By Coach Jaime Espalin, Founder of one of the Strongest Tulsa Gyms
The Gym Culture is an interesting one. There are so many things marketed to those who want to make their health a priority in the gym. There are so many gimmicks in the fitness industry, most of which produce zero actual benefit to those spending their hard-earned money on the marketing of “experts.”
On the other end of the spectrum is the extremism that seems to be gaining in popularity in the fitness industry.
“PUSH TIL YOU PUKE”
“IF YOU AINT DYIN, YOU AINT TRYIN”
“110% ALL DAY EVERY DAY”
These are all common mantras that the elitists are pushing people to embrace, some of which are newcomers to exercise. This usually turns into injury or even a bad taste in the mouths of beginners. One thing I witness is the Cardio Freaks that think they need insane amounts of cardio (or conditioning) in order to see any change in their body composition. These are the type of people who will leave the gym disappointed if they didn’t cheat death or lose 6 lbs. of sweat during their workout, yet they fail to realize the damage that excessive cardio can do to their bodies via elevated cortisol.
This is not an attack on the people that actually enjoy running or other forms of SSC, just a head check for those that are running to lose fat or look like their runner friend Suzy who went from a size 8 to a 2 and looks great in a 2-Piece. What they fail to realize is that Suzy also added weight training, quit drinking nightly, removed garbage nutrition, and started getting better sleep.
Learning How To Move
At Fenix Strength & Conditioning, we want all who enter to create a change in their bodies and mindsets through learning first how to move. Once people can move properly, then we can look at the possibility of adding volume or intensity. The number one priority for beginners should be to focus on proper movement before attempting to do what more advanced members are doing. If it is a member’s first week in the gym, they probably shouldn’t be maxing out just because everybody else is maxing out. Progression is the key to helping beginners adapt and then increase their capacity. The biggest thing I try to help the beginners understand is that they must “Show Up” every session they attend. What I mean by this is that they must actually do the work and reach 100% of their potential every session.
We Don’t Kill Our Clients
The body will not change if we are lifting the same weights we lifted 5 weeks ago unless the progression is in reps with the same weight. Progression is key. One cannot expect the change they desire by doing the same thing day in and day out. We add Finishers to our lifting sessions, to help with overcoming weak mindsets on what the body is capable of. We do not train to failure frequently, however, the Rest-Pause Method is one of many options utilized for our members to push past a physical barrier and increase hypertrophy.
These methods (among many others) are critical in helping beginners and advanced members reach new levels of growth in muscle mass and decreasing bodyfat. There are many methods that will help clients reach their goals, we as professionals must be willing to explore and apply the tried and true principles we believe will help those who trust us with their health. We don’t have to kill them daily just to keep our classes full, results and healthy clients tend to keep coming back.
Broken clients don’t. Tired is a lie!
