Mixing it up

When I travel for business I know what to expect from the hotel gym. Typically there is a treadmill and a set of dumbbells ups to 50lbs. I supplement this by bringing my own TRX and Rogue cannonballs. I design specific workouts for myself and am generally quite happy. Last week I was inspired to see if there was a gym that would offer me a solid group training atmosphere. Since I do not crossfit visiting a local box was out of the question. A google search of Redmond,WA area yielded Warrior Strength Training. The owner of WST was awesome and agreed to let me workout (for a fee) but with no other BS. As I am normally used to dumbbells from Unite and my hotel gym workouts using the different techniques gave my body a real shock. The first day we used sandbags for a variety of lifts including snatches and lunges to overhead press. The second day we used balls for slams and wall balls which were brand new to me. It is important to remember when performing a new movement to ensure proper form and the best way to ensure proper form is starting off with a lower weight. In the beginning the head coach had recommended a higher weight but I countered with a lower estimate not letting my ego override solid judgement. After a few rounds the coach understood my mindset and was able to adjust his recommendations for weight accordingly (a sign of a great coach/trainer). The workout, even with lighter weighs, was difficult and very effective. The added bonus was learning new techniques that can be incorporated into my workouts and those of my clients. Do not be afraid to step outside your comfort zone every once a while opens your body and mind to new exercises. Many places will allow a drop-in for $20 which can repay it back many times over. ---rich