Strength

Burpees: Technique Matters More Than Love or Hate

Pro burpee or anti burpee and why? So this question is interesting. There's a lot of people that seem to be in one camp or the other. So you either love burpees or hate them. As trainers, we often get a reputation of throwing in burpees for everything in order to punish clients or whatever. For me, I'm not going to inflame the situation by saying they're good or bad. There's good performance of exercise and bad performance of exercise. So if you're going to do a squat followed by a walkout into a pushup into a walk back into a jump, fantastic. If you're going to collapse into the floor and try and peel yourself back up before you jump, then it's not necessarily going to be a great exercise for you. And that stands the test of any exercise. If you do a bicep curl and you pull the weight up towards the shoulder, keeping stiffness in the body, fist towards the shoulder and then slowly unpeel that arm into a full extension, great bicep curl. If you rock the weight up to the shoulder, it's not necessarily a great curl. So it's not that it's good or bad. It's good and bad performance of exercise. So when you're doing things and you get more and more tired, the challenge with burpees is the programming. Too frequently, they're programmed for a minute, two minutes, three minutes, and people end up not being able to hold form and just fall into the floor. And that is probably where they have a negative reputation. So just be aware of your technique and they're neither good nor bad. They can be supplemental or they can be an additive or they can be detrimental if you are collapsing onto the floor. So have a look at your technique.

Burpees can be good or bad, depending on your technique. Make sure to keep proper form when doing burpees and don't do them too frequently.

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The question of being pro or anti-burpee is interesting because people tend to have strong opinions on either side. As a trainer, I don't want to fuel the debate by categorizing burpees as good or bad. The key lies in the execution of the exercise.

When performed correctly, burpees can be a fantastic full-body exercise. For example, if you incorporate a squat, walkout, pushup, walk back, and jump, it can be a great movement. However, if you collapse onto the floor and struggle to get back up before jumping, it may not be the best exercise for you. This principle applies to any exercise. A well-performed bicep curl involves controlled movement, keeping the body stable, and gradually extending the arm. On the other hand, if you rely on momentum to lift the weight, it's not an effective curl.

The issue with burpees often lies in how they are programmed. They are frequently included in workouts for extended periods of time, causing fatigue that compromises form. This is where they can develop a negative reputation. It's important to be mindful of your technique and not sacrifice form as you get tired.

In summary, burpees are neither inherently good nor bad. It's all about the quality of execution. They can be a valuable addition to a workout or a detriment if performed with poor form. Take a close look at your technique and make adjustments as needed.

What is your favorite distraction when training indoors on the bike?

Training Indoors on the Bike: Combine Fitness with NBA Game Watching

Favorite, I like this. What's your favorite distraction when training indoors on the bike? So what I tend to do is I have a spin bike with quite a large holder on the front that fits the iPad. So normally my sessions will be interval-based sessions for around 30 minutes. So I tend to get through a full quarter of one of my favorite NBA teams games from last night. So being in the UK, don't tend to see a lot of them live. So I tend to look at what game I fancy watching and putting that on for at least one quarter while I'm on the bike. And that's a great distraction for me, I love it. So that's how I can kind of focus and kill two birds with one stone. I get my training in, but I also get to catch up on what happened last night.

My favorite distraction when training indoors on the bike is to watch a quarter of an NBA game from the night before. It helps me stay focused and allows me to catch up on what happened the previous night.

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My favorite distraction when training indoors on the bike is watching NBA games on my iPad. I have a spin bike with a large holder that fits the iPad perfectly. Typically, my training sessions are interval-based and last around 30 minutes. During this time, I can watch a full quarter of one of my favorite NBA teams' games from the previous night. Since I'm in the UK and don't often get to see games live, it's a great way for me to catch up on what happened while staying focused on my training. It's a win-win situation where I can get my workout done and enjoy some sports entertainment at the same time.

Can you explain more about the mechanics of foot placement and how it impacts jumping ability?

Unlocking Jumping Potential: The Impact of Foot Placement

Can you explain more about the mechanics of foot placement and how it impacts jumping ability? Yeah, I think double foot placement, so when they're like parallel to each other, makes a difference. So you can generate loads of force into the floor, and you're equally able to recruit the right and left leg, provided the nervous system does that for you. Now, if it's slightly staggered, so one foot is forward and one foot slightly back, not in a split stance, but a little bit staggered, then that's often a little bit more sports specific. So you're more likely to do that when you're taking off in a basketball game or a volleyball game or whatever, or a football match or whatever. So it's worth varying your takeoff mechanics slightly in terms of real world training. It can help because you're not always going to have the same exact way of jumping when you're in a game situation. So that could be a bit of benefit. In terms of jumping ability, I would look at real world ability. So how are you performing? Rather than, you know, testing my jump height in different positions, I would train the jump height in different positions and hope that that would then have an overlap into sports performance. It's also going to make you a little bit more robust as an athlete, if you can do things in different sorts, slightly different mechanics, planes of motion, rotation, and so on. So it's going to be beneficial for a number of reasons.

Double foot placement, where both feet are parallel, is important for generating force into the floor and allowing your nervous system to recruit both legs. Staggering your feet slightly, with one foot forward and one back, is more sports specific and can help you become a more robust athlete. Training jump height in different positions can help translate to improved sports performance.

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The mechanics of foot placement greatly impact jumping ability. Double foot placement, with the feet parallel to each other, allows for generating a significant amount of force into the floor. It enables equal recruitment of the right and left leg, assuming the nervous system functions properly. On the other hand, slightly staggered foot placement, with one foot forward and one foot slightly back (not in a split stance), is more sports-specific. This type of foot placement is often used when taking off in basketball, volleyball, or football games. Varying takeoff mechanics during training can be beneficial as it mimics real-world scenarios where jumping mechanics may differ. Instead of solely testing jump height in different positions, focusing on training jump height in various positions and assessing real-world performance is more meaningful. This approach can lead to improvements in sports performance and enhance overall athleticism by developing adaptability to different mechanics, planes of motion, and rotations.

What are some of the most effective methods for teaching fitness concepts and techniques to others?

Unlocking the Secrets: Effective Methods for Teaching Fitness

Hey Sam, good question. Some of the most effective methods teaching fitness concepts and techniques. For me, you have to think about the three ways that people learn. So you've got visual, auditory, kinesthetic. So if they learn by showing them something and they can grasp the concept a little bit better by that, that's a great method. If they need to be explained a little bit more, so you go through the techniques in explanation, that's another really good method. And finally kinesthetic, and I always feel like I'm quite a kinesthetic learner. The ones I feel how something is supposed to feel, coupled with the coach's approval and sort of seal of approval by saying, yes, that's how it's supposed to look. And then you get that feeling of how it feels when they say it's successful, then that's another really positive way of learning as well. So it's learning how for you, it's learning how best your clients or athletes learn and grasp concepts and then play into their strengths.

Effective methods for teaching Fitness, Concepts and techniques include visual, auditory and kinesthetic. You need to determine how your clients or athletes best learn and grasp concepts and then play to their strengths.

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When teaching fitness concepts and techniques to others, it's important to consider the three primary learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Some effective methods include demonstrating the concepts visually for those who learn best through seeing. For those who require more explanation, going through the techniques in detail can be helpful. Additionally, for kinesthetic learners (like myself), providing a hands-on experience where they can feel how something is supposed to feel, coupled with the coach's guidance and approval, can be highly effective. It's crucial to understand how your clients or athletes learn and grasp concepts best and tailor your teaching approach accordingly, playing to their strengths.

How wide should I make my grip during pulldowns to best target my lats?

Maximize Lat Engagement: The Best Grip Width for Pulldowns

This question about grip during lat pulldowns is interesting. So the rule of thumb with any muscle group is the bigger the range of motion the muscle can be put through, effectively the more engagement is likely to happen with that muscle group. So squatting for argument's sake you may get more results if you get a little bit deeper than if you don't. And it's the same with this. So imagine doing a lat pulldown and going really wide, well the actual distance that the bar is travelling is less and you're going to start targeting the smaller muscles behind the shoulders in the rotator cuffs and things like that as well. So if you bring the hands a little bit closer together so the arms are vertical and shoulder width, you're putting the lats through a greater range of motion which means they're going to have to be engaged for a longer period of time and you're putting them through more of their effective range which is likely to target them better and help them develop. So that would be my best advice however I would also say that variety is the key so you need to also think about using different widths whether it's very narrow, very wide and so on but for my money the best grip for a lat pulldown in terms of engagement will be to go shoulder width.

The best grip for a lat pulldown in terms of engagement will be shoulder width. It allows the lats to go through a greater range of motion and be engaged for a longer period of time, which helps them develop more effectively. Variety is also key, so experimenting with different widths can help you get better results.

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To best target your lats during lat pulldowns, it's important to consider grip width. The general rule is that a wider range of motion engages the muscle group more effectively. Similar to squatting deeper for better results, a wider grip on lat pulldowns may engage smaller muscles like the rotator cuffs, rather than primarily targeting the lats.

For optimal lat engagement, try bringing your hands closer together, keeping your arms vertical and shoulder-width apart. This allows the lats to go through a greater range of motion, engaging them for a longer period and targeting them more effectively for development.

However, it's also important to incorporate variety into your workouts. Experiment with different grip widths, including very narrow or wide grips, to challenge your muscles in different ways. But, in terms of engagement, my recommendation would be to go with a shoulder-width grip for lat pulldowns.

Does an individual get the same benefit from one 90min continuous cardio workout as compared to 3 separate sessions?

Maximizing Cardio: One long session or three shorter ones?

Interesting question. Does an individual get the same benefit from a 90 minute continuous cardio session as compared to three separate sessions? I'm assuming of 30 minutes. This depends. So the dependent factors are the intensity, primarily. That would be my thoughts first off. Am I doing a steady state cardio bike, for argument's sake, on the same gear, on the same resistance, on the same incline, on the same cadence as I am with my three 30 minute sessions? I think frequent exposure is typically an approach I would go towards. I tend to gravitate towards that because I think it's a little bit easier to commit to. However, if you are, for sports reasons or activity reasons, edging towards a 90 minute continuous session, I'm going to assume that that's going to benefit you more if you are working towards half Ironman, Ironman, long duration exercise. So the dependent factor is more what is the goal of the person? Are they using this for a sport specific reason? In which case, the 30 minute sessions times three isn't necessarily going to give you the exposure and stresses that you need to get better at two, three hour cardio sessions in an event. So it's more a case of looking at the person in front of you and seeing what's going to benefit them best. Hope that helps.

The benefit of a 90-minute continuous cardio session versus three separate 30-minute sessions depends on the goal of the individual. If they are using it for a sport specific reason, the longer session may be more effective. If they are just trying to get some general exercise, then the shorter sessions may be better.

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The question of whether an individual receives the same benefit from a 90-minute continuous cardio session compared to three separate 30-minute sessions is an interesting one. The answer depends on several factors, primarily the intensity of the workouts.

If the intensity remains consistent across all sessions, then frequent exposure through three 30-minute sessions may be a more manageable approach. This approach is often easier to commit to and can provide consistent cardiovascular benefits.

However, if the individual has specific sports or activity goals, such as training for a half Ironman or Ironman event, a 90-minute continuous session may be more beneficial. This longer duration workout can better simulate the stresses and demands of the actual event.

Ultimately, the goal of the person and their specific needs should be considered. For sport-specific reasons or longer duration events, a continuous 90-minute session may be more appropriate. It's important to assess the individual and determine which approach will best serve their goals.

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Stu Gatherum has worked in the fitness industry for over 20 years and is passionate about developing future professionals to a high standard. He has an eye for quality and at T2 Fitness he creates a supportive, nurturing environment for learners. T2 Awards creates fully recognized CIMSPA content tailored to the delivery model of the provider.

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