Author Archive
Do You Need a Personal Trainer?
Personal training has been a staple in gyms for the last two decades. At one time it was a privilege on the super wealthy could afford. The last few years, however, have seen a definitive shift in this attitude by both gym owners and gym patrons. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
What is a personal trainer? The image of a buff gym rat with a clipboard shouting ‘two more’ while rubbing his abs through a skin hugging dri-fit shirt comes to mind, as does the image of a skinny overly flexible barbie-esq, silicone filled yoga instructor more interested in looking in the mirror than spotting your pec dec flies.
Maybe 15 years ago in Venice Beach. But times have changed for most of the industry. Sure you still have the above described buffoons attempting to swindle your cash to reiterate every fitness cliché that they have ever heard and most likely don’t follow. Thankfully, there is a new breed of personal trainer emerging.
This is the educated and skilled fitness professional who has the experience and training to analyze your body and fitness level and then create a program designed to improve your body and health, while achieving goals the two of you set. Sound idyllic I know but this is what a personal trainer should be.
Barefoot or Shoes?
There seems to be a reinvigoration of the shoes vs. barefoot debate. Where is this coming from? What are the pros and cons of each?
Walk into any gym and try and workout barefoot. I promise you will be jumped by staff almost as fast as if you made an inquiry to hire a trainer. Policy is you have to be wearing a good set of shoes for safety and hygienic reasons. Safety we will talk about, hygienic reasons, well, if your gym is worth paying the floor shouldn’t be so gross you wouldn’t walk across it barefoot. Alas, that is another debate.
Let’s talk safety. Running shoes. Safe. In the weight room. Really?
You’re telling me that dropping a 45 on your foot is safer if you are wearing a running shoe? Newsflash – that little thin layer of fabric on top of your shoe is not going to do anything except maybe save a little skin. Bones will break and muscle will bruise either way.
I think there is more to this safety debate, however. What about safety to the rest of your body? What about your ankles, knees, hips, back and shoulders? This is something that most people do not even realize are connected but what happens at your foot and ankle is directly related to the safety a d health of everything up above.
Why You Should Be Flexing in the Mirror
We have seen this behaviour at the gym. It gets a bad rap and is the target of ridicule by most gym members. What is this devilish beast? Posing. Checking yourself out in the mirror. While you flex your guns waiting for the next round of vomit inducing preacher curl negatives to begin. Should you do it? Is there any use for it? Is it just for men?
A lot of backlash occurs in the gym world when we see people posing and flexing between sets during a workout. Meatheads, muscle freaks, posers – all terms you will hear at any gym when someone hits a double bicep or most muscular during their workout. Even if they just peel back the edge of their dri-fit shirt and pop a little bicep peak out. Just to check if it’s there.
Like many things from the bodybuilding and figure world, however, posing and flexing is actually something that has benefits but is sorely misunderstood. People think you are wasting your time and making a fool of yourself if you spend time flexing your muscles in the mirror. I am going to have to disagree.
Your Rep Range is Important
As our Alpha group progresses through the workouts, there are definitely things to make note of. One in particular is something that I think all of you taking on the Challenge need to pay attention to: the repetition (rep) range listed in each of the workouts.
If you are using the Alpha Male workout journal you will see this all laid out nicely.
What is the rep range? It is simply the number of times you should be moving the weight to equal one set. If the workout asks for 10 reps then you should be aiming to move the weight through a full range of motion 10 times. Easy.
You need to check your ego at the door. The Alpha Male isn’t about ego, he is about confidence. And when you are confident, you don’t give a damn about what all the other people in the gym are thinking about you and your workout.
Hot Girls and Loud Music
We are all looking for ways to squeeze out a little added benefit to our workouts and they can come from surprising places.
I also felt a need to justify myself after enduring a little bit of ridicule from James and Rick this week via our social friend Facebook. Apparently, listening to Britney during workouts is somewhat of a controversial activity.
But is it? Read the rest of this entry »
What is Alpha?
We started a group on the Alpha Male Challenge at the fitness studio I own about 2 weeks ago. 10 of us are taking the challenge and enjoying it so far! I will be sure to post more updates as we progress.
But for my first post I wanted to address the first hurdle you are going to have to overcome with the Alpha Male Challenge: people are going to make fun of you. I know, I have just seen it happen to ten guys.
James and Rick talk about it extensively in the book – the feminization of North American men. I didn’t want to believe it, after all, I am a stereotypical alpha male, but a few things have sealed the nail in the coffin for me. It is not just the statistics on changing hormone levels and declining strength levels reported in the book that concerns me, it is the attitude of our culture towards the perceived Alpha Male.
That attitude is one of disdain. Calling yourself an Alpha Male has become social suicide. Our cultural perception of an Alpha Male is an overbearing asshole who cares little for others and is solely focused on ensuring his own self preservation and advancement regardless of the cost.
I can see where the conception of Alpha Male as tyrant has developed, let’s be honest, men in positions of power for the last 70 years cemented that vision. But like anything else, times change. TV is littered with examples of this stereotype: think Charlie Sheen.
So I have to ask – what is Alpha? What is an Alpha Male? Is it too late? Is being an Alpha Male the next Apple Newton?
No. The definition of Alpha is changing. What is it changing to? What is Alpha? My dog – he is Alpha.
