Back to Basics

I have been working out now for over twenty years. I was always active, being involved in many sports. I was six years old when I played organized soccer for the first time. From that point on, the sports kept piling up as I grew older. Not only was I competitive but I truly enjoyed playing and running around. It wasn’t until the age of eighteen that I stepped into a gym and trained for the first time.

This past July felt like I was starting that process all over again. For the first time I hired a personal trainer. I’ve had strength and conditioning coaches when I played football in college. But since I stopped playing at that level, I basically did my own thing, amalgamating all that I have learned in the past. Instead of relying on my experience, I invested in myself hoping to acquire more knowledge and more importantly, get out of this plateau state.

I’ve learned so much in the past three months. I was reminded of three key concepts: priming, tempo and muscle engagement. After performing my dynamic warm-up, my trainer always starts the day’s workout with priming the muscle group(s) which will be exercised. This step is crucial because it prepares the muscle(s) for the load and stress you will be putting on it. Throughout most of the workout, emphasis is placed on the tempo that will be used. Which basically gives the pace throughout the range of motion. Muscle engagement is the final key concept that has been stressed these past three months. Like tempo, I did this subconsciously, but when you do it consciously, the gains are substantial.

In addition to learning and re-learning these key concepts, I realized that I still have a little dawg in me. Initially I was only planning to have a trainer for the duration of three months. I came to the realization that I should not set limitations and continue to invest in myself.

Big up to Coach Donnie Ruiz #IceUp

Lenard Sémajuste