weight lifting
Variation over Functional Training
22/01/13 14:16 Filed in: Other | My experiences | MMA | Martial Arts | Brazilian Jiu Jitsu | Fitness | Strength & Conditioning | TRX / Cross Training | Kettle Bell
Often people come to me and ask questions about ‘Functional Training’. It seems like those 2 words are very fashionable the last few years. Functional Training is great because when done properly, it helps you:
- Prepare for everyday activities
- Avoid injuries doing everyday activities
- Improve balance and joint stability
- Improve range of motion
- Etc.
Functional Training has many more benefits and is essential to good health and performance. However we need to be careful not to get stuck with these 2 words in our head and instead open our mind to other things. That’s why, instead of praising Functional Training, I prefer talking about variety!
Fitness and training has taken huge leaps in the last decades and we have learned so much. People used to work out on standard resistance machine with single plane motions and even though these are relatively safe, they also have a lot of drawbacks. Others perhaps did bodybuilding or just some morning walks.
Now that we know so much more about training, it has also become more complicated for the average person to figure out which workout is best. One person probably woke up one day and though about a concept called Functional Training. It’s a great way to market the product and makes people understand what the goal is.
Functional training is great but I believe variety is more important. Depending on your goals, mix things up. Nowadays, so many workout classes and equipment (TRX, kettle bell and even some machines) already give you such a great workout with multi plane motions and work the stabilizing muscles that you don’t have to worry so much about what’s functional and what’s not. Simply switch things up and do some hiking, some TRX classes, Cross Training classes, Kettle Bell workouts and yes, weight lifting and other types of resistance training.
I personally do TRX, kettle bell, body weight exercises, MMA, traditional and olympic weight lifting and I feel like my body is very prepared for everyday activities plus my injury rate is extremely low, especially if you consider all the activities I do on an everyday basis.
So don’t get hung up on 2 words that’s used for marketing purposes. Instead, try new things, do different classes and switch it up! As long as you work out responsibly and give your body the time to adjust, you will be happy you did!
By Sander Vanacker, owner, head instructor and personal trainer .
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Mixed Martial Arts
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Sander@DefineDefense.com
www.DefineDefense.com
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Buy Your Training Mask Here!
15/01/13 09:16 Filed in: Fitness | TRX / Cross Training | Strength & Conditioning | Kettle Bell | Martial Arts | My experiences | Brazilian Jiu Jitsu | Other
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Tentative Schedule for Fall 2012
28/06/12 12:08 Filed in: Martial Arts | Brazilian Jiu Jitsu | Fitness | Strength & Conditioning | TRX / Cross Training
Here is our tentative schedule for the fall of 2012. As you see, all programs have a great selection of classes and class times.
If you have any recommendations or comments, go on our forum and leave them there. We will be compiling and reviewing them and make any changes that are possible to accommodate your requests.
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulators
06/02/12 10:50 Filed in: Other | My experiences | Fitness | Strength & Conditioning | Personal Training
If you have ever seen someone using electrical stimulators, you may have thought they were in some kind of medical trouble or so. Fortunately, they’re not (although they are used in rehabilitation to strengthen muscles and prevent atrophy).
Neuromuscular electrical stimulators (NEMS) are used in the athletic world but there is still a lot of potential since many athletes are unaware of the technology. The Soviet Union started using them in the athletic world in the 60’s and claimed their athletes increased their strength by 40%.
Basically, what happens in our body all the time is that the nervous system transports electrical impulses. When it reaches a muscle it makes the muscle contract, therefore move (of course there are a lot more processes going on but this is the most relevant one for this topic).
The electrical stimulator works by the same principle. It send electrical current through the skin and makes the skeletal muscle contract. Depending on the frequency, different types and quantities of the muscle will contract.
At first, the feeling is extremely uncomfortable and this is a turn off for many people. However, you are in full control and can start off easy and build your way up to higher intensities. Different individuals will have different sensitivities so don’t compare levels and intensity of shocks between multiple people.
There’s a few different ways you can use an electrical stimulator as an athlete. The first one is low frequencies, which is great for recovery and ‘massage’. It makes your muscles gently contract to increase blood flow which increases recovery by supplying nutrients and oxygen and takes away metabolic waste products from the muscle. In my opinion, nothing beats sport specific active recovery but using the NEMS is absolutely advantageous, especially compared to passive rest.
The second method to use a muscle electrical stimulation machine (there’s many different names for it but they are all about the same) is to use higher frequencies. This will benefit your maximal strength and power output by targeting your 2a and 2b muscle fibers. The NEMS can make your muscles contract harder than a voluntary contraction (especially with large muscles), therefore recruits more muscle fibers and also offers a more intense training. Treat the sessions as a weight training workout. Do the same amount of sets, duration, rest etc.
The biggest problem of the NEMS is danger of overtraining. Because you are able to recruit more muscle fibers and you are not limited by other factors such as cardio or respiratory limitations, you are in danger of training too hard. This can result in massive muscle damage, too little rest etc. Start of very easy and build up. Many beginners without guidance can’t move the trained area for a few days after their first NEMS workout, which indicates that the intensity was too high.
There are contradictions about this type of training. Some use the argument that you need to train a muscle through the whole range of motion to really shape it and make it stronger. Since NEMS contracts the muscle in an isometric way, only a part of the muscle is being worked at that time (although isometric exercises have a solid place in a workout routine). Pro studies have shown that after using NEMS, many of the benefits are caused by an improved connection between the nerves and the muscle. This enables to muscle to recruit more motor units, which increases power output (therefore more efficient).
In my opinion, NEMS is a fantastic tool to supplement your training! However, sport specific training should always be the focus. You cannot skip training and use an electrical stimulator instead while watching tv and expect the same results. What you should do instead is train hard/smart and supplement your training with the NEMS. Put the focus on training specific, do exercises to maintain your full range of motion and keep shocking your body to make it adapt. A neuromuscular electrical stimulator absolutely has a place in a workout routine but you need to use it wisely.
Stay tuned for some video tutorials on how to use a neuromuscular electrical stimulator (coming this week).
Warning: when used properly, these devices are safe. However, there are many risk factors so check with the seller and your doctor before utilizing the NEMS. Also hire a trained professional to show you how to use the device properly.
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
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New tutorial video : Leg Workout
19/01/12 11:23 Filed in: Personal Training | Fitness
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- Cross Training / TRX Classes
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302
Training the energy systems
19/01/12 11:04 Filed in: Fitness | Strength & Conditioning | Personal Training | Other | My experiences | Martial Arts
Part 4 of our Periodization workshop on 1/18/12:
Lactic acid tolerance training
This will improve your tolerance but also your body’s ability to buffer it and increase lactate removal from the muscle.
Intervals of less than 1 minute will require 4-8 repetitions with long recovery periods in between (15-30 minutes)
Longer intervals of 2-3 minutes are desirable but only if you can hold the intensity.
This is a very hard workout so don’t overdo it.
Maximum oxygen consumption training
Intervals of 3-5 minutes, max intensity. Heart rate up to 10 beats under your max.
Improve efficiency of the oxygen transport system.
Anaerobic Threshold Training
Tempo training with speed slightly above comfortable. Intensity should be 60-90% of max and you have to hold it throughout your training. Lactate levels will be above 4 millimol and will build up.
Phosphate system training
Short bursts of maximum intensity up to 10 seconds. Long recovery necessary to prevent lactate production.
Aerobic Threshold Training (Long Slow Distance Training)
More than 1 hour
No lactate production
Comfortable intensity (have to be able to talk)
Will improve endurance and recovery time
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- Cross Training / TRX Classes
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302
Lactic acid tolerance training
This will improve your tolerance but also your body’s ability to buffer it and increase lactate removal from the muscle.
Intervals of less than 1 minute will require 4-8 repetitions with long recovery periods in between (15-30 minutes)
Longer intervals of 2-3 minutes are desirable but only if you can hold the intensity.
This is a very hard workout so don’t overdo it.
Maximum oxygen consumption training
Intervals of 3-5 minutes, max intensity. Heart rate up to 10 beats under your max.
Improve efficiency of the oxygen transport system.
Anaerobic Threshold Training
Tempo training with speed slightly above comfortable. Intensity should be 60-90% of max and you have to hold it throughout your training. Lactate levels will be above 4 millimol and will build up.
Phosphate system training
Short bursts of maximum intensity up to 10 seconds. Long recovery necessary to prevent lactate production.
Aerobic Threshold Training (Long Slow Distance Training)
More than 1 hour
No lactate production
Comfortable intensity (have to be able to talk)
Will improve endurance and recovery time
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- Cross Training / TRX Classes
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302
Energy Systems
19/01/12 10:59 Filed in: Fitness | Strength & Conditioning | Personal Training | Other | My experiences | Martial Arts
Part 3 of our Periodization workshop on 1/18/12:
Energy required for muscle contraction is released by by the conversion of ATP into ADP+P
Therefore, ATP sources need to constantly replenished by different energy systems:
Phosphagen System
Readily available in the body and can be used instantaneously for efforts up to 8-10 seconds. Very important for weight lifters, sprinters etc. No lactic acid production and no oxygen necessary.
After the effort, in the first 30 seconds, 70% of the creatinephosphate is replenished and in 3 to 5 minutes, a 100% is replenished.
Lactic Acid System
The lactic acid system provides energy for resynthesizing ATP for events up to 40 seconds (first 10 will be Phosphagen system). It breaks down glycogen stored in the muscle cells and liver and produces lactic acid (no oxygen used which creates an oxygen debt).
Restoring glycogen takes 2 hours for 40% and 24 hours for full restoration after a workout with breaks throughout. For a continuous, high intensity workout, it can take 48 hours.
95% of the lactic acid is removed after 1 hour and 15 minutes so the muscle pains you may feel for the next few days are not lactic acid but micro damage in your muscle.
Aerobic System
Fully activated after 60-80 seconds (warmup is important) to produce energy for resynthesizing ATP from AD+P. Energy sources are fats and glycogen (and protein occasionally).
Primary energy system for endurance athletes.
No lactic acid production or buildup.
However, in most cases, the aerobic system and lactic acid system work at the same time! The ratio depends on the intensity of your efforts.
The best indicator of which energy system you are actually using when exercising is measuring the level of lactic acid in the blood. The threshold (point where both energy systems are working but no build up of lactic acid) is 4 millimoles. Over that and you will get a buildup because your body is producing more than it can take away.
You can raise the threshold by training. An athlete with a good aerobic base (endurance) can work with higher intensity before crossing the threshold.
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- Cross Training / TRX Classes
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302
Energy required for muscle contraction is released by by the conversion of ATP into ADP+P
Therefore, ATP sources need to constantly replenished by different energy systems:
Phosphagen System
Readily available in the body and can be used instantaneously for efforts up to 8-10 seconds. Very important for weight lifters, sprinters etc. No lactic acid production and no oxygen necessary.
After the effort, in the first 30 seconds, 70% of the creatinephosphate is replenished and in 3 to 5 minutes, a 100% is replenished.
Lactic Acid System
The lactic acid system provides energy for resynthesizing ATP for events up to 40 seconds (first 10 will be Phosphagen system). It breaks down glycogen stored in the muscle cells and liver and produces lactic acid (no oxygen used which creates an oxygen debt).
Restoring glycogen takes 2 hours for 40% and 24 hours for full restoration after a workout with breaks throughout. For a continuous, high intensity workout, it can take 48 hours.
95% of the lactic acid is removed after 1 hour and 15 minutes so the muscle pains you may feel for the next few days are not lactic acid but micro damage in your muscle.
Aerobic System
Fully activated after 60-80 seconds (warmup is important) to produce energy for resynthesizing ATP from AD+P. Energy sources are fats and glycogen (and protein occasionally).
Primary energy system for endurance athletes.
No lactic acid production or buildup.
However, in most cases, the aerobic system and lactic acid system work at the same time! The ratio depends on the intensity of your efforts.
The best indicator of which energy system you are actually using when exercising is measuring the level of lactic acid in the blood. The threshold (point where both energy systems are working but no build up of lactic acid) is 4 millimoles. Over that and you will get a buildup because your body is producing more than it can take away.
You can raise the threshold by training. An athlete with a good aerobic base (endurance) can work with higher intensity before crossing the threshold.
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- Cross Training / TRX Classes
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302
Supercompensation
19/01/12 10:57 Filed in: Fitness | Strength & Conditioning | Personal Training | Other | My experiences
Part 2 of our Periodization workshop on 1/18/12:
Everything we do in our training and our training planning is affected by supercompensation. It refers to the biological state your body is after working out and rest. When you work out, your body is fatigued in many different ways and this reduces the functional capacities of your body. After resting, your body will recover and replenish and if the training stimuli were big enough, you will achieve a higher homeostatic level. This means your body will be stronger, you will have more endurance, more glycogen stored etc.
If you do not allow your body to rest before working out again, you will land in a negative spiral and exhaust your body more. This will lead to decreased performance and overtraining.
If you rest too much, you will lose the supercompensation results and you will be right back at where you started. The right (smart) training and the right amount of rest is key!
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- Cross Training / TRX Classes
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302
Everything we do in our training and our training planning is affected by supercompensation. It refers to the biological state your body is after working out and rest. When you work out, your body is fatigued in many different ways and this reduces the functional capacities of your body. After resting, your body will recover and replenish and if the training stimuli were big enough, you will achieve a higher homeostatic level. This means your body will be stronger, you will have more endurance, more glycogen stored etc.
If you do not allow your body to rest before working out again, you will land in a negative spiral and exhaust your body more. This will lead to decreased performance and overtraining.
If you rest too much, you will lose the supercompensation results and you will be right back at where you started. The right (smart) training and the right amount of rest is key!
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- Cross Training / TRX Classes
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302
Multilateral Physical Development
19/01/12 10:56 Filed in: Fitness | Strength & Conditioning | Personal Training | Other | My experiences | Martial Arts
Part 1of our Periodization workshop on 1/18/12:
Different people have different objectives of training. Some may train for a healthier body, others may want to break their own records and become stronger and some want to compete to test themselves with others.
No matter what your objective is, every athlete should work on their multilateral physical development. This serves as a training base and means you increase your endurance, strength, speed, flexibility, coordination etc. Even if it does not directly affect your goal or performance, it is important to work on these things because indirectly they will greatly help you in reaching your goal (and preventing injuries).
For example: a long distance runner still needs to strengthen their core, do speed drills etc. because it will improve their performance. Or a martial artist who runs 10 miles won’t punch harder but will have better cardio and recover faster.
Once you have a base, you need to work on your sport-specific development, which means training to improve in the specific area of your sport.
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- Cross Training / TRX Classes
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302
Different people have different objectives of training. Some may train for a healthier body, others may want to break their own records and become stronger and some want to compete to test themselves with others.
No matter what your objective is, every athlete should work on their multilateral physical development. This serves as a training base and means you increase your endurance, strength, speed, flexibility, coordination etc. Even if it does not directly affect your goal or performance, it is important to work on these things because indirectly they will greatly help you in reaching your goal (and preventing injuries).
For example: a long distance runner still needs to strengthen their core, do speed drills etc. because it will improve their performance. Or a martial artist who runs 10 miles won’t punch harder but will have better cardio and recover faster.
Once you have a base, you need to work on your sport-specific development, which means training to improve in the specific area of your sport.
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- Cross Training / TRX Classes
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302
When and how much to work out?
When is the best time for weight training and how much should you train? It's a question that probably has been asked millions of times. It is a great question though. After all, if you put the time and effort in, you want to make sure that you reap the maximum benefits of it.
The answer is very difficult though. It depends on your physiological state, how much you have been working out, what your goals are etc. it is more important to understand the basics so you are more aware of what you're doing yourself.
I know there are many articles out there about the best time of the day to work out and when you burn the most, have the most energy etc. Fact is, for most people, the best time to work out is when it fits in your schedule! Better to have a great training when you have the time than rushing through a workout when you only have 20 minutes...
As to how often you workout. If you look at professional martial artists and other athletes, they put a lot of hours in the gym but they do split workouts for their strength, then they add cardio and at another time of the day, they will work on techniques. This is not realistic for most people either so a good guideline for someone that wants to add strength and size is to train 3 times/week full body. Work mostly on the large muscle groups and spend less time on the small ones (arms, shoulders). This way, you challenge all muscle groups multiple times a week. Downside is however, you can't spend as much time on each individual muscle group.
Another option is to do split workouts. For example you can do chest and triceps on Monday; legs, shoulders and abs on Wednesday; back and biceps on Friday.
There are many variations and it is up to your trainer to figure out what will work best for you, depending on your goals, level, limitations etc. The thing you want to accomplish is working your muscles hard and frequent enough to stimulate an increase in size and strength without overtraining and making sure it fits in the time you have available.
A few other training splits:
- Four days a week: you will work out half your body one day, the other half the other. After these 2 training days, you will take 2 days off. This way, you get 4 training days per week in and you can spend more time (sets) on the different muscle groups.
- Six day split routine: you will divide your training into 3 different workouts. You train for 3 consecutive days and then take a day off. Then repeat.
- One muscle per day: exactly what is sounds like. Disadvantage is that you can't work out the same muscle more than once a week.
The last question to answer is how long to work out. If your goal is to gain size and lift heavy weights, 30 to 45 minutes is ideal (depending if you work out one or two muscle groups - or more). If you go for high volume training, more sets and more reps for muscle endurance, then a typical workout will be 60 to 90 minutes. If you add cardio for weight loss or to lean out, it can go up to 120 minutes.
Please note that these are only some examples and there are many different options in training. Training planning depends on many different factors and needs to be put together per individual. After all, no two people are the same so the same workout routine will not have the same effects.
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- Cross Training / TRX Classes
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
Delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS is the muscle soreness most people start feeling 12-24 hours after a workout. During your workout, the burn you feel is caused by buildup of lactate, generated by anaerobic energy systems in your body which supply your muscles with energy (ATP).
DOMS however, is not caused by lactate. Instead, it is caused by micro damage in your muscles, especially after weight training, sprints, plyometrics etc. Physiologists used to believe the remaining lactate created the soreness but now we know better.
Even though the muscle soreness is welcomed by many people (it reassures them they had a good workout), it is not an indicator for a good workout. Athletes at higher levels don't get very sore after workouts, even though they trained very hard. It depends on the workout, your physical condition etc. Beginners will experience DOMS frequently until they reach a higher treshold.
If you know your body or your work out frequently, you will know the difference between soreness and an injury. If you feel an injury, immediately have it checked out and act accordingly. If it is soreness, it may last up to 3 days after your workout. If it lasts longer than 3 days or it limits you in normal day to day activities, you probably pushed yourself too hard in that workout.
A frequent question I get is whether you should work out the same muscles when you experience soreness. If the soreness is mild, go ahead and work out but know your limits. You do not have to train until exhaustion or failure every session! You need to shock your body and challenge it so you improve but that does not mean you should push your body to the limit every time.
When the soreness is significant, do not work out those muscle groups. If you do, you may risk overtraining and landing in a catabolic state. At that point, there is no progress to be made, the only thing that can be done is resting so try not to get to that point.
There are a few things you can do to reduce the soreness:
- Stretching when you are warmed up, preferably after your workout. Stretching will improve blood flow and you should stretch anyway to retain your range of movement.
- Cardio will also increase blood flow so there is better transport of nutrients, oxygen, waste etc. A short cardio session with low to medium intensity after your workout is ideal.
- Massages are great for reducing and preventing muscle soreness. It removes waste products from your muscles and increases delivery of nutrients and oxygen.
Even though muscle soreness satisfies us and shows us we trained hard, it is not necessary. You have to train hard but don't worry if you don't have sore muscles after a workout. It just shows your body has gotten stronger. Alternating your workout, using different techniques and switching it up will challenge your body again. Don't do the same workout for 6 months, you will hit a plateau. Make sure you have a lot of variety in your training.
By Sander Vanacker, Define Defense’s certified personal trainer and head martial arts instructor, based in Boulder, Colorado. Take a look at www.DefineDefense.com, www.TrainerVanacker.com or check out our videos on YouTube.com/DefineDefense !
Define Defense in Boulder, CO
- Modern Martial Arts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA
- Self Defense Classes & Workshops
- Personal Training
- Cross Training / TRX Classes
1805 11th Street Suite B
Boulder, CO 80302