I see MANY Strength Coaches REFUSING to evolve in their training. They sit back and poke fun at others, talk shit and act as if their methods are the end all be all method for training.
They are NOT evolving. As an athlete, a Coach, a human being... you must evolve.
My training is evolving BIG time right now, my warm ups are getting longer and longer, evolving into play AND training and I'm feeling 100 X better....
My lifestyle is also changing. I've gotten back to doing what I USED to do over 20 years ago. Skateboarding, running, biking, swimming. Nutrition is going through experimental phases now as well as some supplementation.
More to come, but for now, Here is Part 1. Please leave your thoughts, comments and questions when you're done watching.
Got any added thoughts, comments or questions, please drop em' below.
Peace!
--Z--
PS: At age 35, my training AND life take on a whole NEW meaning, the majority of my training is coming via bodyweight and kettlebells. If you're not training like an animal with lots of bodyweight exercises you more than likely are developing injuries that are waiting to explode on you. I've been there & done that, those days are over.
Start implementing These Bodyweight Exercises into your overall training ASAP and you'll feel infinitely better: stronger, faster, healthier, more energetic and more athletic. Click HERE.
Good stuff, Zach. Love the transitioning of making training, fun, free, and more exploratory. Such a huge influence on my life right now.
I couldn’t agree with you more Zach. My hips have been beat up for awhile now so I decided to spend this summer working on healing my body. Until September it’s complexes working with KB’s, running, jumping rope, BW exercises and I’m even re-learning cartweels & roundoffs. Knees and hips have already started feeling better.
Q for you Z! I have had lingering issues with my back that stem from a variety of reasons, but the most aggrevating is the full range power movements.
I do 45 minutes continuous warm up progressing through a variety of movements to warm the body up before I train. It has made a world of difference, but I still have that issue that catches me. It is never the same time or same movement. I can’t track it to something I did during the day leading up to it. All I know it is the first 1/2 of the bottom of a movement (squat deep or deadlift) catches me some times.
I do bodyweight movements and enjoy being able to move my weight with ease (265#), but I LOVE the feeling of strain.
Going through Steve Justa’s book I have pondered 1/4 movements. In an attempt to see if I can eliminate the back issue. Along with the 1/4 movements I plan to up my bodyweight exercises so that I don’t loose any range of motion.
FYI-I have been Xray and there is no bulge so compression is not the issue.
Thoughts!
I”m loving the free movement! I have been adding things like that to the beginning of my lessons I teach. Kids are loving it… Little different start each lesson. Keeping it fresh.
Hey Zach!!! Turning 50 this summer. Word of advice to all you young guns…learn this lesson well! Wish I would have given more time to this the past 10-15 years. Probably wouldn’t have some of the issues I now have. Welcome to the wonderful world of aging strength trainees. The learning and the challenge never ends! Stay strong; be mobile!
Am I Evolving? Evolving would mean that the changes I am making are random and uncontrolled. So no. But I am changing and adapting though. I am not in my teens or 20’s so my training reflects that but I keep the internal fire lit and plan on it staying lit regardless of age.
I am with you on the “lifestyle” change: soccer, football, mtn biking, biking the kids around town, trampoline, paintball, snowboarding, swimming, playground, etc. It does not always have to be intervals, complexes, cardio equipment; it could just be fun activities.
Been doing this for forty years and have come full circle. We used to spend all our time on olympic style lifting for football and not much else. Those days are long gone… I do more old school, odd object lifting than ever before and get better results along with the weight room and body weight exercises. Keep up the good work, Zach. The struggle is the strength.
You bet! I used to just do machine weights to supplement my swimming practice. Now I do all sorts of body-weight exercises: calisthenics: pull-ups, push-ups, flutter-kicks, atomic sit-ups, and a number of others. I don’t have much equipment, just a pull-up bar, some dumbbells and a rinky-dink ab bench that I prop up on a chair to use as a reg bench. But I can do both body-building and body weight and then swim or run or bike. I have always been inclined to cardio – ran the Pikes Peak Marathon and have swum literally thousands of miles of butterfly and free – but your tips and motivation, Zach, have made me incorporate more varied and even more challenging exercises. You can get in a rut – butterfly is easy to me. But combating swimmer’s slope in my shoulders is very hard and push-ups and pull-ups help align my frame! Thanks!
Anthony, I hear ya, this is a different “phase” for me where I’m doing a lot of soul searching and the workouts are just coming to me!
Vince, awesome brutha! Summer is here so for me it means some beach training, learning to surf, swimming in the ocean, mtn biking, running and skate boarding!
Dustin – I did LOTS of mobility from guys like K-Star, Cressey, Hartman and Robertson
I did soft tissue work and activation for the low back, glutes, hips
Stay away from deads and back squats, still used zerchers
More rotational work via windmills and bent pressing
stretching of hips as well
I did NOT do heavy partials, Steve Justa has a great book, BUT, I’m not so sure I see him as a man of great health
–z–
Jon, thnx for commenting my man, you’ve been in the trenches for a LONG time, I’m glad you still are AT it!
Michael – when did evolution mean “random and uncontrolled”? Evolving comes from greater knowledge and wisdom and taking action w/that great info
Greg, always enjoying the challenge my man!
Pete, wow, you sound like a BEAST! Glad U dig it my man!
Your recent “evolution” (Like you ever stopped) is coming at the same time I’m going through the same here. I started about 4 months ago and when ever I go through a “growth spurt” like this it makes me realize how important it is to keep learning and changing. I get through a workout and think “why the hell havn’t I been doing this sooner?”
It’s tough to change, it’s not very comforting going into uncharted waters, but as you always said, become comfortable being uncomfortable.
What up BRAH!
I’m LOVIN’ the new phase of training you got going on. I’ve been headed that way too, I still love the iron, but I’ve been getting a little rowdy with it too doing other things. Big long rucks, lots more body weight,mobility focus, kettlebells, and tearing it up at other stuff like mountain biking, rock climbing and weighted hikes!
I’m pumped to see you out there hitting the trails Z!
Rock on Brotha!
My comment was not meant to be offensive, but that is what evolution is (based on the theory/definition); Random uncontrolled changes (mutations) to a species. Natural selection favors the changes which are more advantageous to the species as a whole. Biology 101. Personally I believe it is a bunch of crap. It is simply adaptation. Anyhow, that is why I am not evolving. Growing wiser, increasing my knowledge, and applying it, YES! Evolving, no, that would be impossible (by definition). Regardless great post.
Great post man, my training has evolved alot as I have gotten older( almost 36) and I started doing bodyweight and kettlebells. I seem to feel better, although I still love deadlifts. Anyways keep up the great work!
Michael, NO offense taken at all, brutha! Evolution via the thesuarus is simple ==> Synonyms: change, enlargement, evolvement, expansion, flowering, growth, increase, maturation, natural process, progression, transformation, unfolding, working out
In essence, it means growth.
My training is my form of expression, it doesn’t fit everyone, BUT, when I train others, it is carefully planned
My own training is my inner self expressing itself
I appreciate your comments and integrity my man, thank YOU 4 sharing your feeling and thoughts, it’s important to me and I’m always honored when peeps take the time to comment!
Tim, I need to crank some LONG rucks, did you get a special back pack for this and how heavy do you go?
Jim – I still love deadlifts as well, but I deadlift ANYTHING: trap bars, stones of all shapes / sizes, various barbells…
That lift is in my blood, I can’t deny it
Z- I use a big Kelty backpack for heavy rucks, and just a small daypack for shorter, ligher ones….My big pack, it’s similar to the Falcon 66 they have now, internal frame, big thick straps, tons of room. Definetly worth it to get it set up right the first time!
As for weight, I love to switch it up…I’ll go with a smaller backpack w/ 70# and slam out a few miles no prob…then I like to grind it out big and heavy once, maybe twice a month
Cranked one earlier this week, about 105# 11 miles…towards the end….MENTAL GAME
NOTHING is out of bound!