WHAT IS DOMS? DELAYED ONSET MUSCLE SORENESS
The term of DOMS is thrown around very casually in physical activity settings, but what is it?
MAXIMAL ATTEMPTS: MENTAL & PHYSICAL APPROACH
You have finally reached the point in your program where you’ll be taking maximal attempts. Whether these are snatches and clean and jerks or bench presses, squats, and deadlifts, they will no doubt challenge what you have worked for up until this point. Maximal attempts are just that, they call for us to exert both our reserve of strength as well as require the highest level of technique and precision that we can muster at that moment. Not only are our physical capabilities challenged but our mental capacity to focus and overcome what is in front of us. It is, without a doubt, extremely difficult but you are more than capable of doing so.
TEEN WEIGHTLIFTING AT PFP BARBELL
The Teen Weightlifting Program at PFP Barbell is designed to introduce teens to barbell exercises and movement in a safe, positive, and supportive environment.
VARIATION IN TRAINING: WHY DO IT?
One of the main reasons people start training/exercising is because it can be fun and challenging. There comes a certain point when you do the same things over and over they can become boring and unfulfilling. This usually leads to people dropping exercise altogether or resorting to making changes with no real plan for why. Another phenomenon that occurs is called the law of accommodation. This basically states that our bodies will eventually adjust to the stimulus we enact on them and that in order to see results, we must keep challenging it. Although, how much change is enough?
PROGRESS TRACKING: WHERE TO NEXT?
We’re moving into spring, and the first portion of your new training plan is done. You’re about to start the next part, but you are unsure how to quantify what you’ve done and how to progress to the next portion of it. There are a number of ways to determine the quantity and magnitude of your training over time. Setting yourself up properly for the future can be difficult without tracking because how can you discern what is too much or too little?
HOW TO DEAL WITH INJURIES AND THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
Injuries can often leave us with excessive caution after we return from them and increase amounts of self-doubt. “Will I be as good as I was?” “Will this happen again?”. These thoughts plague our minds and leave us in an uneasy state that destroys our once strong sense of confidence. The road back from these injuries tests us with patience, persistence, and understanding. It is important that we understand we are not our injuries, and they do not define who we are as athletes. They are merely one aspect of competing and training we must come to work through and confidently leave it behind us.
GETTING HIGHER PROTEIN MEALS & SNACKS
Like a broken record, here I am. Eat your protein! Eat it. It's good for your muscles. Now I understand that protein is expensive and can be hard to come by, especially when we travel or just suck at prepping our meals or snacks. Lucky for you, I have some recipes/hacks that are pretty tasty.
2023 SLEEP HABITS
Part of creating a tangible goal to kickstart your year should be creating something simple and attainable. And with that being said, almost every adult could use more of this one thing to improve their health: sleep. More of it and/or better quality. With better sleep comes better recovery, better satiety signals, better energy to crush your workouts, and so on.
GET TO KNOW OUR TRAINERS: ANDREW DUFF
In my personal training career, I have experienced a wide variety of people. I have seen old and young athletes and non-athletes. I have worked with people that had very serious and particular goals, as well as people with very general goals. In any case, what I have learned is that it’s not a person's goals, background, or even personality that influences how I view working with them. Rather it is the quality of our communication and the relationship we build.
PHYSICAL LITERACY
Physical literacy is confidence and competence in movement and physical activity. But what kind of movement and physical activity, you may be wondering? The answer is any and all. To become physically literate, one should do the same. Always be open to trying a new activity, scaled to your ability level, as it enhances your ability to continue learning skills and improving/maintaining motor function throughout your life.
POST-WORKOUT SNACKS: WHAT TO EAT AND WHY?
A comprehensive diet is entirely important for your fitness journey, but we will look at one part more specifically. Post-workout meals are an essential piece for your recovery. They provide the body with the necessary fuel it takes to replenish from all the work you’ve just completed.
SMART GOALS: HOW TO BUILD YOUR GOALS FOR YOUR FITNESS JOURNEY
In order to make a plan for a fitness journey, we must know where we are going, for without a result to build towards, we are just wandering. With a final goal in mind, we can logically work backward from the end and establish our beginning. What steps do we take to get there, and how do we outline our path to our goal?
MINI WODS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
This time of year can be very difficult for most of us. We so badly want to enjoy the holidays, and we should. We deserve this time to rest and socialize without worry that all of our progress in the gym won’t disappear. I promise you, it won’t. Here are a few 15-20 minute WODs I like to do first thing in the morning when I am preparing to take a break from the gym and intentionally overeat (gasp).
WARM UP FOR THE WINTER WITH INFRARED SAUNAS
Today is the first day of winter! A storm is approaching. What better way to beat the cold than a session in one of our infrared saunas?!
PFP PHYSICAL LITERACY
Being physically active or participating in sports and recreational activities is considered to be “the norm” by many families. Parents that played sports in their youth or adulthood are likely to seek those experiences for their children to create similar formative experiences to what they went through. But what if you have yet to have a positive experience with sports or physical activity?
WARMUPS - DON’T SKIP THEM!
In recreation and in sports, warmups are often skipped or overlooked for being boring, taking up too much time, or feeling like a waste of time. A good warmup should be brief, fun, and targeted in order to get the best result out of yourself. If you’re not warming up, you could be leaving a lot on the table.