Fall Training Methods at Sull's Gym.

I thought I would take an opportunity to share some insight to what I have been up to in training my athletes, clients, and myself lately. It helps me as a coach to take a step back and evaluate what's working, and what isn't.

Athletes

This fall I had the good fortune to be able to continue working with some of my athletes who have been with me since the beginning of summer. These kids have worked hard since June and the results really are amazing. Most of these guys are skinny kids who were slow, awkward, and weak. Some of these kids are now Hang Cleaning bodyweight for reps of 3 with solid technique, knocking out sets of 30 push ups, and 10+ pull ups. Their speed drills look really crisp and their conditioning levels are solid. Another point to mention is how "tough" these kids have gotten. Through training with heavy weights, challenging circuits, and competitions these kids have built a resevoir of mental toughness that will be exciting to see how they use them in the upcoming season.

So what has been working for these kids:

In the summer, when you have 120 minute sessions four times per week, no homework, and no organized sports, you have lots of freedom in what you want to do with athletes. In the Fall, we now have 80 minute sessions three times per week so it has become crucial that we have no wasted time. For our warmup we do 4-6 movement drills that include various skips, walks, and dynamic stretches followed by pull-ups (3x as many but not to failure), push ups, and either overhead squat practice or 3 sets of light olympic lift technique work. This type of warmup allows for repeition and practice and also to prepare the athlete to have primed his system for the lifts to come later in the workout. I think this type of warmup has been huge. We will do some jumping, some speed, Abs, and lift (not rocket science, just great technique with challenging weights). One day per week, we do the same set up but the lift changes to a circuit. Each circuit is designed to push the athletes limits of focus, technique, strength, and conditioning. A typical circuit might be to push the sled for 25 yards, climb a 20 foot rope, perform 6 goblet squats, and sprint 200 meters. Rest for 30-60 seconds and repeat somewhere between 4-7 times. It's amazing at how taxing these are. I will perform the circuit earlier in the day with my training partners and will lie on the turf for 10 minutes with my chest pounding and these kids will fly through a circuit and walk out the front door as if nothing happened.

Clients

Most of my regular clients come to train 2-3 times per week. I think for them, it is the hardest part of their day. Getting to the gym can be a victory in itself for people who work traditional jobs, so it is up to me to provide them with an exceptional experience to make their trip to the gym as productive and enjoyable as possible. I follow a similar format for their sessions as I do with my athletes. We always foam roll and work on soft tissue, go through a dynamic warmup, followed by adding in either a few sets of basic strength or movement patterns. Once per week we will do a ladder to get them moving their feet quickly (plus they enjoy this) and then it is on to abs. All of the ab drills I do with this population are some sort of a plank, anti-rotation, or anti extension exercise. Then we have a quick rest and water break (during this time I lay out whatever gear will be needed for their workout) and then it is on to the meat of the session. All of my sessions with these folks are a circuit combo of strength exercises, power exercises, mobility drills (active rest), and a conditioning exercise. A sample from last week would be: 100 pound sled drag for 25 yards, 4 T-Pushups, 3 Med Ball Slams, 5 Plate Raise Squats, Side lying Windmill, Med Ball Scoop Toss, and a hip mobility drill. We perform one round, rest for one minute and repeat for a total of 5-8 rounds depending on fitness level of each client.

Teams

I currently have two Select Hockey Teams (12-13 year olds and 13-14 year olds), and one midget youth program that I work with. For these teams, I only see them once per week for 60-75 minutes. With these teams on such a limited time basis, it is crucial that they get a productive session. The format remains the same for the teams as my high school kids for the most part. We do a dynamic warmup, a jumping/landing drill, a speed drill (tennis ball drops are their favorite), some stability abs for a couple minutes, then onto some other work. We will spread them out on the turf and have them go through a circuit of basic bodyweight strength stuff in their own little area where I fly around correcting technique. If they are focused and do everything I ask, we finish with some relay races and other fun stuff.

Myself/Training Partners

For the past 3 weeks, I have trained 6 times per week. Why 6 times? 3 times per week I perform the high school athlete workout. How can I effectively coach and expect things of the kids who come through the door if I can't perform and recover from the same workouts? The other three days per week I do some type of a metabolic circuit because as the months get colder I find myself eating shittier food and drinking more beer than I typically would, so I try to offset that in the gym. Is this sound logic? Not really, I could make better progress doing a better job in the kitchen and cutting back on the moonshine, and not having to train as hard. I guess it comes down to priorities and being in single digit bodyfat just isn't a high priority for me. A tyical training week for me will look like this: every session starts with a foam roll/soft tissue session followed by a dynamic warmup followed by some plyos and speed (which I do three days per week), followed by 8-10 minutes of abs and stretching. Monday is close grip snatch for 6 sets, rear leg elevated split squats for 5 sets and a variation of weighted pullups for 5 sets. Then conditioning for 12 minutes of sprints or slide boards. The rest of the lifts look like this with an explosive/olympic lift followed by two big compound lifts done with heavy weight.

Friday September 24th. Free Form Friday #1

(Pic has nothing to do with post, just funny.)

If any of you out in the blogosphere listen to Dennis and Callahan on WEEI in the morning, you will recognize that I completely stole the Free Form Friday thing from them. Basically it means that any topic is fair game. So here goes (language may get ugly here as this is off the cuff, so don't read if you get offended easily)

1. I don't want to hear another former collegiate athlete ask for workout advice only to follow this up with, "I don't need to be doing squats or fast lifts anymore, I just want to tighten up a little and get back down to playing weight." Listen stupid, did you ever think the reason why you were a piece of twisted steel in college may have been due to the intensity with which you trained?

2. In the same vein, I can help you with diet advice, but when it boils down to it, you know what you should and shouldn't eat. Can you have abs if you eat takeout 3-4 times per week. No, you can't.

3. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it. This relates to life, training, and diet/physique goals. "Jeez, Sull, the program you put together for me sure looks tough." Oh, I'm sorry, I was under the impression you wanted to get stronger, leaner, faster, and lose your sweetbreads. If you want cookie cutter, shitty, easy to do programs, go to the latest Men's Health and perform this month's "Pump up your guns workout".

4. If you are performing "arm workouts" or "arm day" and aren't a competitive bodybuilder, jerk the wheel into the next sand filled yellow barrel that you see on highway off ramps. You need to burn calories. No one likes a fat guy with big arms because people who don't workout will just see you as a fat guy.

5. Girls, the jogging and lettuce diet needs to end. You will have way more fun lifting weights and doing circuits/eating real food than pounding your joints into oblivion. Add a daily 5 miles and high heels to your regimen and talk to me when you are forty, you will be wrecked.

6. Everyday, eat 3 or 4 eggs for breakfast plus a little thing of yogurt and watch your energy levels improve and your waist tighten up. Your current regime of Iced Coffee for breakfast, salad for lunch, and 9 pizzas for dinner isn't working. Try to eat most of your calories by 5pm.

7. They are doing fire alarm tests at my gym today, even though the nice man told me they would be going off in 10 minutes (exactly 10 minutes ago) I am now looking for Ray Finkle and a clean pair of shorts.

Have a great weekend.

"When Things Go Wrong, Simplify"

Sometimes when I write a blog, I steal information from other trainers, strength coaches, and nutrition experts (not Doctors or Nutritionists because most of them don't know shit). Is it plagiarism? I don't know. I try to give credit to whoever I took it from, but didn't pay attention to 10th grade English class when they told us how to do a bibliography. This tidbit was stolen from Dan John, author of Never Let Go. Why wouldn't I steal from someone who was been into strength and conditioning for 40 years? I know that the people following this blog would never get this information otherwise, so I look at it as my responsibility to bring it to you.

"When things go wrong, simplify."

In Coach John's book he talks about throwing the discus, and having to really get back to basics when his technique went to hell for short periods of time. He also talked about how this applies to most areas in your life. Let me explain:

Suppose you find yourself a little bit fatter after Labor Day and you realize that you took the last few weeks (months) and ate like hell and skipped more than your fair share of workouts. Upon analysis, you decide you need to do spinning classes before work, eat bird seed all day, do two hours of weights after work, take fat burning pills, and only eat boiled cabbage. More often than not, the answer lies in simplifying things. Just get back to basics with four well designed workouts per week, and get back in the saddle with a diet strategy that works for you. Give it a couple of weeks and you will be back down to fighting weight.

The last point I want to make is that simple isn't always easy. Simple is simple, but simple isn't easy. If I tell you to simplify your workouts and do two exercises and those exercises are front squats and pull ups, that's simple, but try it for two weeks and let me know if it is easy.

Farmer's Markets

I feel like I have been getting robbed after my experience this week at a local farm stand. I have driven by this place about 200 times in my life and never stopped in even though I understand the health and physique benefits of eating locally grown produce. The place is Christopher's Farm Stand in Weymouth, and here is what I purchased:

2 dozen locally laid eggs

1 whole watermelon

1 whole pineapple

2 red bell peppers

2 green bell peppers

3 fresh jalapeno peppers

1 habanero pepper

2 bags of Spinach

1 pound of strawberries

1 large onion

5 cloves of garlic

5 apples of different variety

2 nectarines

Grand total: $28.59

Are you shitting me? I feel like a complete DBag for not discovering this sooner. The next time you are driving or walking past a farmers market stop and load up. Then lug your baskets full of produce home and up a few flights of stairs for a little extra conditioning.

The Saturday Sweat

A few months back we launched a program called the Saturday Sweat. This workout was designed to allow people who don't normally train with us during the week to come by on a Saturday morning and get a great workout in with a group of like minded individuals. People have really been enjoying this as a change of pace from their typical training. In case you didn't know:

Saturday Mornings
Walk-in sessions at 9am and 11am
60 minute session
$15 cost

65 Mathewson Drive, Unit B
Weymouth, Ma 02189

I have heard from others that there is a certain level of intimidation involved with folks who would like to come and workout but are scared. I want to let you know that this isn't bootcamp style training. No one will scream at you, embarrass you or act like an idiot. The group is very supportive, and everyone bonds through the task at hand. The workouts also can be scaled for different fitness levels and ages.

The Saturday Sweat is a Wide Open Invitation for anyone who reads the blog. We would love to have everyone come by and train with us. If you plan on coming by, shoot me a quick email at tom@sullivantrainingsystems.com or drop a comment here.

During the session we may push sleds, do bodyweight circuits, lots of different ab training that I guarantee you aren't doing right now, and a bunch of other stuff crammed into 60 minutes.


Look forward to seeing you this weekend,

Tom

Gearing up for Fall.

As I mentioned yesterday, the Fall may be the best time of the year to get dialed in on your training and physique goals. With the cooler weather in the Fall you get a number of benefits that directly relate to your health and fitness levels:

No more sweating yourself to sleep. Great sleeping weather with the windows open. Sleep is hands down the best thing you can do for your health and fitness. 8 hours is a must, non-negotiable.

Less Tuesday nights spent at the Atlantic Beer Garden roof deck having 8 drinks and 2 appetizers. The motivation won't be there if it is 50 degrees.

Great workout weather. With temps in the 60s, you will find yourself able to workout harder and longer, free from the oppressive heat.

These three things should be used as that spark to get you going again.

Assess Your Training Plan

With the new Fall season upon us, it is also time to take a look at your training. I would be willing to bet the house on the fact that you spent all summer doing the same training, week in, week out. Did your summer weekdays look like this at all?

Take the bus to work downtown.

Work from 7:30am - 6pm.

Hustle to the gym for either a spin class, a total body pump class, or just go out and pound pavement for 30 minutes.

Home.

Wake and repeat.

Maybe you got decent results. Maybe not. I know that getting your workout in is as much mental as physical. You just feel better about yourself if you get that work done. Now is the time to switch up your program. You really need to make some changes to see some changes. Chances are your body is used to Yogging for 30 minutes at a moderate pace. It probably isn't even that hard for you anymore. What to do?

Lift weights and sprint.

Do bodyweight circuits and complexes.

Swim.

Try a new class.

Think about what you have been doing and start making a few changes. I can help you with program design. I have been putting together some 12 week programs for people who have been getting great results.

Get after it,

TSull

tsullivanjr@gmail.com

Tuesday September 8th, 2009. End of Summer

The end of summer is now upon us. I hope you took July and August (June was a wash, literally) and really got after it with friends and family. To bring things relevant to my side of things...how was your physique? When you see pictures of yourself posted up on Facebook from the 4th of July, Labor Day, Cook outs, parties, etc...do you cringe? Or are you excited because you know you put in some serious work? Now is the time to take some stock in what went well and what didn't. In the period leading up to summer (February-May) did you get to the gym 4 times per week? Did you cut starchy carbs out of your diet during the week? Did you eat a large, nutritious breakfast everyday? Did you drink a gallon of water everyday? If you did these things and weren't satisfied with the results, you probably weren't training hard enough or smart enough. If you did these things there is a good chance you were more than happy with the way your body looked, felt, and performed.

I really believe that the Fall is a great time to dial it in for the first time or dial it back in after an end of summer binge (in my case). With kids going back to school and the weather cooling down, to me it is everything you need to start building a foundation of solid fitness, on which to build a peak level of fitness for different times of the year that you choose (almost like a bodybuilder getting ready for a show). If you stay at 80 percent of your best condition year round, it is easy to get beach ready or vacation ready. Getting your body in top condition isn't like studying for a final exam (cramming). You can't just starve yourself for 2 weeks and do endless cardio to get ready. Now is the time to begin building the foundation.

Here is a snack to use between meals to help keep your diet on track.

Chobani Greek Yogurt (buy at any supermarket. 15 grams of protein plus all kinds of good stuff).
-I sort of stole this idea from Tony Gentilcore, a Boston based trainer.

Add a 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein and a few walnuts and you have a snack designed to support your goals of looking good sans clothes.

Fall is also a time to revamp your training program if you have been doing the same thing over and over again. My work hours dwindle a little bit in the fall, so if you need help developing a program, I would be happy to help out.


Best,

TSull
tssullivanjr@gmail.com