Here’s a great guest blog post from my buddy and corporate fitness legend Greg Justice… it’s a must read if you ever hope to run success corporate bootcamps!!
How One Little Word Made All The Difference
By Greg Justice, MA
My corporate boot camps are all run along the same principles. Most of the participants have little to no previous exercise experience and are deconditioned and unfit. Many of them are special populations with assorted chronic illnesses. Why is this?
That is what average America looks like. When we get a whole company of people together, we get all types of fitness levels and health issues. We also get the standard mental blocks, pre-conceived ideas about exercise, about their abilities to exercise, their need to exercise, and of course, their desire to exercise.
We run high intensity interval training sessions at our corporate locations. Most of the exercises are low impact and much of it is bodyweight or minimal equipment. We regress and progress each exercise as needed for the individual participants.
We call it Corporate Boot Camp. Often the people who need the exercise the most are hesitant to join. Those hesitant people were seeing images of drill sergeants and their overweight bodies being contorted beyond capacity! They felt fear and dread.
We know that we are never going to change someone’s perceptions; they have to do that themselves. The best we can do is paint the picture for them to show them an acceptable method for participation and achievement.
As soon as we implemented Baby Boot Camp classes, participation jumped. We did make a few minor changes in these classes, but they are basically the same as our Corporate Boot Camp classes with more regression right from the get go.
Those employees now feel safer and more secure in the knowledge that they are starting out slow and gaining knowledge and experience to feel more comfortable exercising.
I recommend looking at your employee wellness survey to see how many employees are interested in weight loss and are currently sedentary. This will give you a good idea of the value of adding a Baby Boot Camp class, or Beginner Boot Camp class to your corporate schedule.
P.S. This may also be a good thing to consider for your gym or studio. Go increase attendance and make some profit!
Greg is holding a special free webinar tomorrow where he reveal all of his corporate bootcamp secrets- you can check it out here:
Here are the top 10 reasons you NEED beginner bootcamp, whether you are a camper or a camp owner:
1.) True fitness is about longevity and having fun through movement, not quick fixes and instant gratification. If you have pain in your joints you will hate working out and will quit at some point, no matter how much weight you lose in the short-term… and then all of that weight will creep back on.
2.) If you have tissue restrictions, you will never be able to properly perform the key exercises like squats, lunges, and push-ups in a pain-free, full range of motion. Thus, you will not be able to burn fat and build muscle at optimal rates. You simply CANNOT burn lots of calories with partial range of motion movements like quarter squats and lunges!!
3.) If you have ever had pain in your joints, then you need beginner bootcamp. It’s not about pain SITE, it’s about pain SOURCE! Most nagging aches and pains in your joints are caused by tightness and restrictions in the muscles above and below the joint in question.
4.) The research shows that you want about a 1:1 high-intensity work to active recovery/regeneration ratio. In other words, if you do an intense 30-minute workout then you need to do about 30-minutes of foam rolling, stretching, and mobility/activation work to prevent over-training and accelerate recovery. Having a beginner bootcamp allows you to teach campers how to do the regeneration stuff so they can eventually do it on their own to get the most out of their regular bootcamp workouts.
5.) Overweight and out of shape people need a lower intensity fitness program to build confidence and ease them into a higher intensity program. Tissue quality, flexibility, and mobility/activation circuits will be challenging enough and will bulletproof their bodies before they enter your more advanced bootcamp drastically reducing injuries and separating your camp from the competition.
6.) The vast majority of campers are men and women that are in their 30’s and 40’s. This is the age when your joints begin to naturally lose motion and lubrication thus making tissue quality, flexibility, and mobility/activation work of the highest priority.
7.) Total fitness is more than just about being lean and strong. To be truly fit you need healthy tissue, flexibility, mobility, strength, stability, power, endurance, and balance. Beginner Bootcamp provides you with your fitness foundation to build upon and it’s a step that cannot be skipped for best results.
8.) If you or your campers can’t do the front splits… then you NEED beginner bootcamp in a heinous way!
9.) Most bootcamps are simply about beating people to a pulp and making them tired- this is not a skill – this is not an art form. The group exercise world is evolving into group personal training. It’s moving away from the random, unstructured bootcamp workouts with no method behind the madness. And every solid group personal training program starts with a beginner bootcamp. You are either part of the problem or part of the solution… I hope you move away from the dark side sooner than later.
10.) It’s the right thing to do. I always like to ask myself this:
“What would the top professionals in the fitness industry think if they walked through the doors of my facility? Would they think we’re doing the right thing?
In other words, what would Boyle, Cressey, Hartman, Robertson, Cosgrove, and Dos do?
I think you already know the answer to that
You have less than 48 hours to save $20 on the exact beginner bootcamp program we use in our MISSION: METABOLISM BOOTCAMP in Milwaukee, WI:
Flexibility is one of the most misunderstood aspects of fitness.
What is flexibility?
Flexibility describes the ability of soft tissue (muscles, tendons, etc.) to allow for movement in pain-free, full ranges of motion. Flexibility, or stretching, is key to removing movement restrictions that impair performance and lead to injury.
There are several types of ways to stretch, including:
1.) Passive Stretching: involves an external force that provides the stretch (via a partner or gravity using your own bodyweight)
2.) Active Stretching: requires you to generate the force to provide the stretch, often through the concept of reciprocal inhibition where you activate one muscle to relax/turn off another muscle thus allowing for a deeper stretch
3.) Static Stretching: involves holding a stretch at the end range of motion for time and is by far the most common form of stretching
4.) Dynamic Stretching: uses movement to go back and forth between the end range of motion with only a brief pause at the end range of motion
There is also a bit of a gray zone between flexibility and mobility. The best way I can describe the difference between the two is that flexibility is a lower intensity version of mobility that does NOT require mobility (or you can say that mobility is a higher intensity version of flexibility that involves stability).
For example, a split kneeling hip flexor stretch focuses on getting enough motion at the hip to allow for a full, pain-free range of motion split squat/sagittal lunge variation. Where the split squat/sagittal lunge variation requires strength, stability, and neuromuscular control, the hip flexor stretch does not.
Some recent studies have been quite misleading in suggesting that stretching before exercise can negatively impact performance and of course there was that immediate knee jerk reaction in the fitness industry where many trainers and coaches jumped on the band wagon and stopped stretching altogether.
While it has been shown that performing static stretching immediately before explosive movements results in a reduction in power output, the drop in performance was so insignificant that it’s not even worth noting when you consider that:
a.) if you follow static stretching with proper mobility/activation drills it’s been shown that the reduction in performance no longer exists which is why all stretching should be following by mobility/activation work (more on mobility/activation tomorrow)
b.) that corrective stretching is absolutely essential to long-term injury prevention
c.) that the general population could care less about one time maximum power output compared to feeling and looking better
As I mentioned in the recent post about tissue quality, it’s not about PAIN SITE… it’s about PAIN SOURCE!!
Knee pain is often caused by restrictions in your quads and calves.
Back pain is often caused by tightness in your hip flexors, glutes and hamstrings.
Shoulder pain is often caused by tightness in your neck, chest, and lats.
In addition, self-massage before stretching allows for a better, more complete stretch by smoothing out the knots and allowing for a complete lengthing of the tissue.
The best analogy for this is if you knot up two resistance bands of different tension levels and then you pull on both ends, what you’ll notice is that the only band that moves is the one with less tension and that’s exactly how your muscles work when knots exist in them.
In other, words if a muscle is restricted and you stretch it, the only part of the muscle that will stretch is the part that’s already loose. Thus you should always precede flexibility work with tissue quality for best results.
In my personal experience, I have found the following 5 flexibility exercises to be of the highest priority for the general population:
1.) Quad/Rectus Femoris: Tightness in the middle of the front thigh is a primary cause of anterior knee pain, often referred to as jumper’s knee, or general patella-femoral issues like chondromalacia. From a personal standpoint as someone with a history of knee pain, I NEVER skip stretching my quads before a workout. By extending your back arm overhead you can also release the psoas and if you add a slight rotation of the upper back you can get at your thoracic spine too. Also, focus on squeezing the glute of your back leg to get more of a hip flexor stretch as well.
2.) Calves: Restriction in the calves also leads to anterior knee pain and usually leads to people squatting on their toes. This is most often seen in women who wear heels during the day as they are on their toes all day in excessive plantar flexion. Since I’ve given up on trying to convince women to forgo fashion for less knee pain, we stretch the hell out of the calves to do our best counteract this trend. A straight leg will stretch more of your upper calves (gastrocs) and the bent knee will stretch more of your lower calves (achilles tendon and soleus). Also, focus on squeezing your shins when stretching your calves to get a better stretch.
3.) Glutes/Hip Rotators: If you sit on your butt all day at work, not only do your butt muscles shut down, but they tighten up and this can lead to lower back issues like spasms, sciataca, etc. One of the quickest ways to know if your glutes are tight is to look at your feet. If they are pointed out more than 15-degrees in your natural standing position then you need to stretch your a$$ off.
4.) Hamstrings: Restricted hamstrings mean that anytime you bend over to touch the floor or pick something up, your lower back will compensate by flexing to allow for a false range of motion. This high-frequency flexion of the lumbar spine literally puts you on the fast track to bulging or, heaven forbid, ruptured discs. More and more experts are suggesting that the most important part of the hamstring to stretch is the lateral/outer aspect and this can be accomplished by pushing your hips outward and rolling your toes inward during a hamstring stretch. Lastly, focus on squeezing your quad while stretching your hammie to relax it and allow for a deeper stretch.
5.) Chest: When the chest is restricted, it leads to poor posture and a host of issues including shoulder and back pain. Plus, being in a hunched position at a desk all day makes this exercise an absolute must to best counteract kyphosis (excessive rounding) of the upper back. Focus on pulling your shoulders down and back when stretching the chest to get a deeper stretch.
Below is an outline of our 30-10 flexibility circuit in our MISSION: UNBREAKABLE beginner bootcamp in Milwaukee, WI:
30-10 Flexibility Circuit
1
Quad/Rectus Femoris (L)
2
Quad/Rectus Femoris (R)
3
Hip Flexor (L)
4
Hip Flexor (R)
5
Adductors (L)
6
Adductors (R)
7
Glute/Hip Rotators (L)
8
Glute/Hip Rotators (R)
9
Hamstring (L)
10
Hamstring (R)
11
Calves (L)
12
Calves (R)
13
Neck (L)
14
Neck (R)
15
Pec/Chest
16
Lats/Shoulder Rotators
Watch the video below for a highlight reel of the flexibility exercises that we use (sorry, I forgot the glute stretch!):
I’m a big fan of a relative muscle tightness scale when it comes to flexibility, for example:
- Using a relative muscle tightness scale of 1-10, “1” being no tightness and “10” being extremely tight, please check the appropriate box for each flexibility exercise below whenever you feel tightness that is greater than a 5 out of 10
- Your fitness homework is to religiously perform all flexibility exercises that were a 5 or greater on the muscle tightness scale both pre-workout and several times post-workout every day. Be sure to self-massage all tight/related muscle groups first in order to eliminate any tissue restrictions and provide a better, more complete stretch
- For best results and injury prevention, perform this entire 30-10 flexibility circuit at least once per week
Why 30-sec0nds for stretching?
Well, studies show that 90% of the benefit from stretching comes in the first 30 seconds.
So, while longer 1-5 minute stretches are great for really tight muscle groups if time allows, we get the biggest bang for our buck in the first 30 seconds.
What are your favorite flexibility exercises? Let us know by posting a comment to this blog post
Almost all chronic joint pain or overuse injuries are caused by tightness and restrictions in the muscles above and below the joint in question.
In other words, it’s not about PAIN SITE… it’s about PAIN SOURCE!!
Knee pain is often caused by restrictions in the tissue of your calves and front/inner/outer thighs.
Back pain is often caused by restrictions in your glutes and hamstrings.
Shoulder pain is often caused by restrictions in your thoracic spine (T-Spine), chest, and lats.
Tissue quality describes the general health of your muscles and the interconnected web of fascia that surrounds them all.
Over time we develop scar tissue, adhesions, knots, and trigger points due to high-intensity training, overuse, and/or extended periods of sitting.
The best way to address this is to self-massage sore, tight, and restricted muscle groups of the body to regenerate tissue both pre and post-workout to promote injury reduction and allow for a smoother, more productive workout.
In addition, self-massage before stretching allows for a better, more complete stretch by smoothing out the knots and you should always precede flexibility work with tissue quality for best results (more on flexibility tomorrow).
In my personal experience, I have found the following 5 self-massage exercises to be of the highest priority for the general population:
1.) Quad/Rectus Femoris: Tightness in the middle of the front thigh is a primary cause of anterior knee pain, often referred to as jumper’s knee, or general patella-femoral issues like chondromalacia. From a personal standpoint as someone with a history of knee pain, I NEVER skip massaging this area before a workout.
2.) Mid Glute/Piriformis: Restriction in the outer hip often causes tightness in the lower back and in extreme situations leads to sciatica, that burning sensation one feels from their back all the way down to their leg. Since we sit on our butt all days at work, it’s critical to release the glutes before an intensive workout.
3.) ITB/Vastus Lateralis: Restriction and over-development of the outer thigh causes an unwanted lateral tracking of the patella that leads to lateral knee pain, often referred to as runner’s knee, and wearing of the knee cartilage. By and far, people will experience the most pain with this area of the body then any other upon introduction to foam rolling.
4.) Pec Minor: The pec minor (small chest muscle just inside the shoulder) is like the hip flexor of the upper body and when it gets tight/overactive it leads to excessive internal rotation of the humerus which leads to shoulder impingement syndrome or shoulder biceps tendinosis.
5.) T-Spine: When the upper/mid back is restricted, it leads to poor posture and a host of issues including shoulder and back pain. Plus, being in a hunched position at a desk all day makes this exercise an absolute must to best counteract kyphosis (excessive rounding) of the upper back.
Below is an outline of our 30-10 tissue quality circuit in our MISSION: UNBREAKABLE beginner bootcamp in Milwaukee, WI:
I. 30-10 Tissue Quality
1
Pec Minor (L)
2
Pec Minor (R)
3
Quad/Rectus Femoris (L)
4
Quad/Rectus Femoris (R)
5
Mid Glute/Piriformis (L)
6
Mid Glute/Piriformis (R)
7
VMO/Adductors/Femoral Triangle (L)
8
VMO/Adductors/Femoral Triangle (R)
9
ITB/Vastus Lateralis (L)
10
ITB/Vastus Lateralis (R)
11
Hamstrings
12
Calves
13
Shins/Peroneals
14
Upper/Mid/Lower Back/T-Spine
15
Lats/Rear Shoulder/Triceps (L)
16
Lats/Rear Shoulder/Triceps (R)
Watch the video below for a highlight reel of the self-massage exercises that we use:
I’m a big fan of a relative pain scale when it comes to self-massage, for example:
- Using a relative pain/restriction scale of 1-10, “1” being no pain/restriction and “10” being the worst pain/restriction in the world, please check the appropriate box for each self-massage exercise below whenever you feel pain/restriction that is greater than a 5 out of 10
- Your fitness homework is to religiously perform all self-massage exercises that were a 5 or greater on the pain/restriction scale both pre-workout and several times post-workout every day
- For best results and injury prevention, perform this entire 30-10 tissue quality circuit at least once per week using a foam roller, tennis ball, softball, and/or massage stick where best applicable
Massage is one of those counter-intuitive things whereby you are actually actively searching for pain. In fact, it’s the only time to ever do so when it comes to proper training.
The best analogy I can give to people is this:
If it hurts that much when you put pressure on your muscles, just imagine how crappy your joints must feel!!
What are your favorite foam rolling exercises? Let us know by posting a comment to this blog post
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