"The Wing Maker" (Back & Calves from 11.16.14)

Sorry this took me so long to post!  This is my Back workout from Sunday I was telling you about. Takes about an hour +10 to complete...

1000m row
Pull-ups: 20 ( I broke them into sets of 5 (so no excuses) and switched my grip every set. If you can't do these - I had my girlfriend do 3 negatives in place of every one of my sets)
Ring or TRX row: 4 sets of 10
Wide-Grip Lat Pull-down: 3 sets of 12
Bent Over Row w/Olympic Bar: 1 warm-up set to test then 3 sets of 8-12. I got up to the Olympic bar + 2 45lb plates but then I always start to bounce so :/

1-armed db Row: 4 sets of 12 each arm ( work your way up every set!).
Incline reverse lateral fly with wrist rotation: 3 sets of 12 you really want to keep you chesticles right at the top of that bench! And when you extend your arms, you should be making a "T" shape. A lot of times people keep there arms to low and make an "A"
Standing machine reverse fly: 3 sets 12
SUPERSET
Standing Calve Raise: 3 sets of 20, turn those toes every set
Weighted Back Extension : 3 sets of 15-20, squeeze at the top. I did a 25lb plate but you don't need to go ham on this to feel it I promise.
SUPERSET
Seated Calve Raise: 3 sets of 20, turning your toes every set

     

Let me know how it goes! Go HEAVY or don't even talk to me. There's a lot of chesticle in that photo. Yes, I totally noticed that. Whatev. Happy Tuesday!

Have a great day!
Tristan
xox

But I don't Wanna Feel The Burn...

If you take my classes or train with me regularly you know I tend to blather about certain body parts, muscles, and/or processes in the body while we are working out because I like to "educate" others on this amazing machine we are currently inhabiting. I throw out all this scientific terminology because well, if you don't use it, you lose it AND sometimes I feel like my brain is going to explode because I just picked up something amaze in a sci journal that makes me really excited. One of the coolest things about fitness and nutrition is that new things are constantly being discovered and information we have always taken for granted are constantly being reevaluated.

BUT EVERYONE needs to know the basics, what is happening in the body while you are working out, and why you feel the way you do while you are pushing your body to the limit. Today in class I mentioned the term lactic acid and half of you looked on me like I was on crack. I realize a lot of you know you "should be" feeling the burn but don;t quite understand "why". Let's go over this one today! I'll keep it super simple so the next time I say "feel the burn" you'll not only know what I'm talking about, BUT you'll be excited about it!

Ok so the body needs energy to do ANYTHING. Even when we binge watch Netflix and "lay like broccoli" (<--- name that movie) our body is using energy. ENERGY has a little chemical party in our body and produces ATP (andenosine triphosphate). I probably spelled that wrong. Don't judge me. This ATP can be produced in (basically) 1 of 2 ways: aerobic (using oxygen, long runs) or anaerobic (not using oxygen, really short intense sprints or jumping).

Both of these systems tend to work at the same time, depending on what activity you are doing. Let's say you see a Zombie-Fire-breathing-Polar-bear 30 feet from you, initially you would sprint away like lighting (anaerobic) but then as you continue to run at a decent clip, your body would switch over to your aerobic energy system.
We get a limited reserve of anaerobic ATP (it's like 12 seconds worth) and a practically unlimited amount of aerobically produced ATP. Our body is amazing and uses a ton of different sources to keep the energy coming so we are always ready to go!
You will never run out of energy.
I don't want to hear that ever. Capish? Cool.


A by-product of this whole anaerobic energy expenditure thing is LACTIC ACID.  Lactic acid is just another energy source in the body. It's always in there, moving around, and if cooked long enough can be turned into ATP as well, BUT we don't actually start feeling it until we are working out or doing something strenuous for a certain amount of time. The more we try to force that anaerobic system to work, the more the lactic acid accumulates, builds up, until your body can no longer process it and a burning sensation occurs. Yayyyyy! Mikey LIKES IT! This is not a bad thing! It's just that extra bit of coffee that spills out of your Peppermint Mocha after the Barista puts the lid on.
That little bit of spillage protects your muscle and is your body telling you you are burning carbs for energy. Ummm... yay. 
The longer you work out for (in terms of months, years, etc), the longer you can go without feeling this burning sensation during workouts because you are training your muscles to become stronger and develop a higher resistance to the lactic acid. Eventually you learn how much further you can push yourself by feeling that burn and knowing what the intensity means for your body.

Keep pushing! If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you, LITERALLY.

Tristan,
xo

Training Split Options For Every Athlete Level

"What's a training split?" you ask
Well, it doesn't involve bananas or gymnasts, I tell you whut!
(if you said that with an accent, +2 points)

A 'Training Split' simply means the body-parts you are going to be working on that day in the gym, usually referring to a pair of muscle groups ("back & bi's"). I've been getting a lot of questions lately regarding how often to LIFT and what to train and (how Loooong to train) to see results and because this is so incredibly different for everyone I am going to break it down into a few broad categories to help ya'll out!

The Beginner

Well lucky for you you can work the least amount of time (actual minutes per week) and see the most results. For the first 12-14 weeks of consistent training your muscles require less volume to get results than someone who's been at it longer then you. If you want to get into weights (because you are smart and you realize weight-lifting is legitimately the fountain of youth then (If you don't want to hire a trainer to teach you, duhhhhh) START BY TAKING A CLASS AT THE GYM. THIS IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOURSELF IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE DOING. SERIOUSLY. A good instructor will take you through almost every body part (FULL BODY WORKOUT) in a single class and help you work on proper form and learn how much weight is necessary for you to feel fatigue but not failure. No you will Not GET BULKY. Even when your instructor says "Go Heavy" at most you are lifting 12lbs! This is NOT "heavy" weight people. this is just "heavy for you". Know the difference. It takes a lot of food and work to get "bulky", believe me, I KNOW (have you seen my traps?).
My RX for you: Take a weight lifting or "sculpt" (that word makes me want to vomit, FYI) class 3x a week, space out these classes 1-2 days apart. 

The Intermediate

So you've been taking class or have worked with a trainer in the past. You know your stuff! Maybe you love class but you can't make it one day and have to go train on your own, then My RX for you is an 'Upper/Lower Body Split' where you workout 4 days a week instead of 3, dividing your gym time into one upper-body muscle group day and one lower-body muscle group day. You can go work day-work day-rest day or train every other day. This keeps it easy because you will be able to monitor that you are not only working or over working a specific muscle group an still be fresh enough to make it back to your favorite class!

The Advanced

The world is your oyster. You know what you are doing! Maybe you just need a way to streamline your workout schedule so that it's most effective! Well if you have already been doing the classic bodybuilding split (back/bi's, chest/tri's, Legs, Shoulders/Abs) then my suggestion is to play with the order just a bit so it's spliced to functional movements based around the planes of the body... you see every weight-lifting exercise is based off either 'pushing' 'pulling', 'lunging' or 'squatting'. If you ever take 'Chisel' with me or if you are a private client, this should ring a few bells.
If you were to divide your exercise days into only working muscle groups that perform in the same manner, you can actually work them twice a week and gain strength and size without over-training because by the time you work your way around to that muscle group again you are ready to go! My preference (and what I tend to follow when strictly bodybuilding) is Chest/Shoulders/Tri's, Back/Bi's, Legs/Abs, Chest/Shoulders/Tri's, REST, Back, Legs! IF this feels like a lot of training, but you still want to try it, only train 4-5 days a week, just rotate out 1-2 splits a week. OR do one high rep day and one low rep day (my favorite).

Don't Be THIS GUY! MAKE a PLAN so you can develop a balanced body!!!

 No matter what level you are at, you need to lift a minimum of 3x a week and your workouts should last no longer then (approx) an hour and ten minutes because the weight you are lifting and the energy you are expending should be HUGE, people! If you can work out for 2 hours you are not going heavy enough or you are on the juice!      #nojudgment

Go KILL IT! AND put your weights back!!!

Your Trainer,
Tristan xo

Leg Day 11.01.14: (a.k.a. The noisiest workout a 24hr Fitness has Ever seen! #sorrynotsorry)

Jimminy Christmas it's freaken' November 1st! Where the heck did this year go? If you saw my Instagram post you know I kicked off November Irontristan style, with some much needed time "at the bar" this morning... and a few other places nearby a well...

Here's what went down...

Jump-rope warm up 200 reps or 2 minutes
Deep Squat 1 warm-up set just the bar 15 reps, 4 sets, 10 reps each, build up to max effort at last set ten reps (or 70% of MAX).  I got comfy around 155lbs on my last set before my knee started talking back :(
Dead- Lift open op those hammies first with just one quick stiff-legged set, just the bar then get down deep. 4 sets of 10 (about 75% of MAX). I forgot what it's like to do these without bumper plates... yep. NOISY As HELL, just me. Look over here! NOT!
Stop starring at me swan. ugh.
But seriously though I LOVE DEADLIFTS. I don't even care that my shins feel like crap after. It's my favorite lift.
Hamstring Curl 4 sets of 10, slower on the negative, full range of motion
Quad Extension 4 sets 10, full range of motion, slight squeeze at the top, I hovered around 100lbs here, just enough to make me moan (that's what she said). Keep in mind the HAmstring is what is supporting that glute and the rest of the leg so if you want a balanced physique be mindful of the weight you are pushing with that quad and that the strength of this muscle is not completely greater or over-powering your hamstring strength or you are doing something wrong! I know we all want that Quad-sweep but come on now!
Standing Calf 3 sets 20 reps each, dropping those heels nice and deep then coming up quickly with a squeeze. 180 lbs (don't be impressed. machine was like air at 95lbs). Toes forward first set, turned out on second, turned in on third.
SUPER SET w/prone long-legged glute squeeze on bench 3 sets of 20 reps. IF you don;t know what this is, you probably actually do! You lay on a bench, face down, with your hips just off the edge. Spread out your legs, keep 'em straight and bring them up behind you with a glute squeeze... kind of like a 'Superman' but only with half your body. If you still don;t know what I'm talking about, let me know and I'll make a video.
Seated Calf Raise 20/15/15 same toe progression. I did two plates but probably should have done 1 to keep those reps up but as you know I'm just a big meathead so... rawr! more! weight! good!

ummm no

Ok so pretty basic workout here, but sometimes I'd rather go a little heavier, pace myself, and hit everything equally then use all my creative stuff. Just me?

Lift Heavy! Be Strong, not scared!
Tristan xo