As you may recall, Spectrum Fitness Consulting recently designed and hosted the Beverly Fitness Challenge. One of the purposes of the challenge was to donate 50% of the registration costs to our favorite local charity, the Beverly Bootstraps.
As a result, we were able to give Bootstraps $1305!
We are so proud to be able to contribute, and have all of the participants of the Beverly Fitness Challenge to thank!
Here's a picture with me and Beverly Bootstraps executive director, Sue Gabriel.
Beverly Bootstraps is an amazing organization. Sue gave me a tour of the facility, and I was simply amazed. Food, stocked book bags, computers, tutors, English as a second language programs, baby sitting, clothing.. so many resources are provide for families in need.
They truely try to work with struggling families to find out how to best help them so they can have the oportunity to improve their lives and support their families. It is an amazing task to coordinate all of these efforts. They have the right people to do the job, they simply need funding to make it work.
I couldn't think of a better organization to contribute towards, and we hope to have the opportunity to do more for the Bootstraps in the future.
Almost anyone who has lived a while will agree that you don't have anything if you don't have your health.
We all have people in our lives who need to improve their health, and they know it. Yet getting them to take the first step can seem impossible.
We also have people in our lives that are exercising, however, they haven't been seeing results from their efforts. Perhaps they are always getting hurt, or simply don't seem to be doing the right things.
A great solution for these people in your life is the Quick Start package at Spectrum Fitness Consulting. This is the perfect way to get someone pointed in the right direction towards improving their health, or redirecting someone who simply isn't getting the results they should be acheiving with their current routine.
Our Quick Start Package consists of a comprehensive assessment and movement screen, one nutrition consultation, and two training sessions for $397. This 4 session package will only be available for a short time for the holidays, so email me at mike@spectrumfit.net or call 978-927-2065 right away.
Give someone close to you the best gift ever - the gift of health!
Imagine if a bunch of people were given the perfect exercise and nutrition program. And assume that all of these people were similar in their health status, training experience, age, etc..
Given this scenario, there will certainly be some who succeed, and some who struggle. This is often the case, even when the exercises are specifically modified according to individual abilities.
So, how come some do well, while others don't?
There are many reasons, but most of the time it comes down to this: training verses trying.
Training means you have clear goals, and you are systematic, focused, and analytical in pursuing your goals. You eliminate chance from the equation. You are purposeful in your actions, and you are held accountable by measuring your progress towards your goals. You are efficient, and able to adapt to any scenario. That is training.
If you are merely trying, you allow chance to be your guide. You are haphazardly picking some exercises, sporadic and unfocused in your nutrition and exercise plan.
In the words of a wise old philosopher:
"No try. Only do!"-Yoda
If you have been training then you are undoubtedly getting results. You feel great and look amazing, or at least are well on your way.
If you are only trying, then you are frustrated, and probably "unmotivated" (which is another word for "I'm not getting any benefit from this so why the heck should I do it"). You haven't seen results, and perhaps are losing hope that "dieting" and exercise is really worth it.
If you are merely trying, you can change your mentality. You can find the best information available, assess your needs, follow a comprehensive plan uniquely tailored to you, and use encouragement, accountability and focus to get the results you deserve!
You deserve to feel good. You deserve to feel proud of how you look. Only training will get you there, and here's where it starts (click here). Go get it!
The glutes are regarded as one of the most crucial muscles to develop. From aesthetics, to injury prevention, to performance, the ability to recruit and develop a strong pair of glutes is essential.
My blog back in July addressed this very topic. In addition to a liberal use of cheesy puns about glutes, I demonstrated several exercises that I believe (and are supported by research) to be best for strengthening the glutes. However, I'm quite sure I've found something more effective.
You won't find any research on this, mostly because to my knowledge it has not be described or studied. We've been using this with our clients, and our own workouts, at Spectrum with a lot of success.
Here's why it is such a great exercise:
1. Works end-range hip extension: Most exercise challenge the glutes in the stretched position of full hip flexion, however exert minimal tension on the glutes as they near full hip extension. Exerting force at full hip extension is perhaps the most crucial function of the glutes, especially for lifting while sparing the spine, and in running or jumping.
2. Minimal load on the knees and spine. Because the load is applied in a horizontal vector through the pelvis, as opposed to vertically, there is minimal compressive load upon the knees and spine. This solves a common problem with utilizing the lunges, deadlifts, and squats for training the glutes
3. Easy to learn: Our most basic clients have had little trouble learning this move. In fact, we are also using this with our physical therapy patients who have significant motor control issues with great success.
4. Easy to modify and progress: Birdges can only be modified so many ways. In contrast. this exercise can utilize bands in various ways to provide minimal to maximum challenge, even for elite lifters.
Check out the video below to see how it is done:
Here's the one leg version:
So what do we call this exercise? Terminal Hip Extensions, or T.H.E.s . We've had a lot of "Who's on first" moments with this name (Hey Tom, let's try doing t.h.e. with Diane today. The what?...). I'm easily amused so the name stuck!
This can be a great new tool to use to challenge the glutes. Doesn't mean we will abandon the lunges, deads, or squats, but we will be using this option more often.
Be sure to contact us here if you need some help getting your glutes to fire or to learn about the many other creative ways we can help you get your body feeling and working in top shape.
