Episode 37 – Tim Oberhelman – Unleashed Podcast

Hitting a new PR at the gym is something we all strive for. After all, what feels better than feeling strong and powerful, thanks to your hard work and consistency?

In this episode of Unleashed Podcast, Tim Oberhelman joins the show to talk about undulating periodization and how it can help you hit new PRs in a safe way. Tim is a personal trainer at Hidden Gym and has many years of experience with strength training and exercise for recovery.

In any training method, the intensity and the volume are the things that should go up with time. The same goes for undulating periodization, but with an emphasis on listening to your body, rather than prescribing to your body. 

For example, if you’ve been increasing the numbers and the reps for two weeks, but then on the third one your body is feeling very fatigued or exhausted, the undulating periodization suggests taking a de-load week, before hitting the heavier weights, or going for those extra reps.

This approach challenges the body in different ways, improves performance, and prevents overtraining.

What if you can’t differentiate muscle fatigue from “not feeling like working out”?

Listening to your body is great but not everyone is great at it.

That’s why Tim often films his clients when performing and adds an accelerometer to the bar. It allows him to assess the path of the bar, gather data about the bar speed, track progress easily, and help his clients fine-tune their technique.

This information is useful for identifying imbalances or weaknesses in the movement pattern that may increase the risk of injury or limit performance. The accelerometer also monitors the velocity and power output of the exercise, which Tim uses to adjust the load or volume of the exercise for maximum effectiveness.

Being a bit more methodical about prescribing loading, takes the guesswork out of the way and results in a more comprehensive understanding of the athlete’s performance.

As the good old saying goes, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure”!

Another key takeaway from Tim and Yuri’s conversation is being aware that you cannot out-train a bad diet (and you don’t have to!).

People often think that even if they had eaten more unhealthy food and larger portions recently, they can just compensate for it with extra sweat in the gym. Not only that this is not true, but, it can lead to overtraining, and therefore – increase the risk of injury.

This question is often brought up around the holiday season when it’s likely to eat more than usual. Tim’s advice is to keep track of your macros during these periods and if you happen to overindulge your calories, just take a walk and know that one day won’t kill your progress and efforts so far.

Remember that fitness transformations are marathons, not sprints. Even if you had taken a step back, bring your attention and focus back to your goals and continue with your plan without feeling guilty for enjoying food with family and friends. Dwelling on one bad day won’t take you anywhere, but keeping the bigger picture in mind is what helps you stay consistent.

Make sure to listen to the full podcast episode with Tim and learn more tips on staying on top of your fitness game! You can find it on Youtube, Apple, and Spotify!

Do you want to work out in a motivating environment with professional coaches like Tim? If you live in Allen, Dallas, or Plano you should be training at Hidden Gym!

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