Justin's Blog

Thoughts on Fitness, Business, and the Fitness Business.

[justinlspringer]

Go Big!

People generally make two types of mistakes: mistakes of action and mistakes of indecision.

Mistakes made in the former scenario are rarely ever irreversible or irreparable, but usually scary. Mistakes made in the latter are often never even realized. 

Realizing a dream can never happen without massive action will usually elicit a good amount of fear.

Do it anyway. 

Have you considered quitting your job to pursue a new business idea? 

What would happen if that new idea failed? 

If it did, could you get your old job back or one similar? Would you lose your home or not be able to put food on the table if the absolute worse case scenario happened?

Doubtful. 

Instead of letting the fear of "what could happen" if you made a decision of action plague you, play out the worse case scenario. 

Odds are it really isn't as bad as you think. 

So stop whining and GO BIG!

[justinlspringer]

Better is relative

“Better” is a relative and subjective opinion made by someone based on their personal assumptions.

Is Apple better than Microsoft?

Your assumptions on what you think to be a good computer/tablet/audio player/phone, etc. will determine your answer.

There is no absolute, just opinion.

 If you own a business, focusing on being “better” than your competitors is a short-sighted approach.  

Some people, no matter what you say or do, will not think you are better and will take their business to a competitor.

This is to be expected. Some will. Some won't. So what? Someone is waiting. 

Your approach to business will attract a certain clientele and your SOLE goal should be how to better serve THEM.

[justinlspringer]

Occam's Razor

"It is vain to do with more what can be done with fewer" - Aristotle

Occam's Razor states that when confronted with a problem that has competing solutions the solution that makes least assumptions is probably correct. 

Basically, the simplest solution is usually the right solution.

I have found this concept quite helpful over the years. Whether it is a decision made at home or in my company, the simplest, cleanest solution is usually the one that turns out to be the best choice. 

Next time you are confronted with a problem and can't decide which way to go, try applying Occam's Razor and simplify your life. 

[justinlspringer]

Don't confuse noise with coaching.

“Be silent or let thy words be worth more than silence.”  ― Pythagoras

You only need to speak when you are providing something of value. 

Talking purely because you think something needs to be said is nothing more than noise. 

Often times in the gym that noise is filled with the attempt to be encouraging. I understand the desire to do this. However, you begin to water down your own words and resemble more of a cheerleader than a coach. 

If an athlete needs correcting and you are the coach, your goal is to do so as SIMPLY as possible. Use clear, direct, actionable cues in as few words as possible to elicit the intended response. 

Only say what needs to be said, nothing more. 

Running around the gym screaming your head off may seem like you are doing a lot or that you are an involved coach but is similar to watching your dog hump the bean bag on the living room floor.

A lot is going on, but nothing will ever come of it. 

[justinlspringer]

The stories we tell ourselves.

I have trained people who are convinced that they are too old, too fat, too broken, too injured, too “fill in the blank”….and by making that their story it of course becomes their reality.

Our lives are a physical manifestation of the stories we tell ourselves.

Be conscious of these stories, they will dictate the course of your life.

[justinlspringer]

Stop selling, start enrolling

A great salesman doesn't sell at all, they enroll. 

Every day, in every capacity of your life, you strive to enroll people into your version (or vision) of the world.

You enroll your husband to pick up after himself.

You enroll your wife to let you golf.

You enroll your boss to give you a raise.

You enroll an employee to perform better.

You enroll a new client to buy something from you.

You enroll a vendor to offer you a cheaper price.

You enroll your kids to brush their teeth.

Life IS enrollment.

Differentiating selling and enrollment:

Selling, in our context, is a blanket euphemism for any approach you use to get (or try to get) the result you want that is more often than not, uncomfortable, leads to argument, leaves either party unsatisfied, or only solves the problem for a brief period of time (or not at all).

Enrollment, in our context, is a blanket euphemism to get the result you want in a way that is comfortable, agreeable, leaves both parties satisfied and provides a long-term solution to the problem.

If you are trying to change a behavior in someone learning the art of enrollment will save time, energy and will ultimately be more productive for you in the long run.

So I ask you this:

If you want a relationship to work (any relationship), what percentage of responsibility should you assume?

Many people say 50%, half mine and half theirs.

In actuality it is 100%.

Take 100% responsibility for understanding the other persons, needs, wants and fears, because if you know this then you can provide a REAL solution that will resonate deeply.

Understand what your client (husband,wife,employee,boss,friend)  needs, what they want and what they fear. Then, you can enroll them into a positive solution that you or your company can provide, thereby creating a comfortable, agreeable, mutually satisfactory, long-term sale.

Or not….because the hook is this:

For enrollment to truly work you must be completely unattached to the outcome.

[justinlspringer]

4 Years a Guerrilla

guer·ril·la * noun

 a member of a small independent group taking part in irregular fighting, typically against larger regular forces.

  Guerrilla was started early in the summer of 2010 at Rockhill park in Southwest Fort Wayne.

With no capital, little equipment and no space we decided to start training people outside in small groups for $10 an hour.

In August of 2010 we were able to co-lease a small dance studio on the Northeast side of Fort Wayne and officially opened up Fort Wayne Strength and Conditioning. We affiliated with CrossFit the following month.

In early 2011, we had outgrown that space and moved to 158 East Collins Drive into a singular unit of 1600 square feet.

Since then we have expanded twice and taken over two other units and have been blessed with an unbelievably passionate membership base, quality coaches and a great facility.

Guerrilla started as an idea. An opportunity to create something different and something special. From day one our mission hasn't changed; our goal is to provide quality training, in a professional and fun environment.

We fully embrace the notion of working hard and playing hard.

Nothing is more important to us than the success of our members, inside and outside of the gym, and their loyalty and appreciation is all the fuel we need to keep moving forward.

To become a Guerrilla is to ardently oppose mediocrity of any kind. We are a group of people who take 100% responsibility for our lives and do whatever we can to improve the lives of others.

We don't follow trends or fall in line.

We are hardened, lead from the front vanguards committed to living the best life possible and taking ourselves on:

Every. Single. Day.

We do not ask for easier lives, we work hard to become stronger people. Where others see obstacles we see opportunities. We welcome challenge and embrace the sometimes gut-wrenching discernment of competition, because we know we will be better for it on the other side.

We know that fear exists only in the mind, and that anyone can accomplish anything at anytime.

We understand that there is no substitute for effort. That any shortcoming in your life whether real or perceived can be overcome by pure, unadulterated, knuckle-grinding effort.

Above all, we know that a life spent in the service of others, is a life well-lived.

[justinlspringer]

Torque and Stiffness

The keys to setting PR’s and lifting when your 90.

Torque: Torque is a measure of how much a force acting on an object causes that object to rotate.

Stiffness: Stiffness results from co-contraction (the simultaneous contraction of the agonist and antagonist muscles) of muscles in the body. I.E. contracting your bicep and tricep at the same time will help create stiffness in the elbow.

The above principles apply to all major barbell movements: Squat, Press, Deadlift, Clean, Snatch, Bench, etc. and just about any other functional movement done in training.

Effectively applying both principles is vital to optimizing our current performance and remaining healthy in order to train in the latter years of our life aka staving off injury.

When pulling a heavy dead, clean or snatch you should be actively engaging torque at the hip and shoulder and creating super-stiffness in the midline.

Let’s try and make this simple:

Torque in the shoulders: Imagine holding a stick out in front of you parallel with the floor, both palms down. Now imagine breaking that stick such that when you break it your thumbs are pointing at the ceiling. Now drive your shoulder blades to your butt (while squeezing your abdominals). DO this same thing when you are attempting a heavy pull of any kind.

(Caveat: The Alternate grip often used during the deadlift should be minimized. It does not allow for effective creation of torque in the shoulder of the arm that is being alternated. Try breaking the proverbial stick in the paragraph above, with one hand holding a reverse grip.)

Torque in the Hips: Whether your stance is hip width, shoulder width or wider; point your toes forward as much as possible and then “screw” your feet into the floor. Another way is to imagine that you are “squashing a bug” you step on the bug and then rotate your hip externally to squash it (without moving your foot). Do this when you are pulling or squatting and you will create torque in the hip. You can place your hands on the top of both Glutes and feel the difference between active and not-active, by “screwing” your feet into the ground and then relaxing it. Glute activation is vital to performance and safety when pulling and squatting heavy.

Stiffness: We are all used to taking a big breath before attempting a heavy lift. But I see most people take that deep breath and basically hold the air in their lungs, making their chest rise more than anything and giving the illusion that we are now “stiff.” Ideally, we want to transfer that pressure into the abdominals. “Pushing the belly out” after you take a deep breathe is a great cue to help understand this. You can also practice Diaphragmatic Breathing by simply laying on your back and consciously breathing with your diaphragm while not letting your chest rise and fall, it may help to apply some slight resistance with your hands on your stomach to have something to actively breathe against. You will know you are doing this correctly because a few days after a heavy training session your abdominals will feel like you did 200 sit ups.

(When all muscles at a joint stiffen together a "super stiffness" phenomenon generally occurs. The total stiffness at a joint suddenly becomes more than the sum of individual muscle stiffnesses. Consider the abdominal wall in creating "core stability". Rectus abdominis, external and internal oblique and transverse abdominis appear to bind together when all are active to create a super stiffness higher than the sum of each individual muscle. For those activities that demand high core or torso stability, all muscles must be activated, never isolate one. Furthermore, as will be shown later, high performance in athletics requires rapid muscle activation onset and force development, together with equally rapid reduction of muscle force. Super stiffness needs only to occur briefly in such cases, but if it needs to be brief, the motor control system must be highly tuned to ensure optimal super stiffness.) - Stu McGill

If you experience lower back pain or significant fatigue after any sort of heavy pulling session (Deads, Cleans, Snatches) more than likely you are not creating enough hip torque and/or generating sufficient stiffness…..apply both principles and see what happens.

Try these three tactics with a relatively light barbell and get a feel for them, generally a few reps at light weight, while creating maximal torque and stiffness, will leave you fatigued. It will also add lbs to your lifts and protect your body in the long run.

Train On! 

[justinlspringer]

Exertion Headaches

Exertion headaches (often called exercise headaches, or weightlifters migraine) usually occur during strenuous bouts of exercise.

I wanted to take some time to address this topic since myself, and several of our athletes have experienced these types of headaches over the course of our athletic careers. Delving into the literature reveals some insight, but none that I can find with a solid plan of action. Most sources provide very little insight into the root cause of the headaches.

Some say it could be the increase in intracranial pressure due to the valsalva maneuver and others say straining of the cervical muscles and tendons.  And the main prescription that is offered in solving the problem is either:

1.) Avoid exercise

2) Manage with medication.

If you are anything like me, both solutions are no bueno. 

So after several personal bouts with these types of headaches I started to dig into the issue and started to identify some common movement faults and patterns along with some very helpful rehab and prevention strategies.

I began with looking at the first time each person I know of that has experienced these headaches first noticed them. For me it was during overhead squats, another during double unders, and another during pull ups, one during muscle ups, and a few during deadlifts.

I then asked everybody to explain the onset and intensity of the headaches. Everyone was very similar: The headaches were severe, throbbing, almost blinding and unrelenting. Some ranged from 10 mins up to (my personal worst) about 48 hours. Some were associated with nausea.

What we ultimately noticed was a breakdown in stability of the cervical spine over time. Like many injuries it does not stem from one specific instance (though it may feel like it) it actually is building up over time. We postulate: Once we begin hyper-extending the upper cervical spine, especially under load, we begin to put significant pressure on our cervical vertebrae which ultimately can create a nerve impingement eliciting a sympathetic response triggering vasodilation of the blood vessels in the head making it feel like some is beating you over the head with a Kettlebell in rhythm with your heart beat.

As coaches we all know we should teach a neutral head position.  So a large chunk of this conversation lies within the concept of threshold training: Being able to train at a high-intensity while maintaining proper form and technique.

This threshold is easily ignored when in competition or chasing a PR. I understand this. The goal is to train smarter and scale load and/or intensity as needed. It is no good for the athlete to push his/her limits only to be sidelined for a month due to injury. 

     Hyper-extended Cervical Spine = no good. 

  Musculature involved:

We identified 3 muscle groups that can play a significant role in this process. When an improper movement pattern or muscular imbalance goes untreated for long periods of time your muscles will adapt to the incorrect pattern or imbalance – meaning we then need a strategy to lengthen/mobilize and “re-wire” the muscles involved in the movement pattern.

Mobilize:

We started looking at the upper trapezius, scalenes and SternoCleidoMastoid (SCM) muscles. By mobilizing these 3 muscle groups on a DAILY basis, pre and post workout we found we were able to alleviate a lot of the pressure and tightness that is felt in association with these headaches. My personal opinion is that a lot of this issue stems from tight scalenes. I say this because many of the athletes, myself included, who focused mostly on scalene lengthening, noticed a significant decrease in frequency of the headaches.

Scalene Stretch

Upper Trap stretch with head pull

Trap smash with Lacrosse Ball

T – Spine Mobility

Cervical Traction

Correct Movement:

Once we identified the mechanism of injury and started to target and mobilize what we feel were the main muscle groups involved we then needed a corrective strategy.

Here is what we implemented:

Overhead Kettlebell Walks

Slow Light Deads with good posture

We would also consciously focus on how much we were “shrugging” during the WOD. What I mean here is as you get fatigued are you activating your upper traps in a shrug fashion? (we sometimes don’t realize we are) If so, this could be playing a significant role in the process. Filming a workout or two can also provide some helpful insight.

  If you are experiencing these headaches here is our Plan of Action:

1.)    Stop the training session (for some people this goes without saying, others will push through: Don’t)

2.)    Reduce volume of training for the next week, ease into workouts only if there is no neck/head pain

3.)    Mobilize using the above methods prescribed above - everyday – pre and post WOD

4.)    Implement corrective strategy as outlined above

5.)    Find a chiropractor (preferably one that understands how you train) and get adjusted. Some soft tissue work around C-1 and C-2 can be helpful as well. 

[justinlspringer]

Be Spectator Friendly.

For the initiated, two weekends ago the USA Powerlifting National Meet was held in Colorado and the USA Weightlifting National meet was held in Utah.

Let me preface my critiques with this: I love both sports. I love watching them, competing in them and coaching athletes who compete in them but they both need to drastically improve.

This past weekend was some of the largest competitor turn outs in the history of both sports.

One of our own Guerrillas, Elizabeth FIinner, competed at USAPL Nationals and finished 6th in her weight class (84+)

USAPL Nationals July 20th, 2014

Lift       Attempt 1 Attempt 2 Attempt 3

Squat: 335.5, -357.5, 357.5

Bench: 181.5, -192.5, -192.5

Deadlift: 335.5, 374, -407

Total:     913 lbs

She did great and we are revamping her training to make sure she puts up an even better total next year. 

Here's my beef: the feed was blurry, unimaginative,  hard to follow and the audio was terrible, not to mention during my athletes first bench press attempt the feed switch to the prior day men’s deadlift session for no apparent reason. The audio issues could have been fixed by a 7th grade AV geek at any local middle school but it remained terrible for the entire 4 days.

USA Weightlifting was better, but still bad.

People want more of both sports. They both need to get with the times and offer a more spectator friendly live feed during all major national events.

In the spirit of not complaining about a problem without introducing a solution........

Improvements could include:

A clear picture.

Clear sound.

The ability to watch one session or one weight class at a time, not a split screen.

Intelligent and managed commentary that explains what is going on and background on the athletes.

A LIVE leaderboard so we know who is winning and by how much.

A roster showing who the next few lifters are and when they will start.

An easy to access timeline of the weekend and when each lifter will start.

Some people will respond with, “stop bitching, the live feed was free!”

True.

But so is every other major sporting event that I watch.

The more spectator friendly you can make a sport, the greater the following you will have.

Get a Social Media team, production and editing team and make your sport FUN TO WATCH, the growth will follow. 

[justinlspringer]

The Lateral Option

Often times when we are confronted with a significant decision we convince ourselves that there are only linear options:

Yes or no, I can or I can’t, etc.

Instead of fixating on two options, focus your brain on locating the lateral option.

Should I buy that property or not?  What is the lateral option?

Should I hire/fire someone? What is the lateral option?

Should I quit my job to start my own business? What is the lateral option?

I’m not saying it’s easy. Often times the lateral option is hidden, subtle and complex.

 But I will tell you that no matter the situation, there is ALWAYS a lateral option and when you train your brain to look for it, you open up a whole new world of possibilities. 

[justinlspringer]

Don’t train like an idiot

Often times, especially with CrossFit, we have a tendency to get caught up in training with maximal loads and intensity ALL the time. This is not smart.

Training should be challenging and push you but it should not DESTROY you, at least not all of the time.

It has been said that elite athletes have a unique ability to “not” listen to their bodies which is why they can push through a tough training session time and time again. Though this is true in some degree, it also incomplete.

There are moments within a training session where your MIND is telling you to stop, this is different, and pushing through the psychological limitations is a unique and acquired skill. However, we SHOULD be paying attention to what are body is capable of THAT day.

Our best varies from day to day, and if the Strength Workout of the day calls for a 5x5 Deadlift and you have injured your lower back it is not tough to attempt the Deadlifts…..it is stupid.

The goal should never be to “puke” after a workout or be so sore that we are limping around the house five days after our last training session, though these things happen from time to time; it is not what we are trying to accomplish.

My point is to get people thinking intelligently about how they train and to remove the ego from the training session (this much harder for some than others).  If your mind is telling you to stop or that it hurts too badly, or that you could short the workout a few reps, then yes, by all means push through, this is mental fortitude and it is good, but this is much different than doing the heavy deads with an injured back.

If you enjoy hard training sessions now, and you want to enjoy hard training sessions when you’re 60, then you need to train intelligently today. 

[justinlspringer]

Vision

Vision comes from well-spent time gathering information about your industry and asking questions that no one else is asking, or approaching a common problem from an uncommon perspective.

Instead of the question, “How do I build a better mouse trap,” start with “What's the point of trapping the mouse?”

Play a different game than everyone else and the market will allocate the appropriate capital in your direction.

[justinlspringer]

The CrossFit Bubble

Many coaches I know have no experience in Strength and Conditioning outside of the massive world of CrossFit. They started training at a CrossFit gym, went to a CrossFit seminar, started coaching CrossFit and only talk about CrossFit.

This leads to a short-sighted approach to the even bigger world that is Strength and Conditioning.

There are many other organizations that offer value, some more than others.

National Strength and Conditioning Association, American College of Sports Medicine, Boyle’s Seminars, RKC, Perform Better, Functional Movement Screening, USA Powerlifting, USA Weightlifting, Strong First, Academia all exist and have existed for some time.

If you are a coach and your only experience in Strength and Conditioning is CrossFit then I would encourage you to step outside the bubble and get a new perspective.

Don’t get me wrong, no other organization has done a better job professionalizing the trainer than CrossFit.

Now I’m not saying you shouldn't drink the Kool-Aid, just know that there are different flavors. 

[justinlspringer]

The Craftsman and the Hobbyist

A Craftsman is someone who sets out to master their work.

A Hobbyist is nothing more than an opportunist looking to dabble or make a quick buck.

As a consumer, beware of giving your business to the Hobbyist, they are here today and gone tomorrow.

As a business owner, if you are true Craftsman then you should not concern yourself with the hobbyist.

Your only focus should be further mastery of your craft.

[justinlspringer]

Effort!

Businesses don’t fail due to lack of capital. They fail because of lack of vision and effort.

Effort (Work Ethic) is the greatest equalizer in business and in life.

All of your competitors can be smarter, better funded, better connected, have better facilities, a better location or anything else that one might deem an advantage.

And you can render all of that completely irrelevant if you take it upon yourself to never be out-worked. 

Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.

Winston Churchill

Here is Ray Lewis' take on Effort. 

[justinlspringer]

Detach

What someone said.

What someone did.

What you THINK someone said or did.

Stop wasting time being attached to other people’s actions or opinions.

Your day is too short and your mission is too important.

Let it go.