The majority of people who come into our fitness facility have some sort of movement restriction, myself included. And, regardless of their immediate goal, be it losing 25 pounds or improving their half-marathon time, we have to address their mobility issues first if we're going to make any sort of long-term progress.
You see, because of our country's increasingly sedentary lifestyles, people's previous or present injuries, and/or daily movement habits, our muscles and their surrounding fascia (think of cellophane wrapping your muscles so they don't just flop around inside you) can become shortened and more dense. Picture a 12" shoelace with a few knots in it. Those knots will result in that shoelace having thicker areas where the knots are, and it will shorten the length of the lace. A similar phenomenon happens in our bodies, resulting in negative changes to our muscle fibers.
So literally every one of our members begins his/her session by doing some soft tissue therapy. By using inexpensive implements such as foam rollers (picture pool noodles on steroids), tennis and lacrosse balls, and our own body weight, we can stimulate the formation of fibroblasts to change randomly-aligned Type 3 collagen back to stronger, parallel Type 1 collagen.
Soft tissue therapy can be hard work. In fact, it can be quite painful. And while I don't necessarily believe in the old gym adage of "No Pain, No Gain", it is actually true when it comes to foam rolling, ball rolling, etc. You have to exert some pressure while slowly rolling over these knots and adhesions in order to decrease their density. For some people, soft tissue work can be a workout in itself.
But with consistent pain comes reward. You will find that by taking 7-10 minutes twice a day to do some soft tissue therapy on yourself, these "trigger points" will decrease significantly in just a few weeks. The less it hurts, the higher the tissue quality, and the better you can move.
Two words of caution: please do not stretch if you're not doing some tissue work first. Again picturing the shoelace with knots in it, if you stretch that shoelace, you will make the knots tighter and tighter, increasing its thickness and decreasing its length, to the point of it tearing under tension. Second, foam rolling is not meant for people with severe neuropathy or those with conditions such as fibromyalgia. Although I have had great success with a couple of clients who could not sleep through the night due to significant leg cramping, and with one client who was self-diagnosed with fibromyalgia, their conditions were favorable enough to start with some light work and slowly progress to actual tissue release methods.
If you would like more information about soft tissue work, give us a call at 775.432.1356. I've also had some people inquire about purchasing foam rollers to use at home (we have 2 at our house). Let me know if you would like one. A quality, molded roller will last about 3-4 times longer than one made of closed foam. They are about $15 for a 6" round, 18" long roller, and about $20 for one that's 36" long (+ tax and shipping). I will be happy to order them for you (we may get a discounted price by ordering several of them, and save on shipping charges too). Once they arrive, I will be happy to offer a couple of FREE classes (about 45-60 minutes each) on how to use foam rollers and tennis balls to enhance your tissue quality, movement patterns, and activity levels.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Friday, July 18, 2014
7 COMMON WORKOUT MISTAKES
Ever wonder why you're not seeing the results you expected, even though you're spending 1 1/2 - 2 hours a day, 5 times a week at your local gym? Well, through my "grandmother" research of the past 6 years as a fitness trainer, it usually comes down to one or more of the following:
Mistake #1: Poor Eating Habits. Without a doubt, this is the largest obstacle for almost everyone. If you're exercising, even half-heartedly, you'll see some results if your nutrition plan is in place. You do have a plan, right? You need to feed your body the proper nutrients, at the right times, in the correct amounts to keep your energy levels high and metabolism revving. Just remember, you can't out-work a bad diet.
Mistake #2: Too Much Focus on Cardio and Group X Classes. If your primary goal is to lose fat (not just weight as told by the scale), or to improve performance for a particular sport or activity, your first priority when exercising must be on increasing lean muscle. Having more muscle increases your metabolism, which in turn allows your body to become more efficient at burning fat, and keeping it off. Research has shown that shorter bouts of cardio exercise at a higher intensity will result in increased fat loss (as well as better endurance and a stronger heart).
Mistake #3: Not Having an Individualized Program. This one really bugs me. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen someone in the gym following a workout they got off the internet, or just "winging it" every day. Effective workouts must be specific for your goals, body type, training experience, and fit into your life commitments. Virtually all successful athletes, and yes, you too should train like an athlete, follow a progressive program designed for them.
Mistake #4: Lifting the Wrong Amount of Weights. Here is a general observation: Ladies, you should probably lift 1 1/2 to 2 times the weight you presently are; guys, you should probably decrease your loads by 20-25%. I remember working out at a local Gold's Gym several years ago, and a personal trainer had his female client using 5 pound dumbbells for overhead presses. I'm sure her purse weighed 3-4 times that. And most guys would be better off reducing the amount of weight they lift and focusing on proper form to reduce their risk of injury. Leave your ego at the door!
Mistake #5: Not Doing a Proper Warm-Up. You might get a way with this when you're younger, but walking into the gym and jumping right into a resistance training workout without first doing some soft tissue and flexibility work is a sure way to over-stress the joints, ligaments, and tendons to the point of injury. A proper warm-up will elevate your heart rate and increase your core temperature, along with decreasing the density and tightness (shortness) of your muscles and fascia.
Mistake #6: Too Little (or Too Much) Recovery Time Between Sets/Exercises. The amount of rest you take between sets or exercises depends largely on your primary goal. But as a general rule of thumb, 45-60 seconds is about right. The reason is that it takes your body about 60 seconds to regenerate about 90% of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) used so you can continue working out at a fairly high intensity. ATP is the energy source for your cells. However, if your goal is maximal strength, wait about 3 minutes, when your ATP stores will be fully replenished. On the other end of the spectrum, don't be the social butterfly who is at the gym for 2 hours, and gets in 10 total minutes of exercise. He's wasting his time and yours.
Mistake #7: Not Keeping Track of What You're Doing. I would guess that this is true of 97% of the people who exercise. But it's the other 3% who consistently see changes. They often refer back to their notes from several months, or even years ago, to see what worked and what didn't in different circumstances. One gym in southern California, Results Fitness, still has every workout written for every client since they opened in 2000. That's one reason they are so successful. And I personally don't think that recording things on your phone is nearly as effective. Numerous studies have shown that the act of actually writing something down on paper is better retained by the brain. And maybe I just prefer pencil and paper because I'm old and technologically-challenged!
So there you have it. Focus on fixing these mistakes and you'll find that your motivation levels are higher because you're noticing consistent changes and getting closer to your goals every day.
Mistake #1: Poor Eating Habits. Without a doubt, this is the largest obstacle for almost everyone. If you're exercising, even half-heartedly, you'll see some results if your nutrition plan is in place. You do have a plan, right? You need to feed your body the proper nutrients, at the right times, in the correct amounts to keep your energy levels high and metabolism revving. Just remember, you can't out-work a bad diet.
Mistake #2: Too Much Focus on Cardio and Group X Classes. If your primary goal is to lose fat (not just weight as told by the scale), or to improve performance for a particular sport or activity, your first priority when exercising must be on increasing lean muscle. Having more muscle increases your metabolism, which in turn allows your body to become more efficient at burning fat, and keeping it off. Research has shown that shorter bouts of cardio exercise at a higher intensity will result in increased fat loss (as well as better endurance and a stronger heart).
Mistake #3: Not Having an Individualized Program. This one really bugs me. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen someone in the gym following a workout they got off the internet, or just "winging it" every day. Effective workouts must be specific for your goals, body type, training experience, and fit into your life commitments. Virtually all successful athletes, and yes, you too should train like an athlete, follow a progressive program designed for them.
Mistake #4: Lifting the Wrong Amount of Weights. Here is a general observation: Ladies, you should probably lift 1 1/2 to 2 times the weight you presently are; guys, you should probably decrease your loads by 20-25%. I remember working out at a local Gold's Gym several years ago, and a personal trainer had his female client using 5 pound dumbbells for overhead presses. I'm sure her purse weighed 3-4 times that. And most guys would be better off reducing the amount of weight they lift and focusing on proper form to reduce their risk of injury. Leave your ego at the door!
Mistake #5: Not Doing a Proper Warm-Up. You might get a way with this when you're younger, but walking into the gym and jumping right into a resistance training workout without first doing some soft tissue and flexibility work is a sure way to over-stress the joints, ligaments, and tendons to the point of injury. A proper warm-up will elevate your heart rate and increase your core temperature, along with decreasing the density and tightness (shortness) of your muscles and fascia.
Mistake #6: Too Little (or Too Much) Recovery Time Between Sets/Exercises. The amount of rest you take between sets or exercises depends largely on your primary goal. But as a general rule of thumb, 45-60 seconds is about right. The reason is that it takes your body about 60 seconds to regenerate about 90% of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) used so you can continue working out at a fairly high intensity. ATP is the energy source for your cells. However, if your goal is maximal strength, wait about 3 minutes, when your ATP stores will be fully replenished. On the other end of the spectrum, don't be the social butterfly who is at the gym for 2 hours, and gets in 10 total minutes of exercise. He's wasting his time and yours.
Mistake #7: Not Keeping Track of What You're Doing. I would guess that this is true of 97% of the people who exercise. But it's the other 3% who consistently see changes. They often refer back to their notes from several months, or even years ago, to see what worked and what didn't in different circumstances. One gym in southern California, Results Fitness, still has every workout written for every client since they opened in 2000. That's one reason they are so successful. And I personally don't think that recording things on your phone is nearly as effective. Numerous studies have shown that the act of actually writing something down on paper is better retained by the brain. And maybe I just prefer pencil and paper because I'm old and technologically-challenged!
So there you have it. Focus on fixing these mistakes and you'll find that your motivation levels are higher because you're noticing consistent changes and getting closer to your goals every day.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
UNDERSTANDING CAUSES OF JOINT PAIN
There are many knowledgeable people in the fitness world, but two of the guys that I am continuously looking to when I want to better understand how the human body moves are Gray Cook and Mike Boyle. Gray is a physical therapist and strength and conditioning specialist who authored the book MOVEMENT. Mike is also a strength and conditioning specialist, owner of Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning in the Boston area, and training consultant to the Red Sox.
These gentlement introduced me to a concept called the "joint-by-joint" approach to training, which is especially beneficial when working with people who have movement issues. Gray simplifies things--he looks at the body as a series of joints stacked one on top of the other. Whether your goal is to maximize sports performance or just move better, our joints need to be trained for either better mobility or enhanced motor control (stability). The joints that generally need to be trained for increased mobility include the ankles, hips, thoracic spine, shoulder, middle and upper cervical spine, and wrists. Those that usually require better stability for the body are the knees, lumbar spine, scapula, lower cervical spine and elbows.
Unless you've had a contact injury, joint pain is often the result of poor joint function. You see, if a joint is not functioning correctly, the joint above and/or below will compensate so you aren't in constant pain. Oftentimes, for example, people with low back pain have tightness in their hips. So the lumbar spine is moving in ways it wasn't designed to, to make up for the lack of hip mobility.
Furthermore, many clinicians take a simple kinesiology approach--they treat the symptomatic joint only, then release the patient without checking the joints above and below. This is why the number one risk factor for being at risk for an injury is having a previous injury (and not necessarily to the same joint).
Before beginning an exercise program, and even more importantly if you're coming off of an injury, find someone certified to perform a complete movement assessment on you. While no screening system is 100% foolproof, taking the 10-15 minutes to complete the Functional Movement Screen could bring to light movement restrictions or muscle imbalances that make you more susceptible to another injury. To find a screener in your area, go to www.functionalmovement.com and click on the Find Certified Members tab, or call us here at 775.432.1356.
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