athlete cycle a: injury prevention
(first month)
introduction to this cycle:
injury prevention
You are here because there is something within you that drives you to become the best version of yourself that you can be. You are here because you have a passion for health and fitness and want to make sure you are doing the right thing for your body. You know that your body is your machine, it is the vehicle that takes you on that mountain bike ride, the motor that runs for miles around your community. It’s your tool to enjoy the thing you love, your sport.
We HAVE to take care of ourselves if we are serious about our sport, health, fitness, and overall wellness. We can’t keep pushing our bodies harder and harder without letting them recover a bit. If we neglect the recovery, that is when injury gets you. NOT THE “I” WORD!!!
If you have suffered an injury, you will know the seriousness of it and how it will have a lasting impact on the way you move and how your body functions as a whole. When small injuries go unattended, that’s when they become a bigger issue. Who has time for that?! NOT US! You are too busy setting, meeting, and crushing your goals. You are here to get stronger and to make sure you focus on any areas of your body that may need some extra attention, or “maintenance” as I sometimes like to call it.
In this Level of Fitness, you are going to work on your form, range of motion, mobility, and keep your body as strong and as injury free as possible. For there is nothing worse than training for an event and then getting injured and not being able to complete your goal! In this first cycle, we will be focusing on more traditional exercises for overall hypertrophy, flexibility, and balance. After our conversation, you will have a customized plan based on your points of concern.
In this phase, it is very important to listen to your body during each movement and with each exercise. Depending on your current level of health, you may need to take some movements slower than what is recommended, and you may find that you need to take more breaks between each exercise. If you feel this way, PLEASE DO SO! You know your body best, although you should push yourself, you also need to listen and respect what your body is telling you.
This program and practice is all about you. I will have variations available to you in the videos, so start with the one that seems best for you and you can make it more-or-less challenging from there. If you come to an exercise that is painful, stop that activity immediately, note what type of pain it is, and be sure to email us for further discussion. Do not rely on the old saying, “No pain, no gain.” That is never our objective at Natural Fitness, and it should never be your objective, especially in the INJURY PREVENTION cycle. If there is pain associated with a particular movement, it could indicate a more serious problem and we want to make sure we rectify the matter at the beginning before we really get that rear into gear!
As you navigate these exercises and questions arise, be sure to write them down so you can either contact us, or refer back to the other tools we have available to you. During this initial cycle, if you notice any discomfort in joints, pain, or a side of your body that doesn’t “feel right,” please contact me immediately.
Items to go over before starting your program:
It is recommended for you to have resistance bands and/or light weights and a stability ball, but it is not required. If you do not have these items and don’t wish to purchase them, please bring this up to our attention during your consultation.
Annotations In Worksheets:
FB = Follow breath
ES= Each side, we will be doing a lot on one side of the body and then the other. Sometimes alternating, and sometimes completing one side before moving to the other.
AFAP= As fast as possible, but REMEMBER only go as fast as you can keep the form in check
EW= Each way, some movements require a front/back or side/side motion. It will make sense in the videos, but it is something to note while looking at the excel sheets
Numbers, EX: 2010 or 4321= Think of each digit as an individual part of the exercise. The first digit is going into the exercise, the second if there is a hold, the third is getting out of the exercise, and the fourth is if there is a hold before your next repetition. Using 4321 as an example, think about a pushup, the 4 would be how many seconds you are going down, the 3 would be holding the pushup in the “push” position, the 2 would be how long it takes for you to push back up, and then the 1 would be holding for one second at the top before starting the movement again. If the digit is a “0” that means there is no hold/pause, and you will continue the movement.
Reps= Repetitions, or how many times you will be doing an exercise
Sets= the number of times you will do the group of exercises. Most of the time there will be 3 sets. If you are not able to get through all three sets of all the prescribed exercises.
a/b/c = this is the grouping of exercises. For example, you would do all “a” exercises for the prescribed amount and then you would start back at the top of the “a’s” and complete the number of sets listed before moving onto the next group. If they are all “a” this is a circuit workout. You will start with the first exercise on the sheet, go through all of them, and then start back up at the top.