Components of Training - Putting The Components Together

Once you've spent some time with each of the components of training, understand how to apply them to your body, and you've selected your lifts and come up with a plan for progressing them, you are ready to include the other components in each of your sessions.

• How to structure a session with each of various components (discussed in detail elsewhere).

  • When including many pieces in a strength program I would not recommend spending more than 5-10 minutes on any individual component other than your strength work, unless you have lots of time to devote to your training. This is why it is useful to spend some training time devoted to each practice individually and return to that devoted practice intermittently. To take MFR as an example; you may find that initially you have many areas to address with MFR (and likely corrective stretches and strengthening) so for some time that will be your focus. Over time with that focus you will reduce the number of areas needing to be addressed and will also increase the rate at which the tension releases. At this point you may find that you can reduce the time spent on MFR to a short enough time to fit in the beginning of your strength training. It will still be good to return to MFR on your “rest” days as you will have more time for the practice and it will accelerate your recovery. As you continue you may find that your need for MFR and Corrective exercise diminishes because you have made the corrections, released the tension, and reinforced these improvements with properly balanced strength training. This is the goal. However, it is likely we will always need “tune ups” and to return to practices like groundwork, MFR, and corrective stretching and strengthening to maintain pain free performance, though these “tune ups” will be fewer and further between with proper training.

  • Start with breathing - More information on breathing for exercise found here.

    • This can be done in as few as one breath simply to check in and regain control.

    • More may be done if necessary to calm the mind and bring focus to the training session.

    • The breath will also be revisited throughout the training session

      • Short breath holds are good right after a set to spike CO2, dilate the blood vessels, and increase oxygen delivery, all of which aid in increase recovery.

  • Continue with MFR - more information on MFR can be found here.

    • RPR and Big 6 are quick and effective if time is short

    • A foam roller is a great way to apply MFR to larger areas quickly, though it will not provide as targeted of a release as may be necessary.

    • There may be time for 1-3 highly specific targeted releases. You may find them with a foam roller, or you may know the areas most needing to be released from dedicated MFR sessions.

    • The areas you will want to focus on will also be determined by the focus of your session. For example: you may have a spot in your shoulders to release but is not necessary because those muscles are the focus of the session so you spend more time on your hips because you are training your legs.

    • Again this should not take longer than 5-10 minutes of the time you have for resistance training (15 if you have more time to devote to training). If you find yourself spending more than that it may be best to focus on MFR and corrective exercise rather than strength training.

  • Move on to any corrective exercises required (if required) - more information on corrective exercise can be found here.

    • Length/tension relationships between the muscles should be relatively close to neutral/balanced before moving on to strength training to avoid “putting strength on top of dysfunction” so if you are planning on strength training a “tune up” in this type of training should be all that is necessary.

    • The areas you will want to focus on will be determined by the focus of your session.

    • Like MFR this should be able to be completed in 5-10 minutes.

  • Continue on to Post Activation Potentiation of the muscles and joints to be used in the session - more information on Post Activation Potentiation can be found here.

    • When in doubt Activate the rotational muscles of the hips and shoulders and flexors and extensors of the spine

    • Add in more CARs to begin the integration of the activations

    • The areas you will want to focus on will be determined by the focus of your session.

  • Continue with a warm up specific to the exercise you plan on doing.

    • Dynamic stretches can be done here as they relate to the movement patterns planned for the session.

    • GOATA groundwork and or pivot point progressions are also a great option for this place in the session especially when doing leg exercises.

    • A CARs routine is a great way to finish this part of the session

  • Continue on to your resistance training as planned - Selecting Weight, Sets, and Reps is covered here.

    • Include more CARs and Post Activation Potentiation in between sets

    • Perform “Fast and Loose” drills in between sets to shake out the tension in the muscles and promote blood flow.

    • Perform Oxygen Advantage breathing exercises to promote recovery, blood flow, and oxygen delivery (blood flow and O2 delivery are part of recovery though they warrant the extra attention).

      • Once heart rate has lowered, begin breathing normally and prepare for the next set

      • Or perform the breathing exercises as much as you can until the next set if rest periods are compressed or performing super sets.

  • When you are done with your strength training work you may add in extra work for hypertrophy as desired and allowed by your ability to recover for the next session

    • Properly selected exercises will build your arms and work your midsection though additional work can be added here provided it does not interfere with the next session.

    • I recommend spending this time doing more exercises for deeper muscles, such as the muscles of the rotator cuffs of the shoulders and the hips. These exercises will be similar if not the same as the exercises used to potentiate those joints/muscles and will provide greater stability for those joints. Greater stability will allow for more strength to be gained and more work to be done, which will build more muscle.

  • Perform Oxygen Advantage exercise and cool down with GOATA, CARs, dynamic stretches or simply continue with the same exercise that were performed but at a reduced weight and effort.

    • Dynamic and short duration static stretches are useful for releasing excess tension from the muscles that may have accumulated during the session, which will accelerate your bodies ability to relax and recover.

  • Continue to perform Oxygen Advantage exercises to continue to relax the nervous system and promote good recovery for the next session.

    • There is a limit to how much Breathe Light is beneficial so pay attention to any signals from your body indicating that you’ve done enough. I have recommended Breathe Light throughout the session as a reminder of the tool and it’s value during training. While it can be done at frequent intervals, it can also be overdone.

  • When time is limited I recommend sticking with your resistance training, and adding in the other components in the following order of importance as time allows, though still performing them in the order listed above (so following the above order leaving the less important components out when necessary).

    • Warm Up

      • Not everyone needs to warm up but it is recommended as it is good practice of the patterns and will help minimize the risk of injury.

    • Post Activation Potentiation

      • This ensure that the deepest muscles responsible for stabilizing joints are getting sufficient stimuli and minimize the risk of injury.

    • MFR

      • This will also help to minimize injury and well as aid in reducing tension in the muscles long term.

    • Corrective stretches

      • These may not be necessary, however they may also be the essential component of your training if range of motion is your goal. This order assumes sufficient range of motion to perform the resistance training exercises planned. If that is not the case this order would be different. Consult with a personal trainer or physical therapist if guidance is needed.

For more information or detailed planning please reach out to a local personal trainer or contact me directly at: ErikJMelgaard@gmail.com. I hope you find this program helpful.