Dave Reddy

Training with an Injury – Take Advantage of This Time (with Video)

Training in my boot - this is me spotting (now) NHL New York Islander Scott Mayfield with a suspended TRX Row.

Training in my boot – this is me spotting (now) NHL New York Islander Scott Mayfield with a suspended TRX Row.

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden, Basketball Hall of Famer.

Great advice from a legendary coach for training when injured – “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden, Basketball Hall of Famer.

I find too many people hurt their shoulder and shut down their entire routine when their legs are perfectly healthy. I coached someone today with a pretty ugly rotator tear, but while she arrived with her spirits down feeling like she can’t get a great workout in, we went ahead and hit the following:

  • squatting floor touches
  • kettlebell dead lifts with light to moderate weight
  • walking agility (heels, toes, side shuffle, grapevine, high knee march)
  • reverse lunges
  • single arm cable rows standing on 2 feet and on 1 foot with her unaffected arm
  • forward lunges
  • single arm lying dumbbell presses (research shows strength training the healthy arm can have strength improving benefits on the injured arm)
  • side lunges & 12″ box step cross over step backs

Needless to say, she was sweating, her entire body (and spirit) felt better and she felt her legs for 2 days after the workout.

Personally a few years ago, my upper body strength soared through the roof after my foot surgeries because with one tire down, I was forced to focus on my upper body training. See the video below. (more…)

By Dave Reddy, ago

Inspiring Kids to be Creative – TED Talk with Stephen Hall

Inspiring Kid's Creativity with Stephen Hall TED Talk

Are kids’ toys too processed? Do they invite creativity or do the job for them?

 “Necessity is the mother of innovation.”

Parents want to give their children everything they can … but should they consider giving them less? Is modern children’s play too processed?

The presenter, Stephen Hall takes a minute or three to get to his point, but his emphasis on parenting and inspiring our children to be creative by giving them less is awesome. The less our children need, the less they may express their intuitive creativity.

I read once that around 93% of children are rated as creative when they are 3 years old, but by the time these same children are 18 years old, only 15% or so are rated as highly creative. As a country, we have dug ourselves into a hole by developing an educational system based on uniformity and conformity.

In most grade schools, Art and Physical Education are only taught once per week. We are so focused on Literature, History and the Sciences that most adults are now walking around “Physically Illiterate” and with what I call “Right Brain Amnesia.” (more…)

By Dave Reddy, ago

Lose Weight With The Declaration of Independence? Check Out This Personal Health D of I.

“The Sun never shined on a cause of greater worth.” – Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776

My Personal Health Declaration of Independence

The Founding Father’s journey towards a free nation serves as a perfect metaphor and tool for declaring independence from your former lifestyle and beginning your own journey of building health from the inside-out.

Thomas Paine was referring to the “cause” that many today call the “American experiment.” I believe the current state of each of our nation’s individual’s personal health is a cause that runs a close second to the original ideas our country was founded. This summer, we once again celebrated the birth of my daughter (she turned 4 on July 4th) and the birth of this American experiment called the United States. But as I looked at my daughter that day becoming lost in all the family, love and other wonderful things she has ahead of her in life, I admit I am not as optimistic about our country, specifically our state of health and fitness.

It got me wondering whether the Declaration of Independence could be used by those interested as more than simply a metaphor, but a commitment and personal declaration to unlearn and let go of all that is holding them back from living a life filled with health and vitality.

I submit that it can indeed. (more…)

By Dave Reddy, ago

Hey, It’s All About the Calories, Right? Not! | Poliquin Lifestyle Article Re-Post

Food is Fuel! Dave Reddy

What are you putting in your tank?

‘Course that ignores all the other things that sugar does besides provide (empty) calories: like raise blood sugar, depress the immune system, rob the body of calcium and use up mineral stores. But that’s another story.

This quote (from the article linked to below) is referring to the idea that all you need to do is “burn” more calories than you eat to lose weight. If only it was that simple. trainers and weight loss coaches would have degrees in Mathematics instead of Anatomy & Physiology.

I stumbled upon this enlightening (and pretty short and sweet) article reiterating the problem with counting calories, both when eating and “burning” calories in your attempts to lose or manage your weight.

Frankly, as with too many things in the fitness “industry”, you are being sold bad science … or at least outdated, short sided, incomplete science at best.

Check out the link below for more. In the meantime, remember, when it comes to your food, focus on these four things: (more…)

By Dave Reddy, ago

Plank Technique for a Stronger Core with Several Variations (with videos)

Dave Reddy Military Fitness Consultingdoinng side planks

“I love the smell of 60 side planking soldiers in the morning.” This is a side plank – push up set we did with Army reservists at Jefferson Barracks. Check out the video below of me demonstrating this move.

Simplicity usually = awesome. Therefore, let’s just say planks = good. Abdominal crunches = bad. Your abdominal muscles, rather your core (think of your “core” as everything from your upper thighs and pelvis to your lower rib cage and waist) functions to BRACE your mid section.

When you squat down to pick something up for example, ideally, your “corset” of muscles (AKA your core) act as a web of muscle tissue running in every direction between your pelvis, your rib cage and spine. When they contract together, you will have a strong torso, protected back, and the ability to maintain strong, durable posture whether standing, bending over or squatting down.

“Chuck Norris doesn’t sleep … he merely planks for 8 hours a night.”

Needless to say, Chuck is awesome, but the point of this quote is to make the point that we live as we exercise. So while Chuck Norris can plank for 8 hours every night, doing just a few minutes (10 seconds at a time working up to 45-60 seconds max) will help you find, activate and strengthen your deep core muscles.

So again, we live as we train. If we do not exercise at all, your daily movement (walking to work, typing all day long, picking up your kids, walking the stairs) suffers. If you train with poor posture (and God knows we see it every day in the fitness center), you will stand around with bad posture telling your friends how much you “workout.” Don’t be that guy (or gal;)

So while your intention may be like totally fantabulous when it comes to strengthening you core and tightening your waist, using the cues in the first video below will make sure your planks (among other abdominal exercises) are doing what you want them to do, which includes:

  • integrate your entire chain of muscles together from hands to toes
  • train you to breathe (somewhat) regularly while holding your abdominal wall tight
  • train the important muscles just peripheral to your core, that is your rib cage and shoulder blades, spinal (think posture) muscles, and all the muscles that stabilize and mobilize your pelvis during movement
  • several other really cool benefits that allow you to walk, run and play more often.

Begin with either a elbows and knees or elbows and toes position for 10-60 seconds at a time. This first video is of me working with April on her Push Up Plank while discussing her shoulder and elbow position to maximize tension in her muscles and not her neck and joints. The following videos after that show a few variations …

Becky demonstrating a BOSU Plank – after you can hold this for 30 seconds, increase the intensity by lifting one foot at a time a few inches off of the floor for 5-10 seconds at a time

Dave doing a Plank Up Down – perform one per side, then two per side and so on up to about 5 per side equaling one set – keep your hips as square to the floor as possible. (more…)

By Dave Reddy, ago

Best Exercise for Core Strength, Burning Calories, Toning Your Thighs and Improving Your Total Body Strength (with video)

Scott Mayfield knocking out a single leg kettle bell deadlift with Coach Dave Reddy

Hockey players need some wicked single leg balance and strength, which is accomplished by performing movements such as this Single Leg Kettlebell Dead Lift. Pictured is Scott Mayfield of the University of Denver and New York Islanders NHL Team.

Was that enough of a description to catch your eye? Let’s add to the list picking up your (grand) children, learning to protect your back and spine, saving your knees, strengthening your heart and the list goes on. Personally, I like this perspective …

The best exercise for strengthening the heart — is — reaching down and lifting people up. – Ernest Blevins

If you replace “heart” with BACK and people with BARBELLS, that could be the perfect dead lift quote. (- pulled from a random T-nation forum post.)

Many of you have asked questions about dead lift variations, form and where to start in terms of weight, so Becky and I threw these videos up to demo a few ideas for you.

Remember, we primarily focus on improving total body, purposeful strength in four major movements:

  1. Dead Lift – picking something up
  2. Squat – standing up from a chair, sofa or toilet
  3. Push Up – pushing a door open, putting luggage in the  overhead bin
  4. Pull Up – starting a lawn mower, pulling a vacuum sweeper, pulling yourself up off of the floor

Here are a few tips and variations of  the dead lift:

Becky is here doing a few single leg dead lift variations:

And just for kicks, here are a few high light videos of Brandi, Fritz, Susie and I doing heavier Trap Bar Dead Lifts:

B Will knocking out a 165 lb Dead Lift (this is the first time she has ever performed this exercise, FYI … one Saturday morning at our Saturday Strength Club Workout.) (more…)

By Dave Reddy, ago

Best Breakfast for Health, Weight Loss and Athleticism? A Few Awesome Options for You

A few organic eggsWeight loss is not simply about calories in and calories out. Otherwise we would have mathematicians telling us what to eat instead of nutritionists. Our physiology is simply not that simple.

Today let’s talk about breakfast. Beginning your day with these two keys for more energy and successful weight management:

  1. balance your blood sugar (hormones)
  2. fuel your body with a nutrient-dense breakfast that will get you through a great workout and/or a productive day at the office.

It’s All About Your Hormones

Building health, managing your weight and training like an athlete is about understanding and balancing (maybe optimizing is a better word) several hormonal systems in your body. Hormones are barely understood by most people, though we all know they are crazy important. How many times have you accused someone of being “hormonal?” Diabetes is a hormonal issue. What helped Barry Bonds hit home-runs? That’s right, hormones.  Are you feeling stressed about life right now? Stress hormones basically cause your body to store fat and waste muscle. Do you know how a healthy person knows that they are full after eating a meal? A signal to the brain from a hormone.

In an attempt to simplify, here are three categories with a few common hormones you may recognize: (more…)

By Dave Reddy, ago