VPF Blog

Stuck at home and not able to or comfortable to head out to the gym? Here are 3 Bodyweight Core Exercises that will have you burning and targeting the abdomen.

I’d recommend starting out doing :20-:30 seconds for each exercise for a total of 2-3 sets.

If you’re more advanced you can bump the timing up and add additional sets as needed.

Here are 3 core exercises down below!

Mountain Climbers

In-season training seems to be a tough time for the youth athlete. Multiple schedules, practices, games, the list goes on. It may seem like there is no time, but if performing at your best and moving up to the next level is a priority, then maximizing in-season training is essential.

Here are 3 Tips For In-Season Training.

#1: Train 1-2 Times Per Week

Make time for in-season training and target main movement patterns and compound exercises. If you put in a whole summer of off-season training and made progress, we want to not only maintain, but continue to develop strength, power, mobility, core stability. A proper strength and conditioning program should not leave you exhausted or take away from your upcoming competition during the season.

Suspension Trainers such as the TRX and Jungle Gym are great tools to have available either at your gym or even at home! 

They are easy to transport and set up. The versatility that these tools provide is tremendous. There is a wide variety of exercises that can be done with these and provide an excellent choice for developing your home gym during these times.

This article is an overview of some of the common upper body exercises we use in-person and in our online training programs. No matter how much you perform these they can still provide a great challenge!

Below are 5 Upper Body TRX Exercises:

The way of the world has certainly changed and has changed the landscape of the health and fitness industry. Many gyms have been restricted and even closed up for good due to the chaos of a pandemic.

Unfortunately, many gym goers and athletes have paid the price with their health and performance due to the lack of access to the gym and classes. Now that things are moving forward, many have invested in their own gym equipment at home and some gyms have re-opened.

Now is the time to really take care of our health, fitness and performance as the stress of world has bottled up. You owe it to yourself and deserve to take care of your body and well-being.

So, if you’re stuck at home with your home gym or you’re going back to the commercial gym, here are some benefits to c

With the pandemic still running wild, many have turned to online training due to the gyms being forced to close. Some have decided to turn their basement or garage into their own home gym to fit their schedules. That is great if you have the means to do so, but many are still choosing to workout at their local gym or at least the ones that are open.

So whether you have access to a full gym or have a few pieces of equipment to work with, online training can be a solid option to help you stay in shape, boost your immunity and boost your energy throughout the day.

Here are 3 benefits to joining an online training program.

1) Schedule Flexibility

No more stress and wasting time scheduling classes or texting back and forth with yo

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝘃𝘀 𝟴-𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀

Our sports performance training programs are developed around an entire year for the athlete as opposed to the “8-Week Program”.

Sure, the that program may yield some gains, but what happens afterwards? What happens during the season?

See, we take a holistic approach to training because we understand the needs of the athlete and what is appropriate for the athlete at the given time. In-season training will be different from the off-season. Heck, one week during the season maybe different from last week.

There are a lot of great programs out there, but some of them are just made up on the fly and randomized.

Taking a systematic approach to development and pe

Stuck at home and fortunate to have a TRX or Suspension Trainer? 

Here is a quick and easy workout for you as we all continue to fend off the Coronavirus.

1) TRX Skater Squat

2) Single Arm TRX Row (add a kettlebell or dumbbell if you have one)

3)TRX Bicep Curl

4) TRX Y

Don’t let the COVID-19 outbreak stand in your way of your health and fitness. We can still get a pretty good and productive workout with the use of a single or multiple bands if you have. If not, they are pretty affordable and can be found on Amazon or Perform Better.

We utilize these bands in all of our sports performance and adult fitness programs as it provides some variety and efficiency with the workouts.

Here are 3 exercises that can be done with a band from home or outside.

1). Split Stance Band Row

2) Band Deadlift

As we continue to remain in the stay at home shutdown, I thought I would provide 3 variations for split squats. All of these variations can be done with minimal to no equipment at all and don’t require a ton of space.

For sports performance athletes, these are solid solutions to continue unilateral training and reinforcing quality movement. This is also a great time to work on capacity and the ability to hold this position. By developing this aspect you will be able to hit the ground running when we are able to resume in-person training this summer.

1. ISO Split Squat Hold

2. Body Weight Split Squat

Hey Coach Jerry here…

This Coronavirus is really taking a toll on everyone and everything. If you’re like me, you’re probably pretty damn tired of being stuck in the house, watching T.V and browsing the internet!

Unfortunately, it’s changed the fitness and sports performance operation in a way that isn’t new and isn’t ideal…

But that shouldn’t be a reason why we should stop training and working out!

You know I’ve answered a few questions from a few conversations I’ve had this week and the most common “reason” or question was “Well I don’t have any weights”…

That’s okay! We don’t need a bunch of bars, plates, bands, bikes, sleds, etc… All you really need is a dumbbell, furniture sliders (paper plate or towel works too 😁), maybe a single

So, it’s looking like this COVID-19 is going to be sticking around a little longer, unfortunately…

But, that’s out of our control for the most part. We can keep doing our part by continuing the healthy habits like washing our hands and surfaces and limiting our distance from others.

It’s not ideal…I get it!

If anything, it has forced us to take care of ourselves in ways that were often overlooked.

They say it takes about 21 days to form a new or change a habit, so by now it’s probably become automatic for thoroughly washing our hands for 20 seconds. A habit that will be beneficial in our overall health after this pandemic has passed.

Let’s shift gears a bit…I’m not trying to bore you with another

Measuring the quality of a workout should not be based on “how hard it was” , how much you sweat or how sore you are.

Anybody with a whistle can do that… and quite frankly there are some really bad one’s out there.

Instead it should be based on:

• Effort that YOU put forth, did you give 100%?
• Was each movement done with intent and quality?
• Did you achieve a new PR?
• Did you improve on a particular exercise or movement?
• Are the numbers showing improvement via volume, intensity, sets, reps, time or raw weight?

See, as we improve and consistently apply stress, our body will adapt to this stress. It doesn’t know if it is a dumbbell, barbell, band or isometric…it just knows that some sort of stress has been applied

We often see athletes train hard and invest 100% in their off-season training, but when the season rolls around some will completely neglect strength training.

 By doing so this can actually negatively impact your performance on the ice, on the court or on the field as the season moves along.

 The athlete may lose that “explosiveness” they once had at the beginning of the season, then comes the loss of strength. Two factors that impact in-game performance, not to mention durability to withstand the physical demands of a long season.

 How should you or your child train during the season?

 We typically focus on strength development with compound exercises such as Trap Bar Deadlifts, Goblet Squats, Pull-ups, SLDL’s to name a few.

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I’ve been fortunate enough to have one-on-one conversations with professional scouts and pro team executives regarding draft eligible prospects that have trained with me during the off-seasons.

During these conversations, not once did these individuals ask about their on-ice skills, how many points they had…

Instead, they asked things like:

• How does the athlete interact with his peers in the weight room?
• Do they encourage or push others in the weight room?
• How do they respond to criticism?
• How do they respond to coaching or authoritative figures?
• Do they show up on time or are they late?
• What is their effort like during training? Is it consistent?
• How well does they move?
• What are some weaknesses

Here at Vangilder Performance and Fitness you won’t find a single piece of your typical exercise machine. Instead we use a variety of free weights, barbells, kettlebells, sandbags and more to accomplish our training goals.

When we talk to new potential members, they sometimes are confused by why we don’t have any exercise machines.

Well, we believe in functional strength training and training human movement with the goal of moving efficiently, improving strength, balance, coordination, stability and reducing pain.

See, most people nowadays are working from a desk or driving vehicles for long period of times, putting us in some compromised positions.

Heck, we tend to sit more at home too watching tv or simply relaxing with the family.

The new year has arrived and as many others do, we all set new goals for the new year.

But many often fail to achieve these goals right from the get go. Why do we fail early on?

Here are 4 reasons why many fail to hit their goals in the new year.

1) Fall Back

Many will fall back into their “normal” or “old” routine after setting new goals for a variety of reasons, schedule, work, family, etc. This often leads us back into our bad habits.

For example, if you are trying to cut back on extra calories, but have a routine of meeting with friends or family at a restaurant on a weekly basis, you may fall into the trap of “doing what we always do” and order a few too many beers and chips, etc while you socia

Last week we touched on 4 tips for better goal setting for 2020. 

Here is a short self-assessment I like to have our clients fill out when they fall into the rut. It’s good to dive in and take a look at things to see what the problem be. Think of it like a routine car inspection and tune-up.

Step 1: List Out Your Current Goals and Outcome

1. ___________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________

Step 2: Are you satisfied with the results so far?

Step 3: If you answered no, what is it that you’re not happy with?

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The new year is approaching quickly! Which means we will see the “New Year, New Me” posts. Nothing wrong with that, but what exactly does that mean?  What that means for most is a big dream or hope.

I’m here to help you actually fulfill these dreams, hopes and aspirations by providing you a rough template to setting some realistic goals for 2020.

Here are my recommendations for setting and reaching your goals in 2020.

1) Keep the list short.

Too often the list is filled with a ton of goals and becomes frustrating and overwhelming. Ultimately because of this none of these goals are accomplished.

I recommend keeping the list to 3 goals, no more than 5. This will help you stay focused on a few things at a time.

You ca

Post workout conditioning on the treadmill or track can get boring real fast. Here are 3 metabolic finishers that will boost your heart rate and blast calories.

1) Ropes and Squats

• Perform each exercise for 30 seconds each with 15 seconds of rest.
• Repeat this sequence for at least 6 rounds.

2) Sleds and Bodyweight 

• Push the sled for a set distance (i.e. 20 yards)
• Then immediately perform 10 pushups
• Push the sled back to the starting point and perform 10 squats
• Push the sled back down and perform 10 med ball slams
• Rest 1 minute and repeat the sequence 3-5 rounds

3) TRX Complex

Perform each exercise consecutively with zero

We hear it all the time “I’m always at the gym but I’m not seeing progress” or “I’m training but the results are not there”. 

Here are 5 reasons why you may not be seeing results.

1) Inconsistency 

We may have inconsistency in our training frequency, meaning one week you worked out 4 times, next week you worked out once. Life and work can get in the way and make things complicated, but make sure you make time for yourself, even it is 30 minutes a day. Find a way to make time whether that is going to the gym bright and early in the morning or late at night. Find a schedule and stick with it!

2) Stale Workout Program

It’s easy to fall into the trap of walking into the gym and figuring out what we’re going to do

The holiday season has arrived which makes our schedules much more hectic and our time in the gym can be limited. Here are two core workouts that can be done at home with just body weight and minimal equipment. 

It’s that time of year again as the hockey season underway. As you or your team takes on the competition and practice several times a week, lets not forget to take of the legs in the weight room.

But coach, “I am skating 5 times a week, I don’t need to train my legs”. Well, that is one approach you can take or you can continue to train on your off days or light practice days to continue feeding the strength bucket. Keep in mind continuing to train can help get yourself out of some compromised positions that can increase and or lead you down the injury road.

Think about getting a brand new car fresh off the lot. You worked hard to get that car and everything is running and working properly. But as time goes on the miles add up and if you don’t take care of the engine, oil,

Halloween has arrived and many of you may be taking your children out to trick or treat or handing out goodies to the trick or treater’s yourself. Either way we all know that there will be a massive amount of candy and sweets in your presence once Halloween wraps up. We know that candy provides little to no nutritional value, leaving you feeling guilty and adding useless calories, so here are 3 tips to avoid the Halloween leftover candy.

1. Set a Limit

Once you’ve sorted out the candy on the counter or living room floor, pick out your favorites and place them in a small bowl. This is now your stash of sweets over the next few days, nothing more! You could also set a limit on how many pieces you allow yourself each day. Maybe that is one or t

Here is a quote we hear quite a bit when we first meet our members:

“I use to workout consistently at [insert big commercial gym] but my schedule is so crazy now. The last thing I want to do is figure out a workout routine, so it would be great to find somewhere to go where I have a plan written out for me and all I have to do is show up.”

It’s no secret that we all should be engaging in regular exercise for our overall health, but sometimes figuring out what to do can be a problem.

Another hurdle is consistently showing up to exercise in order to see the results we desire.

The solution is to find a gym, coach or program that can work around these hurdles.

Investing into coach or program can provide accountability by setting a con

If you have to travel a lot for work or if you take quite a few vacations it can be tough to get your workout in. The hotel gym might not be sufficient and the vacation spot may not have equipment or even a gym for that matter.

There is one piece of equipment that can travel with you at all times that can get the job done. That is a Band!

Bands are pretty versatile and affordable, as well as easy to carry around with for work and vacation.

So, here are 5 band exercises that can be performed pretty much anywhere that will allow you to get your workout in.

1. Banded Deadlift

2. Split Stance Band Row

3. Pallof Press

4. Band Face Pull

5. Banded Push-up 

Get yourself a band and take it with you the next time you’re on the ro

Last week, I posted about setting a new goal and setting deadline to hit this goal.

This week we will touch on how to set ourselves up to achieve these goals by establishing some action steps on a daily and or weekly basis.

Once we have established a goal, we need to determine specific action steps that we can achieve on a daily basis that will move us closer to our overall goal every single day.

A daily action step could be something like eating 3 good meals per day, reducing our coffee intake to once a day or doing at least 30 minutes of movement/stretching or body weight exercises, sleeping for at least 7 hours every night.

Next, we can set weekly action steps. This may include getting to the gym 3-4 times every week, only going to a restaurant once per we

Thursday Thought:

Last weekend I was at EFPS for the second year in a row and at the end of the conference Fitness Revolution has you write your goal(s) on a board.

They take these goals and put it in an envelope to give back to you if you attend the conference next year.

I opened up my envelope from last year and the goal/actions that I had written down read this:

“Get out of my comfort zone and focus my energy on the right priorities with consistency”

I believe I have accomplished this over the past year, but that is not the point of this post.

My point to this post is for you to think about what it is YOU want to achieve and how are you going to achieve this?

Is it showing up consistency? Is it cutting back on certain

Suspension trainers such as the TRX is a great tool to have at the gym or at home. You can get a great workout using this simple and easy tool. 

There are many different exercises and workouts you can perform using the TRX or similar suspension trainer.

Here is a 3 exercise circuit that you can perform just about anywhere. 

1. TRX Off-Set KB Row

2. TRX Skater Squat

3. TRX Bodycurl

Perform ea