I've got the power

What is power?

'The same amount of work is done when carrying a load up a flight of stairs whether the person carrying it walks or runs, but more power is needed for running because the work is done in a shorter amount of time.'

So what does power mean to you?  Think moving fast and explosively.  That's power.

Trying to explain a power exercise and its importance is difficult, but in the most important sense it is fall prevention. Training power trains your ability to fire muscles at fast rate which can help your body react in time to catch yourself before any damage is done.  You can't see power in the mirror, but power can save you.  Power decreases more than strength as we age, and over time our ability to fire muscles for fall prevention is diminished making power exercises ever more important as you get older.

Power training is typically centered on athletes, but us mere general population people need it too. Athletes typically use the Olympic Lifts for power since their training experience, mobility, and demands are different than the Gen-Pop.  The Olympic Lifts are great...if you can do them.

Enter the kettlebell swing.  Just about everybody can do a kettlebell swing.

At Instinct Fitness we train to be more capable in life outside the gym, and the kettlebell swing is an easily accessible way to train power and to make you more stronger for life.  Explosive powerful exercises can come in different forms, using various tools, for various purposes.  For an even simpler way to develop power we use jumps and medicine ball throws.  Jumping to a box uses the same hip movement as a swing.  But remember: jumping should be used carefully since excessive amounts can cause an Achilles heel injury.  Medicine ball throws work rotational power and provide a very satisfying stress relief. The key to medicine ball throws is learning to rotate through the hips.   I know Instincters have great power due to the constant (medicine) ball breaking during our workout session. Power, like any drug, needs appropriate dosages, and too much can lead to injury.  Some power exercises should not be done under fatigue as the risk to benefit ratio is diminished. 

While the swing can be used as a more simple alternative or base for the Olympic lifts, once you master the swing you can also use kettlebells for one-sided (unilateral) variations of the lifts.  Just like Olympic lifting, the kettlebell clean and snatch can be done from the floor.  Once the bell is racked or placed on your chest you can jerk the weight overhead.  The jerk is great way to learn how to move your body to manipulate the weight overhead.  The one-sided lifting of weights provide an additional effect on your “core” as your oblique’s have to activate and stabilize your torso.  Just like Olympic lifting there is a skill component to safely moving the weight.

To sum it all up we use a variety of methods to work power in addition to strength and conditioning.   All of these methods work together to make you more capable in your activities of daily living.  

 Learn more:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17724399

Justin Thomas

Instinct Fitness

Breathe In Breathe Out!

I had a revelation this week.  Breathing is really important! No duh right?

Ok let me rephrase that: how you breathe is really important.

It can reduce stress, relieve muscle tension, and improve mobility.  How we breathe relates to stress or our response to stress and our nervous system.  When I was in the military and as a police officer they always told us to take a deep breathe in a stressful situation.  The idea was that you controlled the stress since fight or flight in those careers is something you don’t really get to choose.

So how does that apply to normal life?  Your body only recognizes stress not what the stress actually is.  Stress can be your boss or it can be a life and death situation.  Your body will respond to them as equal threats.  The problem with your boss (or whatever) is that he doesn't go away, whereas life and death situations only last a few seconds and you move on (hopefully).  Since many of these stresses are going to be a constant in your life, it's important to learn how to manage them, and breathing can definitely help.

So the science stuff:

Sympathetic Nervous System: In as simple terms as possible this system is responsible for the fight or flight response to STRESS.

Parasympathetic Nervous System:  In as simple terms as possible this system is responsible for poop and sex. It handles the more relaxing stuff.

So what does breathing have to do with this?  When you breathe does your chest expand or does your belly expand? 

If your chest expands like an 18 year old boy walking around in a gym when you breathe  you are using the sympathetic nervous system and overusing muscles of the neck and back.  Think about when you get startled you shrug up through your shoulders.  The way we live our lives puts us a constant stress, which can be the cause of numerous problems.  So how can you help this and use your parasympathetic nervous system?BELLY BREATHING! This is one of the simplest things you can do to help relax, relieve stress, tension, and move better. 

Here are some techniques:

The key is feeling your belly expand not your chest. Breathe in through the nose out through the mouth. So as you lay on the floor you want to feel your belly push into it as you breathe IN. Air in Belly out!

Here is an example:

Crocodile Breathing

Another example is laying on your back with your feet elevated:  Again Air in BELLY OUT!  Putting hands on your belly reminds you to do this.  The straw helps, but is not necessary.

Breathing with Posterior Tilt

Justin Thomas

Instinct Fitness

Sources:

http://movement-as-medicine.com/why-and-how-we-program-breathing-exercises/

http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/blog/stress-the-real-epidemic/

http://www.posturalrestoration.com/resources/dyn/files/1061744zb974c270/_fn/The_Value_of_Blowing_Up_a_Balloon.pdf

Happy Anniversary to Instinct Fitness

On April 21, 2011 Instinct Fitness moved into 331 Station Street. Prior to that we spent a few months getting started at a place on McLaughlin Run Rd.  It meant a lot for us to get into this space since this is where Instinct Fitness was truly founded. 

Here is a video from 2008 back when Jason Turko ran the show.

I lived a few blocks from the gym Martial Arts Sports Complex (MASC) for years before I ever stepped foot into it.  One day in 2007 my instincts told me to take a look and try the place out.  At MASC I was exposed to a whole new world of fitness.  I spent a year or so training there before making a career move to State College.

After moving to State College I realized that what existed at 331 Station Street was a truly unique fitness experience.  I was inspired to start my own version one day and developed the vision for Instinct Fitness.  After attending a few certification courses I started training from my apartment and at local parks.  At one point I even was hauling my bells into a commercial gym.  Frustrated with the lack of functional training gyms, I wanted to create a place just like MASC. 

In late 2010, Jason and I set out to do Instinct Fitness for real.   We always wanted to start at 331 Station St., but the dollars didn't make sense at the time.  We started in a racket ball court for a few months and then moved into Pittsburgh Sports Performance Center on April 21, 2011. 

Here are some pictures and videos of our journey: 

Free workout in the park.

Here is what 331 Station St. looked like 3 years ago:

 

I am proud to say my training methods have evolved and will continue to evolve as I continue to learn and grow.  Instinct Fitness is poised to grow and develop into the premier training gym in the South Hills of Pittsburgh.  I can not thank everyone enough for being part of this journey.  Happy Anniversary to us!

 Justin Thomas

Instinct Fitness

Suburban Wilds

Suburban Wilds - the patches of green space that are intertwined within our communities. 

Getting out in nature is very important to our peace of mind and health, and in today’s over-connected world we need to unplug and experience nature.  Getting outside in nature does not require a long drive or a bunch of gear.  All you really need are shoes with traction (that you don’t mind getting a little muddy) and a water bottle. What a lot of people don't realize is how many beautiful places are close to our homes in Pittsburgh.  I like to call these gems the Suburban Wilds.

All throughout the Pittsburgh area there are land trusts that are preserving green space for us to enjoy (Check out the Allegheny Land Trust and Hollow Oak Land Trust).  It is amazing since some places feel as if you are far from anything yet you are often in the shadow of the daily hustle. For most of my life I have been taking advantage of them on a weekly basis.  I think it is important I share some of these experiences so you can discover and enjoy them as well. 

Montour Woods

I was recently informed of a new suburban wild by Ben Brilmyer: the Montour Woods Conservation Area (find the trail head here). The property is owned by the Hollow Oak Land Trust and is located off of Hassam Road in Moon Township, only a 20 minute drive from Bridgeville.  The trail head has a nice parking area and a porta-john.  As I looked at the map I realized the property was part of my old teenage stomping grounds, and this same area used to be a rutty 4x4 trail.  I remember getting stuck down here multiple times in vehicles not built to handle such terrain.  It was amazing to see an area that was once considered dumpy turned into a suburban wild.

We headed down the swampy trail and traveled along the Meeks Run trail, which follows and crosses Meeks Run a few times.  At the end of the Meeks run trail we reached a beautiful home that sat at the edge of the land trust’s property.   At this point we back tracked on Meeks and a found a trail marked as under development on the map.  The new trail traversed up the valley overlooking Meeks run.  The trail meets up with the Power Line trail which is a straight up climb to a pond at the end of the Ewings Mills plan in Moon . Here sits a tribute in memory of two boys who drowned in 1993.

The trail continues along the pond and intersects with Baseball Trail which has no relation to baseball, but is actually on old Nike missile site. Be aware of your surroundings as dirt bikes still use the trails. We explored the old site a bit and headed back to the Hemlock trail which traverses the eastern ridge providing an amazing view of some of the more opulent homes in Moon township. At one point the wind gushed with a powerful force giving an exhilarating sense of nature.  Being tucked into the folds of suburbia enjoying the hawks flying above and moss covered fallen trees, the area provided the much needed sense of desolation and peace.

We followed the hemlock trail off the ridge and back into the valley. We lost the leaf covered trail a few times but were well aware of where we were going. At the bottom we found a nice resting spot with a small waterfall.  We forged the run and returned to Meeks run trail which takes you to where it meets Montour Run. Here you can climb your way to a rock beach and watch the water flow by as it meanders it's way to the Ohio river.  Pittsburgh is slowly returning some of its natural beauty with touches of its industrial past.  On the trail you can find remnants of oil wells and the equipment that supported them. 

 

 

Considerations for hiking:

• Prepare for different conditions and expect to get muddy.   A change of shoes can be kept in your car.
• Carry a water bottle.
• Dress in layers.
• Take a camera (or put your phone on airplane mode so you aren’t distracted)
• Most areas provide a map. Check it frequently as you hike.
• Have fun!
• Pack out some trash you find on the trail and help keep it clean.

Justin Thomas
Instinct Fitness

What is a kedge?

As defined by Merriam-Webster:

Kedge - to move (a ship) by means of a line attached to a small anchor dropped at the distance and in the direction desired

What does this have to do with fitness?

In the book Younger Next Year by Chris Crowley and Dr. Henry S. Lodge they talk about having a kedge: basically it is an event or anchor that you use to train for.  It could be a 5k out in the future, maybe a mud run or a kettlebell competition.  Obviously you can run 3.1 miles anytime on your own, but will you?  Picking a future event that you want to do YOUR best in it forces you to train.  In that process of training you get results. 

What is interesting about a kedge is that you can string along multiple events where you keep pulling yourself along.  It forces you to train more or change up your training to see what works and what doesn't.  This exposes you to more experiences and methods while creating results.  It’s about the constant process, the journey, and the ups and downs.  Having a kedge is not about winning it is about doing. It keeps you on the roller coaster track of continuous improvement. 

Find something you want to try, train for it, and enjoy the process.  What is your kedge?

http://www.youngernextyear.com/the-life/kedges/

Training Log

11/19/2013

• Lax Ball SMR

Warm-up:

• Lateral
• Hip Cradle
• Step over to Lateral lunge
• Rotational lateral lunge
• Low lateral walk
• Cross over hand walk
• Side shuffle
• Carioca
• Lateral Skip
• Stick stretches
• Overhead squats with stick

Prep Power Work:

• Box Jumps: 26” x 5
• 5 Jungle gym roll outs
• Box Jumps: 34” x 5
• 5 Jungle gym roll outs

TGU Swing Super sets:

• 1 TGU each + 10 power swings(down swing emphasis)
• 16kg-20kg-24kg-32kg 

Overhead squat ( 1 min rest)

20kg (bar) x 4/ 20kg x5 (w/ heel lift)/20kg x 5 (wider stance toes out no lift/20kg X 5 more speed/

20kg w/ pauses

Straighter leg deadlift (1 min rest)

64kg (bell) x 5/96kg x 5(16kg+32kg*2)/104kg x 5(20kg+32kg*2)/112kgx5(24+32*2)/64kg (32+32*2)

Sleds and Suitcases:

• Lateral drags x 5 x 150lbs
• Suitcase 32kg

Skill and exercise

One of the double edged swords of fitness is the skill component of each exercise.  The technique and form of performing each exercise is a constant evolution.  No matter how advanced you are there is always more you can get from each exercise. The best athletes in the world are constantly refining what they do.  After you reach a certain level, performance comes from the little things.  Tweaking also makes the same old exercise fun and exciting.  There is no perfection just the pursuit.  Enjoy the journey and have fun!