Intensify Strength and Fitness

The following thought experiment sets the foundational mindset for all of our clients with regards to their approach to training.

Every person has their own unique capacity. Capacity can be viewed through multiple lenses, but for now, let’s focus purely on tissue capacity.

The dotted line represents your tissue’s capacity to withstand load. Stay under that threshold and you are both problem and pain-free. Exceed that threshold and the opposite becomes true; problem and, sometimes, pain. In general, our goal in training is to increase the space under the capacity line.

You wake up every single day with a “pre-existing load” on your body. We’ve parsed this load down into three broad categories: Anatomical Dysfunction, Stress/Diet/Sleep, and Functional Diagnosis. Some of these loads are within your control and others are not. Let’s break it down.

Anatomical Dysfunction: This load is a representation of your unique anatomy. Bony anomalies, scar tissue, and medical hardware are all examples that would fit in this box. For the sake of conversation, this box remains unchanged without surgical intervention.
Stress/Diet/Sleep: Pretty self-explanatory here. How well are you recovering? Do you sleep 8 hours per night or 5? Do you eat well or not so much? Are you stress-free or stressed out? As I’m sure you know, all of these are within our control to a large degree. Consider this box HIGHLY modifiable, especially day-to-day.
Functional Diagnosis: This box represents your current mobility, flexibility, and strength balance. Each of our clients are evaluated to see if there is any “low-hanging fruit” that could be remedied with some focused work. For most of us, this box is also HIGHLY modifiable.

This is what you start with every single day. In part 2, we will address additional load placed on the system. We’ll call these your “wants & needs”. Stay tuned!

For many people that train CrossFit or group fitness style training, a one hour class 3-5 days per week is the only form of exercise that they get during the week. While those classes can feel very strenuous and give the feeling that you’re an active person, the amount of activity you have in your daily life outside your training can have a greater affect on your overall health and your ability to maintain your desired body composition.

You may have heard at some point that you should be getting 10,000 steps per day. Is that a hard and fast rule? No. But on average that is a good general rule and a great place to start.

🔴 Studies have shown strong correlation in decreased cases of heart disease and cancer in those who average 10,000 steps per day and that rate improves in those who average 12,000 or more.

🔴 Taking more steps can help improve cardio vascular health.

🔴 Help improve blood pressure.

🔴 Manage stress and improve mood.

🔴 Increase in steps increases energy used (calories used), which can help control body composition.

🔴 Helps regulate blood sugar.

🔴 Improved joint health through more regular movement.

These are just a few of the many benefits that can come from increasing your overall daily step count. If you’re not sure how many steps you take during the day on average, there are inexpensive fitness trackers that you can invest in. We recommend wearing one consistently for at least a week to get a good idea of where your current average is.

If you have questions, please leave them in the comments below.

❗️THERE’S STILL TIME ❗️

INTENSIFY SUMMER KIDS CAMP
Starts next week!

Camp will be held August 1-5, from 2-4pm and at our West Eugene location. This camp is open to any and all kids ages 7-12. You do not need to be a member of our gym to take advantage of this opportunity.

Our camp is focused on building a fun, safe, and encouraging environment for kids to learn about movement, fitness, and healthy lifestyle.

This is a great opportunity for any kid! To sign your child up, please send us a DM or visit our website www.intensifystrong.com and use the link in our online store. We look forward to seeing you!