Hi and welcome to another week,
Great sessions last week. From a programming perspective I am slowly (slowly) trying to get the hang of putting together the scaled boxing sessions. I know, I know – it should be easy…just swap out pull-ups for fence pulls and the problem is solved right? But I don’t want to scale ‘everything’ back to push-ups, situps and (air) squats so it is a little more complicated than that. And I still want to give the ‘A’ and ‘B’ sessions a similar flavour to really try and maintain that group training experience. I have had a few people complain about the lack of 7-minute sessions over the past couple of weeks – this is solely due to trying to effectively establish the scaling model. The 7-minute rounds class that ran on Friday was a relative success though and I think I have established a pathway to move forward with that style of class within the new scaled framework.
I wanted to speak a little this week about time management, mental toughness and the distractions we all have in our lives. Driving to the footy yesterday, I was talking to Dempsey (who is 8) about ‘the old days’ – you know, when there were no mobile phones. Or there were mobile phones, but they were just phones because there was no internet. Or when there was internet, but it was all dial-up and slow so not really that distracting…and certainly there wasn’t any social media. Or when there was social media, but social media and work were not so tightly integrated. You know – the OLD DAYS. The conversation came about because he was upset that he had agreed to come to the footy with me assuming this meant he would get unfettered access to an iPAD whilst the game was underway – we always kick the footy together during the breaks in the game – but said iPAD had been left at home hence grouchy kid = lecture from Dad about the ‘olden days’ and how good he really has it now. J
Speaking of the ‘olden days’, I also remember a time when the biggest bottle of coke you could buy was 1lt and I remember growing up in a suburb (Kardinya ) where there were no fast food restaurants (though Chicken Treat opened up when I was 10 or 11) and certainly not every shopping centre had a food court. But as most of you guys know, I am pretty darned old. But I remember all of those things, and accordingly I see a lot of things happening today – particularly to our kids – that are not great in terms of their health, fitness and everything else.
The issue is of course that because all of these amazing things are readily available in the world around us today, our daily lives have established strong habits around using technology, easy access to food…the conveniences of the world heavily influence our lives. But how many of them REALLY make our lives easier? How many of them REALLY contribute to our happiness or to our health? How many of these modern day ‘habits’ are really good for us? How many of these modern day ‘habits’ would we keep if we really thought through the things we are doing?
So – my conversation (aka lecture) with Dempsey had the usual effect. He made him switch off the drone coming from the drivers seat (my voice) and stare blankly out the window. And it made me think that what I need in my life is not a training goal or a health goal or a food goal – what I need to do is revise a few of the habits I have developed. I might need to lose a couple of the habits I have right now. And I really do need to really establish a couple of new ones. For me, one I need to establish is making sure that I eat lunch every day – too often I eat breakfast around 9am, then don’t eat again until after 7pm. That’s bad. I need a lunch ‘habit’. I also have managed to get out of the groove with my weight training lately dropping from 4 sessions per week back to 2, 1 or NONE. I need to re-establish that habit.
Talking to members, a common habit to establish might be getting to the gym at 6am every day, with a bag packed to head straight for work. Or a habit might be once each week (maybe on a Friday?) staying back 15-minutes after your session finishes to roll on a foam roller. Or maybe you make Saturday from 12pm a ‘technology free’ time – no tv, no iphone, no technology…whatever the habit is that you want to establish. Or maybe you just want to make sure you call your sister every week – I don’t know, there are heaps of things we all want to do (or want not to do) but cant seem to establish the habit.
How could you do this – establish a habit? You write your list of habits – I wouldn’t advise you pick more than three (3) at a time) – and tick them off as you achieve them. You can do this in your diary (and tick off each day as it is done), on a white board, anywhere you like really. Then, at the end of the week/month/quarter, if you have hit a target of 80% compliance or whatever, reward yourself with a small (or large!) reward. Maybe a dinner out, a new shirt to wear to the gym, a new set of boxing gloves, some progenex protein… J. You get the idea! If the idea of using a diary or white board doesn’t inspire you and you would prefer a ‘technical’ solution to create and track your new habits, there are good solutions for both iPhones and Androids:
These apps are actually pretty good as they have little triggers to help hold yourself accountable. As I mentioned above, these tools support the ability to both create and BREAK habits – you can set it up either way. Again, as examples you could track the habit of NOT watching TV on Wednesday nights OR track the habit of going to Round 1 each morning. Or I go for a walk every lunchtime, and I DON’T buy a flat white + a muffin for morning tea. I am sure you get the idea.
Having short/medium/long-term goals (I am going to lose 6kgs, I am going to run the City to Surf etc) are great but it is your daily habits that will be the things standing in your way. A bit less time on Facebook, a bit more time in the gym, a bit less coffee, a bit more water…I am sure you all get the idea!
Good luck!
See you in the gym,
Michael.
p.s. We will be TRIALLING a special rehab/pre-hab/myo-fascial release session at the gym NEXT SUNDAY – July 5th. There will be a small charge for the session – $5 per participant, members only – and it will go for approximately 45minutes. The session will go through the fundamentals of using stretching, foam rollers, power bands, massage balls etc to assist in recovery/preparation. Looking at the program Eden has put together – I have to say I am impressed. It is going to be a really good session…and there are a series of them ready to go with different focus points. Should be a great addition to the services we offer if we can get it up and running.
There are obviously only limited numbers of rollers in the gym so these will be allocated on a first in/first serve basis – of course, if you have (and bring) your own foam roller you wont need to worry about that!
Our amazing new BlackRoll (http://blackroll.com.au) foam rolling/rehab/pre-hab solution is in the gym and is GO! As anyone who has tried out the new BlackRoll gear can attest, it is a real ‘step-up’ from the current equipment – there are different density rollers, mini rollers, massage balls, duo balls…it is an amazing solution and I couldn’t be happier with what we have been able to provide.
We have been working with the BlackRoll team since the Fitness Expo last year to put this on the floor (presentation rack, multiple options etc) and are the first gym in Perth that is offering this support to members. I am pretty happy with that little stat as well (though my bank account doesn’t love it that’s for sure!).
Be good to yourself. Use the rollers! If you aren’t sure what to do, maybe check out the session running next SUNDAY (July 5th) on rolling, rehab and myo-fascial release…there will be a small charge for the session ($5) and it is available to members only – be in the gym at 11am if you want to participate…if you have your own roller/massage ball, bring them along!
One of our members – Melinda Nicola – is running a study at Murdoch University on exercise motivation…and would love some community participation. The study offers you a unique opportunity to contribute to a study exploring people’s motivation to exercise. The outcomes will help find ways to improve the exercise experience and contribute to the knowledge pool on exercise programming – specifically as it relates to encouraging participation.
To encourage participation, Melinda is offering anyone who completes both phase 1 (online survey) and phase 2 (20 minutes on a stationery bike followed by a simple questionnaire to be completed at Murdoch Uni) the chance to win one of two $50 Coles/Myer gift cards.
If you are interested, please contact Melinda via email on mindu@iinet.net.au or go straight to Part 1 – the online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B7QMFQQ.
One of our members (the amazing Mon Wright) is a great physio and her team at Life Ready are a major sponsor of the City to Surf. When she saw that we are putting together a team for the event, she put together a great physio support offer for our running team.
We have already had a couple of runners talking about sore hip flexors – and I know my ITB’s are always a problem when I up the running – so this could be just the thing we all need to get us safely to the finish line. Remember, it isn’t just about ‘doing the work’ – you need to make sure your body is fit and ready to do the work! And this is (obviously) where Monica and her team comes it. The details are as follows:
Life Ready Physio Bicton
1 Westbury Crescent, Bicton (Cnr Canning Hwy)
P: (08) 6313 4010
E: bicton@lifereadyphysio.com.au
W: www.lifereadyphysio.com.au/our-clinics/bicton
1 hour massage with a Remedial therapist $75 (usually $89)
Initial Physiotherapy consult $79 (usually $89)
Physio follow up $67 (usually $77)
Private health rebates apply to eligible policies for both Remedial massage and Physiotherapy. HICAPS claiming also available at the time of service.
We are Medibank and HCF members choice providers – members are able to claim up to 90% of the service through their fund.
More on the CTS – a big THANKS to everyone who has participated in Running Club so far. I know the sessions aren’t exactly what most people would have predicted…but I just don’t believe that you need to jog around the streets in order to get ready to run 12kms (or even further than that but let’s not go there). Our regime of sprint efforts on limited rest WILL get you ready for the CTS on August 30th – and in a little under 1-hour per week (as long as you keep up your fitness with your Boxing/Body Work classes a couple of times each week). We are heading into week three (3) of the program next week and whilst it is an ‘escalating’ program it has not reached the stage where it is too late to join in…the more of us running together, the more fun we will all have (and more supported we will feel).
This coming weekend we will again be leaving Round 1 at 8am SHARP and the session plan will extend a little beyond 40minutes. You will definitely be back at the gym in time for the 09:15am class if that is what you want to do. No need to book – all you need to do is ‘show up’ at Round 1 at 8am this Saturday and we will be hitting the road (and park!). Please note that the Running Club program is for Round 1 members only.
Lastly – if you wanted to register for our City to Surf team, the link is here:
In the Zone is ‘nearly’ done. There are only a couple of days left of ‘zone’ eating and to be truthful each of you who are on the program should (should) be almost beyond the point where you are weighing/measuring by now – you should have those quantities ‘down’ by now.
For those of you who are body scanning, we can try to squeeze you in before one of your classes this week – or else we can certainly get them down this weekend.
Week 5 starts tomorrow and we are effectively at the mid-way point of our linear progression. Well done to everyone who has managed to complete all of the sessions to this point – I know a few people out there have been interrupted by injury and illness and to them all I can say is don’t stress. If you miss a couple of days – don’t stress. The days are missed, keep moving and follow the daily programming. If you miss a week or more due to illness, again – don’t stress. You have the programming – simply roll back to the start of the last week you fully completed and go again from there.
With the progressions, remember that if you have yet to hit a point where you have ‘truly’ failed then you really do need to keep pushing it hard. I would have expected a couple of squat failures by this point (you are forced to fail forward onto the support racks) and maybe a bench press failure (cannot re-rack the bar) as well…remember that to get the results you need to push the effort level here.
As noted on Facebook last week, if you have any exercise questions, please ASK them rather than making ‘guesses’ when you get to the gym. And if you can’t find the Round 1 YouTube demos, well – the link to our YouTube page can be found at the bottom of our internet homepage (www.round1fitness.com.au) together with our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc.
Remember to keep your training log UP-TO-DATE. This means, update it EVERY SESSION. We are in a linear phase at the moment and in order to progress you actually need to know EXACTLY (EXACTLY) what you did in the sessions previous…store the info IN GOOGLE DOCS and ON YOUR PHONE and reference/update it when you are training…don’t wait until two days later and try to remember. Further, as of now I want you to SHARE that training log back with me so I can look at it whenever I like. Right click on your log, select the ‘SHARE’ option and enter my email address – mpratt@round1fitness.com.au – and in that way I can check your progress.
Round 13 is over – the byes are over and we are all set for the home stretch. A couple of ‘kinda’ upsets this week (Richmond over Sydney especially) but all up a pretty vanilla weekend. Of course, I tipped Elie’s Saints to beat my Bulldogs which thankfully didn’t happen…but it did cost me a point in the tipping. And the Bulldogs made the game excruciating to watch for supporters by refusing to do anything more than stand around for the last five minutes of the game.
Anyway, enough of my laments. The winner was the impossible to identify ‘WOFTAM’ who was the only person in our contest to get them all correct. I would celebrate the achievement a little more if I actually knew who it was. On top of the leaderboard though remains the girls – Dani Elsum, Michelle Howley and Shelby Pickers. Dani is a past winner of this contest and is remarkably consistent…
Round 13 Dream Team was the last of the bye affected rounds – thank goodness. It has been a complete nightmare for me and I just want to go back to the days when I am just upset with my team because it is no good – rather than because it is no good AND half of my players are missing. My frustration reached extreme levels this week as I lost my match-up to Craig by a solitary point – 1587 to 1588. Very, very unhappy.
My crying aside, good results this week posted by Travis (1643), Dale (1692), Ash (1714) and Andrew (1734).
Great article here on the Seattle Seahawks and their ‘Sleep is a Weapon’ training methodology. I feel like I come back to this every few months but making sure you are getting enough ‘GOOD’ sleep is an important part of being healthy. I know I am the last one to talk (up at 4:00am every day makes 8 hours a pretty darn difficult ask – particularly after finishing in the gym at 9pm some nights) but I can look after the ‘good’ part of it. No ‘lights’ in the bedroom (yes, including digital clocks), having a ‘sleep plan’ (regular pattern of activity leading up to actually climbing into bed) really helps. So when people say to me “I am not sure how you do it” the answer is that I eat good food and I make sure I sleep WELL!
http://www.fieldgulls.com/seahawks-analysis/2015/6/22/8825507/seahawks-nfl-sleep-pete-carroll
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