BOSU BALLS, WOBBLE BOARDS AND CIRCUS CLOWNS

The one thing that the above have in common is that all irritate the hell out of me.  Well, clowns actually scare me a little but that’s another article. 

The marketing behind “unstable surface training” has been effective at making people think there’s an easier, more effective way to train. And, people like doing things that are different - I get that.  I like being creative in my programming too.  But when I see young athletes (or adults) doing squats, deadlifts, curls or other circus acts on a BOSU ball or wobble board I want to 1.  Laugh, 2.  Ask their trainer where the jugglers and unicyclists are.

To be fair, there are some instances where their use is warranted.  In his manual, The Truth About Unstable Surface Training, Eric Cressey noted that for athletes with ankle injuries the Bosu could help provide a rehab stimulus.    Outside of that, the research on this topic points to virtually no benefits beyond entertainment value.  In fact, studies have shown incorporating as little as 5% of your training volume on unstable surface training will make you weaker.  

For starters, unstable surface training promotes abnormal motor patterns.  Watch someone squat on one and you’ll see their knees cave in, feet pronate (turn in on the arch side) and hips internally rotate...it’s an ACL injury waiting to happen.  A high percentage of us have trouble performing a perfect squat or deadlift on a stable surface - we don’t need any more instability! 

Secondly, unstable surface training inhibits maximum force production.  You can’t use near the same weight on a BOSU compared to a stable surface.  A recent study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research tells us that stable surfaces result in more muscle fiber activation and greater force production than unstable surfaces when performing lifts with equal loads.  

Click to read more ...

Re-Evolve Winner!!

Congratulations to Beth Allison for being the winner of the Re-Evolve New Year Challenge!  Her results were amazing:  39% decrease in body fat and a 20% increase on the work capacity test (a measure of fitness).  Beth has been a member of Catalyst since October of 2011 and has established herself as a consistently hard worker and all around cool person.  But coolness didn’t win the challenge.  Being committed, driven and sticking with the meal plan is how she got those incredible results.

She explains it a lot better than I can:

What is your motivation for getting fit?  

My motivation is strictly self-preservation. Our girls are very close in age, and the baby years were demanding. Now that they are getting older, finding time for myself is easier. Staying fit keeps me energized, and I am a much better mom because of it. If a few hours a week in the gym results in me being a happier, more patient and better parent, that's reason enough to keep me going. Fitting into a smaller pair of jeans isn't shabby, either. Not to mention, finding Catalyst. My first workout with Mark seven months ago was comparable to one of those scenes on Animal Planet of a struggling zebra trying to scramble its way out of the mud pit while a hungry lion circles in. A lot of flailing and grunting, and in the end, it wasn't pretty. But it was just the wakeup call I needed. And the ever-changing workouts keep it fun and challenging. I can't say it's gotten any easier, but I'd like to think that at least I LOOK like I know what I'm doing. :) Catalyst has been my proverbial new leaf, and I'm without a doubt an addict.

Has there been a difference-maker for you? 

 Until our family adopted Paleo late last year, I wasn't able to stick with a "diet" any longer than my kids could ignore a frosted cupcake on the countertop. Finally, I found something that was realistic, delicious and didn't make me feel like I was going to chew off an arm. And for whatever reason, Paleo really clicked with our family... this time, our eating habits weren't just about reaching a specific goal in the near future. This was a long-term lifestyle change. And I think that mentality has made all the difference. Not to mention, there's no calorie-counting or constant cataloging of what we eat. We stock our fridge with the good stuff, and eat when we're hungry. 

BEFORE By the way Beth, tequila is a better diet choice than beer... 

What are some of your Future goals? 

My goal is to stick with the program, stay motivated, and get stronger. I recently read a testimonial from a woman on a Paleo-based website explaining how her goal a year ago was to deadlift 200 pounds, and she's doing it. Not sure I'll make it there, but swapping out bread for bacon and giving it a fighting chance seems like a good idea. 

AFTER

We are all really proud of you Beth.  And a big congratulations to all the other challenge participants!  Changing your eating habits is difficult, to say the least.  Beth wasn't the only one that had great results.  Four others had a greater than 20% decrease in body fat during the 6 weeks.  The average decrease in body fat was 13.63% among all participants.  Hydrostatic weighing was used and this is the most accurate measure of body composition available.  

Click to read more ...

Citiscapes Article

A HUGE thank you to Citiscapes for letting Catalyst contribute to their Fitness Trends article in the April Issue! Go pick up a copy and you'll find the article on page 68. Great job on the article Glenda!

Obstacle Course Training

Metro Dash, Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash, Spartan Race....these are all obstacle course races of various distances that are becoming very popular.  At Catalyst, we love the idea of testing yourself and applying your fitness to events outside the gym.  Plus, it's always good motivation to have something on the calendar to train for.  This Saturday, March 31 at 10am we'll be having our 2nd Obstacle Course Class or, Ninja training as some have called it. 

Anyone can come and test themselves on the obstacles we've dreamed up.  Obstacle courses aren't just about cardio endurance.  There's a big strength and muscular endurance component involved. This class will have movements that are physically challenging as well as some running.  Most of all, it'll be fun!  No fee for the class but donations are encouraged so that we can continue to build bigger and better obstacles.  

New Class Time!

Due to overflow in some classes, I'm adding a 9:30am Adult Small Group Fitness class on Monday and Friday.  I'm very excited about the growth in new members and sincerely appreciate all the referrals.  Keep tuned in for possible new addition to the late afternoon schedule.