Armond Willis

Is there a BEST exercise in fitness?

Is there a BEST exercise in fitness?

I am asked frequently “What is the best exercise in order for me to [fill in the blank]?

People want that ONE simple answer to a very complex question.

The reality of it is, is that there are many considerations that go into this question.

In this short video, I talk a little more about what those considerations are, and if there is even A BEST exercise for anyone.

Drop a comment below and let me know your thoughts!

-Coach Willis

 

 


4 Reasons Why Your Training Program May Be Failing You

4 Reasons Why Your Training Program May Be Failing You

There is no shortage of fitness training and methodology floating around in world. People’s idea of what it means to be fit has been predominantly dispersed from unreliable sources, like “social influencers”, or the first article that pops up on a google search, or some shaky piece of information that was passed along from a friend.

With unchecked information coming in from every direction, it is understandable how some people’s views of fitness are shaped.

The quagmire of unreliable sources and information serve as a backdrop of the following 4 reasons why your training program might be failing you.

1.) Unrealistic Expectations

You may have become a victim of thumb-scrolling on Social Media. A constant river of images showing people with edited photos and the appearance of being happy and owning everything they could ever want in life.

You see this, and whether you acknowledge it or not, on a subconscious level you begin to compare yourself to this false image. Whether that is a specific body type, or being sucked into the message that “YOU CAN LOOK LIKE ME TOO, JUST FOLLOW MY ONLINE COACHING PROGRAM”, you’ve decided you want a body like that and you want it fast.

This is not realistic.

Real results take time, but they also require that you evaluate your motivations for starting in the first place.

When your expectations are not in sync with reality, you tend to look for short cuts, jump from fad to fad, or give up more quickly.

It is a vicious cycle.

Keep it real with yourself. Do not get caught in the hype.

2.) Going through The Motions

Let me start off by saying that any exercise is better than doing nothing in the first place. So if you are doing a routine, awesome.

However, I will also say this: There is a difference between going through the motions of exercises, verses being intentional and focused while doing them.

Let me give you an example:

Let’s say you start off your workout by riding 5 minutes on a stationary bike. You are ON the bike yes, but you have your phone out and are looking through tik tok rather than in tune with your body and concentrating on how your body feels.

You can’t possibly be giving your best effort if you are scrolling aimlessly through your phone.

This happens often.

If you are going to exercise, then exercise. For the little time that you are in the gym, focus on what you are doing. Don’t go through the motions.

3.) Too Many “Cheat” Meals

You are on a hamster wheel.

You work extremely hard in the gym, but the only reason why you went hard in the gym is because you go on daily dieting tangents.

You carry a guilt with you and find yourself thinking “I have to work out extra hard today because I had 3 apple pies!”

Exercise should not be a punish-reward experience.

It is a habit you are trying to create for an overall better lifestyle.

Punishing yourself for eating is in fact, not healthy.

If you think it is ok to eat poorly because you workout hard, then you negate the work you are putting in.

4.) You Don’t Have a True Program

Being knowledgeable about how the body responds to specific training will give you a huge advantage in the gym.

Doing 3 sets of 10 for every exercise every week will only get you so many results.

When you google a program real quick or do the same cookie cutter program that your friend handed to you, there is a good chance that it will not work the same way for you as it did for him.

First and foremost, you have to be clear on what it is that you are training for. Weight loss? Strength? Power? Less joint pain? Physique?

Each one of these goals have specific ways to accomplish them.

Training back and biceps one day for that 3 sets of 10, and then calves and shoulders the next is not going to be good for increasing power. It is more conducive for hypertrophy.

You must be sure that the program that you are doing is moving you closer to your goals and can be measured (not just on the scale).

While I could easily make a list of at least 10 more things that could be detracting from the effectiveness, these 4 components are pretty heavy.

Before you decide to take ownership of your body, performance, or health, these are great places to start.

And if you need a little more guidance on exactly where to start and need more accountability, we would love to connect with you to see if our coaching program could be a good fit for you. We can schedule a discovery call here and point you in the right direction.

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Exercise Video Breakdown: Banded Crossover Step

Exercise Video Breakdown: Banded Crossover Step

Resistance bands can be key implements in adding dynamic motions to exercise.

They are also simple to set up, and effective in muscle recruitment.

In this video we are going to break down the Banded Lateral Crossover Steps, the benefits, and the mechanical breakdown.

A great one to incorporate into your program whether and athlete or fitness warrior.

 

If you are interested in finding out more ways on how you can greatly improve your training program, let’s set up a call and see how I can help you.


Glutamine: The Science Behind It and The Performance Benefit for Athletes

Glutamine: The Science Behind It and The Performance Benefit for Athletes

You are walking in your local nutrition store, and you float on down the protein supplement aisle. You may pass up some different Whey proteins, you will most definitely walk by a Branched Chain Amino Acid supplement or two, and then you come across a few bottles with the title Glutamine on it.

Or maybe not.

In case you are not familiar with Glutamine, here are a few things you should know.

The What:

Glutamine is one of the most abundant amino acids found in the body. It is considered a semi-essential amino acid as the body can synthesize adequate amounts on its own to support the physiological demands put on it.

Glutamine is predominantly synthesized and stored in the muscles and participates in a number of key reactions important to an athlete’s health and recovery. However, even though for the average person, most glutamine needs can be met through diet, athletes require more to offset the excessive stress put on the body from competition and heavy physical training.

The Process:

Prolonged periods of training and or competition under normal circumstances are associated with significant drops in blood plasma glutamine levels. These lower drops in glutamine levels are tied to exercise-induced immune impairment (suppressed immune systems) and vulnerability to upper respiratory infection.

Supplementation with glutamine helps offset these losses providing athletes with better immune support, while also promoting protein synthesis and help protect against muscle breakdown.

Extensive training and prolonged competition periods increase the catabolic state within the body, breaking the muscles down. Being intentional in taking measures to offset muscle breakdown through proper supplementation can help with recovery and slow down strength and power losses mostly experienced by athletes in season.

Additional Benefits:

Athletes can benefit from improved immune responses and recovery times during heavy training cycles and competition. Glutamine supplementation has also been shown to enhance recovery times from sport related trauma or injury.

Some research has even shown that glutamine supplementation can increase endurance for advanced endurance athletes.

Because glutamine is an important intermediate metabolite in the Krebs cycle, it helps spare the phosphocreatine and glycogen in muscle fibers, specifically Type 1 muscles fibers, the predominant muscles used in endurance sports.

Consumption:

Glutamine is typically available in powder, capsule, or liquid form and is often added into recovery focused sport drinks or gels.

Research supported doses for athletes during intense training cycles range from 1.5g-4.5g split into doses taken pre, during, and post workout, or between meals.

In conclusion:

For the athlete that trains intensely, or has a heavy in season or competition period, Glutamine supplementation can prove extremely beneficial.

Keep in mind that Glutamine is a supplement and should do exactly that, supplement a well-balanced nutritional diet that supports the physical training demands.

At Willis Performance Labs, we have created a product infused with glutamine that can speed your body into hyper recovery, and set you up to perform and feeling at your best. ALPHA RESTORE P.M.

Formulated with all 3 essential amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine, WPLAbs has also fused in glutamine to boost recovery and prevent muscle breakdown overnight. You can check out the Willis Performance Labs store and get your ALPHA RESTORE P.M. here.


Quesshions foh' Fitness

Quesshions foh’ Fitness

Have You Ever Asked Yourself Any of These Fitness Questions? Chances are You Have.

Every other month or so, I put together a 7 Minute long presentation and present it to associates on various fitness, performance, or strength and conditioning topics to help educate them.

Earlier this week, I answer several commonly asked questions ranging from “Should Elite Rowers strength train?” to “What type of supplements should you take for general health?”

If you are wanting a little more insight on training, fitness or supplementation that can help take your training to another level, listen in on the short presentation below.


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The Pogo Hop: An Ankle Drill with Massive Impact for Your Speed ! [Video]

When it comes to speed drills, not many people will consider the significance of ankle and foot strength, and the literal impact it has on an athlete’s speed.

In this video, I cover a Pogo hop drill variation that helps to increase the threshold of ankle strength that can directly translate to improved speed, acceleration, and change of direction capabilities.

If you are an athlete looking for more exact drills to immediately implement into your training routine, then check out our Athlete Development Program here and let’s set up a time to chat!

Work hard. Work smart.

 


The Walk-On Mentality: How True Walk-Ons Show Leadership

The Walk-On Mentality: How True Walk-Ons Show Leadership

Walk-ons of any sport have to play with a chip on their shoulder.

Their roster spot is not guaranteed.

If you ever witness a true walk on training with the rest of their team, what you will see is a player who radiates big effort in everything that they do.

They have no choice.

Because they were not recruited, everyday is a test to prove that they belong there.

Every day is an opportunity to go 200 percent and earn the title of starter.

Every day is an opportunity to show the coach that you deserve a scholarship.

A true walk on is what I call a leader in the rough because the skills and mentality that they develop throughout this process will uncover what they are truly made of.

Their journey is different.

They were not recruited. Every day they are out to prove they more than belong

A true walk on must do double the work of a scholarship athlete just to get a shot.

This gives them an edge. Because during this process, they develop a resilience that some players on scholarship lack and never will have.

Showing up late for a walk on is unacceptable. They have to be the first to arrive, and the last to leave and DEMONSTRATE how badly they want to get better and earn that spot.

Walk-ons find a way to improve every single day, and they move with a sense of urgency.

They want to stay top of mind.

True walk-ons don’t have a sense of entitlement.

They believe they deserve it, but play like they have to earn it.

Being a walk-on is not for everybody, because it requires BIG EFFORT on a daily basis.

It demands patience.

It requires resilience.

It creates a lifelong work ethic.

However, you do not have to be a walk on athlete to adopt this mentality.

Work everyday like you have a point to prove. A spot to earn.

Train like you always have to beat the man in front of you.

Play like you spot is up for grabs.

Be the first to show up.

Be the last to leave.

Move with a sense of urgency and never be satisfied with complacency.

Borrow this mindset in ALL you do and you will be successful in sport and in life.

Think like a Walk-on.


The Scoop on Creatine: Everything You Need to Know to Reap the Benefits

The Scoop on Creatine: Everything You Need to Know to Reap the Benefits

Creatine is one of the most popular supplements taken today to help with packing on size and improving performance.

And for good reason.

Most people however are not too familiar with the specifics of creatine, how to take, and when to take properly. When understood, creatine can be one of the most beneficial supplements  to help  you with performance gains.

Here is a quick breakdown of what creatine is exactly, its benefits, how and when to take it, and who it is the best for:

Creatine: What Is It?

Creatine is a molecule that is produced within the body. It is also found in foods like meat, eggs, and fish.

It is composed of the amino acids L-arginine, glycine, and L-methionine and is present in almost every cell, where it acts as an energy reserve. Approximately 95 percent of the body’s creatine is stored in muscle, mostly in the form of phosphocreatine.

Both creatine and phosphocreatine provide an important energy reserve to replenish adenosine triphosphate (ATP) during high intensity exercise.

How it works?

During exercise that lasts between 5-15 seconds, the muscles rely on phosphocreatine stores to resynthesize ATP. Once these stores become depleted, then the body relies on other forms of metabolism for ATP.

Supplementation with creatine increases stores of phosphocreatine, which allows muscles to work at higher intensities for longer periods of time.

This is beneficial for explosive, high intensity work, and for sports that rely on short or intermittent bursts of movement.

Other benefits include:

  • Immediate improvements on maximum strength and power
  • Faster rate of muscle building
  • Improved anaerobic endurance
  • Improved muscle recovery
  • Has also shown anticatabolic effects (slows muscle breakdown)

How to Take

There are numerous research studies performed on creatine that have shown that it is one of the safest and most effective supplements to take for immediate performance improvement. Though there are multiple types of creatine, creatine monohydrate is the most researched and trusted form by which others are compared to. Powdered creatine monohydrate is your best bet.

Here are the most effective and researched ways to supplement creatine:

  • Consume .3g/kg of bodyweight or .25g/kg of fat free mass for 3-5 days
  • Follow this up by 3-5g/ day
  • Research has shown that creatine uptake is better when taken in combination with protein and carbohydrate
  • during the 3-5g/day loading phase, separate servings throughout the day to 4-5 small servings throughout the day
  • consuming creatine post workout has been shown effective

Though these are general guidelines, always make adjustments based on your personal results, goals, and how you are feeling.

Who is creatine best for?

If you are trying to pack on lean mass, or trying to increase your explosiveness, or even enhance your recovery, then creatine is a good option.

If you have weight gain plateaus, or strength plateaus, then creatine can be a good solution as well.

It is also recommended that if you are new to training or just starting up a resistance training program, then creatine should not be of use just yet.

In conclusion, creatine can be one of the most effective, and safest immediate performance supplements that you can take.

It is already produced within the body, so is not foreign, and proper supplementation will further increase the threshold your of muscle’s potential to produce force, develop power, as well as recover.

If you are looking for a good creatine supplement, we recommend checking out PŪR CREATINE from Willis Performance Labs. It is in a creatine monohydrate in powder form for better and hydrolyzed for better absorption.

Train hard. Train smart.

 


the whey protein in scoop

4 Reasons Why To Consider BCAAs If You Are a HARDCORE Athlete

If you are in any type of heavy gym or training environment, it is guaranteed at some point you have seen someone pull out some type of BCAA supplement, mix some powder into a shaker with water, and shake like crazy until the water transforms into a protein elixir.

“BCAA’s bro they help you get bulked up!”

But is that all that they do?

Before we dive deeper, if you are unfamiliar what BCAA stands for, it is Branched Chain Amino Acids. These are essential proteins that are NOT produced within the body, but have to come from an outside source like different foods, or a dedicated supplement.

BCAA’s specifically contain the proteins leucine, isoleucine, and valine.

Decades of research have proven that BCAA’s can have a significant impact physique and performance beneficial to athletes.

Here are 4 ways BCAAs can help

1.) BCAAs have been shown to be powerful agents in protein synthesis aka muscle building

2.) BCAAs have also been shown to play a key role in slowing catabolism, or muscle breakdown.

3.) Because BCAAs are oxidized in the actual muscle for fuel, they can be used as fuel DURING exercise.

4.) BCAAs have been shown to mitigate the immune suppression response that results from training. Since the immune system is temporarily broken down after heavy bouts of training or intense competition, BCAAs help to keep it strong.

As with ANY supplementation, they should ALL be used in conjunction with a solid diet.

So if you find yourself in the mix of your competitive or off season, your body is constantly sore and you feel exhausted for longer than you should, then a simple BCAA supplementation could help.

And with so many supplement choices on the market, we want to help make the selection process easy for you! WILLIS PERFORMANCE LABS offers BCAA Shock Fuel, a high quality product with not only BCAA’s,  but L-glutamine and Vitamin B6 to increase its potency.

Check out the Lab store here.

 


4 Keys to Unlocking Maximum Fitness Results for the Novice

4 Keys to Unlocking Maximum Fitness Results for the Novice

People tend to make getting in shape over complicated.

It does not have to be.

Here are 4 things to keep in mind as you continue your fitness journey:

1.) Set A goal

Essentially, work towards something. And make sure that something is realistic but challenging. It is easier to become discouraged and get lost if you do not have a concrete goal that you are working towards. You just have to make a plan and stick with it. There are really no tricks to it.

2.) Be Consistent

Make the decision that no matter what, you will put in the consistent actions. Most people struggle getting the results because they lack the consistency. When you think about it, hitting your goals comes down to your daily habits. Therefore, if you are in the daily habit of getting in your exercise, and making good nutritional choices, then you are consistent.

It’s not just about what you do, but how much you do it.

3.) Make it convenient

Sure, you can sign up for a monthly membership gym, but is it out of the way for you? Does it take just as much energy to get there?

If so, then these things can demotivate you from be as consistent as you want to be. You want to create conditions that will make it easier for you to succeed. Chances are, if it is inconvenient for you to do, then you won’t be as motivated to do it.

If you are not willing to join a gym right now because of the pandemic, then create a “station” at home and designate a space for you to get your workouts done.

Make it convenient

4.) Stick with the diet fundamentals

Here is where most get hung up. Dieting.

Should you eat a low carb diet? Should you be counting macros and every single calorie? Should you do intermittent fasting?

This goes back to the convenience aspect. Is this going to create more unnecessary work that you are already NOT used to doing that will overload you?

If you were already careless about how you ate, is it realistic to suddenly grab a food scale and weigh your foods daily?

If you can, great!! Go for it. But if not, no need to push the envelope.

Doing the simple things like drinking a gallon of water per day, aiming for 7-8 hours of sleep per night (the hardest for most), eating more whole foods, and aiming for 30-60 minutes of exercise at least three days per week is all you really need to do.

How about just eating more mindfully and distraction free?

That alone is a powerful system to start with. And when done consistently, will not only help with your fitness goals, but will be life changing.

Hopefully knowing these 4 things will help you as you begin or continue your journey.

Let us know in the comments below which of these you struggle with the most

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By the way, if you have tried to do these things and maybe have struggled with the accountability aspect, and have found yourself thinking “I know what I need to do, but I think I need more accountability from someone else!” then let’s set up a complimentary Success Phone call where we can strategize.

Schedule your call here and let’s see how we can help you.