Progressions and Periodization

The key to effective training is to employ the principles of periodization and progressions to your routine. PERIODIZATION means that your workouts are organized into cycles, with increasing and decreasing focus on different elements of your fitness. One way to periodize your workouts is to switch the emphasis of your sessions between cardio, strength and power. PROGRESSIONS are, simply put, making your exercises incrementally more challenging as you master them.

Using periodization brings a focus to different elements of your fitness and creates a healthy, strong body.

An example of using periodization would be the following routine:

Weeks 1-2

jog (for cardio) at a moderate pace (to build a fitness base)

light strength training

Weeks 3-4

jog for half the distance, but at a quicker pace

introduce lunges, squats, pushups and rows into your routine (to build strength)

Weeks 5-6

sprint for timed or distanced intervals

perform plyometrics versions of squats, lunges, pushups and rows (building power)

Week 7

return to easy jogging and light strength training to give your body a rest

After you complete the first seven weeks, you start the cycle all over again, altering only one variable in each exercise to make it more challenging. This is referred to as using a TRAINING PROGRESSION. For instance, you can add more repetitions or weight to your weight training exercises. If running, increase the distance incrementally through each cycle, or add bigger hills.

As long as you manipulate only one variable at a time, you'll ensure a steady and sustainable rate of progress and reduce your chance of injury. You should always feel in control of whatever exercise you are doing and be able to perform it with good form. If you find yourself unable to complete an exercise with good form, it's a sign that you're progressing too quickly and you need an easier variation of the exercise.

Work with your trainer on customizing a periodization routine, and progressions that work for you. Be organized and diligent. You'll be surprised at how much and how quickly you will improve with a consistent effort and a little structure.


Lark Miller
Infinite Fitness
Bently Reserve
301 Battery St. SF CA 94111

Phone 415.250.5236
Email lark@coachlark.com
Web coachlark.com

How to use the Glycemic Index to get the energy you want

The glycemic index—or GI—is a measure of how high and for how long a food raises your blood glucose or blood sugar level.

Foods that are digested quickly have a high GI and raise blood glucose and insulin dramatically. Foods that are digested more slowly don't raise blood glucose or insulin levels nearly as high and are considered “low GI”.

This is very far from an exact science. The GI of a food is affected by how much of it you eat, how you combine it with other foods, how it is prepared, what time of day you eat, and even what you have eaten the day before.

However, these general guidelines can help you plan your eating to keep your energy level on track. Foods with a high GI will deliver a short burst of energy (great if you are about to take a run or a spin class); foods with a low GI will deliver longer, sustained energy and are generally better for a stable metabolism.

To be smart about your eating habits, avoid eating foods with a high GI if you are simply going to sit on your sofa. They’ll end up stored as fat, make you gain weight, and you’ll feel tired as soon as your blood glucose level drops.

In general, foods with a low GI are better for your overall health and energy level. Use high GI foods sparingly, unless you need quick emergency blood glucose replacement to keep going or to keep your energy level from crashing.

Here’s an easy chart to help you figure out which foods are low GI and which are high.




Lark Miller
email: lark@coachlark.com
web: coachlark.com
phone: 415.250.5236

The Three Planes of Motion

Being 3-dimensional creatures, our bodies physically exist in three planes. These planes coordinate with the types of movement we train in:

• Sagittal: an imaginary vertical plane that cuts our body into left and right halves Motion along the sagittal plan moves us backward and forward, like when walking or running. The goal is to employ both sides of the body equally.
  
  
  
• Frontal: this vertical plane divides our body into the front and back. When you move along the frontal plan, therefore, you move your front and back parts equally. For instance, jumping jacks.
  
  
  
• Transverse: Diagonal or rotational movement, like when you plant your feet and twist around to look behind you.
  

The bulk of training takes place in the sagittal plane, as does the majority of movement in general. However, it's important to spend time training in the other planes of motion as well.

One good frontal plane exercise is side arm raises, which tone shoulder muscles that don't always get a lot of love. Squat presses (combining a squat and an overhead press) are king calorie burners as they work every muscle in the body while combining frontal and sagital plane movement.

Along the transverse plane, rotational exercises are crucial core strengtheners once sufficient strength in the sagital and frontal planes has been achieved. In order to protect the spine during twists, it's important to maintain a neutral spine. This means we train the hips and ankles to mobilize properly to allow the body to rotate without using the spine to flex or twist. This is a crucial concept and one that must be mastered by everyone who trains with me.


Lark Miller
Infinite Fitness
Bently Reserve
301 Battery St. SF CA 94111

Phone 415.250.5236
Email lark@coachlark.com
Web coachlark.com

How a Strong Core Supports a Healthy Back

A few months ago I talked about how core training is an integral part of whole-body strength and functioning: http://coachlark.blogspot.com/2009/05/core-training-basics.html

More specifically, having a strong supple core supports your back muscles, which helps to prevent and heal back injury and ensure a strong healthy spine.

Last week I brought up the concept of oppositional muscle groups. In all sets of oppositional muscles, there is an agonist (the muscle group that is in charge of moving a body part) and an antagonist (the one that resists movement). Lower back muscles and abdominal muscles respond to each other like this. When the abdominal muscles contract (shorten), the low back muscles relax (lengthen)

In training, we work to bring these sets of muscles into balance, by strengthening and empowering the core belly muscles so that they do their share of the work. This allows back muscles to relax and stretch, increasing the length and height of your spine, making you taller and, more importantly, decreasing the risk of injury.

You can bring awareness into your core in little ways by remembering to engage your belly while walking, standing, and even while simply sitting. This gentle, consistent toning will encourage your belly muscles to step up and support proper posture, allowing your back to relax a bit.

Lark Miller
email: lark@coachlark.com
web: coachlark.com
phone: 415.250.5236