: September and October evenings from 6-7pm.

How: Call 509-945-3856 to reserve your spot, or email LDWold (at) Gmail.com. The fees are the same as our morning bootcamp ($119/month), and if you reserve your spot by Friday August 29th at 3pm, I'll waive the $19 new member registration.

For more information, check out our Frequently Asked Questions at: http://highsierrabootcamps.com/faq.html

12 Traits Of Champions

The 12 Traits of Champions:

(1) Champions are positive thinkers; they believe in themselves.

Undoubtedly the most important quality that all champions share is an unwavering belief that they will succeed. Champions always look for the good in every situation. No matter what obstacles they encounter, they always continue to think positive. Without confidence, faith in your abilities, and positive mental attitude, you’ve defeated yourself before you ever step onstage.

(2) Champions visualize their successes.

Champions understand the importance of positive mental imagery or visualization. Champion bodybuilders visualize exactly how they want their bodies to look, they see themselves standing onstage accepting the first place trophy, and they mentally rehearse every workout in vivid detail. They do this over and over in their minds hundreds or even thousands of times before it becomes physical reality.

(3) Champions surround themselves with positive people and avoid negative influences.

Champions keep themselves in a "positive shell" and do not associate with negative people, places, or things. Arnold Schwarzenegger put it this way: "I have nothing to do with negative relationships. I stay away from negative influences. I have no time for negative thinkers and pessimists. Such people will suck you dry until you have become as pessimistic as they are. Then you’ll have not just one but two losers."

(4) Champions are goal setters.

Champions realize that if they don’t know where they’re going, that is exactly where they’ll end up; nowhere! Champions consistently set long and short-term goals. From day to day workout goals to long term career objectives, champions have written out specific, measurable goals with a deadline.

(5) Champions have a burning desire to succeed.

Champions not only have goals, but they ardently desire them. Robert Collier, summed up the idea of desire beautifully in his 1926 self-help classic Secret of the Ages." He said, "Very few people know how to desire with sufficient intensity. They do not know what it is to feel and manifest that intense, eager, longing, craving, insistent, demanding, ravenous desire which is akin to the persistent, insistent, ardent, overwhelming desire of the drowning man for a breath of air, or a desert-lost man for a drink of water, or the famished man for bread and meat." Champions have burning desire. They want it and they want it badly.

(6) Champions are disciplined and consistent.

Champions live and breathe the bodybuilding lifestyle all year round. They are committed and disciplined in training and dietary practices. They know that in bodybuilding there is no off-season and success does not come overnight. Champions never miss a scheduled workout and never miss a meal. Champion bodybuilders are probably the most dedicated athletes in any sport.

(7) Champions are persistent

Champions never, ever quit. Thomas Edison was the epitome of persistence: He conducted 10,000 experiments before finally finding a filament that would burn in the electric light bulb. Champion bodybuilders approach their vocation with the same diligence of an Edison. They know that if they persist long enough, eventually they must succeed.

(8) Champions learn from their failures

Champions don't view losses as failures, they see them as learning experiences. When asked how it felt to fail 10,000 times, Thomas Edison replied, " I didn’t fail, I learned 9,999 ways that wouldn’t work." Champions know that they haven’t failed until they quit; but once they quit, then they have failed. A champion finds a lesson in every apparent loss and finds ways to grow from it.

(9) Champions have incredible powers of focus and concentration

Champions set goals and then maintain a laser-like focus on them. They have the ability to always keep the long term objective in their sights while focusing 100% on what they are doing at the moment. If you watch a champion train you will notice that they are completely oblivious to their surroundings. 100% of their focus and concentration is on what they are doing. They almost appear to have slipped into a hypnosis-like trance. This peak physiological and psychological state has often been referred to as being in "the zone" or being in "flow." Champions can access this state instantly at will. When it comes time to train they turn everything else off and zero in on what they are doing.

(10) Champions have a deep love and boundless enthusiasm for the sport.

To a loser, training and dieting is work and drudgery. To a champion, training and dieting are a love, a joy, and a passion. Champions are enthusiastic about what they do; they can’t wait to train each day. Motivational speaker Tom Hopkins once said, "Work is anything you’re doing when you’d rather be doing something else." Champions are doing what they love, so to them it’s not work at all, its fun!

(11) Champions strive for constant and never ending improvement

Champions are never satisfied with the status quo; they never rest on their laurels. Champions aim for small improvements every day in every way. Champions are open-minded and are always looking for a better way to do things. Although champions are always striving for more, they also realize that success is a journey, so they enjoy each moment and savor every step along the way.

(12) Champions are hard workers; they are willing to go the extra mile

Positive thinking, goal setting, visualization, desire, persistence, and enthusiasm are vital, but without action and hard work, these traits are all worthless. Edison said, "Success is 98% perspiration and 2% inspiration." Champions are hard workers. Champions take consistent action and they are willing to do the things that the losers are not. Champions make themselves go to the gym when they don’t feel like going. Champions stay on the bike another 15 minutes, even when they are exhausted. Champions do 5 extra reps after the losers have stopped. Champions are steadfast with their diets when the failures break down and cheat. Champions have the willingness to train through the pain barrier while the failures quit when it starts to hurt. In short, champions go the extra mile.

Talking About Success

I was flipping idly through my journal this morning, and I found these great quotes:

"You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win."
- Zig Ziglar

And these from the great Jim Rohn:

"Some people don't do well simply because they don't feel well."

"Some people take better care of their pets than they do themselves. Their animals can run like the wind and they can barely make it up a flight of stairs."

"Take good care of your body. It's the only place you have to live."

Medicine Ball Pushups

We use a lot of exercise variations in our workouts.

Here's a pushup we've used a time or two:

Groovy Opportunity!

This Friday night, August 22nd, there will be a GREAT auction outside of the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City (511 W King St).

Proceeds will go to the Kids In Transition program, which buys clothing and school supplies for homeless kids in Carson City's school district.

Here's the schedule for Friday night:

6pm: Food and Drink Specials
7pm: AUCTION
8pm: Live music from Hot For Teacher

Now, one of the prizes is a HUGE package from High Sierra Bootcamps!

Here's what's included:

1 Month Gold Bootcamp Membership (Women Only) $129
Metabolism Makeover Handbook $299 (class)
Luke’s Extra Awesome Cookbook $29.95
Nutrition Crash Course $29.95
High Sierra Bootcamps Warmup $29.95
Physical Systems Screen $150

Bonus Report: How To Change Your Life

I don't know what it'll all go for, but it would make a great gift for a friend! (Or yourself!)

Great Opportunity!

This Friday night, August 22nd, there will be a GREAT auction outside of the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City (511 W King St).

Proceeds will go to the Kids In Transition program, which buys clothing and school supplies for homeless kids in Carson City's school district.

Here's the schedule for Friday night:

6pm: Food and Drink Specials
7pm: AUCTION
8pm: Live music from Hot For Teacher

Now, one of the prizes is a HUGE package from High Sierra Bootcamps!

Here's what's included:

1 Month Gold Bootcamp Membership (Women Only) $129
Metabolism Makeover Handbook $299 (class)
Luke’s Extra Awesome Cookbook $29.95
Nutrition Crash Course $29.95
High Sierra Bootcamps Warmup $29.95
Physical Systems Screen $150

Bonus Report: How To Change Your Life

I don't know what it'll all go for, but it would make a great gift for a friend! (Or yourself!)

Plank Exercise

Position:

• Weight on toes and elbows
• Abdominals tight
• Look between hands
• Straight spine
  

Hold for desired amount of time.

The elbow plank trains lower back and core stability. Many athletes have a tough time at first, which shows how weak they are in these areas.

Programs and Effort

A good program performed poorly is worthless.

A poor program performed with a lot of effort is worth a lot.

But when you get a good program and a ton of effort, the results can be amazing.



Most of the programs I see people using really suck. I mean, they're just plain awful.

And most people fake their effort, grunting and acting like their workout is a really big deal.

Or else they think effort means endless sets and endless reps and endless exercises.


Look, find a knowledgeable coach. Get a good program.

And then go to work. Have your coach watch you.