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Strength & Conditioning Gym in Ephrata

Our Mission is to Help You Succeed

ATG Training

ATG stands for Athletics Truth Group and was developed by Ben Patrick (famously known as “Knees Over Toes Guy”). ATG training focuses on building strength and conditioning while simultaneously bulletproofing the body from injury! It is also a training method that develops incredible athletic ability.

Most traditional strength and conditioning programs do not address structural imbalances and mobility issues of the body. Neglecting these areas is why most people, despite hard efforts, end up broken, injured, and frustrated with their training results.

Strength and Conditioning Workout

ATG Principles for Success:

1) Nutrition is the foundation for everything else! Eat whole foods with high protein sources being the focus. Meats, eggs, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are ideal. Eliminate processed foods and unnatural sugar as much as possible. If man made it, don’t eat it. You cannot outwork a crappy diet! Nutrition is a must for long-term results and health.

2) Incorporate sled training into your workout! Weekly workouts should include the number one exercise for longevity- the sled. Pushing and pulling the sled provides incredible bang for your buck. Sled training bulletproofs the feet, ankles, and knees while simultaneously building strength and conditioning. Proper sled technique is to drive through the big toe on each step. You can gradually increase the intensity with speed or load. You will know when you are doing it right because your quads will be on fire!!!!

3) Perfect the ATG slant board squat and the ATG Split Squat. These two movements are incredible for bulletproofing the knees. We have an epidemic of knee issues in our country, and one of the main reasons is that most people do not train their knees through a full range of motion. The ATG split squat is also key for improving flexibility in the hip flexors. Hip flexors are chronically tight on most people. Tight hip flexors lead to poor posture, back pain, and knee pain. Master the ATG slant board squat and split squat, and you will be on the path to a bulletproof lower body!

4) Train with control and a full range of motion. Strengthening and lengthening your joints and muscles is key for longevity. A joint that is not trained through full ranges of motion will become stiffer and weaker over time. Training through full ranges of motion is key for bulletproofing joints and building mobility with strength.

5) Form is king! Always focus on perfect form with your training. Too many people let their egos get in the way and try to do too much weight or go too fast. It is important to push yourself but never at the expense of form. Doing so will only lead to injury and poor results. Always chase perfect reps, full ranges of motion, controlled tempo, and appropriate weights.

6) Train your hamstrings through knee flexion and hip extension. The hamstrings are typically weak on most people and this can lead to knee injuries and poor performance. It is important to train the hamstrings through knee flexion (hamstring curls, Nordic curls) and hip extension (Romanian deadlifts, good mornings, and back extensions). Strengthening the hamstrings in both areas is key for bulletproof knees.

7) Train your rotator cuff and upper back. Most people neglect their rotator cuff muscles and upper back muscles. This leads to shoulder injuries and terrible posture. The modern life of sitting also makes matters worse. To correct your posture and bulletproof your shoulders, rotator cuff and upper back exercises are a must.

8) Perfect bodyweight pushing and pulling movements. Most people are very weak with basic bodyweight movements like pushups, dips, ring rows, and chin ups. Building these areas will make your upper body strong and bulletproof. Getting good at these movements also requires a healthy body composition. The less body fat a person has the better he will be able to do these movements. Get good at these movements, and you will be on your way to a high level of fitness.

9) Train your core. Core muscles and specifically the lower abs, hip flexors, obliques, and low back muscles are a major weakness for most people. Weakness in these areas leads to injury and poor performance. Having a strong core is essential for a bulletproof body.

10) Train your feet and ankles. Most people never think about training their feet and ankles. Modern life and most shoes make our feet and ankles weak and stiff. Sled training is one of the best ways to train your feet and ankles. Specific work to stretch and strengthen the calves and tibialis muscles are also important and often neglected. All movement starts from the ground up, and if your feet and ankles are weak and stiff, it will lead to more issues up the body.

11) Train your grip and elbows. The elbow is a common area of injury and pain. Grip strength is also a major predictor of overall longevity. The stronger a person’s grip, the better overall strength a person can develop. Train your grip and elbow joint through flexion (bicep curls) and extension exercises (tricep extensions). Constantly incorporate small variations to these movements to keep your elbows and grip strong and healthy.

12) Mobilize or stretch chronically tight issues. Most people have the same chronically stiff or tight areas including hip flexors, glutes, quadratus lumborum (QL), hamstrings, calves, pecs, lats, and thoracic spine. Training through full ranges of motion and selecting the right exercises will help, but additional stretching might be needed to fix these areas.

13) Always prioritize longevity as the main focus of training. The foundation for all training is joint strength, structural balance, mobility, and muscle strength. Workouts can either improve or take away from these areas. The goal is to develop a strong and bulletproof body not to just get sweaty or lift more weight. Focus on longevity above all else!

If you have read this far, you have gained some incredible knowledge! You have been handed the information to build an incredibly strong and bulletproof body!

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Our community is what makes us special. And it's what will keep you going

We understand how intimidating it can be to get started on a new fitness journey. Don't worry, our aim is to make your journey as simple as possible.

Vitality Athletics has been around for over 10 years helping people reach their fitness goals.

It is our belief that life is too short to not live a healthy life.

Trusted and loved by hundreds of Ephrata Residents

Dimitri and Elena
We've been going to Vitality for almost 2 years now and it's impacted us in so many more ways than just losing weight. Getting stronger and strengthening the inner joints to make our bodies run smooth was the biggest thing. We gained so much knowledge on what strength training does and we are living examples of that. Being consistent and patient pays off!

The losing weight part came off slowly and steadily with consistency! We got our nutrition on track with coach Shannon and that was the next level of what we needed. We love going to the gym 5 days a week. It's become such a routine for us that when we miss a day, we truly miss moving and working our bodies. We are so thankful to Coach Tyler and all the other coaches that no matter where we were in our journey we were encouraged to keep going!

-Dimitri and Elena
I came to Vitality wanting help to get back on track regarding my fitness. Over my adult years, I had joined a few gyms and been in decent shape off and on by doing spin, running, yoga and other exercises. But as I got older, I needed something to challenge my body more than the cardio style exercises I had been doing previously. Vitality helped get me started with strength training, which I had never done consistently before. Within a few months of working out just 1-2 times per week and cleaning up my diet, I started seeing changes in my body composition. Then I was hooked. I joined full-time and really committed to challenging myself to see what my body could do. It's been over a year and I'm feeling stronger, more confident, and seeing muscles I've never seen before. The coaching and encouraging environment at Vitality has made all the difference. Because of Tyler's programing, I don't have to think about my workout routine, I can just show up and get it done. As a beginner, I really appreciated the support of all the coaches and now that I'm working toward new goals, they are there to help me continue making progress. Shannon, Tyler, and Amanda are always willing to listen and give guidance in nutrition and other health related topics- they are the best! My life and health have been greatly enriched by the Vitality community and I'm very grateful my friend invited me to give it a try.

- Liz
Body Transformation

Experience Vitality Athletics training and transform how you look and feel! Whether you are new to exercising or a fitness veteran, let us coach you to unlock your true potential!

Weekend Classes

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Top of the line equipment

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Conveniently located in the Trout Run Business Center on North Reading Road (Hwy 272) in Ephrata.

Working out at the gym isn't easy. But getting there shouldn't be hard. Vitality Athletics is located and easily accessible from all of Ephrata.

350 N Reading Rd, Ephrata, PA 17522
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