4 Things That Must Change In Your Workout, IMMEDIATELY"

I had recently attended a seminar with Joe Dowdell and Robert Dos

Remedios, and there was one particular saying that really stuck with
me and is the main reason for writing this post:

“If you are training your clients the way you trained them 5 years
ago, you are an a$$hole.”
Robert Dos Remedios

Not sure if I could have been as blunt with such a statement if it
was me saying it, but you know what, he is exactly right. Why are
their still trainers in the industry that are making their clients
walk 5 minutes before their workout to warm-up? What about making
their client sit in a machine for the entire session when they know
that this person just spent the last 10 hours of their day in a chair?
This last one drives me crazy! Why are trainers still having their
clients do crunches?

    When I first started in the industry 12 years ago, I will admit, I
had my clients walk on the treadmill before our session, I had them
sit on machines for an hour, and most embarrassingly, I had them
perform crunches. I am guilty, but I also must say that I wanted to
better my knowledge, and educated myself to a point where I understand
that I am doing my client an injustice to have them do these things.
My job is to provide a training environment where my clients can
achieve their goals in the quickest, safest  and most efficient way
possible.

If you are a trainer and not reading every day (I am not talking
about books on push-ups. This is in regards to reading a book on
understanding yourself and others.) or attending seminars (I dedicate
10% of what I make to education, never settling with being where I am,
always striving to be the best) then you are wasting not only your
clients' money, but also their time.

So if you train yourself, have a trainer that may be doing these 4
things, or happen to be a trainer and looking to take yourself out of
the stone age, Take these 4 things out of your programming.

#1  5 Minutes Of Warming Up On The Treadmill:
Do you really think having your client walk on the treadmill for 5
minutes before a workout is preparing them to do work? The answer is
simple, No. Every time your client comes to see you, the first thing
that they should be performing is a Dynamic Warm-Up. This will not
only get them ready for their workout, but will also increase
flexibility, mobility, and elevate their heart rate. A dynamic warm-up
will also increase the intensity of the workout and decrease chances
of injury.

#2  Get Off The Machines:
Chest Press, Lat Pulldown, Shoulder Press, Leg Press, etc.,
really? Are you still wearing wigwams or tights with the underwear on
the outside? If so, then keep training with those machines. If not,
then step up your training as you did with your wardrobe. Start
integrating your training and throw in equipment like the TRX
Suspension Trainer, Ultimate Sandbag, or Valslides into your program.
You will get better results and make the training more interesting.

#3  Crunches:
Are people still doing crunches? If so, and you happen to be one
of them, please let me do you a favor by taking a sledgehammer and
repeatedly hit you in the spine with it. Crunches put the spine into
flexion. Trust me when I tell you that your spine does not want that
type of load. If you are looking to strengthen your core, look into
doing stability exercises such as planks, side planks or chops. These
types of exercises will not only work your core, but also your lower
back. You cannot get those desirable abs without having a strong back.

#4  LONG, SLOW DISTANCE CARDIO
I don’t know about you, but I have better things to do with my
time than to walk on a treadmill for 30-60 minutes. The most efficient
way I have found is called interval training. I establish a certain
amount of time for work, a certain amount of time for rest, and a
certain amount of rounds that need to be done. Of course all of this
depends on the level of your client. If 8-10 rounds are performed,
without a doubt, it will put your 30-60 minutes of walking to shame.

The bottom line is that change is not a bad thing. As long as there is
education involved and reason behind it.