Top 30 Tips Clients Ask Me About
Here is a list of most commonly asked tips I have used with my clients over the years. They are in no particular order, and none are better than others. Some have been more beneficial for certain clients, while others are not relevant based on their goals. Maybe there is one quick tip in here that can help you. If you have a burning question feel free to ask all the way at the bottom.
1-5 Reps will focus on improving strength and your central nervous system.
6-15 Reps will focus on building muscle size and improving metabolic function.
One of the best rep schemes for building strength is 5,4,3,2,1. Find an exercise you want to improve, for example the bench press. Do one set for 5 reps, go up 5-10lbs and do your second set of 4 reps, go up 5-10lbs and do 3 reps, etc.
Making smaller, more consistent jumps session to session will help you progress faster.
Choosing one exercise every 6 months to hyper focus on will give you better results than changing up everything every 2-3 weeks.
Focus on putting the most complex compound lift at the beginning of each workout while your nervous system is not fatigued.
Super setting two opposite muscles together allows you to get more work done in a shorter amount of time. While you train the other muscle group, the first one you worked is resting.
Doing 2-3 sets of hamstring curls before squatting helps make the squats feel much smoother.
If you have trouble getting depth in your squat due to ankle flexibility, use a standing calf raise machine. Just hold the bottom stretched position for 2-5 minutes with weight before you squat.
Squeeze the bar or dumbbells on your concentric movement to give you more of a punch!
Exhale as you exert energy.
Increasing the time you hold an isometric or slowing down the eccentric helps you "feel" the muscle better.
Dumbbells allow for a greater range of motion over barbells. More range of motion leads to more muscle activation and growth.
The Warm-up should focus on two things. The range of motion being used and that the weight you are using will get heavier.
Taking 3-5 Minutes of rest in between sets helps improve strength output and hypertrophy.
Taking 1-3 minutes of rest helps improve metabolic function and work capacity.
Larger muscle groups take longer to recover after exercise.
Eating 1g of protein per body weight will make sure you're not wasting your efforts in the gym to build and retain muscle. (Protein Calculator Here. Scroll down halfway)
10-30g of carbs (if you can afford it in your calorie budget) before a workout will make a huge difference in your performance.
Caffeine is a performance enhancer. It will give you a better performance.
If a movement hurts or feels slightly off, it’s better not to push it and make it worse taking you completely out of that movement for weeks or months.
The best option is to find a regression of the movement that does not hurt and is just uncomfortable. (Always see a medical professional to get a clear diagnosis)
If a muscle group is not getting the progress you want, it's most likely because the amount of volume or intensity is not high enough… or both! (Intensity being heavy enough weight)
To improve your chin-ups, improve how much weight you can curl.
To improve your bench press, improve how much weight you can do dumbbell skull crushers with.
If you are trying to improve a sport, don't try to replicate your movements 1 for 1 in the weight room. For example, in golf if you swing a heavier club than needed, it will mess up your form. Focus on finding simpler movements that work the same muscles as the swing.
The best lifting shoes are anything without a foam sole that rocks. (AKA pretty much all running shoes). This is why Vans and Converse tend to be seen in the gym. Barefoot shoes (my favorite) and Metcons are also great!
Using chain and bands for accommodating resistance will help improve strength rapidly for intermediate and more advanced lifters.
Training at the same time every day makes a huge improvement. Your strength can fluctuate 30% in either direction throughout the day. Finding the same time every day can help decrease these fluctuations.
Training with a friend or personal trainer will give you better results than working on your own. (the extra eyes keep you honest)
The best exercises are the ones you enjoy doing and allow you to stay consistent over the long term.
Hopefully one tip in here stands out and helps you make an actionable change today! As always, if you have any questions, please reach out below. We would love to help!
