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Thursday, December 21, 2017

Why Sleep is important!

Tom Brady goes to bed at 8:30pm every night. When asked about it during a recent radio interview, he said simply, “All of the decisions that I make always center around performance enhancement.”
What does Tom Brady know about sleep that the rest of us do not? 
Maybe he’s seen one of the 750+ scientific studies that have investigated the relationship between sleep and human performance, many of which have studied elite athletes specifically. The results are compelling: Sleep improves speed, explosiveness and accuracy. It enhances our ability to process information and solve problems. It improves our judgment, composure and ability to assess and respond to situations. It accelerates physical recovery from common inflammation, stimulates muscle repair, and helps restock cellular energy in the form of glucose and glycogen. 
In other words, sleep is one of the most sophisticated, potent, and powerful—not to mention legal—performance enhancers that has competition-winning potential. 
It is also one of the most underutilized. Two-thirds of adults fail to obtain the recommended eight hours of sleep nightly. You’re probably not surprised by this fact, but you may be surprised by how it affects you as an athlete. Obtain anything less than eight hours of sleep a night, and especially less than six hours a night, and the following happens:
  • Time to physical exhaustion drops by 10-30 percent
  • Aerobic output is significantly reduced
  • Decreased limb extension force and vertical jump height
  • Decreases in peak and sustained muscle strength
  • Impairments in cardiovascular, metabolic, and respiratory capabilities
  • Faster rates of lactic acid buildup
  • Reductions in blood oxygen saturation
  • Reduction in the amount of air that the lungs can expire
Just like you can't out-train a bad diet, you can’t out-train poor sleep. In fact, research suggests that the physical and mental impairments caused by one night of bad sleep dwarf those caused by an equivalent absence of food or exercise. Put another way: Unless you’re getting at least eight hours of sleep every night, you're undermining all your hard work in the gym and on your nutrition. 
We spend too much time improving our mental and physical abilities to leave anything as powerful as sleep on the table. If you’re looking to take your performance to the next level, you have to make sleep a priority. Here are some ways to make sure you’re getting eight hours a night, from sleep expert Matthew Walker, author of Why We Sleep:
  1. Stick to a sleep schedule. Humans are creatures of habit--we have an easier time sleeping if we go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. If you take only one piece of advice from this list, this should be it. 
  2. Avoid training late in the evening if possible, as it revs up our Central Nervous System.
  3. Avoid caffeine after 2pm. The effects of caffeine can take up to 8 hours to wear off fully. 
  4. Avoid large meals and beverages late at night. A light snack is okay, but a large meal can can blunt our natural growth hormones overnight.
  5. Relax before bed. We’re all busy, but try to schedule some winding down time, like reading or journaling, into your nightly routine. The key here is avoiding “blue light,” such as computer work, cellphones, and artificial light which trick the body into thinking it’s daytime.
  6. Cool bedroom. You sleep better if the temperature in the room is kept on the cool side. 
  7. Dark bedroom. Getting rid of all noises and lights in your bedroom promotes better quality sleep.
~ Comptrain (CFNE)

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Mindset


"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...
It's about learning to dance in the rain." ~ Vivian Greene
Just Start.
This is a mindset...JUST START!!! 
As we transition from the Thrusters to the Pull Ups, just start. If we can remove that moment of hesitation, we quickly find the first repetitions are always there. We just needed to get going, and not overthink it. This applies to today’s workout, but also, to so much more outside the gym walls.

It is very common for one to await the right moment to start living their life.
Waiting does not push us towards our goals – it does the opposite.
Waiting allows time to slide by, with nothing to show for it… and truth be told, our time here is limited.
There is never the picture perfect time to start, but how often do we find ourselves waiting? For that ideal moment?

We all face “rain”, and even more unnerving at times, “storms”. This is life, and also, uncontrollables. They’re going to happen.
What we do have complete control over is how we will respond to these incidents.
Will we take shelter inside, and await for a better day, or will we enjoy even the harshest of weather, and get outside?

I love the word “dance” in the second half of the quote.
It’s enjoying the rain. Embracing the adversity. And thriving in it.
This is who we are.
Let’s dance in the storm.
(Coach Palley ~ CompTrain Masters)

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Take the Step!!!

Every step you take, is a step away from what you use to be.
~ Brian Chargualaf

Think about this for a minute...reflect on this and then read THIS

Monday, November 20, 2017

Key to Unhappiness

Watch this and reflect:

How can you become more grateful?

Think of 3 things you are grateful for...
Think of 3 people that helped you today...
What you say/think to yourself, determines if you are grateful...

Monday, October 23, 2017

Squat Big!

Another week...
Another time to improve...

20-Rep Squat weight HERE

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Sweat! Move! Mobility!

Today... You need to work up a sweat!

Warm-Up
100 Burpees
or
1 Mile Run/Jog

Then...

Flexibility/Mobility for 10-15 minutes
Couch Stretch (2 min each side)
Pigeon (2 min each side)
Paleo Chair (2-3 min in sit mode)
Anything else you wish...

Finish with some activity w/ sports challenge

Monday, October 16, 2017

Get Strong!

Time to start working to get STRONG...
Stronger physically, stronger mentally, push your body to places that are uncomfortable!
Get comfortable being uncomfortable... great quote and saying...
What does this mean? Think it thru for more than just the physical...
Are you ok, when you are uncomfortable?
Work on it...in little steps, in all situations...
Get comfortable being uncomfortable!

In the next 3 weeks we will see where we can get with some strength endurance, which will affect our overall physical strength as well...

Enter your 20-Rep Max Back Squat HERE.