Whether it's a round, rep, set...circuit, sequence, or turn - the key is ONE MORE! It's easy to bring yourself to a point where you feel you're exerting yourself and tapper off...finishing your pull-ups, bench press, or squat with a tough last rep . What's inherently difficult, but entirely worthwhile is going the extra mile and putting yourself in a state of vulnerable discomfort, not knowing whether you're going to finish or make that ONE MORE. The unknown behind that one more is where improvement and strength gain exist...but you'll never get there if you don't jump. Here are some tips to help...

• Work with a coach who can direct these efforts down a path where you'll continue to grow & reach new goals
• Go in knowing what a reasonable amount (reps, weight, sets etc.) for yourself is, then push a little further
• Train with someone with similar goals, expectations, and work ethic as yourself
• Don't finish until you've hit the wall, and successfully failed 
• Be sure you're executing with safe proper form
• Train with some quality pump-up music!

For the seasoned gym-buff or fitness freak some if these tips are a review, and summary of attributes that have been cultivated...but it always helps to be reminded of the importance, simplicity, and effectiveness of pushing for ONE MORE. So, if you're already there, remind yourself of how you got there, and never lose the drive and determination behind going beyond and outside your comfort zone for ONE MORE.

• Fail SAFE - work with a coach, study the skill, movement, & path to success.
• Fail OFTEN - get used to it and embrace it, understanding how it will get better.
• Fail SMART - have intent behind every attempt & know what the failure will look, feel like, and don't be shocked when it happens.
• Fail HUMBLE - you're not special, everyone fails.
• Fail BETTER...every time, until you succeed.
• Fail with UNDERSTANDING...
  • False
  • Argument
  • Inside
  • Loathing
  • Ure
  • Real
  • Excellence

When it comes to training...for strength, fitness, or sports we all need to stay motivated. Without passion & motivation we get nowhere, even if we start-off OK, it's easy to loose sight & track of where and what you originally set-off towards. When it comes to setting goals, it's great to be specific. But even if you CAN'T put your finger on a specific goal, it's OK...you just need to START & keep going. Once your start gains momentum...the goals will become a necessity to keep you going. Don't let not having a specific goal be your excuse, sometimes all we need is a reason...a "what's the point" factor to get & stay motivated about training. Let's call it a "training mantra". Here's an example of some I often use to add fuel to my fire, & they're very simple:

• "TRAIN BECAUSE YOU CAN"
• "TRAIN BECAUSE YOU'RE FORTUNATE"
• "TRAIN BECAUSE YOU'RE BLESSED"
• "TRAIN FOR OTHERS WHO CAN'T"
• "TRAIN FOR THE STRUGGLE"

There are so many less fortunate, less willing, & simply unable to train, that thinking about how blessed you are that you CAN sometimes goes a long way. You have to realize that being able to train is a gift, because there are benefits & rewards granted from putting in that work! The simple fact that our bodies adapt & improve from training should be proof enough that we should start & keep going, no matter the struggle, no matter the adversity...because the greater the struggle & adversity...the greater the reward!

Eric Thomas said it better in a different way...

QUOTES can also work great! Finding a short & simple quote that motivates you, that you can write out, remember, & rehearse as you puch through the toughest parts of your workouts. An example, & one of my favorites - "Welcome the chores that make you go beyond yourself." The google can be your best friend when in search for that training quote that best resonates with you. Just remember, the START, the PATH/STRUGGLE, and the REWARDS are reason enough to stay motivated about training!

When talking about muscle soreness brought on by strength training, It's important to make a distinction between the extent & severity of the soreness. If 2-3 days after an intense workout you find yourself unable to perform normal everyday activities...like wash your hair, brush your teeth, get out of BED! (yes, many of us have been there), then consider the fact that you may have "over-reached", not listened to your body, been pushed too hard by a butthead coach, or jumped in a class/program beyond your level. On the contrary...the mild soreness felt a day or 2 after a workout, best described as a "tight" feeling, then this is perfectly normal, and an indication that you pushed yourself hard and got a great workout in the gym! In either case, damage has taken place in the muscle...it's the level and extent of damage that determines "good soreness" over "bad soreness" and whether or not you're going to continue to crush workouts, make strength gains, and get results, or be discouraged/defeated, and turned off by your training experience. So, here are some tips to prevent excessive "bad soreness":

It's important to understand that the soreness caused by muscle tissue trauma is a result of predominantly eccentric exercises (a load/force applied to the muscle as it lengthens) like downhill running, plyometrics, and resistance training. So going into this type of training requires some research - look for quality gyms with quality coaches, and planning - assess your level of training experience, and set your standards, expectations, and goals accordingly. Once you feel you've done this:

• Scale down the weight & volume (sets x reps) of your training in the first 4-6 weeks. A progressive adaptation to eccentric exercise is an effective way to diminish the impact/extent of soreness.
• Inquire about having a functional movement screening (FMS) performed on you to asses areas where you might lack mobility & flexibility.
• Be sure to stay hydrated and increase your protein intake before and during a new strength/fitness training regimen.
• Precede your workout with a dynamic warm-up (5 minutes) incorporating things like high knee jogs, high kicks, side steps, & jumping jacks etc.
• Transition into a general warm-up (5-10 minutes) by performing some low intensity sustained metabolic work like jump rope, burpees, rowing etc.
• On days where you're really sore, try to stay active, even consider a short bout (20-30 mins) of lower intensity "recovery" training like jogging, biking, swimming etc.

All of these tips involve training smart, seeking out quality gyms, and experienced strength/fitness coaches with good reputations. Anyone training wants to see results, set new goals, and continue to progress. Training as hard as you can everyday without thiking about some of what we've just talked about can slow you down...literally! So research, plan, and THINK about your training with these tips in mind.

Citius, altius, fortius...

G.M.

"PUSH" Fitness Tracker

There are a number of fitness tracking devices out there on the market. Depending on how serious you're taking your training, you might want to go with one over the other. If your'e generally looking to see how "active" you are throughout the day, you might decide to buy a simple pedometer or accelerometer (step-counters) and compare your daily steps to the recomended 10,000 steps/day for "Active Lifestyle" status.

If you're looking to dive deeper into performance-based parameters, a heart rate monitor would help you step-up your game, granted you've done your research or worked with a coach on a plan to designate target HR ranges. It's importnat to remember the tool/tracker and information obtained is only as good as the data is applied to your specific training goals.

If you're looking to grab some serious performance metrics, have very specific goals, and can invest some time to research or hire a strength coach, then "PUSH" might be the tool for you. With the level of depth that PUSH's arm-band tracking device goes into to analyze your physiological response to training, it's almost better in the hands of a certified strength coach that can really crunch the numbers and let you know what they mean and how you can improve on them.

To address the split in their market appeal, PUSH has split their website in half between athletes & coaches, which is great. This is a device I know our team here at MFS would love to get our hands on and test out! What do you think?? Check them out here...

http://www.pushstrength.com/athletes?utm_expid=74150102-1.cm-VD_uaRESqNgw6sXStKw.1&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pushstrength.com%2Fcoach