Exercise adherence to maintain health and fitness is just as important as fending off the flu. When we experience flu like symptoms, we must take atrocious tasting cough syrup to fend off flu like symptoms. Surely, Nyquil does not taste like a milk shake. My 12-year-old son would rather pull weeds in the backyard that drink cough syrup. The taste makes them gag. A technique I do with my son when he is sick and must take a shot of cough syrup is to make sure he has a “chaser” to go with it, such as a lime to suck on or a glass of milk. That’s right, just like what we do as adults when we are taking a shot of Don Julio at the bar with our friends and suck on a lime after taking that shot to tame the ferocious bite hard alcohol gives, I tell my son to do the same thing to stave off the wretched tasting cough syrup. Cough syrup is important to aid in reducing the detrimental effects of staying home and suffering through flu like symptoms. We use a similar approach with our Napa personal training clients to support their efforts to remain strong, healthy and active in their life time fitness efforts at the gyms in Napa. Just like the chaser that cuts the bite of icky tasting cough syrup, we implement a similar coaching strategy called a “chaser” workout session.
We guide our Napa personal training clients through challenging exercises called compound exercise sessions during weekly coaching sessions. Large compound strengthening movements such as the squat, pull up, bench press, dead lift and various core movements supersede other exercise during our coaching sessions. These are critically important movements that deliver optimal results in strength, coordination, balance and help to burn fat efficiently. The contradicting issue is that compound exercise sessions are very challenging. Acute muscle soreness is a direct effect of performing these types of movements. Like the revolting taste of cough syrup or a shot of tequila, the sensation known as delayed onset muscle soreness can cause a similar perception following a challenging exercise session.
Delayed onset muscle soreness can make movements challenging the following day. A technique we promote our clients to decrease soreness following a challenging exercise session is the addition of a “chaser” workout. A “chaser” workout can be done the day immediately following a challenging compound workout. Chaser workouts can be completed in the form of walks, stretching, mobility, regenerative exercises to previous injuries or simply performing “gun show” exercises to work the triceps, biceps and abs. Performing simple exercise routines that are a fraction of the intensity of a compound exercise routine helps keep the body moving. Additionally, having a simple workout the day after a challenging session will strongly influence more exercise throughout the week. A sample exercise routine with chaser workouts might look something like this:
- Monday, compound exercise session #1: Personal training session focusing on squats, bench press, pull ups and core
- Tuesday, chaser workout #1: 5 minutes of stretching, 3 sets of 10 bicep curls, 3 sets of 10 triceps extensions and 10-minute walk with a friend.
- Wednesday: No exercise.
- Thursday, compound exercise session#2: 60-90-minute hot yoga class
- Friday, chaser workout #2: 10-20 minutes of physical therapy rehab exercises focusing on injury prevention from past injuries.
Compound exercise sessions are critically important because the increased amount stress imposed up on the body will elicit the greatest adaptations of building lean muscle, increased strength, improving coordination, assist in balance and help to burn more calories from fat. In addition to all the positive physical results transforming in the body, increased workouts serve as a form of meditation and self-improvement to help decrease psychological stress. The downside of too many compound exercise sessions is the cause of overuse injuries. In addition, becoming too sore from challenging exercise sessions can steer a person away from exercise completely.
A challenging question that we always ask ourselves as life time fitness coaches and personal trainers in Napa is, “How can we keep people exercising?” A viable solution has been to manage the effects of challenging exercises and creatively introducing techniques to switch up the routines, so exercise does put people in so much pain from delayed onset muscle soreness that it hurts so much to go back to the gym. Introducing tactics such as chaser workouts that are simple yet easily attainable yields optimal results.
Just like getting that gross taste cough syrup leaves in your mouth by drinking some milk, a chaser workout helps taper down muscle soreness compound exercises put on the body. When you have an amazing workout session that really challenged your mind and body, don’t stop there. Follow it up with a chaser workout to help keep your body and mind finely tuned to improve your overall quality of life.
Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.
