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.

Series of Myths: Spot Training

This is the beginning of my blog series of popular training myths dispelled. I am constantly aware of the need to set people straight on what they think is fact in the training world. You may be the victim of several of these training myths, so stay tuned to find out. Don't continue doing the wrong thing if it's not working!!

At the top of my list is the particular issue of spot training. Have you heard any of these phrases before: "the ultimate belly fat melting plan", "how to sculpt sexy curves", "top 10 butt exercises", "flat abs fast". (I actually got these exact titles from two of the most popular fitness and exercise magazines - no joke!). Sorry, but this is a myth! These magazines (and some trainers) continue to make money off of you promising that if you just do this specific workout or series of exercises you will have the greatest glutes* in town. (*Or insert the body part of choice, it doesn't matter).

Before we go on, let's visualize something for a minute: Have you ever seen someone walking around with killer abs, but a flabby back and butt? Or smokin' quads but fatty calves? Maybe every so often, but only perhaps because of genetic predisposition. You cannot hone in on an area while completely avoiding other areas. The models that are on display for these articles have great bodies all over. I guarantee they didn't come to look like that from doing "the ultimate belly fat melting plan". I can just hear them being interviewed, "yeah, I just did the Flat Abs Fast plan and in 6 weeks I got this incredible body! Isn't it great?!". Hmmm....

So let's stop dancing around the issue. You cannot spot train a problem body part! Your body simply does not function like this. If you have a flabby buttocks, just doing the top 10 butt exercises will not give you a model's rear end. Or, this is a popular one, if you tend to carry extra fat in your lower abdomen, performing "low ab exercises" will not get rid of it. You will have a stronger rectus abdominis muscle (which actually extends all the way from your rib cage to your pubis. It's all one muscle - you don't even have "lower abs"!), but this slightly stronger muscle will still be lying underneath your fat. Unfortunately, for the most part genetics determine where the majority of your fat will distribute itself.

So what do you do? Give up? NO! Abandon strength training altogether? NO! Do lots of high intensity training for your entire body, which burns a significant amount of calories overall, increases your metabolism for the rest of the day, and develops muscle mass which has a higher potential for burning calories. Also, watch your eating habits very closely. Properly fueling yourself throughout the day will encourage muscle development and fat loss. By efficiently burning lots of calories and eating well you will see an overall reduction in fat mass. Unfortunately, it may be your "problem area" that loses it last.

So stay away from "fix that problem spot quick" plans, and get on a plan that intensely works your entire body.

More to come from the Series of Myths: Weight machines vs. free weights vs. body weight; If I'm not sore, it's not working anymore; If you need to lose weight, start running; 3 weeks to swimsuit season; Light weights & high reps creates lovely muscles; Plus others (believe me, there are many!).

The Best Kept Secret is Out - The Foam Roller

What is the best kept secret in strength and conditioning? My vote is for the foam roller. A foam roller is a very cheap piece of exercise equipment that should certianly be worth gold. And anyone who has spent any time on a foam roller would definitely agree with me.

Rolling your muscles with a foam roll is a type of self-myofascial release. Myofascial release is a form of manual soft tissue therapy intended to manipulate the fibrous fascia (a web-like wrapping surrounding the muscles, organs, and skeleton), encouraging them to realign into a more functional and flexible fashion. When you get those nasty "knots", it's usually in the fascia. When this myofascia system (the muscle and fascia) is bound up tight, it can lead to soreness as well as imbalances. The body will be pulled in different ways according the patterns of tightness.

Myofascial release not only reorganizes the soft tissue fibers, but it has other helpful benefits as well. It has significant psychological benefits (picture getting a massage), and when performed following a workout it helps to return the body to resting levels and encourage muscle recovery and rejuvenation. "Myofascial release massage favors the recovery of heart rate variability and diastolic blood pressure after high-intensity exercise to preexercise levels" (1). Furthermore, "post-exercise massage has been shown to reduce the severity of muscle soreness" (2), possibly due to the increased blood flow that helps to speed up muscel recovery.

What does it feel like? A wonderful deep tissue massage - but only if you're not particularly tight and sore. Most often, it is actually quite painful. If it hurts, that means you need it. Below are links to videos that show you how to foam roll each muscle area. I recommend foam rolling each area 10-15 times or up to 2 minutes if it is particularly tight and sore. If you find a knot, roll over the knot several times to try to loosen it up. Foam roll after every workout and before stretching or when you are sore.

Foam Roll Techniques - The Calves
Foam Roll Techniques - The Hamstrings
Foam Roll Techniques - The IT Band
Foam Roll Techniques - The Glutes
Foam Roll Techniqeus - The Back
Foam Roll Techniques - The Lats
Foam Roll Techniques - The Quadriceps
Foam Roll Techniques - The Shins

(1) Effects of Myofascial Release After High Intensity Exercise. (2008). Arroyo-Morales, M. et al. J. Manipulative Physiol. Ther. 31(3): 217-23.
(2) The Mechanisms of Massage and Effects on Performance, Muscle Recovery and Injury Prevention. (2005). Weerapong, P. et al. Sports. Med. 35(3).

The Dreaded Runner's Knee

For you runners and future runners, you may have had to endure the dreaded "runner's knee". What is the runner's knee? Runner's knee is technically Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) and is the primary cause of lateral knee pain in runners. It actually accounts for nearly 12% of all running-related injuries. It feels like severe pain or soreness, when standing or landing and taking off while running, on the outside of the knee.

The IT Band is a thick band of tissue running down the side of your thigh made up of the tensor fascia latae muscle, which partially connects with the gluteus maximus. You may be able to actually feel the lower portion of the IT Band by pressing your fingers into the side of your thigh right above your knee and moving them side to side. If it's really tight it will probably feel like a flat rope. The IT Band's job is to abduct (pull out to the side) the leg and stabilize the pelvis and hip.

What causes ITBS? ITBS is generally a severe inflammation of the IT Band caused by numberous factors such as an increase in running mileage, training on uneven surfaces, hip abductor weakness (the muscles of the hip that pull the leg out to the side), and excessive pronation (feet that rotate down excessively upon impact or flat feet). The weakness of certain muscles is probably the primary cause. Because running is generally a very repetitive forward to back motion of the legs, the side to side muscles are not strengthened, leading to a severe muscle imbalance. The IT Band also has to slide over the knee bones every time you flex and extend the knee. If the IT Band is tight, it won't slide over these bones very easily and will cause inflammation.

What can you do if you are experiencing this knee pain?

First of all, watch your running mechanics. Make sure your legs are not rotating inward or moving knock-kneed with each step. If your feet pronate excessively or are flat, your legs will be more prone to move this way.

Second, it is important that you strengthen the weakened muscles--the muscles on the side of your hip (i.e. gluteus medius & some gluteus maximus). There are several exercises that are great for this: Hip Abduction-Quadruped, Mini Band Lateral Walk, Mini Band External Rotation.

Finally, be sure to stretch and lengthen the IT Band. The foam roll is a great tool for working out the IT Band and for encouraging length. Here is how to do it. Also perform an IT Band stretch.

Consistent implementation of these techniques will elimate your ITBS and hopefully prevent it in the future.

Get (and stay) Pumped Up!

A HUGE part of training and working out is psychological. I think everyone would agree with this statement. It would be great if we were all machines that could workout without our minds getting in the way. The fact of the matter is we're not machines, and our minds are there to either motivate us or de-motivate us. A lot of times it's the latter. How often have you told yourself "I just don't feel like it today", "I'll do it later or tomorrow", "It just doesn't seem to be working", "Everyone seems to be able to lose weight and get fit but me", or "I just don't seem to have the right genes for this"?? Sound familiar?

Some of us are gifted with a love for training and working out. We love to challenge our bodies, feel strong, push our limits, and feel burnt. Others of us view exercise as just a means to an end. Training is just a means to performing our sport better, losing weight, and getting healthier. However, no matter which category you fall in, your mind may still get in the way, convincing you to skip a workout or take a training hiatus. So what can you do to stay pumped up?!?

Saturate yourself in the world of training. When you are being continually stimulated with information, tips, plans, news, and success stories you are more likely to become a success story yourself.

I am writing about this topic for a number of reasons. The first reason is that nearly every training client of mine has lost heart at one time or another. The second reason is that I just spent a good hour simply reading other experts' blogs, websites, and newsletters. These are my go-to experts in the industry, ranging from nutritionists to conditioning specialists. Without fail, every time I do this I get extremely pumped up and motivated to eat better, train harder, be more creative with my training and stay on track. Try it and you'll see what I mean. You will also become more educated in the process, giving you more tools to do things correctly.

Now, there is so much information available in the fitness industry and it is imperative that you saturate yourself in the right stuff. I would hate for you to fill your noggin and start using information that came from a bad source. To the right on my blog are some links of websites and other blogs that I frequent (these are the ones I'm talking about that seriously pump me up) that I can, without hesitation, send you to. These guys are certified strength & conditioning specialists, registered dieticians, and serious professionals in the industry. They're not just guys making a buck with some fluffy certifications that sound impressive.

So read up, visit these sites often, and stay motivated!!

Best Workout Ever!

I frequently design training programs and home strength training programs for clients and friends, and each program evolves from what worked well in the previous program. It seems like I have hundreds of these programs with some of the same general principles. The general principles for designing a solid strength training workout are these:

• Focus on exercises that require core activation & stabilization
• Use exercises that train the major movements of the body such as pushing, pulling, pressing, twisting, squatting & lunging. Don't train an isolated muscle--your brain never isolates muscles in normal life!!
• Begin with stabilizing bilaterally (or both sides) to stabilizing unilaterally (one side)
• Strengthen the muscles of the posterior chain (backside of the body) about 2x as much as the front (for enhanced sports performance or counteracting an excessive sitting lifestyle--so pretty much everyone!)
• Encourage MOBILITY and STABILITY (being flexible yet stable)
• Keep it intense--move rapidly from one exercise to the next

The last point is imperative. To get the most out of your workout it is important that the intensity is HIGH. What does this mean? You should be sweating, breathing hard, experiencing an increased heart rate, and desperately wanting a break (but keep working though!). When your workout is this intense, it will only take you about 30-45 minutes to reap some serious benefits. One of the benefits is what we call Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), or in other words, an increased metabolism for a longer period of time after your workout. So sometimes up to 48 hours after a workout of this intensity you will experience an elevated metabolism. You'll be burning more calories!!

With all that said, I'm currently designing a program for some friends that are at about the same experience level that I am, so I'm going to join them in their training. It's going to be tough and it will look something like this:

Monday: Weights A

Tuesday: Circuit A

Wednesday: Weights B

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Weights A

Saturday: Circuit B or Sprint Training

Sunday: Rest

The following week will be Weights B, Weights A, and Weights B on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday respectively.

Both Weights A and Weights B will be about 6 exercises for either upper body (A) or lower body (B) or both that involve the movements I described above in a circuit training format. (You would perform 2 exercises back to back until you get all the sets and then move on.) Even though it might be an "upper body" type day, the lower body is doing A LOT of stabilizing, balancing, and thrusting, and vice versa. Lots of power stuff too, like dumbbell push-presses and dumbbell snatches. The core will definitely be getting a lot of attention because, for example, with intense exercises where the upper body is the primary mover but the lower body is stabilizing, the core has to provide support to make it all happen correctly.

For Circuit A and Circuit B, these are cardio circuits that involve 10-45" intervals of work and rest of power type exercises that involve the entire body. For example, perform medicine ball vertical tosses for 45", rest for 45", then lunge jumps for 45", rest for 45", then T-pushups for 45", rest 45", then dumbbell swings, etc. for a total of about 5-6 minutes. Then you'd repeat after a good 3-5 minute rest. Repeat the circuits for a total of 30-40 minutes.

The Sprint Training workout would be very similar to the circuit workouts. Sprint for 30", rest for 30", 20" or 10", depending on your ability to recover. Or you could do 60/30" (60" sprint, 30" rest), or 40/20", etc...you get the idea...

INTENSE!!

So if you have a good fitness base and are looking to step it up a whole level, do a workout like this. And always keep the general principles of program design in mind when going through your workout.

Rethinking Your Warm-Up

What do you do to warm-up? If you're like most runners, you probably do a few stretches that you've been doing for ages, and then you just go for it. Is this really the best option? A lot of runners usually feel stiff and uncomfortable for about the first 5-15 minutes of their run and then they'll finally find their groove. What if you could eliminate this issue and have a successful run from the beginning?

Enter the Dynamic Warm-Up. Dynamic stretching is a type of stretching that allows the muscle to elongate naturally and in it's relaxed state. Dynamic stretching is done by contracting the antagonist muscle and moving the joint the muscle crosses through the full available range of motion in a controlled manner. In simpler terms, you use your own muscle (the opposite muscle of the one you're trying to stretch) to pull the limb into a stretch. So, if you want to stretch your hamstrings, you would use your quads and hip flexors to pull the leg forward causing a stretch on the hamstrings. (Think swinging your leg back and forth.) Compare this with static stretching, the most common type of stretching: holding the muscle for a period of time until you feel it stretch. (Think bending down and touching your toes to stretch your hamstrings.)

So why is this better? Because by moving your limbs with your own muscles it increases blood flow to that area increasing core temperature, nervous system activation is improved, and the muscles and tendons become more supple. When you stretch statically, it stretches, that's it. Period. It doesn't do anything for WARMING. By implementing a thorough dynamic stretching routine into your warm-up, you will feel warm, your muscles and nervous system will be geared up, and you will be contributing to your overall coordination and prevention of injuries.

As a warm-up, just plain jogging doesn't cut it.

Static stretching doesn't cut it.

A combo of the two doesn't cut it.

No warm-up doesn't cut it.

Rethink your warm-up and implement the following routine before your next run. Notice the difference.

Leg Swings (forward/back): Swing each leg forward and back 10-15 times. Start easy and then swing it like you mean it. Hold on to something for balance if necessary.

Leg Swings (side to side): Swing each leg side to side across your body 10-15 times each. Start easy and then swing like you mean it. Hold on to something in front of you if necessary.

Knee to Chest Hugs: Pull knee to chest, rising up on opposite toes. Maintain good balance. Step through and repeat on other leg. Do 10 on each leg.



Straight Leg Marches: Kick your leg straight up in front of you, bringing hands to shins. Step through and repeat with other leg. Perform 10 on each leg.

Walking Lunges w/ Twist: Step forward into a lunge then twist torso towards forward leg. Step through and repeat. Do 10 on each leg.

*Another option: Step into a lunge and reach opposite arm up overhead. Provides a great hip flexor stretch.

*One more option: Perform this backwards.

High Knee Jogging: While jogging, pick knees up as high as possible and attempt to kick your butt at the same time. Your leg should be tucked up tight. Focus on proper posture and arm swing. Do 10-15 on each leg.


High Knee Power Skipping: Perform explosive skipping movements, focusing on launching yourself high into the air and picking your knees up. Maintain proper posture and arm swing. Do 10-15 each leg.

Easy Jogging: Finally, jog easy for the first 2-3 minutes of your running workout.

There are many more movements that can be performed in the warm-up. Be creative! Do anything that gets you moving, works on coordination and balance, and makes you warm. A warm-up that lasts 10-15 minutes is optimal. Of course, the longer and more intense the following workout, the longer the warm-up should be.