Spurling Training Systems

It is with my extreme pleasure to announce Spurling Training Systems, LLC has signed a lease to open a 7400sqft state of the art facility in Kennebunk, Maine. I would like to thank all those involved in the process, and look forward to this great adventure.

My writing will never stop, and I hope to share more with everyone. For conveneince purposes my blog is now part of my website to have everything in one spot. Please check out my website by clicking on the link below. There you will find all of the information on Spurling Training Systems as well as my blog.

Click here to go to Spurling Training Systems' website

Thank you all for your continued support and I look forward to sharing more information with you in the future.

Stay Fit,

Doug Spurling, CSCS, NSCA-CPT

Spurling Training Systems, LLC

1 Colonel Gelardi Drive #105

Kennebunk, Maine 04043

My Top 3 Conditioning Exercises

You should all know by now that I can't stand cardio equipment like treadmills and elipitcals. They destroy your knees, tighten your hamstrings, cause crowbar hips, and are more boring then a Sunday game of scrabble with your grandmother.

I want to share three of my favorite conditioning exercises. First, here are three reasons why I prefer them over traditional cardio equipment:

1. Cost-How much does a treadmill cost today? I will tell you, between $500-$25,000 dollars. Yes, there are treadmills that sell for $25,000. The best thing about these conditioning exercises, the most your going to have to spend is $300 for a good sled.

2. Time-I always say it is more about intensity, not the duration. If you are leisurely jogging on the eliptical, shortening your hammys each stride, your not going to get much out of it. However, if you are racing back in forth pushing a plate in a group motivating each other, with maximal effort, you're going to get a lot out of it!

3. Fun-Who wants to stare at wall, magazine, or television as they run in place? With these conditioning exercises you're challenging yourself, competing against others, and after you puke up your lunch, you had some fun with it.

Now, here are three of my favorite conditioning exercises:

1. Sled Push: There is no better way to end a great workout then to push the sled a few times. The sled works the body in several ways. It obviously is a conditioning exercise because your sprinting up and down the track, pushing it as hard as you can. It is HIGHLY sports transferable as you develop incredible leg strength, drive, and power. My favorite way to push the sled is in a "suicide" format. For example, push it 5 yards, then back to the starting point. Then push it 10 yards, and back to the starting point. Push it 15 yards, and return to the starting point. Can you make it to the 25 yard mark? Are you working harder, burning more calories, and developing more skills compared to running a treadmill? I'll let you answer after you give it a try.

2. Plate Races: Plate races are very similar to sled pushes, the only difference being you can add weight to a sled. Plate pushes can be done on turf, or if you wrap the plate in a towel it can be done a basketball court. I typically use plate pushes over sled pushes when I am coaching large groups as you can give everyone a 45lb plate, and not have to worry about purchasing 8 or 10 sleds. Same techniques apply like staying low, driving your knees to your chest and your toes into the group. As long as they have good technique this is a great finisher for groups, as you have them do X number of laps in a race style format. Some say this is more challenging then a sled push because you are lower to the ground. I will leave that for you to experiment with. The question that I can answer is, does this compare to a run on the treadmill? Hell No!

3. Metabolic Circuits: These are a great way to get conditioned while still doing resistance training. Metabolic circuits are just a group of exercises done in interval style fashion with minimal rest. Here would be an example:

KB Swings

Push-ups

Renegade Rows

Burpees

BB Push Press

Dips

Chin-ups

Medicine Ball Overhead Slam

Complete each exercise for 30 seconds before immediately moving onto the next exercise. Rest 2 minutes at the end of the circuit, and repeat for 3-5 rounds.

How is that treadmill looking?

My goal here is not to dis cardio equipment, because it does have its place in the fitness world. However, with Spurling Training Systems focus on athletes and high performance training, treadmills are better used for coat racks. I hope I opened up your mind a little to the world of conditioning, and I challenge you to try these exercises next time your in the gym.

I have some exciting news that I will be unveiling this week on the Facebook page so be sure to subscribe if you have not already, and stay tuned!

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact Spurling Training Systems.

Stay Fit,

Doug Spurling, CSCS, NSCA-CPT

Spurling Training Systems, LLC

spurlingtrainingsystems@gmail.com

Single Greatest Lifting Movement

What do you think is the single greatest lifting movement?

Benchpress?

Deadlift?

Shrug?

No, no, and no. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce the goblet squat. The goblet squat is probably the greatest lifting movement to get someone to squat with perfect form. In today's society we have too many people sitting 8-10 hours a day, too many people spending their evenings on a hamstring tightening eliptical machine, and too many people that straight up don't know how to squat.

This toddler has absolute PERFECT squat form. The issue is, as we grow today, we loose the ability get into that position. How many of you can get into that position right now? Probably a lot of you think you can, but then when you try you are struggling to reach the 90 degree mark. This is simply because from our sedentary life styles and improper technique, we develop tight ankles, knees, hips, hamstrings, and lower backs. This causes us to have a "kyphotic" or rounded back when we squat. It also causes us to want to come up on our toes instead of driving through our heels, and causes pressure on the knees as we don't stick our hips back, but instead put our knees over our toes.

How do we fix this? Let me introduce you to the goblet squat:

This may seem like a very simple exercise. However, in my opinion it is the best teaching movement when showing somebody how to squat. Refer up to the picture of the toddler above. Can you get into that proper squatting position? If not, why are you going to throw one, two, three or more hundred pounds on your back and try to squat, if you can't even get into that position using your own body weight?

The goblet squat is good for several reasons:

*Anyone can do it-You can use anything from a 2.5lb dumbbell to a 44kb kettlebell. So whether your teaching the 15 year old football player or the 65 year old retiree, this exercise is great for everyone.

*It forces you to stick your hips back and drive through your heels-By holding the weight in front of you, it forces you to sit back on your heels, not bending with your knees, but having the first movement be at your hips. If you push through your toes, you are going to fall forward, thus forcing you to properly push the weight through your heels.

*It helps in maintaining a tight back, keeping your chest up, and having a strong core throughout the movement. Again, by holding the weight in the front, you are "forced" to keep your chest up, maintaining that good arch in the lower back, to prevent the weight from falling forward.

*It still builds strength-Even though it is a great teaching tool, the goblet squat is still an excellent strength exercise, building strength in the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings.

So, before you go throw 315 on the bar next time, just do a simple bodyweight squat, and analyze your form. The goblet squat may be your next best friend.

Any questions, comments, or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Stay Fit,

Doug Spurling, CSCS, NSCA-CPT

Spurling Training Systems, LLC

Kennebunkport, ME

spurlingtrainingsystems@gmail.com

On the go workout

As the holiday season begins, everyone is off to grandma's house. The busiest time of the year to travel is now. What does that mean for most people? There workouts are put on the back burner. Whether you are in a hotel or spending the weekend on the denim couch from 1970 at your grandparents house, you have options to workout. Here is great full-body workout you can do anywhere, anytime, to keep you in shape, and your metabolism up during the holiday traveling season! I wrote out a beginner and advanced model

Beginner

Warm-up: 1 minute jumping jacks

BW Squat to chair

Standing Alternating Lunge

Push-ups

Chair Dips

Back Extensions (Supermans)

Plank Hold 30-45 seconds

Each exercise could be completed for 8-12 reps each time with 3-4 sets for each exercise.

Be sure to get a good cool down and stretch in after.

Advanced:

Warm-up: 1 minute jumping jack combined with 1 minute jumping crossovers

BW Squat

Plyo Alternating Lunges

Push Back Push-ups-Click here for a great demonstration by Nick Tumminello

Inverted Row

Triceps Dips with feet elevated

Back Extension-roll over to V-up combo

Plank Variations (Forearm and side supported)

Each exercise could be completed for 8-12 reps each time with 3-4 sets for each exercise.

Be sure to get a good cool down and stretch in after.

Pretty simple and straight forward, but when you are traveling it is a good way to get a quick workout in without too much disruption in your schedule. If you invest in bands or TRX straps the exercises are endless. E-mail me for more information on programs only using resistance bands or straps.

Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving.

Stay Fit,

Doug Spurling, CSCS, NSCA-CPT

Spurling Training Systems, LLC

Kennebunkport, ME

spurlingtrainingsystems@gmail.com

Surviving Thanksgiving

Here is a blog post I did back in 2009. The same rules still apply. Enjoy the read!

Surviving the fatest holiday in America

The amount of calories consumed in a typical thanksgiving dinner isastronomical. If you sit down and think about what you put into your body between the turkey, potatoes, stuffing, appetizers, and desserts, it is very easy to consume well over 10,000 calories. That is all in a matter of 8 hours!!! The worst part is, on that day you do nothing but sit around, shoot the shit, and watch football. It back tracks even more to the whole week. I commonly hear people say, "Oh, its the week of Thanksgiving, I'll just get back on track next week." That next week turns into next month and that next month turns into a new years resolution to lose those 20 pounds that you put on since the week in late November when this all began.

Thanksgiving meals are not all that bad if you do it right. Here are a few tips that will be helpful in keeping those pounds off on turkey day.

Most gyms are open a few hours on Thursday so try and sneak in a workout.The best time would be about an hour before you consume all that glorious food. That way, when you return home, shower and begin to stuff your face your metabolism is screaming and at its peak for digestion.

I know as you are reclined back watching the Detroit Lions lose, you will probably have a ice cold beer in your hand. I'm not going to saydon't have it, because although that would be the best decision, for most it is not realistic. However, try to avoid excess alcohol and avoid sugary drink such as soda. Stick with water.

Avoid, high carbohydrate foods. You all should know by now that unused carbohydrates are stored as cutaneous fat. That means, limit your carbohydrates. Try to fill up on foods like turkey, nuts, and vegetables. These foods are relatively low in carbohydrates and will keep the pounds off.


Enjoy your dinner and eat it slowly. It takes a good twenty minutes or more for your body to realize that you are eating. So take it slow, enjoy the company, and eat the food slowly. You won't eat as much and will become full quicker.

I'm not even going to mention dessert. Everyone knows it is not good for you. Whether or not you eat it is up to you. Just think before you eat it. Summer is only 6 months away. Is that brownie sundae really worth it? Really? I think not

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Stay Fit,

Doug Spurling, CSCS, NSCA-CPT

SpurlingTraining Systems

spurlingtrainingsystems@gmail.com

Plateau Busters

Your body will get use to whatever you throw at it. That is why you have to periodize a program so that it is constantly putting your body in a "shock" mode. Your body should have to guess what is coming next. Your body shouldn't know that every Monday you do bench press 3 sets of 10 reps, but if every Monday you do the same bench press 3 sets of 10 reps, it will know!

There are several things you can do, in addition to changing your program on a regular basis, that will "shock" your body, and bust through any plateau that may be coming.

These include:

• Super-sets
• Drop-sets
• Tempo-training
• Super-slow training
• Negatives

Super-sets:

A superset is where you combine two exercises back to back with no rest in between. You can either do same muscle group or opposing muscle groups. An example would be DB chest press with push-ups. Another example, opposing muscles, DB chest press with seated low cable row. You would do each set with no rest in between exercises and then rest before your next set is started.

Drop-sets:

Drop-sets is where you chose the same exercise, but you lower the weight each time. An example would be that same DB chest press. You would do 50lbs for 8 reps, right away "drop" them and do 30lbs for 8reps, "drop" them and do 10lbs for 8reps. Then rest, and repeat.

Tempo-training:

Chose a tempo that is different than what you normally do. For example a typical exercise tempo is 2-1-2. 2 seconds on the contraction, 1 second on the isometric hold at the top, and 2 seconds down on the eccentric phase. You may change that up to be 1-0-1, to work on speed and explosiveness. You may also slow that down to something like 5-2-5, where you are controlling the weight both concentrically and eccentrically, and getting a slight isometric contraction at the top.

Super-slow training:

Similar to tempo training, super slow training is just that, super slow. You may take 8 seconds to complete the concentric position, and 8 seconds to complete the eccentric position. This causes a big stress on the muscles, putting them in that "shock" mode you desire.

Negatives:

Negatives are a great way to do a little more weight than what you normally would. These are best done with a spotter. They can be done on every exercise, however you see them more commonly done on exercise like the chin-up, pull-up, and bench press. You take the eccentric phase, or the lowering phase and you lower extremely slow, with heavier weight than you would normally use, then on the concentric phase, you get help from your spotter to finish the rep off. So lets use the chin-up for example. You could use a jump or a spot to get up in the contracted position with your chin over the bar, then you would slowly lower your body all the way down, again getting help from your spotter to get back to that contracted position at the top of the bar.

These are all great ways to stress the body, and put it in that "shock" mode you are looking for. However, these should be used sporadically, or in a periodized program. These styles of training are stressful to the body, and if done to much can cause over training.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Don't forget to check us out on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spurling-Training-Systems/167352573314714

Stay Fit,

Doug Spurling, CSCS, NSCA-CPT

Spurling Training Systems

(978) 994-1557

spurlingtrainingsystems@gmail.com

100 gram carb cure

Through both research and experience one of the best things I have found you can do to help with fat loss is to apply this simple rule: Limit yourself to no more than 100 grams of carbohydrates per day.

It works for several reason.

1. Easy to remember: Meal plans, calorie counting, carb cycling, low fat, high fiber, I could go on, and on. The thing is, people want to be simple. Having someone eat at a scheduled time, with certain foods, is almost near impossible. The guideline of 100 grams of carbs or less is simple to remember and simple to follow.

2. It's low enough : At 100 grams of carbs each day, you won't be going into ketosis. However, it is low enough that you won't be stroing any excess carboohydrates as you tuck under the sheets at night.

3. It's high enough: At 100 grams that leaves you plenty of room to get in carbs at the most imporant time, before and after your workout. We all know that is a crucial time, and with 100 grams a day, you still have plenty to spare.

4. Forces decisions: You only have to remember one thing, no more than 100 grams of carbs. It forces you to make smarter decisions, choosing better foods, cutting out junk foods, and picking things that will keep you full.

5. Schedule: You always here the recommendation to eat 5-6 times a day. Well, if you eat 5 times a day, do the math, that is 20 grams a meal. It works out perfect, and would look something like this:

Breakfast: 20gms

Lunch: 20gms

Preworkout: 20gms

Post workout:20gms

Dinner: 20gms

Obviously, carbohydrates is only one part of the diet. However, high-carbohydrate intake is the number one reason for fat gain. So, follow the simple rule, 100 grams of carbs or less every day, and I am sure you will see results in no time.

Remember, it all comes down to fundamentals and basics. Far to many people try to make fitness and nutrition more complex then what it is, if you follow simple rules like this one, you WILL see results.

Stay Fit,

Doug Spurling, CSCS, NSCA-CPT

Spurling Training Systems

PO Box 804

Kennebunkport, ME 04046

(978) 994-1557

spurlingtrainingsystems@gmail.com