Besides working with our personal training and fitness bootcamp clients, I often work with people who need help with injury rehab / injury prevention. Today I just had a consultation with a competitive floorball and soccer player complaining of “unexplained” back pain. This is quite a common type of back pain that seems to come and go. It isn’t the kind caused by a bulging disk that you can get from lifting a weight improperly, or from twisting yourself into an un-natural position.

When visiting most back health people, they would focus on – no surprise – the back. Adjustments, massage, or even acupuncture, usually focus on the site of the injury.

However, because this client is extremely active in many sports this means a few things…

• He has to train alot to get good
• To get good at a particular skill e.g. kicking a soccer ball, you need to do thousands of repetitions of that skill
• All sports have “overuse” patterns – the movement most done in that sport
• All overuse patterns lead to some parts being tight/short and some parts being long
• The uneven length and tightness of the various muscles leads to them pulling on the connective tissue (called fascia) unevenly, twisting the body gradually over time, leading to poor function and likely, pain.

I experienced this myself because I played six years of competitive softball, and I must have swung the bat thousands of times in one direction and nearly zero times in the other. I also used one hand to throw with that same direction of twisting. That is why one side of my body is tighter than the other and it has taken alot of massage and stretching to get things back to somewhere near normal.

So… for this client, we assessed his range of motion all over his body and found out where he was out of balance. We used acupressure and stretching techniques to help balance him out, and within 10 mins, he was pain free. I also taught him how to do these stretches at home to keep his new found range of motion.

These methods are by no means “magical” although the fast results may appear to be! But I do know that there are many people who can benefit from a personalized stretching program. That is why I have managed to get my Australian colleague and stretching expert Keith to come to Singapore to give a stretching seminar. 3 hours of pure usable knowledge that will help you customize a stretching program to keep you pain free and flexible forever!

Check it out here, its a once in a lifetime opportunity:)

BTW thats Keith in action in the picture.

I was in Sweden over the last week on a private internship with coach Poliquin for personal trainers and fat loss specialists. We learned alot about the customization of nutrition and training for rapid fat burning. One of the main things that I learned that has already helped me customize my own supplementation methods, is the use of supplements to improve neuro-transmitter balance. Different people have different dominant brain functions and when we realize this, we use different nutrients to help each person perform better.

Better brain function, better sleep, better motivation, better growth hormone output, better training focus, better results.

Results is what all our training programs aim to deliver!

Take this test called the “braverman” test. Print it out and do it honestly – after all, its for your own improvement. And tell me what your scores are in the comments below:)

Learning is a continuous process and it is necessary for excellence. After all, it has been estimated that in most fields, knowledge doubles every few years. Those who don’t learn get left behind. This is especially true in the fitness, and health arena.

This week I will be off again to the Eleiko Barbell factory in Sweden for a seminar on advanced methods of burning fat. The knowledge will be applied immediately once I get back so that our Singapore personal training clients, our Singapore fitness bootcamp clients (and myself!) will have even better fat burning workouts.

This is a practical course and we will be training 2x/day. I will bring along Amino acids, whey and carnitine to improve recovery. While recovering we will be doing some theory lessons.

Stay tuned for updates as the week goes along.

As many of you know I am a big fan of traveling light. This trip is no exception. No check in bags. No laptop. Just my Ipad. I have added incentive to do so as well because I plan to buy some “friction plates” and bring them back and I will need the extra weight allowance.

These are cool rubber weight plates that are “sticky” to the bar. They are the smaller sizes like 0.5kg to 2kg plates and when we use these plates, we don’t need to use bar collars any more! If you think about how expensive precisely made collars are… these plates are a pretty good deal. Here is coach Poliquin demonstrating them.

Recently I was asked a lot about the range of motion that we should have in training. “why do we use exercise A rather than B?” etc. Here is what both clients and personal trainers need to know about range of motion.

You need to know that there are three different ranges of motion (ROM).

• ROM of the muscle
• ROM of the joint
• ROM of the exercise

While it is not possible to go through every possible exercise, lets use the common bench press as an example.

When using a barbell, the full ROM of the exercise is until the bar touches your chest. However, the main muscles used (prime movers) are the deltoids, the pectorals and the triceps muscles. The joints involved are (mainly) the shoulder and elbow joints.

When the bar is at the bottom, touching your chest, is your shoulder or elbow at the end of its ROM? No. Are your triceps, pectorals or deltoids stretched fully? NO.

For example the clavicular portion of the pectorals (the “upper chest”) would have a fuller range of motion in a elbow in line with ears fly. And the triceps would have a fuller range of motion for example in a lying dumbbell triceps extension.

The shoulder and elbow joints would be at their end range when doing one of the many possible flexibility tests for those joints.

So, whenever you think about ROM, you need to know which ROM you are talking about. And also note that it’s not possible to get full ROM in everything all the time. If you did so, you would dilute the benefit of the exercise you were trying to perform by using too light a weight, or by risking injury.

This means that the key to success and complete development is variety of exercise structured into your program. This is how we help out clients succeed in both our group bootcamp fitness programs and our personal training programs. Science based variation of your exercises for maximum results.

As you know from my previous posts about how training program design and sticking to tempo are important, our staff who run both the group training fitness bootcamp programs, and the personal training programs at our personal training and health center are very picky about not just exercising for the sake of exercising, but focusing on training that is precise and that will help to get you your weight loss or muscle building results.

I really want to thank our clients for noticing! One of them, Khim, just bought me a hammer as a symbol of how we “hammer” good habits into our clients:) – Hey tough love is part of coaching! I’m touched!

As for the new hair cut, it was a charity event raising money for kids with cancer – I might just keep this look for a while:)

Quite a number of our personal training clients come to us because they have not been able to get the results they desired from other personal trainers or online fitness programs. One of the most lacking things that I have seen from these ineffective programs (if they are written down at all! – you will be shocked how many “personal trainers” come up with random stuff off the top of their head when their client appears at their door) is the lack of tempo prescriptions.

For those of you that are not familliar with them, tempo refers to how each rep is performed. We use a 4 number tempo system e.g. 4-1-1-2.

• The first number “4″ refers to the number of seconds that it takes to lower the weight.
• The second number “1″ refers to the length of time that you should pause the weight at the bottom of the lift.
• The third number “1″ refers to the speed at which you should lift the weight. In this case – as fast as you can. The only thing faster than “1″ would be an “x” where you would jump or throw the weight.
• The fourth number “2″ refers to the pause you should take at the top of the lift.

Variations in tempo between workout programs can greatly improve your training results. I use up to 30 second lifting and lowering times for certain clients with special needs.

However variations in tempo during the SAME SET can give you trouble in determining if your workout is effective, and if you have progressed.

For example, if you start out with a 4-1-1-2 tempo but later in the set, as you fatigue, your tempo changes to a 2-0-1-0, your reps are not consistent. A 2-0-1-0 rep would usually be much easier to perform.

This means that you have no clue if your improvement is because of progress, or simply using a easier tempo (its the same as using a lighter weight!).

Even the most experienced trainees have a tendency to “cheat” on tempo as they fatigue. The best solution for this is a good strength and conditioning coach or personal trainer.

The next best solution is a metronome. Since nobody plans to carry a foot long wooden box with them as they do their training, I went to find a solution.

I spent some time during my last infra-red sauna session testing out all the available metronomes for the iphone/itouch platform. In the end I thought that the “Flash Metronome” (it’s free) gave the easiest way to set things, and the most adaptability for gym use.

Set the “Beats per minute” to 60 so you get one beat per second, keep your phone a distance away (mobile phones in pockets make you weaker), set it to airplane mode so you don’t get distracted by messages and calls, and check out how “hard” your training suddenly has become because you have probably been cheating on tempo all this while.

Suffer the ego drop, but enjoy the improved results!

Yesterday our first phase of major gym upgrading was completed. One thing I have learned over the past few years of operating a personal training center in Singapore, is that its always best to buy the top of the range equipment, to learn from the best mentors and to give the best results to our personal training, Singapore fitness bootcamp and health consultation clients.

That is why I choose the “Black Iron Strength” range of dumbbells for our fitness center. Can you get good results with regular dumbbells? Of course! But are the Black Iron ones better? Certainly! Here is why…

1. Fat grips - fat grip training has been shown since the strongmen of old to improve strength faster. In fact we also see that it improves the balance between right and left hand better as well, so for personal training clients with left and right imbalances, fat grips are excellent.

2. Rotating handles – the grips are not only fat, they rotate. This reduces stress on the joints while at the same time forcing them to work harder for better gains. Putting the fat, rotating grip handles together, and training with them for a while, you will find that training with regular dumbbells is “easier” since you will be used to the hard stuff, this increases your poundage with regular weights.

3. Adjustable in small increments. There are a variety of custom made add-on magnets that allow you to adjust the weight in small increments of about 1kg. Often a 2.5kg jump between dumbbells may be too much. We don’t want to be stuck with a weight that is too light, yet not able to lift the next heaviest weight at all.

4. They are solid stainless steel. This means they last just about forever. No joints, no bolts, nothing to break.

5. They look AWESOME. Check out the cool engraving on each dumbbell! Just looking at them inspires me to train. And I hope it does the same thing for our clients.

Some might think that the reason we can get the best equipment is because I am perhaps playing with “mom and dad’s” money or have a wonderful “angel investor” somewhere. While my family is a great source of security and love, massive financial resources were never part of the start-up plan!

Most importantly, one character trait that I have learned from my parents is worth more than millions of dollars of “start-up” capital. After all, it is possible to spend millions of dollars foolishly as we see with celebrities and sports stars every day in the news.

This character trait is called delayed gratification. As an example, I did not even take a salary for more than 2 years when the Genesis Performance Center was starting up. I put almost every cent back into education, equipment and coaching. I worked almost non-stop from 730am to 930pm, and I actually worried a lot about making rent payments just like any other start up business owner.

Looking back…the 2 factors that contribute greatly to the success of the Genesis Performance Center are…

1. Our clients! I thank each client that we have ever coached for their trust in us, and it is the results that we work together for which result in more testimonials, more referrals and more trust in our services.
2. Education! It is never a bad investment to invest in education. Books, videos, and especially seminars and mentor-ship programs. The top mentor ship programs cost thousands of dollars per day especially when overseas accommodation and air-fare are included. But I think of it this way… if I even help are few clients with the knowledge that I learned, the investment would have been recovered AND I would still have kept the knowledge. It’s an excellent choice!

Another key benefit of seminars is that when you meet the top people in the field you choose to study in, you learn from them how to “weed-out” bad information so that your time invested in books and videos is even better spent.

There we have it, no secrets, no magic tales. To the aspiring gym owners and personal trainers out there, if you put in 15 hour days, constant education of an additional 15 hours per week, constant personal character growth, wise spending habits, and a genuine love for your clients – every day till you die, with no short-cuts, then this will be one of the most satisfying jobs on the planet.

If not please stay away from the personal training, nutrition, health and strength and conditioning business, you make those of us who care look really bad.

Part 2 of upgrading happens later in July 2010 when the 2nd container arrives. I can’t wait:)

We all know that people come in all shapes and sizes. And the differences can be very large. On one of my trips to attend a seminar, I met a guy who played professional American Football. He could bench press 140kg on an incline bench for 8 reps as a warmup. His shoulders were almost as wide as the bench press station, just about everything about him was big, even his fingers, and head.

No matter how much I train, I am physically incapable of achieving that sort of size.

So whats the point of this article?

I am often asked why we don’t count calories when we teach nutrition, or why we need to eat a certain amount of protein, fats, or carbohydrates to have success. Can’t we just eat a “balanced” meal of rice, some vegetables and a few pieces of meat and get great results.

Of course we can.

But only if our genetics allowed us to.

We have a client who weights 75kg, has sub 6% bodyfat (veins in thighs and calves and a nice 6-pack of abs) is strong and has a very nice looking physique.

He eats only 2 meals per day – or sometimes one, he trains with average consistency, and he sleeps only 4-5 hours per night. I am trying to get him to have better habits – imagine how awesome his strength and physique will be then!

That sounds easy! Why can’t we all do that?

Simple… genetically, we are less gifted.

He can – We cannot. Myself included.

He has an excellent metabolism, high levels of muscle building and fat burning hormones, strong detoxification ability and very good ability to tolerate carbohydrates of all kinds.

The rest of us have to follow our customized personal training programs, nutrition and lifestyle plans, detoxification plans and sleep plans closely to even get close to the physique that such a gifted individual has.

It can be done but it just takes more love – love of being healthy, strong and fit.

World record sprinter Usain Bolt’s meal before he broke the 100m world record at the 2008 Olympics was chicken McNuggets. That is by no means ideal nutrition. But he broke (totally smashed) the world record.

He Can – We Cannot.

Michael Phelps eats a high carb, high starch, 12000 calorie per day diet and wins multiple medals in Olympic swimming. (He also has long arms and flipper-like double jointed, big feet).

He Can – We Cannot.

People on the internet claim that weight loss is as easy as counting calories, eating less, and exercising more. This would work for a few gifted people (but still with less than optimal results)  but they are not the ones who will benefit from our personal training, nutrition coaching and Singapore fitness bootcamp services.

They Can – We Cannot.

It is those who have tried many methods but failed or who are frustrated with other kinds of fitness services who will benefit most.

I hope all this doesn’t discourage you! As an encouragement, I too am a former fat boy who is by no means a genetically gifted athlete. But being less gifted helps me to be diligent in searching the world for the best methods to help my clients and I get the best possible results from their training and lifestyle plans.

Apart from the technical skill of understanding anatomy, physiology, bio mechanics and biochemistry, one of the most important skills in a personal trainer is that of coaching. Because the goal of our personal training, nutrition coaching and fitness boot camp programs is to teach clients how to maximize their health and strength, coaching skill becomes of utmost importance.

One of the people I look up to very much as a coach just passed away this past week. He is basketball coach John Wooden. A man known for his character, leadership, teaching ability and also his knowledge of strategy – oh yeah his teams won the College basketball tournament in the USA 10 times  – in a row! And his players all look up to him.

A very complete coaching skill-set I would say!

I look for role models to follow because “it is better to emulate (i.e. copy and learn from!) genius, than it is to create mediocrity”. I know I have grown because I have had the privilege of learning from the best. I like to follow real people who have made it to the top , not internet celebrities who hide behind a “screen name” or who’s focus is slick marketing rather that consistent success of their clients.

Some of my favorite John Wooden Quotes:

“Never mistake activity for achievement.”

“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”

“Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.”

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

“Make each day your masterpiece.”

One of my fellow coaches from Texas, Luke Leaman pointed me to this article at consumerreports.org. While I don’t agree full with all the protein recommendations (I see better results with slightly higher protein content in food and less starches for most personal training fat loss or fitness bootcamp clients), this is a non-profit, unbiased lab test of some common protein brands.

Shocking levels of heavy metal toxicity and other toxins.

That is why I started a new website to sell only the best supplements in Singapore. I call it www.singaporesupplementstore.com. Check it out. As an extra service, my staff and I give customer support and QnA help to those who buy from this site through my distributor links.

Saving money is good. But not at the expense of your health. And with supplements, like many other things, cheaper is NOT better!