Visualization can be a powerful tool in the gym. Use it to your advantage before, during, and after every set. Here’s how to do it… Before a set, use a personal trigger to motivate you. Here are some scenarios that I envision. During a set, concentrate on the working muscles. Focus on strict execution. A…
One of the first seminars that I delivered was at the 2002 Canadian Personal Trainers Network (CPTN) Conference held at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario. The title of that talk was Strength Training Parameters and Program Design Lecture and it was a great success. I had many trainers approach me after the seminar requesting more…
In order to maximize your results when training for flexibility, certain rules exist. Here are the do’s and don’ts of stretching. THE DO’S DO use static stretching to maintain flexibility. Do I think that the classic Bob Anderson style of static stretching will make serious dents in your flexibility? Perhaps if it’s done multiple times…
Most strength training programs that I’ve seen for self-defense purposes are not truly strengthening routines but rather conditioning routines. They’re basically circuits filled with a mishmash of weighted self-defense movements. This approach is not only counterproductive, but it may lead to overuse injuries down the road. Use the weight room for strength training, and then…
When I first started lifting seriously in a commercial gym, my routine consisted of one body part a day. I’d go to the gym and absolutely trash that poor body part. A typical two-hour workout was like a boxing match. I’d use about every exercise available to hit that body part from all angles until…
The Elite Trainer by John Paul Catanzaro is a synthesis of the very latest thinking in strength training and an indispensable guide to developing individualized programs for recreational and professional athletes. John Paul Catanzaro, B.Sc., C.E.P., C.K., is a Certified Exercise Physiologist and a Certified Kinesiologist with a Specialized Honours Bachelor of Science degree in…
Here’s an excerpt from my new book The Elite Trainer: Strength Training for the Serious Professional… Needs Analysis After a training goal is established, conduct a needs analysis of both the individual (i.e., current biomotor abilities, health status, past and present injuries, somatotype or body type, availability for training) and the sport/activity (i.e., optimal biomotor…
Eccentric training will catapult strength and athletic performance to a new level if used appropriately. In order to lift a weight, muscular force must exceed the downward force of a load. The opposite occurs when you lower a weight – motor units are turned off until the downward force of the load is greater than…
Here are some excerpts from the new book The Elite Trainer: Strength Training for the Serious Professional by John Paul Catanzaro. Visit www.TheEliteTrainer.com and pick up your copy today! Sequence Rotation Most successful strength training plans will vary loading parameters on a regular basis. Exercise sequence is one such variable that can be altered between…
The following template is inspired from the work of the late Professor Yuri Verkhoshansky, who was a senior track and field coach for the Soviet national team for many years, a pioneer of the shock method of training (known as plyometrics), and an innovator in the area of planning and training periodization. MAXIMUM SIZE METHODS…