RPE scale

I've been getting a lot of question about auto-regulation and the RPE scale that myself and other coaches and lifters use to gauge their training. 

So quick overview:  autoregulation is a strategy to control the intensity and volume of training so as to maximize training effect while accounting for changes in the individual. 

Changes which impact training can include stress, illness, and injury. 

It's important to note first that "stress is stress.” 

Whether stress originates from training volume, from relationship problems, from money problems – there’s only one mechanism in the body for coping. So if that mechanism is busy coping with external stressors, the last thing we want to do increase stress from training.

A tactic that can be employed is RPE. 

RPE quite intuitively provides a means to regulate intensity on-the-fly: the basic concept employed is that of “difficulty in moving the weight.” As the athlete adds weight to the bar for the back squat, the move becomes progressively more difficult, and the athlete works with more intensity, up to maximum possible intensity: the one-rep max (1RM). 

Intensity determines training effect.

So why not just use the 1RM, and Prilepin’s table ( percentages x reps/sets = total volume ), and develop training blocks based on that?

During a training cycle, the typical athlete will not test their 1RM all that frequently; one reason for this might be that it just doesn’t really matter. If the lifter is currently focusing on hypertrophy, and keeping the reps high, it doesn’t matter all that much if she can lift 100lbs for 1 rep; what really matters is how difficult it is to complete that lift for 10 reps, or 15 reps, or 20 reps.

How important is this? 

Well, for a couple sessions, it might not matter. The coach might prescribe (say) deadlifts, 3×3, at 315lbs. The athlete might be tired, run-down, or whatever, and really only capable of pulling 305 lbs for 3×3. So, the athlete doesn’t complete the final set, maybe getting only two reps. Or maybe the athlete slams an extra Monster, does some Nose Tork, and makes the full workout.

The problem is that the athlete has started to dip deeper into their recovery reserves with the latter move; on the other hand, failing to complete a workout is viewed as a failure – perhaps most importantly in the athlete’s mind, but certainly they didn’t get the training effect the coach was hoping to achieve. Again, for a session or two, probably not a big deal. But let this happen frequently enough, and the damage adds up.

This is where RPE comes into play. RPE is specific to the lifter, performing this exercise, at this time. Rather than shooting for a prescribed weight – which we’ve seen might miss the desired intensity – we program for a desired RPE, or level of effort.

One example of this is based upon “reps left in the tank.” 

The following gives us some RPEs and their basic description:
– 6 and below is warm up work – that is, I can increase the bar speed by bringing more force to the bar.

– 7 is “dynamic effort”, where the weight is such that I can maintain bar speed for my set while putting maximal force on the bar, but I can’t increase bar speed.

– 8 means I have 2-3 more reps “in the tank”.

– 9 means I have 1 more rep “in the tank”.

– 10 means no more reps left in the tank.

So, going back to our example: our athlete now has a program which prescribes:
Deadlift: 3 sets of 3 Reps @RPE8
Notice how no weight is prescribed. The athlete is expected to determine working weight by gauging RPE. Typically, an athlete will add weight to the bar in some kind of natural increments: starting at 135, then going to 185, then 225, then 275, and the athlete will then think about what 275 felt like. She might feel like 275 was really easy, she knows she’s hit 315 in the past, and in the past 275 was much harder; she feels adequately warmed up, so she decides to jump to 325 for her work sets.

No more prescribed weights. That’s the first thing to notice about a system employing autoregulation. Instead, an intensity is prescribed, and the athlete is told to use whatever weight is required to develop that intensity. The weights don’t matter; they’re just numbers we use to help gauge our level of intensity.

Patrick Ciera

How Often "should" I eat?

How often should I eat to maximize fat and weight loss? Myself and our staff get this question very very often. 3x a day, 5x a day, intermittent fast, or 7 small meals a day to “burn” more calories? The definitive answer, once and for all is( drum roll please) It all depends. I know, not the answer you’re looking for. Everyone is different, has different likes/dislikes, works different hours, has different social and work obligations etc... Ultimately fat loss comes down to consuming less calories and moving more( and sometimes a combination of the two). So how to you determine a “good plan” to follow? Well the “eat 6 times a day to increase your metabolism” is not true. The calories you burn by consuming food is called TEF(thermic effect of food). The “cost” of doing this on average is 10% of the calories you consume in a day. 2500 calories consumed, equals 250 kcal's burned essentially processing them. It doesn't matter if it took you 2meals or 7 meals to get the 2500 calories. TEF will be the same(250 calories burned). So eating smaller meals, more frequently isn't more effective for fat loss, than larger meals( assuming calories and protein are the SAME). Ill list a few pros and cons of smaller meals and you can decide for yourself what works better for you. Pros of smaller meals, in my opinion and experience NONE.  It takes more work, more clean up, more time spent from being productive in other areas etc. Also, if you're consuming a low calorie diet (1200 calories or so) those small meals ( approx kcal's)150-250 each, you’re never really going to feel full/satisfied. Some people can handle that, others will struggle and end up over eating/bingeing. Positives of larger meals, client stays “fuller” for a longer period of time. The meals are more substantial. It allows for more freedom in food choices as well as not having to bring tupperware everywhere you go. For many clients, having a larger meal at night, prevents some mindless snacking and many also report having an easier time falling asleep. Many people are afraid of carbs or food after some arbitrarily established time(usually 6pm). This is utter non sense. There is no food fairy that is hovering around your dinner table and after the magic time of 6pm, they start to sprinkle magic fat onto your food. The reason this myth still exists is to to strategic marketing of various products/plans as well as the fact that you’re removing calories from the daily consumption. Most people don't tend to eat extra servings of broccoli and fruit after 6pm. Its usually dessert, ice cream, chips, beer etc. This could easily add 500-750+ calories to your daily total. If you REMOVE that many calories from the diet, it doesn't matter what time the extra calories are subtracted from the daily diet.( no matter what Oprah professes) Take into consideration shift workers, we have a few paramedics/FF’s/nurses and police that work overnights and still find a way to lose weight/get leaner.  Your metabolism works 24/7, not just up until 6:01pm EST. Take home message: 1.Try to consume protein at every meal ( approximately the size of a deck of cards) will equate to 25 grams of protein, give or take. For carbs, the size of your closed fist will give you approximately 25 carbs.  For fruit choices(carbs as well) visualize a tennis ball to gauge portions. For fat sources, 1/2 ping pong ball will do the trick. Most people severely UNDER estimate how much food they consume as well as OVER estimate how many calories they burn during exercise. This is obviously a bad combo. Use the above tips to help with portion control. Clients have lost weight on 3 meals, 5 meals, 6 meals and 2 meals plus 2 snacks a day( Im probably missing a few combinations as well). What really matters is picking a plan you can follow. Trying to make 1200 kcal's last through 5 meals is pretty tough. If you’re able to consume 2500 or more, eating 8-9x day of 275 kcal's probably isn't practical either. So in that case, a few larger meals of 400-500 kcal's or more plus a few snacks will do the trick. Don't stress over the frequency of meals. It can be 4 one day, 5 the next and 2 larger meals with 1-2 snacks. The added stress could set you up for failure and potentially cause or have food issues re-emerge. If I had to pick one thing, it would be to consume a quality protein at every meal. This will help build and maintain muscle as well as promote satiety. Protein sources are: Low fat dairy(yogurt/cheese/cottage cheese), chicken breast,turkey breast, fresh fish(cod/haddock/halibut/tuna tilapia) shell fish, eggs, egg whites/beaters, filet, lean  sirloin and salmon. Hopefully this article helps you with determining what works best for you. As always, if you have any questions, please email us and we will be happy to point you in the right direction( for you).

Chris Tybor

Consistency is Key

The Key to consistent progress is being consistent 

 

This seems to be too obvious to most, but is commonly a problem when many do not see the result they are after, or feel they should be attaining.

When someone comes to me regarding their progress, there are a few common questions I ALWAYS ask-

 

Did you hit your macro/calorie goal (within +/- 5g) 95% of the time over the last month?

Where is your food log?

What did you HONESTLY eat yesterday?

How many training sessions have you missed?

Where is your training journal?

 

Too often people do not have the answers to these questions. This is exactly why you are not where you want to be.

Everyone has different goals and motivation levels. Not everyone is going to count their macros and follow a strict regimen, and that is ok. Regardless, you have you have some kind of measureable benchmarks in your eating routine AND training. Let’s think about this, if your food is all over the place, and every day you have different amounts of fats, carbs, and protein, how in the world are you supposed to know what needs to change to so you see change? The same goes for your training. Working hard is great, but just because you are working hard does not mean you are actually accomplishing more, or even being conducive you what you are trying to attain.

 

For those that may be busy and/or for whatever reason will not be logging daily into a log such as my fitnesspal, you can still have success. Something others as well as myself have done in the past is to first have a common ~5 meals you will be eating on a daily basis. (Note, some initial math is involved) Based on the size/macros your meals should be, you can ballpark them to all be close in P/C/F and cal, so you know that by the end of the day after having your 5 meals, you are going to be very close to where you need to be. This will take some stress away and take less time so you can put the extra time and energy in to other things.

 

As far as training goes, unless you have a REALLY good memory, you should be recording your sessions somehow. Without getting into any specific programming, how can you judge what you need to do to get your bench up when you can go back and reflect on all of your max effort days, see how your accessory training has progressed and really look at your overall volume?  While I still have my first 2 actually paper journals going back to 2004 floating around, most find it more convenient to keep an electronic journal. There are apps, or you can even just save the notes. There is no reason not to be keeping some kind of notes. Regardless if you are bodybuilding, powerlifting, training for a specific sport, of just trying to get in really good shape, being able to analyze your training, see trends, and make adjustments is not just a good idea, it is ESSENTIAL for consistent progress to intelligently build upon your session week to week, and to know when you need to take some time off..

 

Lastly, being able to go back and look at these old records is a great way to remember how far you have come. We see ourselves in the mirror every day, and often we may not realize how dramatic some of the changes we have made are. There nothing like going back in a journal and seeing the notes you wrote about how happy you were when you first squatted 225!

 

 

 Paul Emmick                                                                                                                                                       

 

Seeking Inspiration

I often venture outside of my own career field for inspiration, I'm of the firm belief that every field has something you can learn and carry over into your own ventures. 

Cooking, Archery, accounting, Writing, etc. 

As I am already a book nerd and an archer, I decided research deeper into another hobby of mine, cooking. 

I stumbled across this chef by accident really, I've been reading a lot about Massimo Bottura. He is widely regarded as the best chef in the world. 

One really interesting fact I learned, is that one of the first things you see inside the door of Massimo Bottura’s restaurant, Modena, Italy, is a self-portrait of the artist Joseph Beuys, the inscription at the bottom, in Italian,

 says,

“We are the revolution.”

Bottura has been known as a force in a culinary revolution for years now, but not necessarily in a way that ignites sweeping movements. 

He was the first to vaporize cheese into the air, so you could literally breath cheese while you eat your dinner. 

 Bottura’s handwork is of a more private and idiosyncratic strain: 

He cooks food that’s about Italy and family and history and memory and art, yes, but ultimately his eclectic platings and flavor combinations reflect the workings of his own mind.

He would tell everyone that he shares a dish with that every single bite will be different than the last. 

But what struck me as the most interesting thing about Massimo wasn't his eclectic dishes or his pronounced scenery, it was the opinion of what every single person who had met him shared. 

They all had different opinions on his dishes and his atmosphere, but somehow they all agreed, it was the way he treated them that they fell in love with. 

Massimo is widely regarded as the best chef in the world, not only for his creativity but because of how kind and kindred he is toward every single person he meets. 

And I realized what made him the best chef in the world, nobody gave a shit what he knew. Not a single person returned in hopes of an awe inspiring dish ( ok this is a bit of a lie ) 

A simple lesson I learned from one of the best chefs in the world, that can definitely be carried over to the gym, no one cares at all what you know if you don't show them that you genuinely care first. 

Patrick Ciera

Be Thankful

Seems oddly perfect time for this thought process to be shining. October brought about quite a bit of self induced stress and responsibility. I did well to manage it on my own but never stopped to realize who I was dragging behind me with the busyness and  chaos. 

After a bit of the dust settled mid October I was able to clearly tell who was really there for me even when I thought everyone was against me. This is typical of myself because when things are stressful I tend to blame the world. Rather than realize or admit that I selfishly took on "too much" at one time. 

I am of the belief that no one person has it better or worse. Not one persons problems or issues can be bigger or smaller than your own. Each of us has our own challenges and how we ourselves perceive them are all that truly matters. I dislike when people have something in life they want to complain about but minimize it thinking no one will care or others have "bigger" problems. Not that I condone constant complaining but in my mind as long as you're doing something to help yourself and ultimately make the situation better it's safe. 

My point here is even when you have things going on there are always other people who may be affected by your choices. Those who stick by you in the end choose to stand by your side and chose to give up what they will to be there in the end. These are people who deserve thanks. 

For me it became humbly apparent at my national meet.  I choose to go to nationals. I choose to dedicate the time I did. I choose to give up much of my summer to cutting an entire class. I choose to give up opportunities to do certain things to avoid risk of injury leading in to the meets. 

But there were other people who had to endure the same sacrifice solely out of love and care for me and support of my decision. They gave up their weekend to be there in full support of me, flying to Atlanta. People all sacrificed throughout the summer of me cutting not being able to do this or that because food was involved or risk of injury. Without a peep of complaint. I realized after my last pull when everyone around went absolutely crazy that I choose that all for myself and everyone else there choose it for me, selflessly lifting me up and supporting me for months on end for that one simple short moment. 

These are the moments we need to be thankful for. Step back and notice. Maybe it's just me it took that much for me to notice how incredible people in my life are. I thought long and hard after, thinking how sad it was that I doubted that I had all of that support. Hind sight is 20/20 and I'm simply throwing this out there for all of you to see prior. Be thankful now and always but especially now before you get too busy with holidays to even notice how incredible and helpful and supportive the people in your life are! 

Lauren Ciurczynski 

Have Fun!

Are you still having fun in the gym? 

Some people train because they "have to" to better their health or because it's otherwise a means to an end. But many of us do this because we enjoy it. Achieving goals might be  the endgame, but going for the ride is often the point of taking the trip. But sometimes we get bogged down along the way. It happens without realizing it. You have a sprain or minor injury. You hit a plateau. Your life gets out of whack and stress levels kill your progress. Before you know it happened you're not having fun anymore, and getting to your goals becomes a grind instead of a great experience.

I've had it happen to me and watched it from the outside more times than I care to think about. 

Someone gets a sore knee and before long they're breaking out a protractor to determine optimal right pinky toe angle away from midline in order to more evenly activate the VMO but then their TFL gets an adhesion from the shift in femur position and....shit that's just not a fun way to spend squat day!!!

Or you get a cramp in your calf and wind up tracking potassium intake to the microgram to ensure proper electrolyte balance after ingestion of precisely 37.8 fluid ounces of filtered water from an artesian well in Switzerland that supposedly has an identical PH to their intestinal tract as measured by top doctors in the surgeon generals office.

See my point? Paralysis by analysis as its known.

Sometimes we could all use a mental break and a reminder to just have fun in the gym. Knowledge is a great thing, and to be able to solve problems with science is critical to making progress. But sometimes you just need to go to the weight room, sling some iron around in the most productive way possible, and have fun doing it. You won't kill your goals by smiling or straying slightly from the plan here and there, and the mental relief of not stewing over minutiae is pretty great!

Have fun!

Steve Decker

Are you a meathead?

Before you stop reading, this is not an article full of puns reminiscent of Jeff Foxworthy. I want to share a conversation that literally changed my life.

Since the birth of my daughter, I felt that I was making all of the right steps a husband and new father should. I adjusted my schedule to spend more time at home. I started eating better to control my blood pressure and health as well as lower my weight and increase my mobility to play with her on the floor and overall longevity. I was getting a lot less sleep and spending less time with friends, less time watching tv and spending as much time as I could at home with her, more than happy to take more late night feedings so my wife could sleep. Life is great. I am doing what I need to and love doing it.

I did not realize how much my meathead mentality was clouding my judgment/perspective. While all of the above are 100% true, there are many things I was not considering.

Balance is key. Something myself and many others have written again and again. Ask yourself a question- how often do you think about training? How often do you think about dieting. About how your program is going. About how excited you are to squat tomorrow. About what your new bench goal is. How much more weight you want to lose. And so on. Let’s take a step back for a minute. I am not saying that these things do not require attention, but for the most part, we should not be spending our days focusing on them. You may not realize it, but this gets very mentally exhausting. I know that for so long, with the all or nothing mentality, this was life.
It was put to me like this- “Get your workout in, eat your meals, move on”.
This was coming from a 6 time national champion bodybuilder, entrepreneur and business owner. I was blown away. After talking to him about my history, passion, lifestyle and such, how could someone who would be able to identify with me so well downplay this part of my life?. But think about it. You have a workout plan. You have an eating plan and (should) have a lot of food prepped. Why are you wasting time and energy on things that are already established and prepared? Follow your plan and focus on other things. How many of us spend countless hours every week on the above? At the end of the day while we all have our own important reasons for living this lifestyle, but it cannot be our number 1 priority. Try investing some of that time and energy into your spouse or loved one. Go on that date and leave your phone in your pocket so you aren’t tracking your macros during dinner.  When is the last time you got them flowers, or went out of your way to do something small to remind them how much you care about them? Were you too busy thinking about your squats? How much time are you investing in planning for your retirement? Or the future of your career? It better not only be when you aren’t thinking about if you should cut a weight class for the local powerlifting meet. And your kids. I don’t care how important the meathead lifestyle is to you, nothing should ever come before your kids. Most of us would agree that there are many things in life whether it money, time, family, etc  that we are not where we want to be but spend far more time thinking about gym related items. 

This is my point, and touched on some personal examples. Having a meathead mentality is not just about GTL, your bench and any other ‘bro-isms’ you can think of. Do not let the gym or this life style define you, or more importantly, do not let it control your life. It should be an important piece to the puzzle, but it should never be a limiting factor in the rest of your life.

Paul Emmick