#CROSStrength

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Todays topic is:

The Importance of Auxiliary exercises to build up symmetry and balance in your body and in your main lifts.

In the video you will see 2 of my personal favorite Auxiliary exercises. I want to point out the speed in which the first rep is performed on the Clean to Press. By doing the first rep slower it awakens the movement pattern and range of motion. Constantly changing and varying the speed and explosiveness of each movement will pay huge dividends in your main lifts.

The CROSStrength system that NJLtraining uses is heavily rooted in the two big Lifts. Clean & Jerk and The Snatch. The 2 Main Auxiliary Lifts are The Deadlift and the Front Squat.

Always do supporting exercises to help build a strong foundation for the Lifts. Example, If you can only front squat 150# you will only Clean a max of 150#. 

Do the drills, improve the lifts. Get stronger, Get fitter.

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My client learning the second pull. Doing the snatch today, the second pull is crucial for a sound lift. Looking good, coming along nicely

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Executing a smoother and more efficient Deadlift for one of my CROSStrength classes.

The first thing I want to point out is set up position, because I have longer arms it allows me to keep great angles from Shoulders to Hips and from Hips to Knees. This is key to a powerful lift. It allows me to use my Hamstrings and Glutes rather than my Quads to initiate the Movement. Some people have a more parallel angle from Hip to Knees creating a more Quad dominant Lift.

Pay attention to how I start my movement. Once I feel my feet drive downward my Hips fire off, then my knees draw back. This is what unfolding your body is(it starts with proper angles in the set up position). There are many ways to lift weights, THERE IS HOWEVER ONE WAY OUR BODY MOVES WITH EFFICIENCY. When you find that way for your body you will not only increase your strength instantly, every lift will feel easier and more effective.

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Congrats to Chris for finishing the #Montreal #SpartanRace under an hour. #hardwork payed off #training smart will have him #winning these #races soon. #NJLtraining #personaltraining #performancecoach #olympiclifting #endure #neverquit #YYC #Calgary #CROSStrength

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@davidlewry @ssentialsoflife @adriennekehler Post Friday training with the Crew. They thought it was an easy Friday. Hahahahaha. NOT. #FRIDAY #crosstrength #fitness #exercise #njltraining #personaltraining #YYC #Calgary

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The importance of Foot Position, Are you aware?

So. This topic that I am going discuss with you today will have an entire episode on my YOUTUBE channel (NJLtraining) soon, tune in and check out this and other great topics to help your gym time be more productive.

There are typically 3 stances that happen when lifting weights. The first is hip width, this is often confused with shoulder width. Unless you have a square body shape chances are your Hips and Shoulders are not the same width. Hip width is a more neutral position often used for  just standing or if your one of those who stands there to do tricep extensions, bicep curls and so on. The only problem with this stance is that any substantial knee bend and the Knee will be under a lot of pressure, resulting in potential injury and wear and tear.

The second position and the most common used in the CROSStrength training system is what I call the ready stance. The feet are slightly wider than shoulders(slightly)is the KEY. With the heels just outside of shoulder width the toes are turned out at no more than 30 degrees. The easiest way to find this for your own stance is to imagine a straight line going forward from your toes and another straight line going out to the side from your heel. Now open your toes to approximately 30 degrees. PERFECT.

Having the toes slightly open will allow your hips to hinge properly and your knees to naturally slide over your feet. Giving you more mobility and relieving stress off the joints. Remember that it is not normal to have your feet straight ahead. Take a look at any diagram of anatomical position. 

The third position is Wide stance. You have either seen a Sumo Squat or do them in your routine, this is a perfect example of wide stance. I never teach this stance nor advice anyone use it. That brings us to the next section of this BLOG.

We have gone over the 3 most common used positions and now I just want to briefly tell you what to be aware of when choosing your stance. The Adductor muscles of the Hip have to be the first thing you look at when it comes to movement and preventing injury. The wider the stance the more pull on the groin muscles. If you have ever had or know someone who has had a groin injury, it takes a long time to heal if you ever fully heal at all. Try this for yourself. Do a body weight squat using all 3 stances we have covered. Notice that when you do a wide stance squat the pull on the adductor muscles is much more noticeable. Imagine that under force of weight. OOOOuch.

Find a neutral stance that not only works for depth or mobility, it will also give you the stability in your joints to continue to increase strength. 

Foot position is vital when exercising for safety and for proper development. Stay tuned as I will tackle this topic on my next episode of  NJLtraining on YOUTUBE.

"FAILURE IS A RESULT OF NOT TRYING"

Train Smart and Dont Quit

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My Tuesday and Thursday 0530 group. Learning all about M.E.T. using #kettlebell #fitness #YYC #Calgary #groupclasses #exercise #3stages #CROSStrength

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Monday morning lift session with @ssentialsoflife #Deadlift #PushPress #powerrow #personaltraining #progressivetraining #YYC #Calgary #crosstrength #NJLtraining

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The Monday afternoon CROSStrength crew doing some power shrugs.

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A nice light post Easter Dead lift day with my bro @davidlewry. NO BIG DEAL. #fitness #deadlift #power #strength #crosstrength #njltraining #hiswillbedone #dontquit #personaltraining #yyc #calgary

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WHY IS CROSStrength so popular?

Like many things we hear about, try or just do research on there is always a sense of mystery and maybe even some scepticism on whether or not it works or what the quality really is. And this does remain true in the fitness industry with thousands of trainers from youth development to Sports conditioning and everything in between. You get some good and some bad, With really great coaches and then some really poor quality trainers who give no real thought on what they teach or how they teach each individual person. What you can hope for is that you get one of the good ones, with knowledge and actual hands on experience, unfortunately less than 10%. and not just someone who took a course or may have a degree yet has never worked out before.

The fitness world has changed drastically since I have been training and thank the Universe for this. The old school mind set of what is fitness and how to reach it has for the good been completely flipped. It is no longer go to the Gym, meet your trainer, run on the treadmill for 20 minutes while your trainer stands there and then go do some Bi-cep curls, Tricep extensions, and then do some exercises they claim is for core but in reality, do to your fitness level is actually just hurting you. Or you get a what we call "YOUTUBE trainer" who has no idea what the exercises do but they look cool so without any real knowledge have you doing something that could be causing long term injury.

 CROSStrength is a NEW breed of fitness. There is no other system out there, at least in #Calgary, that offers this type of training. The results that are attained are done so with In-Depth instruction of how and why the body moves the way it does for each individual person. YES, this matters. 

The first step is to build a rock solid foundation and this is done with the most tried and true exercises ever to be invented. I have spent years studying and working with some the best minds in OLYMPIC LIFTING when it comes to these exercises. As I Mastered these, I began to modify them so they could be trained by everyday people without the risk and yet keep the integrity of what makes these movements so effective. By training not only the main Lifts but also the Auxiliary movements the body goes through a full transformation, developing a complete and balanced person, with better posture and eliminating some pain and injury. This is called M.O.L.

The second step is to get the heart rate up revving the FAT burning stage, Circuit training as been around forever and regardless of what people call it, it is still circuit training. CROSStrength however goes the other way with Muscular Endurance Training. Because muscles need oxygen, 'FINISHERS' are designed to force the more oxygen to the muscles incinerating the stored fat that prevents the muscle from showing through. 

The third step is not dieting, it is guidance from a holistic professional who doesn't cut calories, instead increases calories with super foods which help balance out and steady our mind and body connection.

 THERE HAVE BEEN 6 PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST BETWEEN 15-25 POUNDS PER MONTH OVER THE LAST 2 MONTHS BY SIMPLY TRAINING THIS SYSTEM.

You dont have to struggle or be overwhelmed to transform your life. One thing at a time.

TRAIN SMART & DONT QUIT 

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Choosing the FITNESS journey that fits you.

When I first broke out on to my own and started meeting with potential clients the first thing I did was forget everything the BIG BOX gyms try to teach for convincing people they need personal training. The truth is that most sales people get a commission on every sale, like most sales jobs, my issue is that your dealing with people who are struggling to be healthy and are seeking professionals who care and bottom line is want to be treated as if they are individuals. The BIg Box gyms whether they intend to or not treat people like a contract.

So now that I have ruined hiring a trainer at a BIG BOX gym, ok maybe I just hope so. Not to mention that when the Gym charges you 75-85 dollars per session, remember that the trainer makes 20-25 dollars from that. So not only are you paying a membership fee Now you are dishing out another 85 dollars or $850 for 10 sessions.  

You still have to be very choosy when hiring someone to help you regardless of what your goal is.

Step 1: Fully understand what it is you want, what your time frame is for attaining this goal. If you want a superficial goal of losing 5-10 pounds for a trip to some beach then you dont really have to hire an experienced and knowledgable coach, most COOKIE CUTTER trainers can do this. If you however are trying to transform your life then you will want to go with a coach with much deeper knowledge and experience. Many trainers who have just completed their weekend course make promises that they just cant come through on simply because of their lack of experience. 

-When I meet with people now, it is a dual interview. They want to see who I am and what my philosophy is and I want to see what their character is and whether or not they are really serious about transforming. I do not normally get a lot of clients for short term. Most of my clients are with me between 1-5 years. It becomes a relationship and I invest a lot in developing plans and programs for them to maximize their success.

I tend to attract the type of person who truly wants to make life long changes, which is why I started in this business 10 years ago and continue to expand my own knowledge by studying the smartest of the smart in the fitness and health profession.

Also growing for the benefit of my clients.

Dont forget to tune into my youtube channel 'njltraining' and follow me @njltraining on twitter.

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Why you should be spreading your weight evenly in your feet with every exercise

Todays topic is one of my favorite teaching points when with clients, the other being 'SET POSITION'. It is the most important aspect in any exercise. How to use the floor for Power in building both strength and explosiveness is not just key to Athletes, it helps everyday people understand how to develop proper movement patterns. 

Comments I get a lot pertain to the Back Squat, which as I have written on a lot because I am not a huge advocate for this lift is "I was taught to push thru my heels when doing this exercise and now you're telling me not to do this" first off I don't people what to do, I do however offer my knowledge for you to make your own decision.

It is simple, think of one thing you do in your life whether its recreational or for competitive sport. Are you thinking of something, good. If you can come up with one sport on the ground that we sit in our heels or anything you do in your everyday life where we do this, can you? its hard right. So then why would you teach your muscle memory to do this in the gym. Its the same principle as I teach the Golfers I work with.

Golfers have to generate power and speed from a certain position and because of this they do all of their lifts from GP. 

Try it next time you lift. Try keeping pressure thru the entire foot the next time you do a Back Squat or Deadlift. Watch as you are able to be not only more explosive, you will feel much more powerful.

TUNE IN TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL at njltraining for my next episode on 

'How to progress your depth naturally and safely for optimal flexibility'

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Yesterday I posted a BLOG about Adrienne Kehler and her 

'4 WEEK TRANSFORMATION' challenge. I thought she deserved a bit more exposure so I put together this little video of her journey. I hope you enjoy it and when you watch it remember that anything is possible with hard work and desire.

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Weight loss and how to tackle this very challenging task

It was 0530 this morning and I was setting up the interval training session for Adrienne Kehler who has been on the CROSStrength '4 week transformation' program for the last 3 weeks and today is her first session in 'Warrior Week' the hardest week of all of them. I started thinking about how hard the process truly is and how much resolve she has for sticking to it. Not only has she gone through some of the most intense workouts(low impact) she has had to be as clean as you can get with her food, which is the hardest part of a life of health and fitness, believe me. 

I have had many clients embark on the nutrition battle, trying to find a balance in what to eat and when to eat it. From burning fat to getting enough energy foods, the most important aspect to remember is take it one meal, one day, one week at a time. Don't think of it as this dreadful life long sentence of eating lettuce, and good fats and clean carbs. It can be an easier transition then that. I know for my clients I have them train for 6 months before we even start adding nutrition to the mix, I am about changing lives not helping you lose 5 pounds for spring break, if you do want that than there are plenty of COOKIE CUTTER TRAINERS out there that don't care what they give to you as long as you pay them. 

Once the training has become a part of their life we begin to make small changes such as flipping bleached starches for whole wheat, whole grain or even if they are ready gluten free (its not the bad). Then as they progress and each stage becomes a habit we continue to make other changes until they reach a place where they are comfortable and attaining their goals. This is a long term commitment as it should be, life long.

That brings me back to Adrienne. I have been training her for a while now And I had a great brain storm about 4 months ago to design a 4 week transformation program and who better to be the first to take the challenge then Miss Adrienne Kehler. Each week is specifically designed to work with the next week, until the finally of 'Warrior Week' takes the fat loss to the highest level. This mixed with a tailored Nutritional plan designed by a very smart and simplistic nutritionalist making clients feel at ease. I have sent many of my clients to her and they have all had tons of success.

I hope if you are starting on your journey or maybe you are currently struggling to find some peace with your food you can take away from this BLOG one thing, There are professionals who are here to help you get a grip on the hardest part of living a healthier life, NUTRITION.  

[njltraining]

The role of the HIPS for athletes and everyday fitness

As a long time Martial Arts practitioner I have experienced the benefit and the over use of the HIP muscles. Having explosive and strong hips allows for the body to perform at a much higher level, not to mention it prevents a lot of back issues people suffer from. I want to talk about the HIPS and their connection to all directional movement not just for Athletes, for people like you and I as well.

In relation to my profession and life, Hip and Back development is crucial for me personally and for my clients over all health. I have spent years learning from and working with some very influential people in this business. Even had the displeasure of working with those who should do something else for a living, JUST SAYING.

One of the common mistakes I see with people who rely on their hips in sport is they try to emulate and duplicate that movement in the GYM, bad idea. We call it Pattern overload. They should be working more on supporting the movement they do in sport while doing strength training. It not only would prevent a lot of future problems it would actually help their performance. Think for a second about how movement works, One muscle shortens and the opposite muscle lengthens. So why wouldn't you want to strengthen through lengthening to help relieve the shortening phase. If you have ever had back pain and then reached around to find your Hip flexors are tender to the touch than you understand what I am talking about.

There is no worse feeling for an Athlete than a piss poor performance due to poor mobility and lack of explosiveness. Its one thing to be beat in the moment by an opponent or just not have your best day but I can tell you from experience when you know you can do better and your body just wont perform. My years of OL I have learned a lot about this. One day your Cleaning your PB and then the next time you cant even do your 80% day properly. And for me it was always a result of not doing the exercises that support HIP drive.

FOR the everyday person who works out for overall health and fitness it is just as important to have strong and mobile hips. In todays life, so many people make a living sitting in front of a computer or driving or talking on the phone all day long. This is not good for your Hips, resulting in lower back issues, knee issues and foot issues.

The Hips dont just control forward and backward movement, they control lateral, rotational and up/down movement. In any sport those who have great Hips tend to be more successful. With so many muscles  that begin in the hip and connect to the Femur, spine and Sacrum its no wonder people get misdiagnosed and are most likely focusing on the wrong thing, not to mention the role of Fascia in human movement. 

I think before I ramble and end up writing a book, I will say this. Put down the Bi-cep curls and hack squats and start doing movements that promote better hip health, I PROMISE YOUR BACK will love you.