Tag: strength training

No Pain, No Gain?

Pushing your body and mind is very important to building resilience and strength. That said, too often as a society do we push our bodies and mind too high, too frequently, and unnecessarily.

Stress is a very important human biological response important for survival and strength. But, in personal and business life, we have introduced too many false stressors in our days like “I have to get this done”, “what will they think of me”, “I don’t want to fail”, “I’m going to be late”, etc. which is a made up stress yet still has the detrimental affects of stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol).

As athletes, we are told to train harder, train through the pain, no pain no gain, etc. I ignorantly fell into this category for many years. Because of an immense passion to educate myself with an open mind, I’ve come to realize there are so many things we can do with our diet, fitness, mindset, and lifestyle choices to reduces the activity in the parts of the brain that trigger stress hormones.

Over the last few years, I have built and continue to work on building up an aerobic heart rate base for optimized oxygen intake and fat oxidation, which reduces excess free-radical damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress. I’ve worked hard to build up, and continue to build, strength, mobility, technique, explosiveness, and recovery while focusing 💯 on my nutrition and mindset to eliminate excess stress to my brain and body. Finally, I allow myself to rest when my body tells me it needs it. I’d rather have fewer days at 💯 than more days less than my full potential.

Rather than not training, like the old me, or training too frequently when not feeling 💯, I train hard 3 days a week, go all out 1 day a week, have 2 active recovery/aerobic and gymnastic ring days, and take a full day off when need be, while riding 4-5 days a week.

The benefits and improvements I’ve seen with my energy, body composition, strength on and off my bike, mindset, recovery, digestion, and mental focus were in fathomable at the beginning but now I’m a believer. 💚✌️

-Josh P.

Stay Hydrated

I used to drink copious amounts of soda when I was a teenager-early twenties because it was cheap and I was addicted to sugar.

Nowadays, I value my brain and performance on and off the bike so much more that I prioritize my health by staying hydrated.

Did you know quality salt helps you stay hydrated? Not the white table salt that’s heated, treated with chemicals, and stripped of all important minerals that contribute to hydration. I use Redman’s Real Salt

I add a pinch or two to my water during riding/training and in my protein shakes afterwards. I also add some throughout the day on all my food. Tastes better and helps the body in so many ways beyond simple hydration. 💚✌️

-Josh P.

Single Leg Hurdle Jumps

Developes: knee, calf and ankle strength, balance, shock absorption of the knee and ankle joint and reaction time.

Purpose: increase explosive strength, coordination and reaction time.

Goal: using mainly the ball of your foot, hop over hurdle, land softly and quickly transition into next hop without pause. Do not hit hurdles.

BMX Benefits: pop, landing absorption, pump, technical tricks (footjam, etc.), and catching tailwhips.

-Josh P.

Outwork the Negativity 

Doubt and fear, among many other negative beliefs, are just that. Beliefs. Not facts. We choose what to believe. Sadly, many are born into “traditional” beliefs and/or believe in what society suggests to be what they should believe. I sure did. Then through a few life or death situations, an exploration to figure out who I was and what I wanted out of life, and pursuing what I love, I created my own beliefs from the data I’ve collected over my short 29 years on this planet as who they call “Josh Perry”. I encourage you all to do what you love and push through the fear and doubt that arises, no matter what it’s origin is. It’s up to you in which you believe. Fear, or love. Choose love. It’s much more enjoyable. 💚✌️
-Josh P.

Training Is Just For Money? 

Training isn’t about “money”, “winning”, or any other nonsense people want to say it is. At least for me and what I represent. 
Training is about taking care of my health and my performance with the thing I love most in life, and creating longevity for all the above. Yeah, training will improve your riding. But that doesn’t mean it’s focused on money or winning. 
Take me for example, I decided to not compete this year nor take a paycheck from anything bmx related. I still rode at a level to compete and also trained in the gym. That was my personal decision to do so for my health and performance on my bike. It’s made tricks easier, recovering more efficient, sessions stretch longer without fatigue, and increased the ability to take the physical stress from landing or falling on a trick. What’s also an equal part of this equation is nutrition and mindset. 
That being said, all this shit about “bmx is just about fun” and blah blah blah is just that, shit. Ones ignorance and insecurity at its finest along with inability to embrace others to do something similar yet take a different approach. Nothing about my riding or career says anything but fun and love for it. If I was focused on money, I would have kept the job I had in high school making twice what I’ve ever made from bmx, which would have been way more by now as well. I don’t do anything for money, I donit for the love! 
Bmx has led me to where I am today, shown me paths to passions I’ve developed along the way, shown me the world, saved my life, and gave me a outlet to share my story and passions. Some, like myself, find training fun as well as the benefits that transfer over to the bike to be fun. 
It’s funny how many riders enjoy training just from the health perspective and enjoyment, let alone the riding benefits, and the disciplines of riding that people least expect one rider in such a discipline or stay of riding to train. 
At the end of the day, if you love something, do what you love! Don’t be afraid others doing it differently or taking a different approach will change whatever it is for you. Bmx is a lifestyle and anyone who wants to use the term “freestyle” to say it has to be one way and can’t involved progressive new ideas is missing the whole point of “freestyle”. 
What’s wrong with someone loving the sport of BMX so much that they decide to make a career out of it? What’s wrong with someone putting their heart, blood, sweat, and tears into something for so long they want to make a career out it that and share it with others? What’s wrong with making money in any form that’s positive? There isn’t anything wrong with it other than the judgmental people’s views that have a negative relationship and story with money. 
I’ve said this before, money is a tool. It’s not good nor evil. It what you make it. There isn’t anything wrong with someone making money at what they live rather than what society has been washed into thinking the way they just make money- unfulfilled, stressed, no enjoyment, 9-5, hourly pay, etc. 
BMX is something special to me a lot of other riders. The amount of sacrifice, dedication, and pain that has gone into should be enough to not need an explanation for training or even making money from the time and skill that goes into it. 
I encourage you all to take a risk on what you love, ignore the haters, and believe in the life you want. Why live to do something you don’t enjoy just to make money when you could do what you love to make money and enjoy the fuck out of your life? 
I train so my brain, body, and riding all benefit. Not for money. For me! For what I am and what I want to show up as in life. I don’t care what others think because I know my truth and I’m being 100% authentic in life. 
Until next time….💚✌️
-Josh P. 

Train With Push

Having a clear goal/vision is one of the most important things to me.

Data follows closely behind. @trainwithpush put together an article detailing how @coachmatthunter and I track progression at @athleticlab and how @jciake and I worked together to get me back riding within 4 months after ACL reconstructive surgery, along with a host of other issues with my knee from my stubborn ass pushing surgery off for 2 years.

I believe that you have to have a clear goal, know where you’re starting from, and know if you’re progressing forward or not. @trainwithpush makes that easy for us and other athletes from pro to the weekend warrior.

Tracking data helps anyone accomplish their goals that much easier and more effective. 💪🏽💚✌️

Read the feature PUSH interviewed Jackie, Matt, and I for. 

https://www.trainwithpush.com/blog/josh-perry-bmx-qa

-Josh P.

How to ACL Strength & BMX | JP Weeklies 017

Having gone through ACL reconstructive surgery and returning to BMX riding better than I imaged, I get asked what I did a lot. My new video walks you through some knee/ ACL exercises you can do.

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Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/JoshPerryBMX

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Steps for ACL Prevention and Rehab:

1. Stability (single leg squats, single lead deadlifts, split stance squats, walking lunges

2. Landing mechanics (stable box jumps with no knees inward on landing, straight hurdle hope, sideways hurdle hops, anti-rotational split stance press holds with a band.

3. Bilateral strength ( back squat, revenge lunge from back squat stance, deadlift.

4. Mobility, stretching, foam rolling, and remember to lift/exercise safely. Don’t push too hard. Start light and work your way up. Especially after recovering from an injury.

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-Josh P.