What is an effective training plan?

A Bit About my Training Methodologies…

Most personal trainers will have a specific area of physical fitness that they prioritize over others. Whether its powerlifting, yoga, aerobic exercise, metabolic conditioning or a host of other methods, every person in the industry seems to have a specific lane that they operate within.

And while we all love specialization, variety really is the spice of life.

Over my twenty years of training experience, I have gained an appreciation for all forms of exercise and believe that there are positives to be gained from taking pieces of each avenue to construct a holistic approach to body optimization. In practice, I combine each of these avenues, because to live your healthiest life, there is value to be gained from all aspects of fitness.

At the end of the day though, an effective training plan is one that you can stick to for the long haul! The goal is to build a program that is challenging, fun, and consistently pushes you forward. I’ll aim to work with you to make sure that fitness becomes an integral part of your life, combining the following methodologies into a plan that works for you.

Breaking down each aspect of my training methodology:

Strength training:

Strength training is what you probably picture when thinking about a traditional gym experience. In strength training practice, I focus on the squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press, bent over row and pull-up as the primary trackers of progress. Strength training is an integral piece of any effective training program for a few reasons:

• Being strong is awesome. There is nothing like being able to move a weight that was previously impossible, and this growth translates to everyday life. Need to move a couch, or just want to be able to pick up a child without feeling like you’re falling over? Strength training is the key to becoming self-reliant and becoming a bad-ass version of yourself

• Strength training is great for your bones. As humans age, bone density naturally declines. By embracing strength training, your body naturally adopts to the increased load, directing more of your body’s resources to maintaining healthy bone structure, and therefore leading to increased health later in life

• More muscle means a higher metabolic rate. As our bodies gain muscle, the muscle requires more energy to sustain itself, meaning that you will naturally burn fat at a faster rate!

• Strength training helps your heart health. It decreases blood pressure, lowers LDL cholesterol, and improves circulation

Metabolic Conditioning:

Metabolic Conditioning aims to combine strength training and high-intensity pace to perform a high volume of directed training in short time. This allows your body to move with a combination of power and speed and provides the following benefits:

• It can be done in a short amount of time. Most MetCon workouts will encompass around 30 minutes of training time

• The short training time and high volume of training contributes to a high-heart rate effect, meaning that a great deal of calories will be burned in a more condensed time. This, combined with the strength gains that come from these workouts mean an increased effect towards building a lean, strong body

Yoga:

Yoga combines being mentally present with the stretching and strengthening of the body through unorthodox movements. Yoga has numerous benefits for the body and mind, and more specifically the mind-muscle connection that is so important to complete healthy living. In addition it does the following:

• Increases flexibility - by placing your body in different positions, your muscles will stretch and lengthen, meaning greater range of motion 

• Reduced inflammation - inflammation is a primary driver of a number of health conditions such as heath disease, diabetes, arthritis and cancer. Yoga helps to battle inflammation and help you live a longer, more complete life

• Improved Balance - yoga accentuates the ability of the body to move effectively through poses on both sides of the body, reducing imbalances, and forcing the body to adapt to the new, uncommon positions it is being put through 

• Improved posture - by stretching and strengthening the body’s various parts, the body will move more naturally and fluidly, and the mind muscle connection will strengthen, bringing awareness to the body’s positioning when moving through life after the workout

Cardiovascular training:

Cardio can take many forms - walking, running, biking, swimming, rowing, jump rope or anything else that keeps that heart rate up for an extended period of time. Beyond weight loss, cardio does the following:

• Consistent cardio training is great for the heart, encouraging it to pump hard for a designated length of time. This helps to clear your arteries and lower your LDL cholesterol 

• Cardio strengthens the immune system by increasing immunoglobulins, meaning that the body has more antibodies to fight off infection 

All of these methods of training have phenomenal effects on body composition and overall health. But I left out the one thing that exists in all of these avenues: improved mental health!

Exercising reduces anxiety, boosts mood, and overall contributes to a higher level of self-confidence and wellbeing

That’s why by combining all of these methodologies, I will help you to build the most dynamic version of yourself.

My typical workouts begin with aspects of yoga, encouraging mindfulness and dynamic stretching through full range of motion. Then we will focus on strength training to build your musculature and ensure you’re able to move with power and efficiency. Then we will end with some more stretching, working to ensure that the muscles stay nice and loose after your workout.

My group workouts focus on metabolic conditioning, allowing for many participants to embrace athletic movements while burning fat and building muscle. We want to have fun while pushing your conditioning to new levels!

And I will always be available for a run or bike ride through St Petersburg to encourage proper cardiovascular health

I look forward to discussing my training methods more with you in person and helping you build toward the best version of yourself! Lets get psyched!