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December 4, 2018

At Home Workout

Full Body Tabata

• 20 seconds WORK, 10 seconds REST

• 8 rounds for each exercise – complete 8 rounds of 1 exercise before moving on to the next

• Rest 60 seconds between each exercise

Exercises

1. Bodyweight Squats (Modificaiton: Wall Sit)

2. Sit up to Reach (Modificaiton: Crunches)

3. High Plank Burpees (Modificaiton: Jumping Jacks)

4. Push Ups (Modification: on Knees)

5. Alternating Jumping Lunges (Modification: Alternating Reverse Lunges)

6. Commandos (Modification: Hold High Plank)

November 28, 2018

The Shoulder: Labrum vs. Rotator Cuff

Here at Yoga Athletex we put an emphasis on injury prevention and joint stabilization exercises. Today we are going to take a look at our shoulder. We will gain a better understanding of the difference between a labrum tear and a rotator cuff tear.

Your labrum is a cup shaped rim of cartilage that lines and reinforces your ball and socket joint on your shoulder. Your ball and socket joint is composed of the gleniod, a shallow shoulder socket, and the humerus, which is the ball of your upper arm. Your labrum is a tough fibrous structure that deepens your glenoid socket, this helps hold you humerus in place when you rotate your shoulder. Your labrum also serves as an attachment point for you at your glenoid-fosse. So; when your labrum tears, your ball shaped humeral head has the possibility of sliding out of socket.

Your rotator cuff consists of four groups of muscles and tendons . This group of muscles and tendons stabilize your shoulder joint and allow you to rotate and move your arm. The four muscles and tendons follow. There is the Supraspinatus, this keeps your upper arm stable, while holding your humerus in place. There is the Infranspinatus helps externally rotate your shoulder joint. Third is your Teres Minor, this also helps externally rotate your shoulder joint and works with other rotator cuff muscles to stabilize the head of your humerus in the Glenohumeral joint . Lastly is your Subscapularis. This muscle depresses the head of your Humerus to allow free movement when elevating your arm. All of these muscles work together to centralize the humerus bone, while doing different movements and stabilize your shoulder. So when you tear your rotator cuff you are tearing one or more of these muscles.

If you have experienced one of these injuries in the past and would like to prevent it from happening in the future book an FMS screen today! Not sure what FMS is? Learn more here.

-Bradley R., YAX Intern + Elite Soccer Athlete

November 2, 2018

LTAD – Stage 5

Here at yoga Athletex we follow the LTAD model, which stands for Long Term Athletic Development. The LTAD model is a foundation for an optimal training, competition and post competition/ recovery for athletes training at every level. There are 6 steps to this training model, but today we are going to talk about step V.

LTAD model stage V: Train To Win.
Stage V is for boys ages 18+ and girls ages 17+. Here at stage V, Athletes are maximizing fitness preparation and sport specific skills. The things athletes are to, or have already accomplished follow. First off the athlete’s personal, mental, physical, technical and tactical lifestyle capabilities are now fully established, so they are now shooting for maximal and optimal performance They are well equipped to achieve this because of their training of the LTAD model throughout the years. Training of these athletes are particular to weight and volume due to the possibility of overtraining. The athletes are still training for their sports specifically.

All in all, training with the LTAD model reaps multiple benefits. For example, there are higher sporting achievements due to the planned out training style based on an athletes age. Another is less possibility of a burnout because of the diversity and versatility LTAD in training methods has to offer, especially at a young age. Finally is injury prevention. we can help prevent injuries caused by forced development or bad training practice because LTAD model will give coaches, athletes and parents the basic impressions on what the trainings should focus on.

November 2, 2018

LTAD – Stage 4

Here at yoga Athletex we follow the LTAD model, which stands for Long Term Athletic Development. The LTAD model is a foundation for an optimal training, competition and post competition/ recovery for athletes training at every level. There are 6 steps to this training model, but today we are going to talk about stage IV.

LTAD model stage IV: Train To Compete.
Aimed for boys aged 16 to 18 and girls aged 15 to 17, stage 4 puts a huge emphasis in time and dedication, as well as optimal fitness preparation, and sport specific skills. Here is a look into some stage IV expectations and goals. 50% of the athletes available tie is devoted to an improvement in fitness as well as the technical and tactical skills. Another 50% is devoted to sports specific competition and competition-specific training. The athlete is now learning to compete and train under pressure situations. This helps identify areas that need to be worked on and help the athletes thrive in competitions and games. The athletes psychological preparation and technical development are now individually tailored to the athlete’s needs along with their fitness and recovery routines. Stage IV in general is critical to developing top performers and maintaining activity in the long term.

All in all, training with the LTAD model reaps multiple benefits. For example, there are higher sporting achievements due to the planned out training style based on an athletes age. Another is less possibility of a burnout because of the diversity and versatility LTAD in training methods has to offer, especially at a young age. Finally is injury prevention. we can help prevent injuries caused by forced development or bad training practice because LTAD model will give coaches, athletes and parents the basic impressions on what the trainings should focus on.

November 2, 2018

LTAD – Stage 3

Here at yoga Athletex we follow the LTAD model, which stands for Long Term Athletic Development. The LTAD model is a foundation for an optimal training, competition and post competition/recovery for athletes training at every level. There are 6 steps to this training model, but today we are going to talk about Phase III.

Phase III of the LTAD model: Train to Win.
Aimed for girls at the ages of 8-11 and boys 9-12, here we are focusing overall development of the athletes physical capabilities and their foundational movement skills. Areas where the athlete will physically improve on and gain knowledge follow. We develop an aerobic base, speed and sport specific skills. The athlete is taught proper weight lifting techniques while a huge emphasis is put on stretching and flexibility due to growing bones, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. The athlete is taught proper nutrition for pre, during, and post competition or workout, and how and when to hydrate. The athlete is also taught the importance and significance of metal preparation to gain optimal performance. The athlete will also learn pre and post competition routines, because routines are everything! This early specialization training promotes, technical, and tactical knowledge which prevents athletes from injuring themselves.
All in all, training with the LTAD model reaps multiple benefits. For example, there are higher sporting achievements due to the planned out training style based on an athletes age. Another is less possibility of a burnout because of the diversity and versatility LTAD in training methods has to offer, especially at a young age. Finally is injury prevention. we can help prevent injuries caused by forced development or bad training practice because LTAD model will give coaches, athletes and parents the basic impressions on what the trainings should focus on.

October 31, 2018

Performance Breathwork

Performance Breathwork is a new term catching on in the fitness industry, but it has been around for some time. It has most commonly been used in the yoga world, and it is slowly moving over to the fitness world, which is really exciting for us as fitness professionals & yoga instructors! I have a pretty solid background in breathing techniques used to calm down your parasympathetic nervous system from my yoga background with one simple technique of making your exhales longer than your inhales. The parasympathetic nervous system is one part of the entire autonomic nervous system. It’s key role is to rest & digest. It conserves energy as it slows the heart rate, increases intestinal and gland activity and relaxes sphincter muscles in the gastrointestinal tract. The other common system is the sympathetic nervous system, that’s fight or flight. This is the state we stay in more than we should, with work stress, traffic in Houston especially, busy lifestyles, trying to fit everything in your day, and just trying to keep up with your to-do list & what everyone else is doing. We are all tempted by what our friends are doing (on social media) and we want to do it too or better! It’s natural human behavior to want to be apart of the crowd, but all of those stressors are doing just that, causing unnecessary stress to our bodies and lives. Proper breathwork is the easiest tool that we all have access to & can do at ANY TIME in our day. We can work on our breathwork in the car in the crazy Houston traffic, in the morning before we get out of the bed, while we are at work, in meetings, before bed and the list goes on & on.

What I will be teaching in my performance breathwork playshops will be some introduction techniques to proper belly breathing. We will talk about why 80% of the population is chest breathers. When we don’t breath with our entire body, we are not getting proper oxygen to our muscles to aid in recovery and relaxation. When we don’t use our bellies to breath, we typically breath in and out of our mouths. Breathing in the nose is where we get filtered, cleaner oxygen that distributes to our organs & muscles. When we learn how to belly breathe, it starts to affect our nervous system and muscles in a positive way. We start to feel better, more rested and better prepared for what the day throws at us. We are more prepared to act with purpose as opposed to react to situations as they arise.

In my performance breathwork playshops, we will explore the breath using different cadences. We will play around with small breath holds to increase lung capacity and exposure to long breath holds. We will play around with power breathing techniques used to create energy in the body. Most people say after they practice breathwork, that they have a feeling of euphoria. Most pranayama (breathwork in yogi terms) practitioners say you feel like you are floating on a cloud after practicing breathwork and often refer to it as “yoga stoned.” You will most likely feel refreshed & re-focused, relaxed & renewed.

-Kalynn

October 18, 2018

Stay in Postseason Shape at Yoga Athletex

As a competitive athlete, staying in shape during off season can be rough. Being expected to maintain a high fitness level during summer to be ready for the upcoming season is never easy. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to train at Yoga Athletex this summer to help me stay in shape!
At Yoga Athletex there is a variety of classes offered that all appeal to a competitive athlete.
First off, there is a high intensity interval training (HIIT) class that works full body that helps increase mobility in all areas of your body while increasing strength and endurance. This particular class was amazing for keeping me in shape. There is a new circuit every week, so if you are like me and take 2-3 classes a day, it’s nice to change things up!
Next, is Jump Training. This class helps increase your vertical jump. The trainers follow a 4 phase program to help you reach success. Phase 1 is full body wake up, which gets your muscles and joints ready for top performance. Phase 2 is intensify, here you are starting to use those muscles that were first stabilized and do small explosive movements. Phase 3 is force, here you are taking it up a notch. The intensity increases and you are giving it your all every session. Phase 4 is flight, after all of that hard work your body is ready for a lot of explosive movements. Max reps are assigned and you are constantly performing explosive movements. Following these phases, my body has been trained for top performance, without injury.
Finally there is yoga! With 3 different classes offered you have a variety of options when it comes to taking care of your body. Flow class will help you move with the breath from pose to pose and have a dynamic pace and help athletes gain a stronger, more movement based practice. Then there is Yoga For Athletes. Yoga For Athletes is a class geared towards helping stretch out and improve mobility in those tight hamstrings, a stiff neck, low back pain and poor posture. Last but not least is Restorative, my personal favorite! Restorative is a prop supported practice that helps your body dive into a state of deep relaxation while gently stretching your muscles in long held poses. This class is the best after a long day. Yall, yoga really works!
Taking yoga classes helps my flexibility and mobility, which helps increase performance.
Taking classes at Yoga Athletex kept me in shape this summer. I saw a huge improvement in my mental and physical strength. When preseason came around I was ready. My body was not broken down or aching all of the time because I took care of it. I continue to take classes during club season, which I highly recommend to any competitive athlete. I have grown and benefitted from this training program greatly. All in all Yoga Athletex is an amazing place to train during on and off season for optimal performance!

-Bradley R., Elite Soccer Athlete

October 10, 2018

Thanksgiving Kids Camp 2018

With school closures and Thanksgiving being just around the corner, Yoga Athletex has got you covered! We are hosting another kids camp, the week of Thanksgiving, November 19-21. Camp is from 8am-4pm for ages 6 to 12. We will have so much fun teaching your kids how to Play+Work+Restore, our motto at YAX. Keep on reading to understand the benefits of camp and why you should sign your kiddo up!

Kids camp at Yoga Athletex is so much fun! We ‘Play’ active focus games like tag, dodgeball and tic-tac toe relay, to teach body awareness and cognitive function. We ‘Work’ by teaching the foundations of sport performance training through SAQ drills and obstacle courses. We finish with ‘Restore’ by teaching yoga through mindful breathing and movement techniques.

Here at YAX we follow the LTAD model for all programming. The LTAD Model describes the path athletes need to take during specific ages and stages. At stage II of the LTAD model, aimed for kids ages 6-9; we work on FUNdamentals. This stage is pre adolescent, sport sampling, recreational, skill building, and learning the transition. At stage III of the LTAD model, aimed for kids 8-12, we teach the kids how to train like an athlete. We put an emphasis on acquiring a wide range of skills necessary for a number of sporting activities. To learn more about the LTAD model, and how it can benefit you or your child, click here!

To reserve your spot, book your camp HERE! We hope to meet/see your kiddo soon!

For more information feel free to shoot us an email at info@yogaathletex.com, or gives us a call at 346.204.5711.

September 14, 2018

10 Reasons to Train at YAX

Top 10 Reasons to Train at Yoga Athletex

I. BACKED BY SCIENCE: Yoga Athletex HIIT classes (Athletex + YAX) maximize the body’s ability to burn fat, build lean muscle, optimize the body’s hormone and physiological response to exercise while improving overall daily and athletic performance.
II. ACCESSIBLE: It is truly made for everyone at any stage of athletic development (see LTAD model – warrants a-whole-nother conversation). Our circuits are made accessible to everyone regardless of age or fitness level through the use of progressions and regressions.
III. HORMONE REGULATION: This type of high intensity explosive training triggers an improved physiological response to exercise by elevating activity of the endocrine system leading to increased hormone production (including growth hormone) which stimulates protein synthesis. This, in turn, leads to improved muscle growth, fat metabolism leading to a reduction in body fat, and increased metabolic rate for sustainable weight loss and effective weight management. It is important for people in the 30+ age bracket to participate in high intensity circuits, to stimulate hormone production because this is when a decline starts to take place.
IV: OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE: Our circuits will improve strength, speed, endurance, balance, flexibility, coordination, motor control and more through the OPT model used to build these circuits, approved by NASM. The movements are sequenced so that participants perform dissimilar consecutive exercises, promoting active recovery. Each circuit, throughout the year, aims to achieve performance in phase one (Stabilization Endurance), Phase two (Strength Endurance) and Phase five (Power) of the OPT model. We work to achieve high rep, low intensity sets within a 30 second period to fatigue the muscles, which will ensure that all muscle fibers are recruited. Clients who have been working with low reps and heavy weights for some time are often in dire need of a higher repetition strategy. As stated before, the neural and hormonal benefits of such protocols are much more effective for the speed and power state of the client/athlete than what has been previously believed and researched.
V: BURN LONGER: You will find a full body workout with every circuit, work in every plane of motion and constantly be challenged to increase performance. Participants will optimize calories burned during the exercise, and will also experience nearly two times the post exercise caloric expenditure, in comparison to traditional workouts.
VI: NOT CROSSFIT: A note about Olympic Lifts at the Hypertrophy stage and why you won’t see that at YAX. Olympic lifts (Cleans, Snatches, and Jerks) are a great tool to teach powerful triple extension in athletes, but they are only a tool. Although the Olympic lifts produce lots of power, the manner in which the power is produced is not similar enough to have transfer beyond a particular point (somewhere around the advanced/elite level). To this end, the Olympic lifts make a spectacular training method for early work, but in high-performance training blocks featuring lots of speed and plyometric work, pushing the gas pedal down too hard on the Olympic lifts will do nothing but steal adaptation away from the specific jump pathways.
VII: ROM/INJURY PREVENTION: Flexibility is essential for your muscles and should be incorporated into your workout regiment regularly, or through a consistent yoga practice. We offer both avenues. Flexibility movements are important when done properly because it corrects muscle imbalances, increases joint range of motion (ROM), decreases muscle soreness, relieves joint stress, improves muscle extensibility, and maintains the functional length of all muscles.
VIII: STRESS RELIEF: Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines physical poses, controlled breathing, and meditation or relaxation. Yoga may help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and lower your heart rate. And almost anyone can do it.
IX: FOCUS/MENTAL CLARITY: Studies show yoga provides a boost in executive functioning and emotional resilience. Additional observational research on mindfulness and meditation sheds light on how classes may actually influence your brain structure. Studies looking at how the brain changes before and after meditation found that brain structures involved in awareness, attention and self-related thinking changed in structure and increased in volume. Research also found that the hippocampus, which is involved in learning and memory, developed more gray matter density.
X: REST + RECOVER: Yoga helps to cultivate the skill of conscious relaxation and help to discover where we are holding tension. Yoga can create conditions for a relaxation and recovery response to kick in. Yoga can also help us face what we are avoiding internally and provide an overall sense of awareness.

September 11, 2018

Top 5 Reasons to do an FMS screen

Top 5 Reasons to do an FMS screen

  1. Injury Prevention: As you may know, these two words are the root idea behind Yoga Athletex. Along with our programming, the FMS helps to identify movement dysfunctions before an injury is likely to occur.
  2. Body Awareness: This tool allows you to recognize the difference between pain and discomfort. If pain is identified during the screen, we have a DPT on staff to help analyze you further. FMS may identify the onset of injury, which allows you to nip it in the bud before becoming debilitating.
  3. Systematic Approach: Each scoring method can be administered by any certified coach. So, if you’ve had a prior screen elsewhere, our staff can review, evaluate and continue with your plan. FMS uses a simple checklist with clearly defined criteria, it’s easy for coaches administering the screen to arrive at a reliable score that can be repeated with other coaches, at any location.
  4. Ongoing: Because the FMS is a standardized screen, you can continue to get tested over time to assess your progress, or identify movement dysfunctions that may arise. We highly encourage our clients to get re-screened every 6 months, at minimum, assuming you are diligently working on your exercises. Re-screening can help you identify improvements you make.
  5. Corrective Exercise System: Not only can the FMS help you identify dysfunctional movement patterns, the intent is to correct them as well. So the FMS is really a comprehensive screening and corrective exercise system. We refer to this system as the FMS Training Cycle. Each FMSTC is extremely personalized to the individuals needs, with the sole purpose of achieving optimal performance without injury!

BOOK YOUR SCREEN HERE: https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=118632&stype=-9&sTG=5&sView=day&sLoc=0