Gravity Fx Fitness

This was a question I got recently from a 15 year old who had tagged along for his aunt’s training session. She was training with another 50 something friend and another man in my studio on a Saturday.

He is currently doing typical barbell lifts such as the bench press and squat and didn’t quite understand my training methods, which make use of sandbags, suspension trainers like the TRX, resistance bands, ropes and dumbbells.

I have a barbell tucked in a corner, which I use with some clients as a leverage press, but other than that, no barbell lifts.  At one point he asked her if they bench.  We do some dumbbell bench presses on a flat bench or on a stability ball, but my preference is some kind of pushup variation or presses using a flex band, in a standing position, which trains core stability.

Many people tend to think of barbells and dumbbells when “lifting weights” or some weight machine, like a lat pulldown.  When you realize that the point is to challenge your muscles with some type of resistance, than that resistance can take the form of your own bodyweight, sand, flex bands, or whatever.

He talked about doing weight training and I mentioned using heavy sandbags and how they can feel much heavier than a barbell.  He then picked a 140 pound sandbag off the floor using the parallel handles and found out what I was talking about.

A little later he asked me directly, “do you lift weights?”  Presumably, because I look like I do some resistance training (hopefully).  I told him I used to do all my training with barbells and dumbbells but now stick to what you see in my studio and think the results are about the same, with fewer injuries.

Obviously, if you are training for some type of strength competition that involves lifting weights, you need to train that way, but if you are just training for general fitness, general strength and fat loss, the previously mentioned tools work just fine, at least my clients think so.

When using sandbags, suspension trainers, bands and ropes, there are an almost unlimited number of exercise combinations that can be used.  Besides getting great results, this also prevents boredom from setting in.  Lack of time and boredom are the two biggest excuses people have for not exercising, so this is another reason for these methods.

Here are some of my 50 something clients who have lean, muscular bodies and can do all the physical activities they want with no problems.  They are happy with the results they get and it doesn’t hurt when someone in a store asks them how they got their arms in that kind of shape.

When they tell them about my studio it makes me feel good as well.  Proper nutrition goes a long way, also, but resistance training does a body good no matter what your age or gender you are.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

Tweet This Post

The “band man” physical therapist Dave Schmitz just celebrated his 47th birthday and I thought I’d post one of his videos on flex band stretching.  Did I mention that he can do the front splits?  He’s also very agile and explosive – qualities most people in their forties have lost.

Before doing band training he had some injuries like many of us who do (did) traditional type exercises.  I think you will agree that Dave has pretty decent flexibility.

If you have a lot of stiffness in your hips or legs I would suggest some self massage with the Stick, foam roll and/or tennis ball.  A professional massage that includes some skilled deep tissue work might be even better.

Here’s some lower leg and ankle work that is great for runners.

I can definitely recommend the use of these bands for improved fitness, flexibility and agility.  To purchase bands go to Resistance Band Training or email me for more info.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

Tweet This Post

If you have limited time for exercise you can still get good results if you use the right methods!

The right methods include total body training that elevates your heart rate and challenges your muscles at the same time.  To get results in minimal time you have to work hard and keep your rest periods short.  This will elevate your levels of growth hormone and help you burn more fat.

If you don’t have 90 minutes or more to go to the gym you no longer have an excuse.  Using tools like suspension trainers (TRX), sandbags, dumbbells or bodyweight exercises require you to use multiple muscles with each movement.

For example, exercises like pushups involve not just your upper body but your abs and low back, also.  Do your exercises standing or kneeling to get more bang for your buck.  The more muscles used with an exercise the greater the calorie burn.

If short on time don’t try to isolate different muscles – get your heart rate and metabolism up by doing more work in less time.  You can gradually increase the number of reps and/or decrease the amount of rest as your body adapts to the stimulus.

This can also ignite the “afterburn” effect.  For example, one study had lifters do 3 exercises for 30 minutes where they completed them in a circuit – going from one to the other and then repeating these three exercises.

Their metabolism was still elevated 30 some hours later!  Now these were experienced lifters but they worked every muscle in their body in this 30 minute circuit.  So the take home lesson is to use as much of your muscle fibers as possible if you are doing a short workout.  Then do some lighter intensity activity in between to help recover or just take it easy until your next workout if you have limited time.

An example of this would be the flex band squat/row alternated with some pushups.  Keep your rest periods short and get your HR elevated for as little as 15 minutes.  Push/pull exercises for the upper body and squat/lunge patterns for the lower body are a great way to do it.

Check out my previous post on a busy restaurant owner who lost 20 pounds of fat while exercising 2 hours a week.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

Tweet This Post

Flexband resistance bands are a great tool for dynamic flexibility and core training.  I’ve used several different types of bands for training and these are the most versatile.

These bands resemble thick rubber bands and have a lot more resistance than typical therapy bands.  I found an article by physical therapist Dave Schmitz about four years ago and was intrigued by his training methods.

Most resistance bands are made of tubing and are good for upper body pushing and pulling movements.  He uses the flat bands for dynamic stretching and agility drills that I haven’t seen before.

In particular, he has a lower body flexibility routine that gets great results.  I have been doing Active Isolated Stretching with myself and my clients for a long time.  I used to use it with the local arena football team before they went out for warmups.

His method allows you to do this same type of active stretching with resistance bands, making the muscles more elastic and stronger at the same time.

In addition to bootcamp classes, Schmitz uses the bands for agility and core training.  High school football teams in Wisconsin using his methods have won state championships in recent years or finished near the top.

They are a great tool for distance runners who want to stay flexible and minimize the risk of overuse injuries.  Self-massage with the Stick and then doing his flexibility routine is a potent combo.

If looking for a great tool for home workouts, I can definitely recommend Resistance Band Training.  Its also something you can take with you when traveling.

Oh, by the way, Dave can do the front splits at 45 and is as agile as most professional athletes.  Look for the Total Flexibility Training package.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

Tweet This Post

An often over-looked fitness quality is how well you move.  I definitely believe in strength training, whether its for sports performance, fat loss, or general fitness…..

but what about the quality of your movement?  If you are just training on weight machines or doing bodybuilding style training, your movement quality may be lacking.  Many people definitely need more work doing resistance training.

They also need to be training on their feet in order to apply this strength to their everyday activities.  I was at a fitness seminar a while back and one of the presenters was Dave Schmitz.  If you’re not familiar with Dave, he is a very dynamic presenter.

Which is fitting, since the resistance band training he does is extremely dynamic.  He did some demos with a few trainers who were pretty muscular, but looked like they could use some additional work on their total body coordination.

Training with flex bands is one way to accomplish this.  They are a great tool for agility and flexibility training.  They can definitely help your muscles react quicker.  You want strong muscles but you also want them to contract quickly and resistance bands can help.

If some of these fitness professionals need work in this area, then “averaqe” people also need some help.  As I said, exercising while sitting or lying down may not make you very coordinated when you are standing.

If like me, you are just a recreational athlete or weekend warrior, quickness and agility training will increase your performance – or, if you just want to play with your kids/grandkids and avoid injury, this can also be achieved.

I also like to do joint mobility training to increase my movement quality and “de-stress”.  Work on your strength, mobility/flexibility and coordination when you are young and you will greatly increase your chances of never feeling old.

Get moving!

Brian

Tweet This Post

Last night I did some stability work on the Power Plate to work on some “weak links.”  I like using the vibration platform as part of my warmup to activate (turn on) muscles that are prone to weakness and injury.  I also like the fact that I can get in a quick workout when short on time.

Today I was watching some resistance band videos and saw something new that I wanted to try out.  So I attached the bands to a fixed object and used a dowel rod to do some core stability work.

I’m getting ready to reopen my training studio and flex bands are one of the key components of the workouts.  They are extremely versatile, portable, and they help increase your athleticism, even if you are slightly past your competitive days, like myself.

The exercises really worked my midsection while also working on my shoulder stability, making them very efficient.  I’ve had past shoulder injuries and anything that helps keep my shoulders healthy is a plus.

So I did these seemingly simple exercises, working my core from every possible angle, including front and back.  I also used the bands for some lower body activation, including some lunges with the band around my waist.

Then I finished with a little sandbag work for my lower body – good mornings and front squats.  Between these two training tools, I got a fast, efficient workout which worked my core during every exercise.

Workouts don’t have to take hours to do in order to get results.

Get moving!

Brian

Tweet This Post

So it’s 57 degrees in early February and a Saturday.  Naturally, you head outdoors for some exercise and to enjoy the Sunny weather.

I thought about getting my bike out but I knew that there would be too many puddles on the bike path and the streets have too many potholes.  Recent temps reached about 30 below zero with the windchill, a few weeks ago.

After some Power Plate stretching, I headed outdoors to a local college.  I saw a few people walking or running on a track but I had something else in mind – a little sandbag training.  If this is your first time reading this blog, you should know that I enjoy doing things a little differently than most people.

I prefer to exercise outdoors whenever possible and can take my sandbags and flex bands pretty much anywhere.  The resistance bands are easier to carry but transporting the bags turns into part of the workout.

Carrying a sandbag of about 120 pounds down a couple flights of stairs and then back gets your heartrate up.  For the actual workout I will use lighter bags to do stair training and heavier ones for more strength work.

If you are short on time, then doing full body workouts are a great way to train.  Sandbag exercises involve multiple muscles and joints which burn plenty of calories.  Every movement involves your core and helps with your overall coordination.

But I just think they are a fun way to train and make me feel like I’m doing something athletic.  After all, life takes place on your feet and it just makes more sense to train that way.

Tweet This Post

So what makes flex band resistance bands a great tool for core training?  Simple, every exercise becomes a “core exercise!”

Whether you are doing push/pull exercises in a standing position or some type of agility training, it stresses your midsection.  Instead of isolating your abs by doing crunches on the floor, you force your abs and back muscles to stabilize your spine while you are training your upper or lower body.

When doing a 1 arm pressing or rowing move you put a lot of stress on your obliques, strengthening your core in the process.  You are training all these muscles from every possible angle.

So whether you want flat abs, more yards on your golf drive, or a more athletic body, these resistance bands will get the job done.  They help to teach all your muscles to work together more efficiently.

Besides gaining a body that looks good and performs better, you achieve all this in the least amount of time spent – meaning a quicker, more efficient workout.

Training with them allows you to get more bang for your buck because they eliminate the need to do that 15 minutes abs class, then do seperate weight training and so on.

In most work or sports situations you are on your feet, so by training on your feet you will teach your abs to work with your upper and lower body.  It doesn’t matter how much force your legs can produce if your core can’t properly stabilize your spine.

Most of the time your midsection remains still or moves very little, while everything above or below is moving.  If you don’t care about being more athletic than you will enjoy the fact that the bands will flatten your midsection while spending the least amount of time exercising.

I personally like to combine them with sandbag exercises to hit them with plenty of intensity.  When you are pushing a band that provides 50-75 pounds of pressure, you have the same amount of resistance pulling you backwards.

This really trains all your muscles to work together as a unit – very efficient.

For more info on flex bands go to Resistance Band Training.

Get moving!

Brian

Tweet This Post