Why you need to keep it SIMPLE!

Life is already complicated enough; let's not make workouts just as crazy. A few sets of big, compound movement can give you a great workouts without taking all day. A compound movement is an exercise that uses multiple joints and muscles. Think, squats, deadlifts, bench, push press.

There are so many people writing overly complicated workouts for people that do not need them. If you are an athlete with specific goals and competition dates, then yes you're workout needs to be more laid out and planned in advanced with specific percantages. If you're just looking to get stronger, leaner, and more confident in the gym, then just having a few circuits with multiple exercises that cover all the parts you are trying to train will do the trick!

You can see in my workout today, I focused on upper body. I did two circuits, one pushing (circuit 1) and one pulling (circuit 2). 5-6 rounds each circuit, and I threw in some core and explosive work to break up the rests between sets. I do tend to make my own workouts a bit more complicated, but today I just felt like training and not thinking, and sometimes those turn out to be the best workouts!

Thanks for reading, and remember

 Keep it Simple

-Nick

Bodybuilding Style Workout and Changing up Your Training to Avoid Burnout

I'm not going to lie, today I definitely did not feel like working out. I woke up tired, and thought, "maybe I could just skip today's session." The whole time through my first class I was debating on whether or not I should lift, finally I realized I had to.

My motivation was low, so my discipline stepped in. 

When you start experiencing signs of burnout, it's important to act quickly to avoid getting stuck in it. Burnout can lead to many physiological and psychological issues such as, depression, extreme-soreness, sleeplessness, and many other. Changing up your training, taking a day off, and re-evaluating your goals can be good ways to avoid and counter the early signs of overtraining and burnout.

I think I'm starting to experience a bit of burnout, so today I decided to do a, "throw-back" lift. I trained how I used to train when I competed in bodybuilding, and it was great! It kept me interested, and made me start to enjoy my workout again.

It's been a while since I did a bodybuilding, high volume type workout and I forgot how much fun they are. This style of training means pushing the body part you're training to failure on nearly every set, trying to pump as much blood into the muscle as possible. Less circuits, and more sets of one exercise at a time. Lately, I have been training for my upcoming Spartan Race in December, so it has been more strength and full body training. This was a good way to mix up my training and keep me interested.

Overtraining and burnout can be a serious issue in all aspects of your life. Keep an eye out for it in your work, personal life, and workouts. Many people use lifting as a release and the last thing you would want to do is ruin your way of expelling stress or frustration. If you're getting bored with your training, it might be time to mix it up. Change the style, try lifting with a friend, or find whatever way will keep you interested, so you can keep getting stronger!

Thanks for reading!

-Nick

So you want to start, but don't know where to begin.

We have all been there. You get this fantastic idea you're going to change your eating habits and exercise more, you get super excited and motivated, and then you realize you don't know where to begin.

THIS IS OKAY AND NORMAL. 

Most people don't know where to begin when it comes to exercise. There are so many different diets and exercise programs, not even the best professional could name them all. High intensity, low intensity, lifting, cardio, metabolic conditioning, low carb, high carb, low fat, no fat, the list of ways people have tried to lose weight and get stronger could go on forever! Thankfully, there is a method that will always get you past this confusion: do something.

Doing something is always better than doing nothing. Start with the simplest form of diet and exercise, walking and cut out fast food and processed food. If you are coming from a completely sedentary lifestyle, trying to jump into a big diet and exercise program all at once can lead to confusion and frustration. Start with the basics and work your way up. Investing the time in your health is the best and most sound investment you can make.

Once you have begun with the basics, you can move on up to bodyweight exercises such as: squats, push ups, plank variations, and reverse rows. Demonstrations of these exercises can easily be found online. These can all be done at home, with no equipment. At this point, you may be thinking about joining a gym, make sure you have it set in your mind, YOU WILL USE THE GYM. There is no point in wasting your time and money on a membership that you won't use. Try getting an outside person to hold you accountable. A knowledgable strength coach or personal training that truly cares about you reaching your goals is a great way to advance safely and faster than you would on your own. They can hold you accountable to get in the gym, and make sure you are consistently progressing towards your goals.

You will always come up with reasons why now is a bad time to start a new health program. Time and money will be the two biggest that pop in your head, but remember your body is the only thing you truly own forever. It is the safest investment you can make, the more work and commitment you put in the more positive results you will see. Life should not be a struggle of up and down with your health and weight. It should be about finding a balance of healthy eating, movement, and exercise. If you are just beginning, remember, start with the absolute basics, find a knowledgeable coach, and just begin.

You owe it to yourself to be the strongest person you can be.

Thanks for reading,

Nick Guzek

Brick by Brick Fitness
facebook.com/bbybfitness

Why you need glute activation exercises and how to do GREAT monster walks!

I was not planning on lifting this morning, but both my morning clients canceled on me so I had an opportunity and I jumped on it. I don't typically like lifting in the morning, but when I have a big opening in my schedule and know that I would have normally been working during that time anyway, I like to take advantage of it. Getting your workout out of the way and knowing the hardest part of your day is over just makes you feel a sense of accomplishment and an, "I can do it" kind of attitude. 

I did lower body today, starting out with some moderately heavy back squats and step-ups. I have recently started doing more and more step-ups and I'm starting to love them! Starting your week out with squats is a great way to get the hardest lift out of the way for awhile. If you can do heavy squats on a Monday, you can do anything! After that, I did a few circuits of accessory work, one of which included a favorite of mine: Monster Walks. 

Monster walks are an awesome glute activation and strengthening exercise. Many, if not most, people go throughout their daily life without their glutes being fully activated. Sitting all day, not exercising, and not even moving causes your glutes to, "turn off." This can lead to problems such as back pain, hip tightness, and over-compensation by your hamstrings. This is why I have my clients start off with mini band work to get their glutes firing before we get into and heavy lifting. 

Here's how I do Monster Walks

• Put a mini band on around your ankles
• Squat down to a half squat (just above parallel)
• Keeping your core engaged take big, outward, diagonal steps
• Keep your knees out, focus on engaging the side of your butt
• Make sure you keep your toes pointing forward, they are going to want to point out
• All the movement should come from your legs and hip, do not let your upper body turn to compensate
• Walk, staying in the squatted position, for about 10-15 yards forward, then backwards back
• Maintain good posture with your upper body, do not let your back round

Congrats, you did Monster Walks! 

You can buy mini bands for less then $10-15 for a pack of 4-5 of various resistances; I would strongly urge everyone to get some for home!

Thanks for reading and get those gluts activated!

-Nick 

Workout log 8/29/16 and why learning how to accept failure fosters mental toughness and growth.

Today's workout was full body. It felt awesome to squat heavy and then finish up with some unconventional GPP training using a sledgehammer, tire, and sandbag.

I've put together a co-Brick by Brick Fitness/ Peak S&C Spartan race team, and we are about 4 weeks out! I'm very excited to be doing my first Spartan race. The whole purpose of a race like this, no matter what brand it is, is to test your mental toughness and ability to get through whatever is thrown at you. I love the idea of being pushed to my limits, physically and mentally, and this is such a great way to test it out.

I think it is important in life to do stuff that challenges you. If you walk through life with everything given to you, or always taking the easy path, you will never realize your fullest potential. I've been lucky that all of my clients love being pushed (even if they didn't think so at first!) Being uncomfortable and purposely putting yourself in situations that make you not feel, "warm and cozy" are how you grow and develop an iron mindset. Once you start to get a stronger mental game, everything else seems easier. You no longer fear what you don't know, and you believe that you can do whatever your mind wants!

I think the biggest challenge when trying to gain mental toughness is getting over the fear of failure. Failure is a part of life and it's one of the best ways of growing. If you just accomplish everything you set out to do, you're not setting big enough goals. Overcoming failures, picking yourself up, and still moving forward is how you get stronger.

Think of a time when you failed at something, if you're still bitter about it, try taking some lessons from it. How could you have been better? Did you train enough for it? Did you set yourself up to be successful? Use failures to better yourself, not to destroy you. Once you learn that it's okay to fail as long as you're continuing to grow, learn, and better yourself, you will have a mind that nothing can stop.

Get after it.

-Nick

Lower Body 8/17/16, how to aggressively roll out your calves, and how to have a GREAT squat!

I was so excited for squats today! I haven't had a good lower body lift in over a week due to vacation, but I finally got one in today! My calves were incredibly tight so I started by rolling them out on a LAX ball and also rolling them out using a barbell.

To do this:

• I put a bar in a low placement on a rack
• Laid down below the bar
• Put a leg up on the bar
• Moved my leg all around trying to break up the knots 

It was one of the roughest way I've worked on my calves, but it definitely helped!

I only went to 275 on squats, and unfortunately, that felt pretty heavy. I added some core in between the sets of squats. I then went into a circuit of heavy RDLs, single leg squats with a med ball, KB swings, and goblet squats. I loved this circuit, it kept my heart rate up, and the blood pumping in my legs!

To go along with yesterday's Technique Tuesday post about how to bodyweight squat, here are my most common cues for getting my clients into a proper squat position.

• Feet just outside shoulder width
• Toes pointed as straight as possible (0-15 degrees)
• Lock your core in (sternum to belly button)
• Screw your feet into the ground (externally rotating your hips)
• Push your butt back, drive your knees out towards pinky toes
• Try to get to at least parallel
• Drive up from the middle/heel of your foot

Congrats you just had a great squat!

 Check out the Technique Tuesday video below and make sure you Like us on Facebook to stay up to date on all the videos and tips by Brick by Brick Fitness!


Thanks for reading and happy squatting!

-Nick

Workout Log 6/4/16 and 6/8/26

Here is this past Saturday's workout and today's workout! They were very similar so I wanted to post them together. Saturday I trained with one of my good friends who is getting ready for a powerlifting meet, so I stuck with his sets/reps which were pretty low compared to what I'm used to, but I liked it! I think I will start training more strength based, with a mix of accessory and GPP to keep me athletic.

Saturday 6/4/16
I jumped around a bit in weight on my deadlifts, just because I was having fun more than being a stickler about the format of his lift.

Deadlifts: 3x2 @ 405#, 1x1@ 425, 2x6 @ 315#

Back Squats: 5x8 @ 225#
Front Squats: 2x3 @ 225#

Partner Circuit:
Partner 1: Forward Sled drag for 80m
Partner 2: Kettlebell Swings with 63# till partner 1 returns.

GPP: 4 rounds
Partner 1: 4 tire flips
Partner 2: Sledgehammer 2 each side when tire hits the ground, then partner 1 flips it again

Wednesday 6/8/16

Back Squats: 2 warm up sets then 5x3 @ 315#

Deadlifts: 4x8 @ 225#

GPP/Accessory Circuit: 3 rounds
Backward/forward sled drag 20m each
Kettlebell swings  x15 @63#
Kettlebell Rack Carry x20m each side @ 63#

That's it! Thanks for reading!

-Nick

Workout Log 5/25/16

I took about a week off from writing these, I was out of town, but now I'm back and ready to train more! Here is yesterday's workout. It only took me about 35 minutes, but we just got a new heavier kettlebell at Peak and I wanted to break it in with the time I had between my classes!

Warm-Up: Foam Rolling, mobility on hip flexor, scaps, and shoulder

Circuit 1: 3 rounds

Kettlebell Clean x 5 each side
Turkish Get-up x2 each side (These were rough, I haven't done them in a very long time)

Circuit 2: 62# kettlebell

Kettlebell Swing x12
Overhead Waiter Carry x30m each side

Kettlebell Swing x12
Single-arm Farmers Walk x 30m each side

Kettlebell Swing x 12
Rack carry x 30m each side

Circuit 3: 2 Rounds

Kettlebell Swings x 12
1/2 kneeling Kettlebell Press x6

There ya go, pretty simple lift in a short amount of time!

 Go get after it!

-Nick

4 Tips to Have an Effective Weight Loss Journey

 

Everyone wants to achieve their weight loss goals, but many people do not set themselves up for success! You have to go into losing weight with a game plan and with the full belief that you will get there. There is no magical way to lose weight, but there are a few things that can make it easier and more enjoyable. Here are 4 tips to making your weight loss journey as effective as it can be!

 
1) Be held accountable

Get a personal trainer, a workout partner, attend fitness classes with knowledgeable trainers, or create an accountability challenge with your friends. When you are held accountable for your training and eating, you have this feeling that you can not let the others down. This will help you keep pushing even when you want to stop. It is also a fun way to do something with your friends to better yourselves. Having a trainer, either in a group setting or one-on-one, to push you past what you thought was possible, will help build your confidence in the gym and realize you're stronger than you think.

2) Don't think diet, think lifestyle

Unfortunately, it's a fact that 75-85% of weight loss comes from proper eating. There are so many "fad-diets" out there today, it can be overwhelming. I urge you to not think about starting a "diet" but to learn about what are good foods and bad foods, and just eat proper portions. When people think about the word "diet" bad things come to mind, like restriction, hunger, and suffering. I don't want my clients to have to suffer through their days. If you make eating good, clean, and real food a part of your lifestyle, you'll forget you're actually losing weight. Diets tend to have a timeline on them and that's how the cycle of, lose weight then gain it back starts. Once you start to eat proper food, it will become a way of life; not just something you  suffer through till that goal weight.

3)  Set goals

Goal setting is a skill that is used in much more than just weight loss. It helps you take steps towards your big goals in life, whatever they may be. By consistently achieving smaller goals you will be continuously boosting your confidence and belief that you CAN do it! Creating S.M.A.R.T goals is the best way to ensure you're making goals that are not too outlandish, but at the same time, are not too small. One goal at a time will get you where you need to go.

4) Find a place to workout 

A simple home gym setup

The gym is not for everyone. Many people are not comfortable working out at a big box gym full of people who have different goals. Look around your local area, many new private strength and conditioning facilities are popping up that offer group classes with certified trainers. These classes usually have awesome energy and people are extremely welcoming. If being in medium sized groups is not for you, then try and find a personal trainer that will cater programs just for your goals and needs. Many trainers will also offer reduced rates for semi-private training, so you could get together with a friend or two, and have your own fitness class, customized just for you! Lastly, if none of this seems like you would enjoy it, save the money on the gym membership you won't use, and buy some basic equipment and train at home. Or you can start super basic, and just walk and do simple body-weight exercises. Doing something, is always better than doing nothing.

I hope these tips will help you get closer to your weight loss goal. Find someone to train with, at a place you feel comfortable, using S.M.A.R.T goals, follow a proper nutrition plan, and you will have no problems reaching success!

In True Strength,

Nick

Are you doing what you're meant to be doing?

I could just leave you with the title and have you think about it for a while, but I think I'll go into some detail. One of the biggest worries people have is finding a job. When they're young and fresh out of school or college its all about finding that, "dream job." As time goes on, that dream begins to fade to something more like a job, then something that pays the bills, and finally going to a place they hate. According to a study done in 2013 by The Gallup, 70% of Americans hate their job. That is an incredibly high number! That means 70% of Americans hate 1/3 of their life. Life is too short for that much discomfort and hate.

Recently, I've been doing a lot of thinking about my future. I have this feeling inside of me that I'm meant to do something great. To influence people, and help them have a more fulfilled life! Now some might say, "your young, everyone has those feelings." If so, then why doesn't anyone do it! People end up giving up on their dreams, in order to just get by. What kind of life is that?! One of my favorite books is, The Alchemist (I highly recommend reading it). It's a short read about a shepherd boy that realizes his, "personal legend." He goes on a long quest and does much more than a normal person. Obviously it's fiction, but the message is incredible. The only job anyone absolutely has, is to realize their, "personal legend." That is, to realize their calling in life. Many people come close, but then they give up, either for financial reasons, or because it's too hard; they have a fear of failure.

Finding and doing what you love might not be the easiest thing, but it will surely save you years of hatred and a monotonous life. Obviously, a lot of this is easier said than done, but I just want to put the idea out there that there is more to life than what you're doing! Life is not about work, it's about the people around you and the experiences you have. No one is going to talk about "that time at work" on their deathbed. They are going to talk about that trip they had, with the people they met, and the stories that were told. Having a career that I love with the ability to experience life is my dream; what's yours? You just have to find your, "personal legend" and all will be clear.

In true strength,

Nick

Stressed? Here are 4 ways to help keep you calm and productive!

The older we get, the more responsibilities. Mortgages, kids, work, health, nutrition, deadlines; the list could go on forever. All these things pile up and cause that little gremlin, stress, to appear. Now, most people have heard how stress can effect their health. It can lead to muscle tightness, headaches, and poor sleep at night. All of these side effects end up leading to more problems, and the cycle continues! Some people can get caught up in this stress mess for years at a time, never finding a way out. The purpose of today's post is about how to deal with stress. Some of these might sound simple and obvious, but hopefully they will give you a reminder to do them, and keep that gremlin away.

1. Walk

Just go walk. Don't think about anything in particular, whatever pops in your head, pops in your head. If you notice you start thinking about your stresses, then try and concentrate on the sounds all around you. Take a moment to listen to the birds, the planes, the cars, anything besides what bothers you. Don't think of this as exercise, think of it as moving meditation.  Now I know you're thinking you don't have time to waste on something silly like walking. Well look, if you keep sitting in your office freaking about everything you need to get done, you are going to be less productive. Take that 10-20 minutes and walk around. Clear your head. When you come back to your work, you will feel better than before and probably figure out a way to solve whatever you're trying to solve. Give yourself a chance to breath.

      2. Lift

Go pick something up. It doesn't matter if you don't have a whole  home gym or gym membership; just lift something. Exercise releases endorphins, which trigger positive feelings in the body. Exercise and lifting does a lot more than that though, it helps show you what you're capable of.  It creates personal goals for yourself, so that when you achieve them, you feel accomplished and successful. It will show you that you can overcome things, and get through whatever it is that life throws at you. I can't even imagine who or where I would be if I had never begun lifting. Through lifting, I have grown way more than just physically. I have learned so much about myself, and what I can do. It has honestly helped me in almost every aspect of my life; including stress management. When you realize your fullest potential, the things that stressed you out, just become easier to manage. You'll wonder why they bothered you  in the first place.

     3.  Set Goals

I've mentioned goal setting in one of my videos before, but I think it is extremely important. Without goals, you have no direction. You don't have to be crazy like me and set goals for every part of the day, but at least set daily goals. Figure out what the most important thing is that you need to get done that day, and set all your efforts on that. Accomplish your goal, and move on. The feeling of achieving a goal is incredible and will give you the energy to move on to the next one and then the next one. I would also advise setting weekly, monthly, and maybe even 6 month goals. Setting goals helps break big tasks down to little ones, and makes everything seem more manageable.

    4. Meditate

I have just recently started to meditate daily, and I absolutely love it. Allowing yourself to just sit, and concentrate on absolutely nothing, but your breathing, for 20-30 minutes is incredible. It helps to clear your head of stresses, anger, and hate. There are many ways to meditate, so find the one you like the best. Personally, I perform Vipassana meditation. Everything you need to know is in a book called, Mindfulness: In Plain English. The book is free online, and only 100 pages. If you are not sure if you would enjoy meditation, I would advise trying a short guided session. There are a lot of free ones on YouTube! So far, meditation has helped me to relax and focus on the important things in my life. It has also helped me realize when I'm stressing over things that are not as important as they seem or just not that big of a deal in the big picture!

This list could go on for a very long time, the trick is to find what works for you and stick with it. I use a combination of all four of these to keep my head on straight. Stress can destroy you, but it is just a part of modern society. We have so many things going on at once, but by employing one or two of these methods, you could stay calmer, happier, and become a more productive and stronger person!

Do not let the stresses in your life define who you are.

In true strength,

Nick 

4 Reasons why you NEED to gain mobility!

Hey everyone! Because the House of Strength Mobility Challenge is going on, I wanted to make this blog to discuss 4 reasons why you should be doing mobility work. Believe me, I know mobility work can be painful, and lets face it, boring but it needs to be done. I never did any kind of mobility work when I first started lifting, and now I'm working everyday to reverse the imbalances I created.  I know it's not fun, but it is extremely beneficial to you in becoming a completely functional human being.

Reason #1: To move better

 In order for your body to be able to move properly, all the joints in your body need to be in alignment. When some of your muscles are much tighter or stronger than others, it throws your joints out of alignment. Think about it, if you have a machine that is turning because of a bunch of little gears, and one is not aligned perfectly with another, the machine stops working. Now I know many of us walk around all day out of alignment and still can do our daily tasks, but things will become much easier and much more comfortable if our machine (our body) is working in perfect sync with itself.

Reason #2: Pain

Low back pain? Hips hurt? Shoulders are achy? Chances are, you don't have a hurt muscle, you're just not mobile. Your muscles surrounding these joints are so tight that they are pulling the joints into places they aren't supposed to be. On the other side of this, some of your muscles are so weak,  they can't help keep the joints in alignment.  Check out the picture to the left, the hip flexors are so tight and the abdominals and glutes are so weak, the pelvis tilts and strains the lower back.

Reason #3: Strength

 How can we be as strong as possible,  if we can't move our body and limbs in a full range of motion? In order to get the maximum amount of gains out an exercise you need to be able to perform the entire movement. For example, if you're trying to shoulder press, but your shoulder can only go 3/4 of the way up because your chest is so tight it's internally rotating your shoulders forward, you're missing a quarter of the movement pattern. This is the same for having tight hips and ankles, and not being able to squat to parallel or even close to it. Not performing exercises with a full range of motion is cheating yourself out of strength and size gains you could be getting with proper mobility.

Reason #4: Injury

Lets look at the shoulder example from the previous reason. When your shoulders are pulled forward, you can't press all the way up. In order for your body to full extend your arms, your spine is going to have to compensate for the lack of range of motion. This will put your lower back in a compromised position and at risk for injury. When your chest is overly tight, it also pulls on your upper back and can cause back pain around your rhomboids. When your hip flexors are overly tight, as shown in the image in reason 2, it causes a lot of tension and pain in your lower back.

I hope this blog helped give you the motivation to do your mobility work everyday so you can be a complete human being. We weren't designed to sit in a chair all day, slumped over a keyboard. We were made to move, and unfortunately many of us can not do that properly. So close your computer, stand up, and go do something on your feet!

Stay strong!

-Nick

Welcome to the Brick by Brick Fitness Blog!!

Welcome everyone! My name is Nick Guzek and I'm the owner of Brick by Brick Fitness located in Roanoke, VA. I'm very excited to begin this adventure of training the people of Roanoke and helping them to become their strongest self. I wanted to write this blog to explain my background and my personal philosophies of fitness and how I train.

I began lifting weights in the Fall of 2007. I was in the 9th grade, and became consumed by the sport of bodybuilding. I've competed in 4 bodybuilding competitions, starting my senior year of high school. I didn't realize it then, but this was a pivotal time in my life.  I was pretty overweight as a kid. Never huge, but always somewhat chubby; I definitely wore the "husky" size growing up. When I first starting lifting, I didn't know what I was doing, so I began to research and read articles everyday when I came home from school; either on training, nutrition, supplements; I read them all. The more I learned, the more confident I grew in my training. The more confident I was in the gym, the more I was in my everyday life. Lifting and bodybuilding changed who I am.
         
Around my junior year of high school, I began to think about what I wanted to do in college. I had planned on going to school for audio engineering/recording, but then I realized my true passion was with fitness and exercise. I ended up going to George Mason University and graduated with my degree in kinesiology. When I first got to school, I had no clue I wanted to be a trainer; I thought I would figure out something to do with my degree when the time comes. It wasn't until my junior year of college that I realized I wanted to be a strength coach. I interned with GMU's strength and conditioning center, Liberty University's Football team, and then I realized I also loved training adults when I started an internship at Next Level Fitness and Performance and eventually worked there as a coach. Getting to know the clients on a personal level, and being able to help them reach their specific needs, really inspired me to be a better coach. Watching the clients achieve their goals helped me realize this is exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life.

I like to keep things simple. I know the secret of fitness...hard work. I am a firm believer in working hard and receiving results. I push my clients to challenge themselves, and work outside of their comfort zone; sometimes its good to be uncomfortable. Everyone has goals, and I believe the best way to accomplish them, is to vocalize them. Once you say them out loud to people, you then become accountable. I love getting to know my clients personally:
their likes, dislikes, how their family is; I want to become their trainer as well as their friend.

      The bottom line is: I love to train, I love work, and I love seeing my clients get results.

I hope this gives you all some insight as to what I'm all about. I can't wait to expand my client base and start helping more people become the best version of themself!

     Stay Strong,

     Coach Nick