Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Are you desk bound?

The first thing a desk-bound athlete needs to be aware of is how sitting affects athletic performance. Not “if” only “how.” When humans sit in a chair, car, or airplane seat for an extended period of time, we do not have the advantage of having our butt (gluteus) engaged to help maintain position. As a result of prolonged sitting, the front of the hip gets short and tight, and an otherwise healthy person often develops low back pain.

Low back pain in an otherwise healthy athlete is often a symptom of tight anterior/front of the hip, tight and short posterior chain (A.K.A. the butt and hamstrings), or a combination of the two.

So work on restoring full, normal, range of motion to the hips – and alleviate lower back pain in the process – we need to “stretch” the front of the hips.

How much of every day at work do you spend scanning Facebook, downloading songs on itunes, or discussing college football? I rest my case. So it’s shouldn’t be difficult to sneak in 5 minutes of mobility. You just have to decide to do it. You can even get in your mobility behind your desk or in your cubicle when nobody’s watching. Maybe even put that conference call on speaker phone, and knock it out then. Whenever you decide to make some improvement in your athletic ability, all you need is five minutes.

"The Mountain Climber"
 Have you ever wondered why we do them all the time?
 
To stretch the front of the hip, the athlete is going to get into a lunge position, with the front knee stacked directly above the front ankle, and both hands down to inside of your forward foot. Keeping your back leg straight as possible, squeeze your butt and drive your hips toward the ground. You should feel a serious stretch in the front of the hip corresponding to your back leg, as well as a good hamstring stretch in the forward leg.

Mobility Aaron Arehart
Once established in that position, work to accumulate two minutes per side. If having both hands on the ground with arms extended is easy, the athlete can add tension to the stretch by working to get your elbows and forearms down on the ground.


Once you have accumulated two minutes in the stretch with each foot forward, return to the side that felt tighter for one more minute. That’s two minutes right foot forward, two minutes left foot forward, followed by one minute with the tighter side.

Other stretch: SUPER QUAD


Monday, November 26, 2012

"THE RUN"

"The Run" is an intense 3-4 mile trail run designed by Versus Strength and Conditioning.  The Run will test your stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. With an awesome course, all of our proceeds going to charity, and a down right awesome atmosphere, "The RUN" is the best trail run in the area!

What are you waiting for?  SIGN UP at Versus Gym or through a Gym Member!

Here is the info:

What you need to bring:
  • Appropriate footware is highly recommended! Note: You will get muddy
  • A signed copy of our participant waiver will be on site for you to sign
  • A great attitude of awesomeness
What to leave at home:
  • Bad attitudes will not be allowed!
 

When: December 1st at 9am.

Where: Fox Abbe Farms in Ellisville MS

Directions: 
369 Pittman Rd, Ellisville Ms
Take the Moselle exit off of HWY 59, turn left and go over interstate.
Go .7 miles and then Take Right onto Pittman Rd
Go 1.7miles and then turn left at Gate and Signs for Fox Abbe Farms.


Thursday, November 15, 2012

Holiday Weight Gain

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRft4tsBn-_pYVB0AdAkfIdo3K-zNnqe8I0LEy522gTgH1xSdbmcW5KFHTKxhQUQ2JO33PbmLE3wKvJLkQfjU054c9_cA6z9rnsu8hNseUR3cbL1W0ZxvvMrzPAEW29YxH1sQVs1AtYM/s1600/lb_fat.jpg
One pound of fat




Here is a LINK with the all the detail!  Over the entire holiday season from Halloween until New Years the average weight gain was: 1.05lbs


Jessica Hawn answered the closest with "A pound."  Heather Williams you were on the money but I needed one answer!!! Sorry!

The study goes on to suggest that weight gain of only one pound may not sound bad, but that one pound stays with you!  The folks in the study never lost the one pound they put on... sorta like the permanent pound!

Its obvious this study wasn't conducted in Mississippi... How do I know that?  Buddy, between you and me, I can gain 10lbs after my Mama's thanksgiving dinner!  Anyone want to do a weigh in before thanksgiving day and then after New Years day?  --Ha Ha Ha... this fella!

The most important thing to remember:  Eat Clean and Train Dirty!  More Free Tee Shirt Give aways coming soon!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Allen Iverson


Allen Iverson was one of the best Basketball Players in the NBA a few years back. The video above is Allen ranting about "practice". His coaches suspended him from games and also fined him for missing "practice".

Apparently, Allen didn't really see practice as being important.  If he did view practice as important, he would never miss.  I guess Allen forgot what got him into the NBA.  I guess he forgot the 1,000 or so free throws he shot over is career.  I guess he forgot about how many pick-up games he played as a kid.  I guess he just forgot.

Ask yourself this: "Are you good at what you do?"  Hopefully the answer is yes.  If it is, then ask yourself this: (redneck language coming up) "How did you get good at what you do?"  PRACTICE.
Pick a plan, follow it to the letter relentlessly, stick your head up for air every once and a while to see where you are.

If you ever played any type of sport in college, high school or junior high, you know what I am talking about.  If you have ever studied hard for a class and earned an A, you know what I am talking about.  A coach or a teacher gave you a plan.  They MADE you follow it and guess what... you probably got a little bit better than when you started.  I had some bad coaches growing up, but boy did I love to practice.  I got better.

Allen Iverson didn't care about practice.  Allen forgot about the importance of practice.  I hope you don't.  I hope you value every step you take.  I hope you reach one goal and then make another.  I hope you are willing to do whatever it takes to reach whatever goal you have.  Don't talk the talk.  Walk the walk like the guy in the video below.  #Hungry 


Thursday, November 8, 2012

5th Week of BBC

We are almost finished with our 5th week of the Black Book Challenge and to be honest with you guys, I have seen a huge drop off in participation.  A few of you guys haven't showed up to the gym during the entire challenge.  Whomp Whomp....

If I were a betting man I'd bet big on a few things, 1. you have chalked this year up as a loss and are waiting until the "New Year".  2.  You have let birthdays, weddings, sporting events, and other occasions derail you completely.  3.  You haven't put any time into practicing any of the strategies put on this blog.

Guys and Gals, it is really hard to make in changes in your body if you do not make any changes in your lifestyle... damn near impossible really.  Before we wrap up the 5th week I want to leave you with two things.

1.  Here is a scenario I get all the time.  I like to call it "The Battle of A lot vs Enough".

The Battle of A lot vs Enough pops up concerning muscle gain and fat loss.  Lets take a look at our fat loss battle first.

A client approaches me and says, "Steve, I'm just not losing weight, I've tried everything.".  The first thing I do is ask them if I can see their Black Book.  I obviously want to see their BB so I can get a look at the types of foods they are/are not eating.  The moment I take a look at their BB I see the battle of A lot vs Enough rearing its head.

Our Client is eating way out of our general guidelines, not putting in extra work and cheats way to often.  I ask our client, "What gives?"  Usually, I get a response of, " I know man buuuuuuuuuut I had a wedding to go to, my kid had a birthday, Alabama was playing, it was Halloween, one of my friends came into town, my other kid had a birthday, the Saints WON, or Southern Miss won..... jk."

Instead of going down a laundry list of things our client could do better lets look at the beginning at the basics.  Our client is frustrated because they can't seem to lose weight.  In their minds they are doing "A LOT" of work.  After we look at their BB and their gym attendance its very easy to see they aren't doing ENOUGH.

Enough is a learned habit.  Enough is something you have to earn.

What is the key to Enough?  Simply put:  Effort and Consistency. 

Lastly on the Battle of A lot vs Enough- Do any of you out there have a family member that fits the "black sheep of the family" description??  You know what I'm talking about!!  They always seem to be bouncing around from job to job, in and out of jail, or from big idea to even bigger idea!  They just just can't get it together.  In the back of your mind you are always thinking, "Dude, if they would just go out, get a job, stick with it, work hard and save up they could be extremely successful!!  They are their own worst enemy."

Our client from earlier is his or her own worst enemy.  Our client keeps bouncing around from good idea to good idea.  Doctor Oz, Muscle Magazine, The Paleo Diet, The Zone Diet, The Beard Diet, The Atkins Diet, The 3 day a week gym routine, The 5 Day a week routine, Indoor Program, Outdoor Program, Anatomies, CrossFit, Versus, Julian Michaels, Running, Rowing, 5ks, 10ks, etc etc etc etc etc...

Do you really want to know the Secret to getting the results you desire?  Effort and Consistency with a plan you KNOW works.  Go over to our success story page and see what Effort and Consistency look like.

The Second thing I want to leave you with to close out the week is a message from a member who has had extreme success with eating clean, working out and being consistent.  Here is a few tips from Katie:

First off congrats to everyone who is doing the challenge! The first step is always the hardest and you have already taken it.

I feel like one of the most important aspects of eating clean is taking time to preplan your meals and snacks. When we have healthy options to pick from then we are a lot less likely to cheat. When we are hungry and don't have a clean option then we will probably make a bad descion and then beat ourselves up over it. Also many times when we feel that we are hungry we are just dehydrated and really are bodies are needing water. So drink up!

A few of my favorite clean meals and snacks.
Protein smoothie for breakfast: I use 1 scoop of life's basic plant protein( made with pea, hemp, and chia seed) add half almond milk and half water a few walnuts black berries and a handful of kale( add stevia if you like it sweet)
Always have lean fish, chicken, or eggs available. I love topping any of my proteins with homemade salsa. (fresh tomatoes, jalopenos, onion, black beans, cilantro, and avacodo.

Do you ever crave something sweet?
Slice an apple and add a little water and cinnamon to the bowl and microwave until it gets soft. Drain water and top apple with plain Greek yogurt, stevia and pistachios.

Try to eat your fruits before 2pm and try not to eat 3 hours before you go to bed. The body needs a 12 hour break from last meal until your first one the next day to rid itself of the toxins in your body.

In my opinion you always see better results when you stay away from all of the 0 calorie sugars! They are terrible for you. They make you have cravings and mood swings. No diet drinks! I promise your body will thank you.

Don't forget you are not only physically strong but you are also mentally tuff! You can do this!