PATRICK WARD'S BLOG

Since I will be in a workshop starting tomorrow and going through the entire weekend, I decided to do this weeks notes today.

It is trying to tell you something!

I was done at the Staley’s Bed and Barbell today to do some work on Phil’s shoulder, and Charles, Phil and I got into a conversation about pain and how it affects the things we do. Charles said he wished we had recorded the conversation because there was some good information coming out. Basically, listen to your body! Whether you are a runner, a lifter, an MMA guy or a weekend warrior, those aching and nagging pains are there for a reason. The worst phrase in the English language is “maybe it will go away.” Nothing just goes away. Pain has the ability to change the way we move, lift and perform every day activities. Unfortunately, this leads to more pain (usually somewhere else). If something hurts, try and find out why (or find someone who can at least give you an idea as to why it hurts) and give the muscle or joint or whatever is bothering you a break! Don’t try and train through it or hope that “this time it wont hurt as much.”

Paying Your Trainer

I was at the gym working today and I saw the usual trainers doing their usual nonsense. Honestly, with the economy in the dumps, let me help you save some money…If you are paying a trainer to watch you perform exercises on machines…STOP! I can’t think of a bigger waste of money (and time). Seriously, your trainer should be teaching you how to perform real exercises and should be competent enough to coach you through things like squats, deadlifts, push ups, bench press, rows, chin ups, and lunging or other single leg movements. I can’t believe that people are content with paying someone to basically “hang out” with them during their workout, because honestly, that is all your trainer is really doing if you are sitting on a machine and they are counting your reps for you.

Justifying Poor Exercise Programs

I got an email from a girl asking me what she was doing wrong. She had been trying to lose weight for the past 4 years by performing walking and various exercise DVDs (taebo, Jillian Michaels something or other, etc). I read through her email and told her that she should look into changing her program to more resistance training and do some intervals instead of the usual walking that she is doing. I typed out a few ideas for her as far as training and how to set things up. She then replied back “you don’t think those are good DVDs? I think they are good workouts!” She seemed upset with my answer, almost like she was angry because I didn’t validate what she was doing. I really don’t get it. You take the time to email me and ask my opinion. I take the time to answer you and then you want to fight with me about my answer. I emailed her back that I am not familiar with the DVDs, but that clearly what she is doing is not working, and has not been working for the past 4 years. If something is working for you, then stick with it. But if you have been trying to do the same thing for any significant amount of time (like 4 years) and nothing is happening, I think it is time to make a change.

I have been typing a lot lately to hopefully release my own E-Book very soon and I will get details more details out about it as quickly as I can.

I’ll be away from my computer for the next three days at a workshop, so don’t be upset if I don’t reply to your emails or questions right away. But, please keep them coming. I have been getting lots of great questions about working out and exercise lately!

Posted by Patrick Ward on Thursday, November 20, 2008 at 4:47 PM | Permalink