Fruit Loops now has Fiber?

Last night I was sitting at home, watching television, minding my own business when a commercial for Fruit Loops came on. It appears Fruit Loops now contains 3 grams of fiber in every serving. Now don't me wrong, fiber is very important in every diet. But I'm reminded of something that was said at the FMS workshop I attended last month. "What you remove is often more important than what you add." If your kid is eating Fruit Loops each morning for breakfast you need to REMOVE the Fruit Loops, not add fiber. It is especially important to teach kids proper eating habits at a young age. Giving your kids Fruit Loops (or any other sugary cereal) is just being lazy. I will always recommend eggs in the morning and you can add some raspberries (a whopping 8 grams of fiber per serving), or any other fruit for a great combination of protein and fats (from the eggs) and carbs, vitamins, and minerals (from the eggs and fruit.)

TRX Training...

Yesterday I spent the day in Winchester, MA at TRX training. The TRX allows for a tremendous workout using only your body weight and gravity. I had heard this was a great training workshop and it far exceeded my expectations. Just learning how to properly and easility set it up and put my feet in it made it worth the investment. I've been using it for about 6 months as a good way to perform rows but now I have a much better grasp of what can be performed using just a couple straps. The instructor made a good point at the start when he said, "the best thing about the TRX is you can do 1,000 things with it and the worst thing about the TRX is you can do 1,000 things with it." The day (9 - 5) was mostly hands on so I don't have tons of notes to share. Plus they wouldn't make a whole lot of sense without experimenting with the TRX first. What has me excited about the possibilities is the are now working with the creators of the Functional Movement Screen to use the TRX for corrective exercise. That was a great "AH HA" moment for me. My deep squat is dreadful. With my feet flat my arm end up parallel to the floor (not good.) However, the instructor completely fixed my deep squat using the TRX. I was able to get into a perfect squat position for the first time in quite a long time. I was sold on the TRX long before that but I never thought of it as a corrective exercise tool. Now I'm completely hooked. My goal is to use it exclusively for the next three weeks so I can really learn how to use it and understand the potential progressions. One of the other great things about the TRX is it's price. The thing only costs $150. Think about all the high priced equipment sitting in your basement that you don't use anymore. I think the TRX is the perfect piece of equipment for in-home training. If you are interested in buying one for your home you can order through this site by clicking on TRX under affiliates to the right. And if you do order through this site I will offer a free session to get you started (depending on your location I guess, the west coast or overseas might be tough, I'll give you an IOU in that case.) This will include how to set it up, how to easily use it, some of the possible progressions, and some corrective exercises. Just shoot me an email at mbelangerjr@gmail.com if you do order through this site.

New Television Commitment...

The following is an actual conversation I just had with a young girl (probably about 20 or so) at my gym:

Me: (after watching her perform tons of crunches and twists on the floor) "How often do you do you do your floor ab routine?"
Girl: "every day"
Me: "You're really going to hurt your back if you keep doing that stuff"
Girl: "I already have a herniated disk"
Me: "You're really exacerbating the problem with those exercises"
Girl: "I like doing them"
Me: "I can show you some better exercises if you have a few minutes"
Girl: "That's ok...Life is short"
Me: "Not that short"

I don't even know what that is supposed to mean. Why do people use the "Life is short" excuse to abuse their body? Isn't it better to be healthy and enjoy life? Instead this girl who already has a herniated disk at 20 years old is going to experience physical pain for her life. It reminds me of a great Einstein quote, "Insanity is best defined as doing the same actions repeatedly and expecting a different outcome."

• Anyway, here is a great post by a local coach. His little story about his fiances doctor refusing to perform a Vitamin D test just shows how far behind the medical field can be. And the video at the end is brilliant.
  
• So I've gone this far in life with only one television commitment. I just never liked the idea of having to be home at a specific day/time to watch a television program (you know, pre DVR.) Then I started watching LOST. I was immediately quite smitten and entered into a 5+ year committed television relationship. Last night I was sitting down to eat dinner and a new show happened to come on the channel I happened to be watching. It's called FlashForward. Only a few minutes into the show and, "Hey, there's Penny!" Then I realized this show is really interesting and potentially bizarre (I like bizarre.) Everyone on the planet simultaneously blacks out for a little over two minutes. But it appears they didn't blackout, they actually all experienced a flash forward, going to April 20, 2010 (or it's Apr 10.) So this all looked very intriguing. Then when the episode was over then ran the scenes for the rest of the season and, "Hey There's Charlie!!!" I think I'm hooked. I feel like a cheater.
  

New DVD's, Pregnancy, and Organic Food Labels....

Right now I'm watching "Secrets of the Hip & Knee" by Gray Cook and Brett Jones. These guys are on their own level in terms of finding the source of dysfunctional movement patterns and applying proper and effective corrective exercise. Here are some of my notes thus far:

• "Hips are part of the core." Woohoo! I knew I was doing the right thing training the glutes as core muscles!!
• "Front looks good...backside performs good." I know, it should be "performs well." What they are saying is having a strong muscular looking front for the beach is all well and good but if you want to perform on the field or just be a stronger person in general you need to train the backside.
• "If you are not weight bearing for 8 hours per day your hips are deteriorating" Jeepers!! By weight bearing they simply mean standing.
  
• "Hips are a bad neighbor...low back and knees are victims of poor hip mobility." This is exactly why we look to the joint above and below to find the source of the pain. If your hips aren't mobile your knees and low back must compensate by becoming more mobile than they should be. Knees and low back are built for stability.
• "You cannot isolate the hips back into health." The hips work synergistically (I don't think that's a word but you know what I'm saying...right?) with the entire body.
• "Hip flexors must be strong and loose." Just think about running. Your hip flexors must be strong to bring your femur past parallel and loose to drive your foot during your ground strike.
  
• The core and glutes are synergists and the low back and hip flexors synergists. Your core/glutes should be much stronger than your low back/hip flexors but that is not the case with many people. This will lead to inefficient movement and injuries.

Now I have to watch this again to master the corrective exercises!

• Here's a blog that I read often. She's now pregnant and I'm sure this will be a tremendous resource for anyone who is pregnant or will be pregnant.
• And here's some interesting info about Organic Food labeling. Quick read...check it out.
  

Conditioning Camp

Well, for the first time I'll use this space to market something. I am conducting a 6-week youth strength and conditioning camp at Wayside Racquet & Swim in Marlborough, MA. The camp begins on October 12 and meets three days per week, Mon, Wed, Thurs. Sessions run for 75 minutes beginning at 3:30 pm. This camp will be great for any middle school or high school athlete interested in taking their game to the next level and any non-athlete simply interested in attaining a higher level of overall fitness. It will focus on proper movement skills, speed and agility, and strength and explosive power. If anyone is interested please shoot me an email at mbelangerjr@gmail.com for more info. Please pass this along to anyone who might be interested.

10 Things I Think I Think....

Happy Last Day of Summer!! As of yesterday I am in my second year of perpetual weekend. Last September 19 was my final day working in the corporate world and the past year has been a blur. I've learned probably more than I can remember. And every day has felt like the weekend even though I'm working harder than ever. I guess that's what happens when you love what you do. Anyway, for today I am pulling a Peter King and writing 10 Things I Think I Think. These are the top 10 things I've learned in the past year. So, in no particular order:

1. "The Weakest Link Rules the Chain." I've always been aware of the interconectivity fo the body but not that it is. It amazes me how a left big toe injury can lead to right shoulder pain. As soon as one joint loses mobility or stability all other joints have to compensate all the way up and down the chain. Until the source is corrected your body will not function as efficiently as it should. Put in practical terms, if you have low back pain (like 75% of the population) you should NOT try to strengthen your lower back. Your pain has nothing to do with weakness. It likely has to do with immobile hips and immobile thoracic spine.
2. Unilateral Training can be much more effective than bilateral training. This is especially true if you have low back pain. A single leg squat or rear foot elevated split squat will take the pressure off your low back and allow you to build leg strength, especially quad and glute strength. This is true of deadlifts as well. If you have a history of low back pain you want to avoid bilateral deadlifts but single leg deadlifts are great. And you don't have to bring the weight down to the floor like in the video. Down to the knee and slowly progress to the floor is just as effective.
3. I like saying illiopsoas and thoracolumbar apperneurosis
4. What you remove is often of more importance than what you add. You don't need to add every cool looking new exercise to your program. Just stay with the basics and you'll get great results. And if you are eating grains at every meal you don't need to add some fish oil, you need to eliminate your grains (since grains are poison and all.) And if you smoke cigarettes you are an idiot.
   
5. Everyone should buy a juicer. I bought one about 2 months ago and have used it 1 - 2 times every single day since. It's the best thing I could have done for my diet. I now get an easy 10 - 12 servings of fruits and veggies each day. I look leaner (despite gaining weight), feel more energized, and just plain feel healthier.
6. Metabolic Resistance Training is far more effective for weight loss than long slow cardio. Metabolic Resistance Training not only allows you to maintain an elevated metabolism for up to 48 hours after your workout (due to EPOC), there are now studies suggesting you actually burn more calories during your workout as well. Then take into account sparing your joints from not running on a treadmill and there is really no reason to keep using long slow cardio strategy for weight loss.
7. Modern sneakers are a terrible invention. All this extra padding and sole support does nothing exept turn off muscles in the foot that are supposed to be working. As a result something needs to overcompensate and this is often the achilles tendon and calf. Injuries to the achilles, ankle, and knee have increased dramatically since the invention of the modern sneaker in the 1970s. So go barefoot. At least for your warmup. Go slow as to not make the same mistake I did. Your whole body will thank you.
8. A foam roller is your best friend. I continue on my quest to put a foam roller in every living room. Improving tissue quality should be top priority when you begin to train for anything and should absolutely not be skipped. It only takes a few minutes and difference you will feel will likely be immediate.
   
9. Do something! I have my strong preferences but every fitness program can be of value if it gets people active. You can do weight training, pilates, yoga, spin, zumba (not even sure what this is but but I've heard of it), P90X (though not recommended), etc. Just don't do Crossfit. That's a great way to get injured. Or anything they do on The Biggest Loser. That's bad too.
10. The people in this industry are awesome! This has been the most unexpected and pleasant surprise. Everyone I have spoken with or met have been extremely generous with their time and in sharing their knowledge and experiences. Many of these people had no idea who I was upon our first meeting. Their only concern is to give their best advice to help every single person who asks to the best of their ability. If I can apply that one principle to my career I think I'll be doing pretty well.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. And I'm looking forward to learning just as much during my second year as I did during my first year.

The Biggest Loser?

So I was clicking through the channels the other night and came across The Biggest Loser. I believe it was the season premier. I watched for a couple minutes. I've seen a couple minutes a few other times in previous seasons but just could not watch any further. I was just too disgusted (and insulted as a trainer) to see such horrible training practices and nutrition sold to the masses in a popular television program. So I figured I'd write about it, but was beaten to the punch. Here is a great post about the irresponsible entertainment that is being passed off as proper training for the overweight and obese portion of the population. I think he articulates the problems with this show much better than I could. One thing I would add though is how easy it can be for someone who is completely dedicated to lose a tremendous amount of weight and dramatically improve their body composition and overall well being in a safe and, just as importantly, sustainable manner. That is the goal. To lose weight safely and in a manner that promotes life long lifestyle changes. What disgusted me most when I saw this show previously was the weigh in at the end of the show. People would weigh in at 10+ pounds lighter than they did the previous week! That is much too much weight to lose in one week unless you weight 1,000 pounds. It is simply not sustainable to lose more than 1 - 2% of your body weight in the span of one week. Here's the thing, this person was berated for having such a horrible result! Are your kidding me?!?!

Anyway, this got me thinking of the power of the long term goal. If weight loss is your goal just think about where you want to be in one year. Even if you are obese and need to lose 50+ pounds you can achieve this over the course of one year. And it will be safe and you'll be able to sustain it for the rest of your life. All it takes is hard work and a complete commitment to achieving your goals (and a good trainer...um, like ME.) This can apply to any training goal including weight loss, improve strength, power, speed, endurance, mobility, etc.

My sis wrote a great post a while back about making a list of your goals. I would add to the list reasons why you want to achieve your goals. I think this serves as a tremendous motivator. Do you want to lose weight so you can play soccer or baseball with your child? Or do you have weight related health problems? Or do you want to start next season for your high school football team? This certainly is not limited to fitness. Do you want a better, more fulfilling job? Or a nicer house to raise your family? Or get better grades in school? For instance, last September 19 I was a financial analyst and Hated my job. Today I am a personal trainer/strength & conditioning coach working with athletes and the general population. I also operate a small side personal training business. The goals I wrote down last September have evolved as I learn more...but the general goal of a more fulfilling career has remained the same. As I re-read my list from last September today I think I did a pretty solid job. Now it's time to write a new list with new goals!

Everyone have a tremendous weekend!!

Mike

PS...I think writing a coherent blog post will be somewhere near the top of my new list.

More Random Thoughts...

I like to wait till Friday to post random stuff but my brain is a bit slow today.

• Here's a good little article with some interesting shake ideas. There are post workout shakes (high in protein and carbohydrates) and anytime shakes (high protein, low carb.)
• Here's a follow up to the post about Metabolic Resistance Training. "...researchers pointed out that a weight training circuit burned 71% more calories than originally thought." If you are still spending time on a treadmill, bike, or elliptical to lose weight then give Metabolic Resistance Training a try and start seeing some results.

Supplements...

One of the common questions most people ask me is, "What supplements should I be taking?" I think the answer is easy. If you are eating healthy diet of mostly meat, fruits, and veggies you only need:

1. Multi-Vitamin
2. Some type of Omega-3
3. Maybe some Whey Protein (for an easy and quick serving of high quality protein)

It is important to know that these are great SUPPLEMENTS to a GOOD diet. If you eat like crap then adding a Multi-Vitamin and some Fish Oil isn't going to do you any good. But if you do adhere to a good diet these can be of great benefit.

• Even if you are eating plenty of fruits and veggies in your diet chances are you are still getting a limited variety. Therefore a high quality Multi-Vitamin is a great thing to add.
• Most of us have heard of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids. These are the two essential fatty acids, meaning we must get them in our diet. Problem is we get waaaay too much Omega-6 and waaaaay too little Omega-3. The desired Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio is 2:1. Most of us are at 15:1 - 20:1 or higher. To bring this ratio into balance we must supplement with some type of Fish Oil or Flaxseed Oil. Krill Oil is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids without the risk of heavy metals. This is really the most important supplement you can take to improve brain function, help to alleviate joint pain, and for a natural anti-inflamatory (among many other benefits.)
  
• Whey Protein is high quality protein that comes in powder form and can be added in a shake, sprinkled into yogurt, etc. If you have a hard time getting some good protein in your diet (especially at breakfast) then some Whey powder might be the answer. Not all Whey Protein is created equal. This is a very high quality product that is free from all chemicals and pesticides.

So point is there is no need to go crazy at GNC buying every single supplement you see in a magazine. Just eat a clean diet and add a couple supplements and you are on your way to great health!

Alternative to Traditional Conditioning

Here is a workout I did this past Saturday. This is an example of metabolic resistance training. If you are not getting the desired results from hoping on a treadmill, bike, or (ugh) elliptical for 30 - 45 minutes give this a try.

Warm-up:
Foam Roll
Stretches (2 or 3, whatever you want)
Continuous warm-up
Corrective Exercise

Circuit 1:
Push ups x 10 - 15 reps
Body Weight Squats 10 - 15 reps
Dips 10 - 15 reps
Inverted Row 10 - 15 reps

Perform the four exercises with no rest in between, rest 90 seconds, repeat, rest 90 seconds, go to circuit 2

Circuit 2:
Single leg deadlift x 10 each side (go with 15 - 20 lb dumbbell)
DB Split Squat x 10 each side (10 - 15 lb dumbbells)
Stability Ball DB fly x 15 (10 - 15 lb dumbbells)
Super Plank x 10

Perform the four exercises with no rest in between, rest 90 seconds, repeat, collapse into fetal position.

• Inverted Row - touch chest to bar
• Single leg deadlift - keep hips level. If right leg is working (still on floor) point right toes to the left to help level hips
• Stability Ball DB fly - shoulders and head rest on ball. Keep hips up!
• Super Plank - start on elbows, push to hands one at a time, perform push up. that is one rep.

Give it a try. Fun stuff.

Random Thoughts Friday...

• Here's a little slide show with 5 relatively healthy condiments and 5 condiments to be avoided. This is an area many people lose track of when trying to lose weight (though butter is much better than most sprays so long as it's all natural butter.)
  
• Yesterday I taught mom how to do a hang clean! Today it was dumbbell snatches! Very nifty!
• The new Dinosaur Jr. disk is excellent!
• Last week I was trying to convince my sister to teach an entire yoga class like Yoda. I realize it would take some work and practice but I think it would be worth it. I just remembered this when I read a Favorite Quotes thread on one of my favorite coaching sites (pay site.) One of the quotes is from Yoda, "Try Not. Do or Do Not, There is No Try." This is a great line for people who accept failure because they feel like they are putting in the effort. You can always work harder to attain your goals!

Everyone enjoy your Friday and have a great weekend!

The Real Food Challenge

I've briefly mentioned this is previous blog posts but I wanted to write further since I was inspired by a facebook thread started by my cousin (or quasi cousin...does my cousin's wife automatically become my cuz? what are the rules on this one?) Little back story...my cuz is a big supporter of President Obama and especially of healthcare reform. As I was reading the ensuing thread my thoughts went to how dependent we really are on medicine to cure all that makes us sick. We don't need to be dependent on medicine and big pharma to keep us well. We can take control of our own health. And it's easy! We simply need to eat real food. Real food contains one ingredient on the label (two if the other is water.) Real food (for the most part) does not come in a box or a plastic bag. You might think that takes nearly the entire grocery store out of play and, well, I guess it does. But there is TONS left! Reintroduce yourself to the produce section. Eat meat (eggs, grass fed beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, fish, and anything else that was once running around.) Here's the challenge, try to go a full week only eating real food. That means as much fruit, veggies, meat, and nuts that you can eat. Seriously, please don't measure a damn thing. When you eat real food you don't need to be concerned with calories. If you want to prove it to yourself try eating 1,200 calories of fruits and veggies in one day. Good luck. Yogurt is great so long as it contains Real and Active Cultures. Use plain yogurt and mix in your own fruit for the best option. Quinoa is a great replacement for rice. Sis concocted a very nifty quinoa salad that perhaps she'll post below. Steel cut oats are also great and something I just added to my diet. Have some fun with it and do some experimenting.

Let's see how everyone does. Pass this along to anyone you know who might be interested or just needs a little help with their health. Use the comments section to post your progress and ensuing health results. Post any nifty recipes or concoctions you come up with. And after you go one full week with real food then let's shoot for two! Good luck to all!

Mike

Core Training

Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone had a tremendous Labor Day weekend! Today I want to write a little bit about core training. First off, what exactly is the core? Most people think of the core as the rectus abdominis (your six pack.) That is one of the muscles of the core but it's not alone. The core also includes Transverse Abdominis, Obliques (external and internal), Quadratus Lumborum, Erector Spinae, Multifidus, AND (perhaps most importantly) the glutes. Truth is, when compared to the rest of the muscles of the core, your six pack doesn't do a whole lot. It flexes the trunk. That's really it. But because people strive for the perfect six pack we concentrate on this one muscle. Truth is, if you want a six pack, stop doing crunches (more on crunches later) and eat better. If you want a strong core you need to learn to use all muscles synergistically. It's important to stop thinking of the core as the muscle that flexes the trunk and as the group of muscles that prevents rotation. Here are some simple exercises that require minimal equipment.

A front bridge will activate the very important Transverse Abdominis (the body's natural weight belt.) This exercise is a great start for people who really want a strong core. The same can be performed laterally. See if you can hold these two exercises for 30 seconds without moving. If you can't you have some work to do. If you can you are ready to move on to bigger and better things:

• Knee tuck - this is a great exercise that can be performed with only a Stability Ball. And, you can add a push up for even more fun!
• Toe Balance - this is great for isometric strength
• Stability Ball Side Bridge - makes the side bridge just a bit more difficult

Hopefully, you've noticed that I haven't mentioned crunches. That's because they suck. They only work one muscle (Rectus Abdominis) AND they contribute to low back pain. If you already have low back pain then performing crunches will exacerbate the problem. Simply put crunches at best are ineffective and a waste of time and at worst very dangerous over time.

I would much rather you spend your time strengthening your glutes. People with low back pain generally have weak glutes or glutes that don't fire. Because we sit all day (on the couch, in the car, at work) our glutes have stopped to work as they should. We must retrain them to work in conjuction with the rest of our body. Here's a good start. Do you feel this primarily in your glutes or hamstrings? If you feel it in your hamstrings then your glutes aren't working properly. Here's the next progression. Don't let your hips drop! These are a great start to add to your daily warm-up to help you build a more effecient body.

Mike

Random thoughts...Part 2

• Here is a VERY important read. It's titled, "The Perils of Ignoring History: Big Tobacco Played Dirty and Millions Died. How Similar is Big Food?" It takes a detailed look at the playbook used by the tobacco companies and how that is eerily similar to that being used by the big food companies. It's long and scary but worth the time.
• Here's an update to the swine flu vaccine post from last week. My point is, please don't get the swine flu vaccine, or any flu vaccine for that matter. Especially if you are a man, woman, or child.
• I have heart strings...They can be tugged...

Everyone out there have a tremendous Labor Day weekend!

Mike

My workout

Hello 4:30 am!! I thought it might be fun to share an example of what my own workout looks like. I do full body workouts 5 times per week. That way I never exhaust any body part or movement pattern. My area of focus in terms of corrective exercise is my thoracic spine. I include a circuit during my warm-up and another exercise during my strength portion to better mobilize my thoracic spine. Anyway, here was my workout on Sunday:

Warm-up:

Foam Roll
Stretch - quads, glutes, groin
Lunge series - x 3 times each
Thoracic spine circuit

Core:

Cable lift x 8 times each
Cable chop x 8 times each

(these are performed on a Keiser functional trainer. If you are looking for a gym this is the equipment you want to see.)

Plyos:

hurdle hops - 2 x 10
1 leg diagonal hurdle hop - 2 x 5 ea

Strength:

Squat Jumps - 3 sets x 5 reps
PVC overhead Squat - 3 sets x 8 reps
(this is a paired set. I perform one set of squat jumps, then without rest, perform a set of PVC overheard squats, then repeat with no rest)

Dips - 3 sets x 8 reps
Single leg Squat (my favorite!) - 3 sets x 6 reps
(another paired set)

Deadlifts - 3 sets x 5 reps
Inverted Row (using TRX suspension system) - 3 sets x 8 reps (best exercise for those working at a desk!)
(also a paired set)

This workout will take about 50 - 60 minutes. A good full body strength workout will include:

1. A power exercise (Jump Squats in this example)
2. Upper body pull (Inverted Row)
3. Upper body push (Dips)
4. Lower body pull (Deadlifts)
5. Lower body push (single leg box Squats)
   

Add a good dynamic warm-up, some corrective exercises, and some plyos and that's really all you need. This is by no means a perfect workout but the general structure will work for anyone.

Mike

Stretching 101

One of the underrated aspects of training is stretching. And I’m not talking about the dynamic stretches you get during your warm-up. I’m talking about good old fashioned static stretching. These are stretches that you hold for 20 - 30 seconds. First it’s important to understand what stretching really is. Muscle fibers do not stretch. The surrounding fascia (connective tissue) probably stretches a little bit. What we are really doing when we stretch is manipulate our muscle spindles and Golgi Tendon Organs (yup, here’s the dorky part.) These are the proprioceptors that receive messages in the muscle and tendons from the spine, not brain. These act as our defense mechanism against injuring ourself due to reaching outside our range of motion. If the message came from the brain it would be too late and injury would ensue. The muscle spindles and GTO will receive one of two messages. The first is “Yeah, we’ll allow this” and the muscle will remain relaxed. The other is “HOLY CRAP, THIS IDIOT IS TRYING TO KILL US” which will result in a quick contraction of the muscle inhibiting further range of motion. This explains why active people are more “flexible” than inactive people. Active people are able to extend their acceptable range of motion through their activity. Here are some good rules to follow to add stretching to your program:

1. Only stretch what needs to be stretched. If your hamstrings don’t need to be stretched then don’t stretch them. In fact, stretching what doesn’t need to be stretched can be detrimental. You are better off being tight everywhere than being flexible in only one area. So if you are good at a stretch that is likely the one that needs to be eliminated. Focus on the stretches you are not good at or don’t like.
2. Stretching should be performed cold following foam rolling (woohoo! my first link to myself!) It is always best to foam roll for 3 - 5 minutes then perform a few static stretches. This is the best way to get chronic adaptations. If you stretch after warming up or post workout you will be able to go deeper into a stretch but you will not get chronic benefits due to the muscle spindles and GTO being more receptive to a greater range of motion. To get chronic flexibility improvements we need to manipulate the muscle spindles and GTO while cold.
3. If you get massage work done you can get more from the massage by stretching what was worked on throughout the day after the body work. Performing 60 second holds on the areas that were worked seems to be most beneficial.
4. If you work at a desk (ha ha) these are likely the areas that need the most attention (sub-lists are a pain on blogspot):

- hip flexors/quads (these get short due to being in the seated position all day
- chest (these muscles get short due to being hunched over the desk/computer, behind the steering wheel, seated at the dinner table all day)

• Other muscles that likely need attention are: 1) Adductors (groin), 2) Calves, 3) Hamstrings, 4) Glutes
  

That’s it. You can stretch out all these areas prior to each workout following your foam roll or just pick a couple to do each day. But don't forget this extremely important part of your overall fitness.

Mike

112 Hours

There are 168 hours in every week. After sleep that leaves 112 hours (if you are fortunate enough to get 8 hours per night.) The most successful and happiest people are those who take the best advantage of their 112 hours. People often make the excuse that they don’t have enough time to exercise or spend with their family or go back to school yet they spend 20 hours per week watching TV. So the question is, how do you spend your 112 hours? Is there a goal you want to accomplish but you feel like you just don’t have enough time? Do you take a mere 5 - 7 of those hours to devote to your own health with exercise? Do you take another few hours a week to shop for and prepare healthy meals for yourself and your family? Or do you continue to make lame excuses and sacrifice your own well being? The time is there. It’s up to you to budget your 112 hours to get the absolute most out of your life.

Mike

PS...This week marks the return of sis's blog! Check it out! She offers a slightly different take on fitness from the yoga perspective.