Hitting the Slopes Strong & Injury Free

Ski and snowboard season is upon us! The beginning of the season is usually extremely thrilling, but there is sometimes some dread associated with that first time up. You may be thinking "how long will my legs last", "will I be able to move the day after", "will I have the reaction time needed to avoid disaster", "will we go home early"? These thoughts have certainly gone through my mind before the first session of the season.

However, for me, there was something different this year. Ski season came a little earlier this year and we aggressively hit the slopes at the first opportunity. My legs felt great, I didn't collapse with every turn, I lasted most of the day (my endurance could've been better), and, best of all, the next day I felt nothing! So what happened? Plain and simple, I was in really good shape. And you can be too.

How do you make your first day feel as good as the last? Below are some great exercises that I strongly recommend performing to reach peak ski performance:

For a good warm-up, perform 6-8 on each side:

• Knee to chest hugs
• Straight leg marches
• Deep lunges with a torso twist
• Straight leg crossover stretch
• Cross-behind lunges (curtsy movement)
• Overhead squats (20-30X)

For prehabilitation (injury prevention):

• Single leg glute bridges - lay on back with one knee bent & foot flat on the floor, push through foot to raise hips off the floor
• Banded sidestepping - place band around ankles and step sideways in athletic position
• Banded hip turnouts - place band around knees, maintain athletic position, rotate one knee out and in, working the rotational muscles of the hips
• Single leg stance alphabet - balance on one leg, hold other leg out straight & write each letter of the alphabet while maintaining stability

For a good strength base, perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps with a challenging weight:

• Rear foot elevated split squat (elevated lunges) - lay rear foot on a bench, front foot flat on the floor in front, bend front knee dropping rear knee low enough to touch the floor
• Single leg Romanian dead lift - maintain good posture & slight bend in standing leg, hinge over at the hips to parallel creating a "T" position, engage glutes & hamstrings to return to start
• Push-ups - do not allow hips to sag throughout the movement
• Inverted rows - hanging under a barbell fixed at hip height, pull chest up to the bar and slowly lower
• Pull-ups - hang under a pull-up bar with arms completely extended, pull chin up to the bar and slowly lower
• Side lunges - step sideways into a side lunge, lowering back and deep into your hip, side leg should be stretched straight, push forcefully through a flat foot to return to start
• Ball bridges & bridge curls - lie on back, place heels on a physioball, knees bent to 90 degree angle, engage glutes and hamstrings to lift hips off the floor; for the curls, leave hips elevated and roll the ball in and out
• Tall planks w/ hip extension - holding in a push-up position, keep hips level while extending one leg up off the floor
• Crossover mountain climbers - maintaining a push-up position as above, pull one knee up to opposite elbow, alternating with the other leg

For power development, perform 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps:

• Linear rapid response plyometrics - quickly jump forward/back over a small line, stay on the balls of your feet; this can be done one leg at a time
• Lateral rapid response plyometrics - as above, but move side to side; this can be done one leg at a time
• Lateral hurdle hops - jump quickly side to side over a hurdle about knee height, stay on the balls of your feet and land softly
• Lunge jumps - one foot forward, one foot back, push evenly off of each foot to launch yourself vertically, switch legs in the air

Perform this whole workout, progressing from 2 sets to 3, and from the lower reps to the highest. Keep the intensity high, moving very quickly from one exercise to the next. Maintain perfect technique throughout.

I guarantee that if you stick with this workout for 3-4 weeks prior to your first time up to the mountain and then keep performing it throughout the season, you will avoid injuries, prevent the dreaded day-after stiffness, and will be able to ski harder and longer than before. I also recommend that you contact me for a personalized program that is best suited for your individual needs and goals at megan@dahlmanelite.com. Have fun out there and make this your best season ever!

Nutrition: Maneuvering Through Your Day

The 10 rules listed in my previous post (adapted from Precision Nutrition) sound all fine and dandy, but how does this relate to the real world? When it comes down to it, eating correctly comes down to practical, split-moment decisions. You may have these rules in your back pocket, but if you don't have a plan throughout your day, you will have moments when you won't know what to do and instantly revert back to your old ways. So here are some tips to get you through your day:

• Wake up and start thinking about what you're going to eat first. Many people don't "feel" like eating first thing, but you must. Not a big breakfast, but you HAVE to eat. Quickly scramble a couple egg whites, throw on some salsa, onions, avacado, grab a banana and you're good to go. Or if you're in a hurry, hard boil a bunch of eggs the night before and have 2 egg whites, and 1 whole egg, plus the banana or another piece of fruit. Don't be tempted by the granola bar. It may sound healthy, but it's processed and not the best option.
• If you're really strapped for time first thing in the morning, run through McDonald's (yes, hear me out) and get an Egg McMuffin (2 for the guys). Take the muffin part off and you have a couple eggs with some lean meat and a little cheese. Really not that bad. Just don't do it all the time.
• Pack a snack. You need to eat every 2-3 hours and it won't happen if you don't have anything available. Fill a sandwich bag with some almonds, grab a couple string cheeses, 1 or 2 apples, some carrot sticks and you'll be geared up for the day. You can eat the same thing mid-morning and afternoon. A small smoothie is another good snack.
• Pack a good lunch. Fill a Tupperware type container with lots of leafy greens and other veggies, a cooked chicken breast, can of tuna, or piece of fish, and some nuts. Put a vinegairette-type dressing in another small container and presto! perfect lunch. It would be good to eat another piece of fruit with it.
• Eating out for lunch? Check the menu to the restaurant before you go. Choose a salad or veggie-centric entree with some lean protein. Grilled meat is what you need to look for. Opt for the vinegairette style dressing again. Stay away from anything that says "ranch", "bacon", "cobb", or "caesar". These are tasty options, but you'd probably be better off just getting a huge cheeseburger.
• Your afternoon snack should already be ready to go from earlier.
• If you workout after work, have a protein shake or peanut butter and jelly sandwich ready to eat immediately after your workout session. You have to replenish as soon as possible otherwise you won't benefit as much from all your hard work.
• Dinner is usually where people do the best. Eat a well-rounded meal with lean meat, veggies, and some whole grains (only if you just worked out). Skip the bread or roll...you don't need it, and trust me when I say you won't miss it. Only eat what's on your plate. Don't go back for seconds!
• An evening snack is fine, but don't ruin all your hard work now. Have a LITTLE BIT of light ice cream or frozen yogurt, a piece of dark chocolate, another piece of fruit or yogurt with some flaxseed and nuts. A lot of people get to this time of day realizing they did really well throughout the day, so they eat whatever they want. RESIST, PEOPLE!!

Eating clean and healthy is not as hard as it seems, it just requires a little preparation and forethought. Plan ahead and stay on course, and you'll benefit greatly!

Nutrition: Let's Break it Down

Nutrition...this is a tricky subject. I would say that my expertise revolves around various principles and methods of training, but not nutrition. I admit that I probably know more about nutrition than the average bear, though. My undergraduate degree required several nutrition classes, including general nutrition and sports nutrition. But it's easier for me to defer nutrition advice and say that I'm just a trainer, not a nutritionist. If you ask me for nutrition advice, my response is always to check out Precision Nutrition. They have compiled all the scientific data on what works and what doesn't, and have boiled it down into a "digestible" form.

But for you now, I will try to break it all down so you know what to eat from here on out.

Nutrition is a very major part of the fitness equation. I'd say probably 50-60% of it. It would be wonderful if we could all just put in our time training hard and then eat whatever we wanted. Some people can sort of do this (they'll never, ever reach their fitness potential this way), but the majority can't afford to skip the food part. If your goal is to lose weight, reach your peak physical potential, or just be healthy, every single thing you put in your mouth must be accounted for.

So here are the basics of nutrition that I've adopted from Dr. John Berardi, the brilliant mind behind Precision Nutrition. This is simple, scientific, and successful...this really works. The only way it doesn't is if you don't follow the rules. This is how are bodies were designed to eat. It's not a diet. Beware of diets that emphasize one or two things, have a time frame, or claim to "detox". What happens when that diet is over? You go back to your old ways and end up in the same position. Eat like this and you'll never need another "tune-up".

• Rule #1: Eat every 2-3 hours. Your goal should always be to maintain a high metabolism to efficiently burn calories throughout the day. Eating small meals every 2-3 hours does this.
• Rule #2: Eat complete, lean protein with each of these meals. Make sure you eat something that was an animal or comes from an animal. Muscle is crucial for the body you want, and lean protein is crucial for building and maintaining it.
• Rule #3: Eat veggies every time you eat. I know, I know...just do it. It works.
• Rule #4: Eat certain carbs only when you deserve them. Starchy carbs (breads, grains, rices) need to wait until right after a workout, when your body can best tolerate and use them. Fruits and veggies are another source of carbs, but there's no limit on these.
• Rule #5: Learn to love healthy fats. All fat is not bad. It's not good to go on a "no-fat" diet, just be choosy with the kinds you eat and balance the amount. Look for fats like mixed nuts, olive oil, flaxseed oil, and fish oil. Just don't eat a whole bowl of nuts!!
• Rule #6: Don't get any of your calories from beverages. This includes fruit juice. It's way harder for you to keep track of how much you're ingesting when some of it is in liquid form. You'd probably be surprised by how much sugar and calories you consume just from beverages.
• Rule #7: Focus on whole foods. Try to eat as few processed foods as possible. Yes, green beans in a can are better than ice cream, but fresh green beans are even better. And let's not even talk about Lean Cuisines.
• Rule #8: Give yourself a little break. The rules above seem very daunting, I know. But give yourself some cheat meals about 10% of the time. But be careful and do the math. If you eat 6 meals a day, 7 days a week--that's 42 meals. 10% would be about 4 meals where the above rules don't apply.
• Rule #9: Develop good food prep strategies. You may want to be gung-ho about the above rules, but if the meals are not readily available it won't happen. Set yourself up for success by figuring out how to cook this way, choose this way at restaurants, and snack this way throughout the day.
• Rule #10: Variety is the key. All these rules will last only about a week if you're eating the same thing day in and day out.

Ok, kind of a big list, I know. But trust me when I say it works. Are you serious about weight loss? Do you really want to find your physical potential? Do you really want a lean, ripped body? Read through the rules above again and put it into practice now. Go through your kitchen and throw out everything that doesn't apply. Just get rid of the temptation.

Start eating "clean" like this and watch it instantly ramp up all of your training efforts. Go to www.precisionnutrition.com for more information and inspiration.

Series of Myths: Muscle Soreness - What's Fact, What's Fiction?

Muscle soreness seems to go hand in hand with exercise and physical activity. Most people expect to feel some sort of pain following a good workout session, and others avoid exercise altogether because of the soreness that will most likely ensue. However, few regular exercisers know what soreness really is, what it's caused by, and how to avoid it. Prepare to be enlightened.

The muscle soreness you feel following a workout is most likely what the scientific community has termed Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). You may have heard of this term. DOMS is experienced as pain and inflammation in the muscles, decreased range of motion, and decreased strength of the affected muscles. It can be felt within 8-12 hours following exercise and last 24-72 hours. In fact, complete recovery may sometimes take up to 3 weeks. DOMS is most closely associated with eccentric muscle contractions (the breaking or decelerating type of contraction--picture downhill running) or exercises that one is unaccustomed to. This type of muscle soreness is generally caused by a sequence of events beginning with damage to the muscle structure, accumulation of calcium, release of intracellular proteins, and inflammation that activates the pain receptors. There are plenty of complex chemical reactions that occur following exercise and subsequent tissue damage, and any of these reactions can have some effect on soreness.

A common myth associated with soreness is that lactic acid buildup is a cause. Muscle and blood lactate levels actually return to normal levels 30-60 minutes after exercise. (If light activity is performed, lactic acid is removed much quicker.) So if soreness is typically felt 8-12 hours following the workout, then lactic acid is not to blame. It's already gone. Furthermore, the biggest culprit of severe soreness is eccentric contractions such as those done by the muscles when running downhill. Studies have shown that running downhill produces less lactate than on flat ground. So if you're more sore after running downhill, but you formed less lactate, then lactic acid is not the cause.

Another common myth is that if you're not sore after a workout, then it's not working anymore. This is not true, because there are definite ways to reduce the occurence of DOMS. Performing a thorough warm-up prior to activity has been shown to significantly reduce soreness because it increases overall muscle function. Another way to reduce soreness is to gradually allow the muscles to adapt to the stress rather than jumping right into it. Finally, by performing more bouts of eccentric exercise the muscles will adapt to it and will be strong enough to handle the loads. For example, if you perform more bouts of downhill running your muscles will adapt and no longer respond with soreness.

However, we must address the fact that one of the causes of DOMS is unaccustomed exercise. It is well known that changing your routine often and adding variety is important for progressing and seeing continued benefits. So, these various changes may cause necessary soreness. But if you don't feel sore even though you are on a well-designed and periodized program, it may be that you are just easing into it well enough and warming-up sufficiently to prevent soreness. It doesn't mean it's not working.

Every body is different. Because soreness is a result of many variables, chemical and mechanical, it will be experienced so differently from person to person. Chronic soreness can be a predictor of overtraining, but most people should not judge the effectiveness of their training program by whether they are sore or not. Be sure to be following a program that progresses, uses many multi-joint exercises to challenge all the muscle groups of your body, and provides variety and interest. If you are doing this, soreness my occur, but now you will know why...

Series of Myths: Being a Gym Member = Getting in Shape

This may be shocking to some, but signing up for a gym membership does not automatically make you healthier. Millions of Americans are believing this myth without even realizing it. You may have really, really good intentions, but just being in the environment of a gym for a couple days a week will not, by osmosis or immersion, get you in shape. If you get a gym membership, you have to USE IT...as in actually work while you're there!!

I have had various gym memberships over the years and there is a prevailing phenomenon that I witness at every gym: gym-goers coming in with nice workout outfits and water bottles, a pile of magazines, and their eyes claiming the prized elliptical or treadmill with a good view of the TV. Next, they get themselves set up with their earphones plugged in and magazine gossip ready to go. The next 30-60 minutes are spent at a somewhat leisurely pace as they watch the calorie counter slowly count out the calories. As soon as those calories hit 150-200, or their playlist is over, whichever happens first, they split. Mark it down as another successful workout! Is this you?!?!

So they may have actually burned 200 calories, but I guarantee you they're not in any better shape. There is a principle in exercise science termed SAID: Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands. This basically means that your body will adapt in accordance to the specific demands that are placed upon it. If you are only demanding a leisurely stroll on an elliptical machine, your body will adapt and become very efficient at strolling leisurely on an ellliptical and nothing more. This is only imposing demands on very few muscles and barely elevates the cardiovascular system. You will not see results this way.

You must impose more serious demands to achieve more serious results. Don't waste your time on the machines at such a light intensity, even though it says your burning calories. In fact, avoid the treadmill, elliptical, and stair-stepper altogether. Get out on the floor, push some serious weights around, move your body hard, and sweat profusely. Now you're really working out.

So, here's your plan. I've tried to lay it out in black and white for you, so it should be a no-brainer:

• Go to the gym ready to work...leave the magazines at the door.
• Don't even look at the cardio machines.
• Perform a dynamic warm-up to start with.
• Spend the next 30-40 minutes performing a circuit style strength training workout with minimal rest between sets. This should target all of your muscle groups...don't worry about upper vs. lower days.
• Foam roll and stretch your major muscle groups following your workout to bring your body back down to resting level and to immediately start the recovery process.
• Think about the smoothie or meal your going to eat right after your workout to further this recovery process.
• Leave the gym knowing you had a much better workout than all the bored people plugging away on the cardio machines.

If you start working out like this, you'll really be getting your money's worth for your gym membership. I guarantee it. If you need help designing a workout to do at your gym, contact me at megan@dahlmanelite.com and I will design something for you that will impose some serious demands!

Series of Myths: You Have to Run to Lose Weight

So this is an interesting myth for me because I really enjoy running, and I will always promote it. However, there are lots of myths associated with running, and this may be the biggest. It is NOT true that if you are serious about losing weight and reducing your fat mass you should to start running.

The jogging phenomenon can be traced back to Arthur Lydiard, an athlete from New Zealand who modernized fitness and conditioning in the 1950s by developing a systematic approach to aerobic conditioning. Prior to this time, "fitness" consisted of a quiet, sedentary life that avoided stress on the heart. (Picture calisthenics in the 1920s.) With his conditioning systems (which are still used today) he propelled New Zealand to the top of the world in middle and long distance running. His methods produced astounding results that were easy and accessible for every man and woman, not just athletes. Thus, jogging was born. It really wasn't until the 70s that the sport caught on with a fever. Everybody was jogging and it was the go-to activity for those wanting to improve their health and body composition.

True, distance running (running sustained for several miles at a time) produces amazing results. It does burn lots of calories and one can definitely lose serious weight by burning calories in this manner. For example, a 160 pound person running at 6 mph on level ground can burn up to 13.0 calories per minute, theoretically. So if he ran for 45 minutes, or 4.5 miles, he would burn ~585 calories. Do this every day, and he could lose about 1 pound a week, which is very good. A smaller person would be burning less at the same speed (120-125lb. person could burn ~10 calories per minute at 6mph) mostly due to the simple fact that it requires less energy to transport a smaller body at the same distance and speed.

So what's the problem? It's not the only option. And, in fact, it's not the best option. To run for a couple miles straight, one cannot maintain a very high intensity otherwise they will fatigue quickly and burnout. It takes a lot of conditioning to be able to maintain a high intensity for long periods of time. So, the average person must maintain a fairly moderate intensity to cover the desired distance. Lower intenstiy = less calorie output. Furthermore, it may appear that you are burning a considerable amount of calories (585 cal in the above example is a lot!), BUT because the majority of the workout was performed at a moderate intensity your body will quickly return to resting levels, including your metabolism. When the majority of the workout is performed at high intensities, you will have greater calorie output AND your metabolism will remain elevated for a period of time after the workout.

Therefore, the good news is that if you're looking to drop some pounds you do not have to pick up running to do it. The best option for losing weight is performing about 5 hours per week of mostly high intensity activity - higher intensity than even jogging. This would include hard strength training performed in a circuit fashion that clearly elevates your heart rate and respiratory rate. You can also perform interval training, which is a series of sprints (can be done running, biking, swimming, etc.) coupled with rest periods. Check out my Intensive Cardio program for some specific guidance. Another fun and productive option is to perform what I like to call "cardio circuits" - performing an intense exercise, like lunge jumps, for a short period like 15 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds, do a different exercise for 15, then rest for 15, et cetera. It's very intense, but very effective. You get a crazy hard workout done in about 20 minutes.

So, throw out all of your prior notions about losing weight and try what current research says works. Spend time distance running if you are training for a run or just really like it. But, if you just want to get in shape and lose weight, YOU DON'T HAVE TO!!

Series of Myths: New Fangled "Health Foods"

I'm devoting several blog posts to dispelling some popular myths floating around in the fitness world, and in this case the nutrition world. For this post I'm deferring to the great Joe Friel from www.trainingbible.com. He is a reknowned endurance coach and I enjoy his training insight and wisdom. I just finished reading his post on Real Food & Performance and thought it would be very fitting to send you to his blog. He does a great job discussing the very prevalent idea that fancy packaging and great "beneficial to your health & performance" claims is not always the best way to go.

Unfortunately, along with great advancements in exercise and nutritional sciences, the nutrition industry, in conjunction with the fitness industry, has recently profited substantially off of performance enhancing, metabolism boosting, recovery inducing products. Joe does a good job of explaining why these are completely unnecessary and how to avoid them when possible.

As always, eat clean, eat fresh, and develop an aversion to packaged products, even if it touts numerous health benefits.