Oftentimes, heavy weights can tear the muscle fiber causing it to bulk, but using a lighter weight for a longer duration and allowing your body to move in many different ways to target all of the muscles will lengthen them without tearing.
I train, for me, very smartly. I don't train heavy, I do a lot of isometrics.
CrossFit really teaches the basics and fundamentals of proper mechanical movement.
Since I started CrossFit, I've read and heard about the critics talk about how unsafe it is, and my only response to that is any form of exercise can be unsafe if you don't have the proper coaching, education and guidance.
Balancing is good to isolate the abs.
I think that for my sport, the core is the most important. I mean, really in all sports, but especially in the sport I play, I keep my core right and try and keep that up no matter what I'm doing.
I just think the whole mindset of Pilates is huge. Pilates 101 is just to use your core in the right way. A lot of us don't use every little detailed muscle in our core. We all use the big muscles in our body and don't focus on the little ones. That mindset and awareness is huge. I take that with me wherever I go.
Before I discovered CrossFit, I was really just doing regular bodybuilding, didn't understand athletic training and movements. I didn't even know how to squat, necessarily.
The single biggest mistake that most beginners make is putting 100% of their effort into the positive (concentric) part of the rep, while paying no attention to the negative (eccentric) segment
Lifting weights is obviously important, because you want to be strong and fast and all of that, but it's not one of those things you gotta go and try to bench as much as you can every day. A bench press isn't going to help you throw a 15-yard out or a deep comeback. It's not about that. It's about training right.
I see so many people in the gym just slinging weight around. You can accomplish more if you squeeze the reps out in perfect form, instead of going big and trying to kill it every time.
I have done research about people who think they're doing movements and people - like Madonna and professional dancers - who are actually 'performing' movements. The people who can connect and perform during their workout get results way above and beyond the people who are just going through the motions.
I teach people how to breathe; I teach them how to use dynamic resistance, which is what gets your heart rate jacked up.
I have improved my pace without losing on the swing. That is something I am really happy about.
squats are a form of torture designed by people who don’t need to do squats in the first place
Concentrate on the correct movements each time you exercise, lest you do them improperly and thus lose all the vital benefits of their value.
Combination movements will give you the most bang for your buck.
You can work really hard, but if you're not training in the right way you're not going to improve and get to the level that you want to.
