In Part one i stated that Richlife trains movements rather than muscles. In class you will regualrly come across a squat/press day but you will never see a chest and tri’s or back and bi’s session. This is because we focus on functional movement patterns used in life and sport, also movements that use numerous muscles in their execution.
So what are the movements that we perform in class? I split them up into 9 categories:
Squats: for example front squats, back squats, jump squats, box jumps. Performed using bodyweight, barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, etc. All movements dropping hips below the knees.
Hinges: this is your deadlifts but also includes hinge movements like kettlebell swings, devils press, sumo high pulls, etc. Basically any movement where we hinge from the hips.
Stepping: unilateral lower body movements where one leg is working at a time. For example any type of lunge, split squat or stepping up and sometimes over a box.
Presses: These are upper body movements like Bench press, push up variations and pressing overhead
Pulls: Upper body pulls which are unfortunately limited in Richlife to just Bent Over Rows. Pull ups, sled drags, rope climbs would be other examples of Pulls, we just don’t have the gear…yet
Complex: These movements are combinations of multiple categories above. An example would be a Richzilla which involves a hinge, squat and press all in one movement.
Chassis Integration: These are full body core movements, they challenge your midline through rotation, anti-rotation, extension and total body. They work your core in combination with the rest of your body like it happens in life and sport. Example would be a 1 sided dead lift or a good morning (for extension)
Monostructural: These are movements often referred to as cardio, for example; running, biking, skipping, rowing, swimming, etc. I also throw burpees into this category though the beautiful burpee could be in numerous categories (hinge/press/complex), maybe this is why we see them so often, because they are the best;)
Core: These are more isolated movements of out midline compared to chassis integration. These movements would be divided into rotation, extension, isometric and flexion. Movements like sit ups, russian twists, hollow holds would be included in this category.
I try to incorporate all of these movement categories twice per week to ensure we are covering all our bases. The movements might be performed heavy, light and fast, long and slow, with varied equipment, varied loads, varied intervals and in constantly changing combinations. Keep it varied, keep the body guessing, keep it simple, keep it hard. Some movements you might see more often because they simple have more efficiency in pushing the fitness needle forward. Burpees and Thrusters have so much bang for your buck compared to sit ups, this doesn’t mean we will ignore the sit up but it will be programmed less often than those other two beasts.
So we train movements not muscles, also we focus on training for performance rather than aesthetics. Why? Don’t we want to look good? Don’t we want an attractive physique? Of course we do, we all do and if you don’t I will look at you with a suspicious eye. If you break down the reasons why humans exercise it simple comes down to ‘look good, feel good, perform good’. Look good is there first and foremost but if we just focus on looking good then the other two fall out of balance. I’m speaking from experience here, i was a gym rat, a bodybuilder, a guy focused on physique and a six pack above all else. Sadly this was also how i was trained 11 years ago when i got qualified as a trainer. 6 months of training and not one dead lift or front squat but plenty of bicep curls and leg extensions.
If you train specifically for aesthetics it is possible to get a fantastic physique but how well will you be able to run for a ball, get up a mountain or even put on your socks? I learned quickly when i came to Whistler as an insecure but ripped specimen that i wasn’t strong, fast, flexible or adapted to a life of activity in the mountains. I watched the mountain athletes train around me and i started to change my approach and here is where i found the magic nugget. If you train for performance, you will perform well, feel good and AESTHETICS WILL COME ALONG FOR THE RIDE! Since i started training for performance i now squat, dead lift, press, pull, run, bike, swim, and all the rest. I feel better than ever, i am strong (ish), fast, flexible, powerful and can go forever. The best bit is that i look just as good now if not better than when i was purely training for a sexy body.
Lastly i will wrap up this mini series on training philosophies by explaining why i choose free weights over machines. Why do i walk into a globo gym with every machine under the sun and roll my eyes compared to walking into a huge open warehouse with a few squat racks and some dumbbells and my eyes light up? The quick answer is explained by doing a shoulder press sat on a machine. With this movement you will work your shoulders in a fixed position with little or no room for body variations, mobility deficiencies and the machine will support your entire body weight. Compare that to a standing barbell push press when your whole body is supporting itself, your core and legs are switched on, your stabilizers are on full alert, your joints can adjust to mobility deficiencies. I know which will be more effective for improving my fitness.
Machines are beautiful pieces of metal artwork, they are often enticingly shiny, extravagant in design, and draw inquisitive humans in like a moth to a flame. They can definitely be more attractive than a lonely set of dumbbells or a sandbag but do they do a better job of pushing the fitness needle forward? You don’t need fancy machines to get results, minimalism is king in my eyes. Give me a barbell and some open space any day over a cable machine and a pec deck. Squat, hinge, press, pull, go heavy, moderate, light, go fast and short, long and slow, go somewhere in the middle and i guarantee you fitness will be achieved. Train the Richlife way and you will ‘LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD, PERFORM GOOD’…as long as your nutrition is on point!