 Getting into shape and reaching your fitness goals can be an incredibly rewarding experience. However, if you're not careful, it's easy to fall into the trap of overtraining and burning out. Burnout is a real issue in the fitness world and can lead to decreased motivation, injury, and even illness. In this post, we'll explore some tips and strategies to help you prevent burnout and maintain a healthy and sustainable fitness routine.
In conclusion, burnout is a real issue in the fitness world (and life in general), but it doesn't have to be a part of your experience. By setting realistic goals, varying your workouts, taking time to rest and recover, staying consistent, and seeking professional help when needed, you can prevent burnout and maintain a healthy and sustainable fitness routine (and later on, lifestyle). Remember, your health and wellbeing are important, so take care of yourself and enjoy the journey towards your goals.  Coach MikePowerlifting Coach
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 Hydration is essential for all aspects of fitness. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced athlete, drinking enough fluids is crucial for maintaining peak performance and overall health. So why is staying hydrated important? During exercise, your core body temperature increases, and your body's response to that is to start sweating. Sweating is your body's natural cooling mechanism, but it also means that you're losing fluids. If you don't replenish these fluids, you run the risk of becoming dehydrated. Dehydration can lead to a variety of problems, including: reduced athletic performance, muscle cramps, fatigue, headaches (my personal most common issue), dizziness, lightheadedness, constipation, and nausea So exactly, how much water should you drink? According to the Mayo Clinic, men should drink around 3.7L (15.5 cups) and women should drink around 2.7L (11.5 cups). Not all water has to come from drinking water, as about 20% of our fluid intake come from the food that we eat. If you're exercising for more than an hour, you may need to add electrolytes to help replace the sodium, potassium, and other minerals lost in sweat. Recommendations would be as simple as Gatorade or Powerade. If you aren’t too keen on the extra sugars those drinks provide, you are free to try alternatives like Pedialyte, LiquidIV, or LMNT. Tips for staying hydrated:
 Coach MikePowerlifting Coach  If you're looking to strengthen your posterior chain (lower back, glutes, and hamstrings), the reverse hyper is an exercise you should consider adding to your workout routine or asking your coach about teaching you about them. Originally invented by Louie Simmons when trying to recover from a series of back injuries, the reverse hyper is a machine that involves swinging your legs in a circular motion to activate and strengthen your posterior chain muscles. Here are some of the benefits of incorporating the reverse hyper into your training: Increased Strength One of the main benefits of the reverse hyper is that it can help you build strength, muscle mass, and muscle endurance in your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. These muscles are important for many daily activities and sports, so strengthening them can help you perform better and reduce the risk of injury. It will also impact your squat and deadlift. From my own personal experience, I initially hated these and would tend to skip or replace them with an alternative. Since incorporating them into my program 1-2 times per week, my squat and deadlift have reaped the benefits. Reduced Lower Back Pain When I first started powerlifting 4 years ago, I suffered from lower back pain to the point where I could barely walk around normally. The reverse hyper can be an effective way to strengthen the muscles in your lower back and reduce the amount of pain you may endure during your prep or hypertrophy phase. There has been research that shows, regular use of the reverse hyper can lead to a significant reduction in lower back pain and improve overall function. Strengthening the lower back muscles will also help with improved posture! This leads to being able to stand tall and maintain a neutral spine position, reducing the risk of developing posture related issues like back pain, neck pain, and headaches. Enhanced Athletic Performance Just because a legendary powerlifter invented this exercise, doesn’t mean this is only meant for strength sports. The reverse hyper targets the muscles used in many sports, incorporating this exercise into your training can help improve your overall athletic performance. By strengthening your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings, you'll be able to run faster, jump higher, and perform better in sports that require explosive lower body movements. Injury Prevention Finally, the reverse hyper can help prevent injuries by strengthening the muscles that support your spine and pelvis. By improving the stability of these muscles, you'll be less likely to experience injuries like strains, sprains, and herniated discs. Who want’s to be the young guy who “threw his back out” from something simple? Overall, the reverse hyper is a powerful exercise that can provide numerous benefits for your lower body, physical performance, and overall health. If you're looking to improve your strength, reduce lower back pain, enhance athletic performance, or prevent injuries, the reverse hyper is definitely worth considering. Ask your coach today!   Mike // Powerlifting Coach & Lead Online Training Coach
 On Saturday, March 18th, I got the pleasure of competing in my 5th powerlifting meet in the last 3 years. There were some things that I did the same as usual, but during this prep, I changed things up a bit and the growth and maturity showed out on meet day. Here are some of my experiences, that a new lifter should consider when trying to compete in their next competition. Focus My mindset was super different this time around. I went from trying to be stronger than everyone else, to my goal is just to beat me. I stopped caring what others around me were putting up, I wanted to beat MY NUMBERS on the board. I would look up and I would just zero in on my name and think about how much I am going to PR. At the end of the day, YOU are doing this for YOU. Unless you plan to make a living off this sport, then yes, change the mindset, but chances are, you are in this sport to better yourself. Stop comparing yourself to others (especially IG influencers) and focus on the betterment of yourself.  Weight If you asked me, 3 years ago, what weight class I would like to be at, I would probably laugh at you and say 198. I was hovering around 205 pounds, moderately strong, but also was not built to my true potential. Fast forward to the last year and I have competed in the 242 class and have won 1st in all 3 of my competitions since moving up a weight class. Since starting with my current coach and homie, I’ve put on 30 pounds. Some people would freak out because of the weight. Initially, I did too, but man, I am built like a tank. I am not the leanest. You are probably never going to find abs on me, ever, but I was never really about that. I just wanted to be strong. At 205 lbs, my gym totals were subpar numbers to be honest.385/295/515. At the time of this post, I am now 235lbs with a gym total of 600/350/605. I will gladly put on some weight to put up those numbers. My advice is the same advice my coach gave to my wife and I when we first started.  Give yourself some credit, put some mass on, and build yourself into the higher weight class. At the end of the day, it is much easier to walk into weigh-ins refreshed, hydrated, and fed, than it is struggling to make weight. If you are not breaking records and trying to win best overall, DOTS, than what is the point. Eat what makes you happy, in moderation of course. Knee Wraps This was an experience I had trouble with. I made the decision to try out wraps, not knowing how painful these were going to be. The first month of wraps was awful, I could barely stand the 2/10 tightness that I was being wrapped. I was tweaking with every squat attempt, thinking my knee popped, but it was just the wraps coming a little loose. But these bad boys help me go from a 475 squat to what could have been a 600 squat (I was a tad high because of how excited I was when it felt so light on my back). The biggest challenge was getting a consistent person to wrap me during training sessions. I probably had 5 different people wrap me, not including myself.  Have Fun The most important but forgotten detail. The last couple of meets, I took thinks too seriously and I tried too hard. This meet, I went in with a “it is what it is” attitude. With this mindset, I had the best prep I ever had. I was PR’ing one of my lifts every week during prep. I was smiling and laughing more, which took a lot of the stress away. I also had 11 other gym friends competing in the same meet, this allowed me to talk about how prep is going and sharing my insight to a lot of the newer members. This detail is key to having a successful meet. If you focus on trying to be the best or beating the best, that will only take you so far. At the end of the day, you have to do what’s best for you. Smile and pick that goofy song to walk out to for your last deadlift. Don’t beat yourself up on a missed attempt. Shrug it off, smile, and hit that sh*t on your next try. Live, laugh, and have fun.  Meet Total // 562 lbs :: 341 lbs :: 573 lbs Mike // Powerlifting Coach & Lead Online Training Coach  Congratulations, you have either signed up for your first meet or are looking to join one. A lot of people say they need to wait until they are strong enough. Get that out of your head NOW!! Your first meet is a great way to get acclimated to the environment. The main goal behind your first meet is to see if you enjoy the sport. Stepping onto the platform is a big feat! Be proud of yourself for taking the courage to do this. :: FIND A FEDERATION TO COMPETE IN :: Throughout the United States there are many different federations, such as APF, USAPL, WRPF and many more. Do your research. Find what federation would best fits your needs and desires. Each federation has different rules so pay close attention to the varying rules. For example, in some APF and WRPF meets you have to squat using a mono-lift. :: PICK A MEET :: Now you found a federation, pick a meet to compete in! Please note that when registering for the meet there are multiple divisions depending on your age, weight class and what equipment you are wearing. Most federations classify “equipment categories” into there Raw, Classic Raw, Single-Ply and Multi-Ply. Each federation has different rules and different vendors approved for of what equipment you can wear in each particular division. For example, in USAPL SBD is an exclusive approved vendor for knee sleeves, wrist wraps, belts and elbow sleeves. :: FIND A COACH :: I definitely recommend hiring a coach. An in-person coach is the best route to go for your first meet as the coach can ensure you know proper form for each lift while correcting any bad techniques that inhibit your form. Closer to competition day, your coach will also practice the competition commands with you and ensure you are hitting depth on squat. If an in-person coach is not feasible, an online coach will do. You will not receive the one on one time but you likely will get help through video review of your lifts. Overall your coach will ensure you are peaking properly and getting the necessary recovery time. :: SHOULD I CUT WEIGHT? :: If this is your first meet, the best idea is to stay at the weight you’re at. There is no need to cut and potentially lose strength just to be in a certain weight class. Your first prep will be exhausting on your body. It’s a lot to go through on its own. There is no need to add in cutting weight while peaking. :: WHAT SHOULD I WEAR? :: As a first time lifter you are likely to compete in Raw or Classic Raw. At a minimum you will need
You can also use equipment like**
Be sure to check with the Federation rules and your coach to ensure your equipment and singlet are competition approved. :: TWO DAYS OUT :: Alright we are two days out! Depending on the federation you are in, you either have weigh-ins 24 hours or 2 hours prior to the meet. If you have a 24 hour weigh-in I recommend trying to weigh in as early as you can. This allows you more time afterwards to hydrate, eat and relax. At weigh-ins you will figure out your rack heights and give the meet judges your opening attempts for all three lifts in Kilograms. You will need to bring with:
 :: MEET DAY IS HERE :: Powerlifting meets can be long. A fast meet will take 5 hours. A long meet can take up to 10 hours. I recommend you bring with
 At the end of the meet, be sure to congratulate yourself! Competing is not an easy task. It takes dedication, consistency and strong mental discipline.
You have spent these past 3+ months preparing yourself for this. Time to celebrate!! -- Matt THE SECRETS TO A SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR
"You do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems." -James Clear It’s the New Year! This is a great time to implement new lifestyle changes and create certain goals to chase for the year. This is great but the big problem is many people stop after a month or two. Today I am going to teach you how to set your goals up for success and finally achieve them! Start off with creating steps for an attainable goal The biggest problem when people set New Year's resolutions or goals is they set one extreme goal. A lot of people end up getting frustrated with that yuge goal, get overwhelmed, and give up after a few months. Instead, set up multiple goals leading up to that one big goal. For example, if your ultimate goal is to lose thirty pounds then break down how you’re going to get there:
By that time, you have already achieved those steps, you are closer to your ultimate goal. By breaking it down to smaller goals throughout the process, it gives our brain a sense of accomplishment and gives us the drive to continue! Reward yourself when you achieve them Rewards are a great way to keep you on track for your goals. Our neurons release dopamine, which is the reward chemical that gives us more of a push in accomplishing the next steps. Thus, making people stay on track because they’re hitting milestones step by step. When thinking about a reward try to make it reasonable. A lot of people will set a reward, “once I lose this weight, I can eat as much as I want!” which can do more harm than good. Instead, try another attainable goal such as having a refeed to slowly get your body used to the calories it needs to maintain. This will introduce your body to more calories which will keep the weight off. After your first achievement, the recommended weight loss cycle is 2-3 months of a caloric deficit then giving your body a break with maintenance calories in order to stay on track. As opposed to being on a caloric deficit for 6 months and ignoring your body’s signals. In turn, you are unknowingly rewarding yourself with the calories your body needs, and it is easier for you to continue the weight loss process. Find someone to help hold you accountable We all think we don’t need anyone to push us or to talk with someone about goals we have. This can be a difficult thing for people to do. Find someone that you are comfortable with, but you know will still hold you accountable. The best thing is you can hold each other accountable every day. Just by checking in on each other can make a big difference in your confidence and motivation. Now that we have these tips, it is time to start putting it to use! Always remember, it is a marathon not a sprint! Written by: Matt Marczyk Edited by: Lorraine Edralin One of the most common issues plaguing people on the bench is an inability to properly engage the triceps on the eccentric portion of the motion resulting in the inability to properly extend and lockout. The fix for this issue is simple. Break at your damn elbows.
As the weight gets progressively heavier people will inevitably rely on their primary movers in an attempt to overcome the load. In the bench press this is your chest and lats. The result of this reliance is a curved bar path while simultaneously flaring the elbows. The triceps are not properly loaded and the bar ends up hitting a wall a couple inches of the chest. Instead try this. On your warm ups practice initiating the movement with breaking at your elbows no differently than you might break at your knees to begin the squat. Then, once the break has begun, focus on keeping the weight balanced over the tip of your elbow where your triceps connect with your ulna. What you will find is that the positive may feel harder at first as you acclimate to this adjustment, however, you will surely find additionally drive where you normally would have just hit a wall on the bench. Rely on the triceps and your bench press will thank you for it. As a gym owner and coach, I see people experimenting with their fitness regimes, as they should. As a novice lifter, everything is new so working on the basics is the way to go. After a while, the basics get boring and people look to spice up their fitness life. In comes accommodating resistance.
What is it? Accommodating resistance is any implementation to an exercise where resistance is increased throughout the motion as to accommodate for the more favorable anatomical position that the body is in. Simply put, it makes the lift easier at the bottom and harder at the top. What implements do I use? The most common implementations are through the use of bands and chains. Bands are an exponential accommodation since they resistance will increase exponentially through the range of motion. On the other hand, chains are a form of incremental accommodation since resistance will increase in the same increments as compared to distance throughout the entire range of motion. How and when Do I use accommodating resistance? The biggest issue I see in lifters who are new to accommodating resistance is the lack of purpose. "Fuck it, ill throw some bands on here," is not the way to go. The simplest advise is to set a goal and research how to use accommodating resistance to achieve that goal. For instance, bands are elastic which is great for speed work since it will overspeed the bar on the negative and elicit the stretch reflex response in return which overtime will increase the speed and amplify the force potential in a lift. On the other hand, chains are great for overload work or fatigue compensation. If your body is overly fatigued using chains to decrease the load at the bottom and most difficult part of the motion will allow the lifter to workout longer without incurring an irreparable amount of fatigue. For overload work, chains are a great way to build confidence so a lifter can feel the load at the top and build up the mental confidence to support that load on meet day. Key takeaway Always have a plan. Do your research or hire a coach that will do it for you. There is a massive benefit through the implementation of accommodating resistance but the misuse of the same tool will not only be detrimental but could possibly result in injury. As always, comment on this post or ask questions if you require more information A central tool to any powerlifter, strongman, Olympic lifter, or strength focused athlete is their central nervous system or more commonly referred to as their CNS. For instance, in powerlifting, their is different mesocycles a powerlifter may implement in their training program to encourage a certain response from their body. For instance, a hypertrophy cycle allows the powerlifter to gain much needed muscle on their frame which will in turn result in an increased ability to move a greater load. In preparation for competition, the powerlifter will begin to peak which is essentially just a fine tuning of the Central Nervous System to act in coordination with the newly built muscle. This is where CNS fatigue will be omnipresent and must be managed with the utmost care.
Depending on programming, experience, and recovery, a person will accumulate and manage fatigue differently. I have provided a list of symptoms I see in my athletes when their nervous system is on the verge of overextension, which include the following. 1. Sleep - An individual who's nervous system has taken a hit will usually feel like they can never catch up on sleep. On the other hand, an individual who has absolutely ransacked their nervous system will likely have issues sleeping at all. If either of these symptoms present themselves, it is time to reduce load and intensity to allow your CNS to rebound. 2. Appetite- A sign of a healthy nervous system is a voracious appetite. If you're training encourages the consumption of food you are on the right track. If the sight of food makes you feel sick, your nervous system is way overextended. 3. Mental Clarity- An easy indicator of a CNS fatigue is mental fog. If you feel forgetful or just slow in your thought process it could be indicative of an overextended nervous system. 4. Mood Changes- Going along with mental clarity, if you begin to feel anxious or depressed and that is outside of your normal emotional state, an overextended nervous system could be a contributing factor. 5. Sickness- Sometimes referred to as "Yoke Flu", an overextended nervous system can manifest as physical illness. Symptoms such as fever and diarrhea are also good indicators of a damaged nervous system. If any or all these symptoms are present you may be experiencing an overextended nervous system. So what do we do to fix that. 1. Rest- Sleep is paramount. The CNS repairs itself during REM sleep so getting to sleep and staying asleep for a full 8 Hours can make managing fatigue easier. 2. Eat- Eat. The body needs resources to repair any damage it experiences. Increasing your fat intake will also increase your fatigue management capabilities. 3. Reduce Intensity- If you are fucked up there is no point in fucking yourself up more. Reduce the load and intensity your body is experiencing and give it time to catch up with recovery. A failure during training can have CNS fatigue ramifications for up to 2-3 weeks after failure so give yourself a solid 2 weeks for recovery before throttling back up. Ideally, "deloads" should be preplanned to prevent overextension from occurring in the first place. 4. Reduce Stress- Stop being a crazy asshole and take a breath. Stress begets Cortisol and Cortisol prevents recovery. Listen to relaxing music, take a walk, or meditate. Whatever you have to do to reduce stress, do it. This is just a small list of things I have seen in my experience as a coach. If you have any questions feel free to reach out. Additionally, if you have any information that you have seen about CNS fatigue I would love to hear it. Today is the day you have all been waiting for. Well probably not. Either way. Welcome to The Blog. We will be doing weekly posts about any and all training information we can give you access to. Whether it be training, programming, nutrition, or movement patterns, we are here to be the one-stop-shop for any and all of your athletic needs. Although we specialize in powerlifting, strongman, and Olympic weight lifting we are here to answer any questions you might have. If you need information shoot us an email so that we can make the next blog post catered to you!
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