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TRAIN YOUR INTERVAL TRAINING!

The Butt! We’ve all got one but we don’t all use it. A “butt” as many people are concerned is something more important to visual aesthetics than functional movement and health. I am commonly approached with questions and inquiries from all kinds of people, women and men, for information regarding methods of developing a prolific backside. I find it amazing however, that many of these people seem to be more concerned about having a shapely behind, than developing greater overall levels of flexibility, strength, speed, and agility. So what is it about the gluteal muscles that humans are so attracted to? We clearly like the shape, but why?

Examining the bodies of professional athletes may be a key factor in determining why people seem to be so infatuated with the several muscles comprising the gluteal region. It’s no coincidence that male and female athletes seem to have big butts and great power, speed, and dynamic stability. The attributes go hand in hand. While I am not an expert in human psychology, I could imagine there being an instinctual sexual attraction towards a larger gluteal region as a result of knowing that this most likely represents greater power and strength. If we go back in time to the development of modern humans, the ability to move quickly with strength was a seemingly invaluable trait. It meant that one would most likely be more capable of hunting or fighting and providing food and protection for his/her family or tribe. It’s just a theory, but it makes sense to me.

Regardless of reason, or reasons for that matter, why we like the look of a nice t***y, it’s important to understand how to develop one, but more importantly, why to develop one. When an individual lacks the ability to fire their glutes properly, a variety of issues are sure to arise. I can’t begin to count how many people have complained to me about lower back pain. This is typically where we actually take our focus off the back and begin to focus on the anterior chain. Most people with lower back pain have a tendency to spend a lot of time sitting.

As prolonged periods of hip flexion can result in shortened and overactive hip flexors, the pelvis will consequently tilt anteriorly to compensate. This will result a more pronounced lordotic curve through the lumbar spine, resulting in added pressure placed on the lower back to support the upper half. Additionally, the Psoas (one of the major hip flexors) specifically originates at the bottom of the Thoracic spine and all vertebrae of the Lumbar spine, further increasing the forward pull on the lower back. As our understanding of human anatomy and physiology progresses, and we examine the relationship between the opposite muscle groups of the hip flexors and the glutes, we learn that the glutes can’t fire correctly if inhibited by over-active hip flexors. So we now come to the understanding that dynamic mobility of the front side of the body is crucial to developing power and strength on the backside.

All of this is so important because without a strong and properly functioning butt, we lack stability in the hips. Without stability in the hips it becomes quite difficult to develop mulit-planar movements (up and down, side to side, forward and backward, and rotation). The glutes function to extend the hips and provide dynamic stability to the entire body as it moves through each of these planes of motion.

We can all imagine Chubs, in the movie Happy Gilmore, with the famous line, “It’s all in the hips…It’s all in the hips”. This couldn’t be truer for every athlete out there. Anyone who has ever experienced athletics at a high level knows the importance of strong hips. Turning on a 95mph fastball, sidestepping a defender, jumping, even throwing a punch, all involve firing the glutes and extending the hips to generate power and speed.

So we come full circle as we realize the importance of glutes to the overall function of the body. The individuals who have the greatest ability to move in all directions typically have the butts we all want when we walk into the gym. I say it time and time again, but the greatest way to develop power is to increase range of motion. It becomes simple physics as we consider greater range of motion throughout our muscles will increase torque produced by the anatomical levers (bones) naturally in place. This will directly lead to more power through muscle actions.

Therefore, it becomes clear that the best way to develop our glutes is to tap into our inner-athlete. We must learn to move in all directions to effectively build the muscles that will facilitate these actions. Dynamically extending the hips and generating power in all directions will most definitely create a stronger backside. I hope these words and information serve to be helpful in generating a more effective and creative approach to b***y sculpting. When we begin to focus less on the specific muscles and more on the muscle actions, it is only then that we will see the results we are looking for.

For more information on dynamic flexibility, exercise routines geared towards developing your backside, and discovering your inner-athlete, contact me via facebook or email [email protected]

Next time you decide to go for a run to knock out a cardio session, consider the following... Your body is able to move not only forwards, but backwards, laterally, up and down, as well as combinations of the aforementioned directions and movement patterns. Ensuring that the body moves through all planes of motions, and more specifically, each joint moves through all planes, will ensure a healthy, strong, and stable body.

Further, as long as motions are completed with some form of rhythmic and repetitive nature, an individual will experience similar effects/results as if they had completed a typical cardio intensive workout.

In addition to running forwards, try moving through series of sidesteps, Cariocas, and backwards running. It is very important to achieve and maintain proper flexibility and mobility prior to running. Failure to do so may result in injury. Please contact READY SET ME for answers to any fitness related questions and training inquiries.

Many people have recently asked me about body composition and how they can best achieve lean mass gains while decreasing unwanted fat. Aside from the obvious solutions (diet and exercise) a scale is an incredibly useful tool.

By recording body fat percentage and a starting weight at the beginning of an exercise program, an individual is then able to simply look in the mirror to monitor progress (most people do not own body fat calipers). By constantly stepping back on the scale, that person can ensure that nutrient uptake and hydration is at an adequate level to maintain, increase, or decrease body weight depending on specific goals.

As counting calories can be quite difficult, determining a basic distribution of nutrients throughout daily meals is much easier. With a proper, healthy diet (everyone's diet should be specific to their goals), that person can continue to exercise at that same weight and body fat will be eliminated and replaced with lean mass.

The scale will help ensure that person does not consume too many or too few calories throughout the day. It will act as a daily regulator for food/water intake and not just a measure of overall weight.

Further, constantly stepping on and off a scale will help someone understand their body's metabolic rate with much more simplicity. Knowing how many calories we need to consume each day from specific sources of macronutrients (carbs, fat, protein, fiber) is significantly more difficult than taking a general distribution (35% carbs, 30% protein, 15% fat, 20% fiber) and applying it to our meals. Beginning to understand how our bodies react to consuming specific amounts of food, and how the food is stored or used in our body, is paramount to achieving composition related goals.

For further questions about diet, exercise, and body fat compositions, please contact me via email.

[email protected]

I have begun working for Equinox in Westwood. For all personal training inquiries and further details, please contact this Equinox location. Thank you for you interest, and see you in the gym....

Eric Sarver's Introductory Sprint Routine

All resting times are designated to take place between each repetition of a given set.

Warmup
-1 mile jog

Stretch
-Dynamic and Active stretching of hamstrings, gluteus, quads, hip flexors and calves--ex: leg swings, standing gastrocnemius stretch, high-step skips, butt kicks, etc. (5-10 minutes)
-Ask for consultation to learn more about specific stretches

30 SECONDS REST
4 x 20 yard @ 40% (this really means less than half on effort)
Return to starting position jogging backwards
***
30 SECOND REST
4 x 20-20 yard (there and back) Carioca @ 50%
Face only one direction. Face each direction twice if it is sunny and you need to work on your tan… (The little things make a difference sometimes)
***
1 MINUTE REST
3 x 40 yard @ 60%
***

2 MINUTE REST
3 x 80 yard @ 70%
***
3 x 50 yard @ 85%
***

3-5 MINUTE REST - *IMPORTANT* MAKE SURE YOU HAVE GAS TO BURN
3 X 50 yard @ 100% (give it everything you’ve got)
***

COOLDOWN -progress through cool-down to allow heart rate to fall naturally back to resting level.

2 x 20-20 yard caricoas 50%
4 x 40 yard 40 %
Jog 1 mile
Post workout stretch

***Optional: To intensify workout, add combinations of push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups between various sets of sprints. (ideal sets- 30 push-ups, 10 pull-ups, 20 sit-ups)
-exercises may also be performed in the sand for added intensity.

Disclaimer: Please ensure that you have worked up to this routine. Sprinting with stiff muscles and joints can result in injury. Ready Set Me is not responsible for any injuries due to improper technique or approach. Please contact www.readysetme.com for your training session to learn more.

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Sometimes life gets tough. When we encounter situations that seem scary or overwhelming, it is important to imagine ourselves overcoming the obstacles and stresses standing in our way. During these times, it is only when we have a true vision of ourselves succeeding that we become empowered to turn unfortunate circumstances into opportunities for greatness. When we see opportunities for greatness, life get's easier. Be great!

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