A quick bonus tip:

Originally coined by Chila, Peckham and Manheim, back in 1981 and used for the title of their course at Michigan State University: ‘‘Myofascial Release’’

What is fascia tissue?

Fascia is the body’s connective tissue. It's fibrous cobweb-like connective tissue found throughout the whole of the body runing from head to toe. Your fascia provides a framework that helps support and protect individual muscle groups, organs, and the entire body as a unit.

What is a strength curve?

A strength curve is a graphical representation of how a muscle generates and applies force in a specific direction. This force is then represented using three basic categories: ascending, descending and bell-shaped.

Eccentric contraction explained:

An eccentric contraction occurs when a muscle lengthens under load. An example of this would be when you're lowing yourself into a squatting position. Generally speaking, a muscle can be upto 150% stronger during an eccentric contraction than a concentric contraction. 

Concentric contraction explained:

A concentric contraction occurs when a muscle shortens. An example of this would be when you're coming up from a bottom of a squat.

What are muscle fascicles?

In anatomy, a muscle fascicle is a bundle of skeletal muscle fibers surrounded by perimysium, a type of connective tissue.

Who is Michael Goulden?

Michael Goulden is the founder of a training company and is a resistance training specialist in exercise mechanics. He has been integrating exercise mechanics with neuromuscular preparation to create a uniquely sustainable approach to health, fitness and performance.

Who is Charles Poliquin?

Charles Poliquin is recognised as one of the world’s most accomplished strength coaches, and has produced hundreds of medals, wins and personal bests for elite athletes in over 17 different sports, including athletes for both the summer and winter Olympics, the NHL, and NFL.

Who is Ben Pakulski?

Ben Pakulski, nicknamed the Pak-Man, holds an Honors Degree in Kinesiology and is an IFBB professional bodybuilder and winner of the 2008 Mr. Canada competition. In the IFBB, he finished 2nd twice in 2008.

What is a level 5 trainer?

Our level five trainers are our ‘elite’. They’re seriously experienced, and incredibly knowledgeable. They have all gone above and beyond, attending numerous industry events, clocking up multiple courses, and spending numerous hours learning through practical experience with clients. They have shown unparalleled dedication to becoming the best personal trainers possible, and have been recognised in the health and fitness industry for their level of excellence.

What is a level 4 trainer?

Our level four trainers have gone the extra mile. All of them have further industry qualifications, whether in nutrition, post-natal exercise, endurance or hypertrophy. They have attended workshops, webinars and courses to lift their learning above others in the area. They are likely to have been a personal trainer for several years, and be pushing to learn more about how they can offer the best possible advice to you.

What is a level 3 trainer?

Our level three trainers are fully qualified, with industry-recognised qualifications, but are relatively new to personal training. What they lack in experience, they will make up for in dedication and enthusiasm. All our level three trainers work closely with a more senior member of the team to ensure the Hall Training quality of service is maintained, and you make constant progress towards your goals.

Did you know?

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Aug 2016

Want to get into running? Start with a 5k

TAGS: running

Getting into running, especially joining running events, can be really daunting, but with a little bit of work and determination, everyone is capable of running a 5k.

Why run a 5k?
A 5k is the perfect starter distance. It is a challenging distance to all, not just new runners, but is also very achievable mentally and physically for beginners. Beginner runners should ideally start with shorter distances before moving to the longer, more endurance based events such as a 10k or a half marathon. This will help long term with speed when you progress to the longer distances. For example, running a 10k in under an hour is impossible until you can run a 5k in under 30 minutes. As you progress and look to join group events or races, speed will become key and building up to a 5k will really help you develop this. 

What prerequisites should runners have before taking on this plan?
As this is a short distance there is no minimum fitness level required. If you can walk, you will soon run after following the programme below! This is aimed at beginner runners.

5k Running Plan

Understanding the programme

Walk/run
Treat the first 5 minutes as your warm up. You will find you have a better rhythm and breathing pattern in the main part of your session after a brisk walk or slow jog. After your warm up, complete 1 minute or 90 seconds jogging followed by 2 a minute brisk walk until the overall time is complete.

Jog/run
Again as above treat the first 5 minutes as a warm up. After your warm up complete 1 minute of slow jogging followed by 1 minute of a faster run. This is not a sprint but should be faster than your 5k pace.

Easy jog
This session is a continuous jog at a steady pace similar to your warm up pace. The aim is to run continuously without stopping. This should not be an overly strenuous session but aimed at building endurance and confidence. 

Medium run
This session is aimed at building distance into your continuous run. Aim to maintain the same pace throughout the run while running the furthest you can in the allocated time. This is a harder run than the easy jog.

Cross Trainer sprints
Sprints can be completed on either a cross trainer or bike. Both of which are non-weight bearing which allows your joints to rest. Each 15-20second sprint must be at maximum speed followed by a 90 second slow recovery. The recovery should be approximately 40% of your maximum speed. 

Week 8 - deload week
As you can see the volume is lower on week 8. This allows your body to rest in preparation for the 5k race. Keeping the volume high will deplete glycogen/energy levels in the lead up to the race. Taking active recovery the day before the race, such as a 20 minute brisk walk will keep you fresh and hungry for the race. 

This programme should be achievable for anyone, no matter your fitness level - so why not give it a go? You'll be joining your local park run in no time!

If you have any questions or need some further advice, just email me on becky@halltrainingsystems.com. I'd be happy to help!