Things I've Learned this Week

Ok, I need to redeem myself for yesterday's post. I hope that one goes down as my worst attempt at writing...ever. Seriously, if anyone is able to come away with a point to that one let me know. So I thought I would share some good stuff I have learned thus far this week.

1. I had a chance to watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution earlier this week. I think this is a very important show. I wrote about it briefly here before it originally aired. Jamie Oliver is a British chef would travelled to Huntington, West Virginia to open a small kitchen and help the town to eat better. Huntington is considered the absolute unhealthiest city in the country (on the planet?) People are dying decades too early because of their horrible eating habits. Now, I know it's a television show and it's edited for entertainment but it is really frustrating watching people in the town pushing back against some of the changes that are being suggested. Anyway, do yourself a favor and check out the show here.
2. I thought about that push back during a conversation I had this morning at my gym. I was there today simply to get my own workout in. I was in the middle of my warm-up when I noticed the guy next to me was doing some horrible leg rotation type exercise while lying on his back. All he's doing is mobilizing his low back, which will lead to injury. But, I try not to give random people advice unless I'm approached so I didn't mention anything, besides I was there for my own training. Then he asked me about the gym's yoga schedule. I have no idea what the schedule is. He then mentioned his low back problems. He's suffered from a bad low back for 20 years. So at that point I ethically had to talk to him about the exercise he was just performing. I explained the dangers of training for lumbar rotation and there are only 12 degrees of rotation available in the lumbar spine and nobody with a healthy back, nevermind an unhealthy back should be doing the exercise he was doing. His response was, "Well, that's what the physical therapist told me to do 20 years ago." 20 years ago! And he still has back pain!! I told his his physical therapist was just plain wrong and I can show him a better alternative. Instead of gratitude he started arguing with me. I was trying to help and he was pushing back. This reminds me of the saying, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink." I have to remind myself of that every so often.
3. But then I learned my new favorite core exercise...so all is right with the world. Check it out here. I used a 10 lb plate on one side of a 45 lb barbell and struggled to perform 4 reps on each side. This a great and tough exercise. And, more importantly, it trains the core the way it was meant to be trained.
4. I love barefoot training (as you likely know by now.) But I've been reluctant to run barefoot on a treadmill. Well, I sucked it up and gave it a shot on Monday. The goal was 5 reps of 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off at 9 MPH and a 12% incline. I tell ya, I'm sold. It really worked well. I was concerned about the running surface but it felt great on my feet and I had the extra bounce in my step yesterday due to the additional muscle activity in my feet.
   

Hi all! I hope everyone in the Northeast has been able to stay mostly dry these past couple days. The forecast looks perfect for the weekend! Here are some notes and additional thoughts from the third presentation from last weekend. This was Gray Cook's hour. He is probably my favorite speaker/presenter. I've seen him a couple times and always get a ton of good and useful info from him.

• Movement is behavoral. We must relearn how to move properly. When we move properly our muscles will sculpt themselves.
• The #1 predictor of future injury is prior injury. We are doing something wrong from a rehab standpoint and not giving athletes the best chance to remain injury free.
• "Just because someone is flexible doesn't mean they move well." This goes back to the first point. Stretching is important. People should pick 2 or 3 good stretches and make them part of their daily routine. However, stick to just a few minutes then move on to the mobility work.
• This could be a very cool new toy. It looks like a really good balance/stability test in all planes of movement.
• I like really like this point..."Will strengthening glute med help the squat or will fixing the squat movement force glute med to work properly?" Coaches so often try to break down a movement pattern and figure out which muscles don't work. It's much better to just apply corrective strategy to fix the movement pattern.
  
• "The best way to strengthen your core is to clean up your weakest movement pattern so that your core can work properly."
  
• He talked at length about single leg deadlifts. I wrote down a couple important notes about this exercise. 1. It must be heavy! 2. You must go all the way down to the floor.
  
• He also showed us a very cool assymmetry test to perform with a kettlebell during his hands on session. I will record a video soon.
  

Everyone is an Athlete

Next up for the presenters was Todd Durkin. He brought tons of energy to his presentation, which was very cool because I was sitting in the bleachers and even after only an hour or so my body was hurtin'. I feel bad for the folks sitting near me who had to put up with all my fidgeting. Anyway, he probably emphasized the two most important take away points for me from the entire day:

1. Treat EVERYONE like an athlete
2. Deliver a FUN experience

The first point I've adhered to since beginning in this field but it was great for that point to be repeated over and over by all the presenters. It is our jobs as coaches to unleash the inner athlete in everyone. The second part is just as important. We are talking about exercise. It should always be fun. When we are kids exercise is all about play. And at some point when we become adults exercise becomes work to be dreaded and avoided. This needs to change if we are to reverse the effects of obesity and type 2 diabetes and all the other aflictions people suffer from due to a sedentary lifestyle. And I think this is difference between a personal trainer and a Coach. I like to think of myself as a Coach as opposed to a personal trainer. Anybody can be a personal trainer by doing some research and putting some exercises together on a piece of paper and shadowing a client and counting reps. A Coach, on the other hand, has a connection with the athletes and is able to make it fun. That's what I'm striving to be. I don't think I'm there yet, but I'll get there.

Another interesting point he made was about genetic potential. Only 16% - 18% of our entire athletic potential is dictated by genetics. The rest is a whole hell of a lot of hard work. This goes for weight loss as well. Yes, gentics has a little bit to do with your weight but you still have complete control of over 80% of your potential.

His hands on was very cool too. I do believe you don't need tons of equipment but you do need the "right" equipment. In this case I'm talking about suspension systems, bands, ropes, med balls, and agility ladders. He coached over 50 people at the same time using only the above pieces of equipment...and it was fun! When I open up my facility these are the kinds of equipment you'll find.

I spent Saturday at the Perform Better Learn by Doing workshop in Boston. Even though it might have been the best weather I've ever seen in March it was a great experience. Four of the top coaches in all the land delivered an hour lecture in the morning then we broke into groups in the afternoon for hands on sessions. This week I'd like to share my notes and what I remember from all the sessions. First up was Michael Boyle and his lecture about warm-ups. One of the recurring themes across all lectures and hands on sessions was EVERYBODY should train like an athlete. I often say "if you have a body, you are an athlete." I'll get further into that as the week progresses. Anyway, here are some thoughts about Mike Boyle's presentation and hands on session:

• Coaches need to constantly change. This industry is in it's infancy and we need to quickly adapt to the new research and the results other coaches are seeing. It is inexcusable for a coach to not stay current. Point is, if you are working with a trainer and you are still using the same program you used even three months ago you need a new trainer.
• The warm-up sequence is critical. First Foam Roll. Then Stretch. Then work on mobility and activation. If you stretch without foam rolling you are wasting your time. You need to improve tissue quality (foam rolling), improve tissue flexibility (stretching), Increase range of motion at your joints (mobility). Only then are you ready for exercise. And if you wait until after you exercise to foam roll and stretch you have missed your opportunity for any long term benefits. Rolling and stretching will not help today's workout or decrease your injury risk for today (mobility work will.) Rolling and stretching will help you to decrease injuries over the long term.
• Think of your back like a credit card. If you keep bending a credit card ultimately you will have two pieces of credit card. Your back is similar. If you continuously bend it you will injure your back. Think about that next time you decide to perform hundreds on crunches. Try some planks and roll outs instead.
• Hip Mobility is something you lose. Nobody learned to squat starting from the standing position. As infants we all started from the floor and worked our way up. That is exactly how we need to regain hip mobility.
• Here's a direct quote, "If you aren't foam rolling you are insane!" It is that important. It's the absolute best way to feel better and move better immediately. Go to my YouTube channel and scroll down to see videos of foam rolling techniques.
• When we stretch we don't really stretch muscle. We are actually stretching the connective tissue or fascia surrounding the muscle. Think of it like a chicken breast in a plastic bag. The chicken is your muscle, the bag is the fascia. Grab the ends of the bag and pull. There is no change to the chicken but the bag itself is changing. That's what happens to our bodies when we "stretch."
  

Well, that's it for today. Look back here tomorrow for my part 2 notes.

Random Randomness

I love the first few nice days of the spring, especially when they technically come in the winter. The best part is seeing people running on the streets of Hudson at 5:30 in the morning. Seeing people outside early in the morning getting some good work in really gets me energized and motivated for my day.

I was at the gym earlier this week with a client when I faintly heard "Hey! Help! Help!" I turned and saw some poor sap lying on a bench pinned under a barbell. I ran over and picked the bar off his chest. A couple things come to mind. First thing is, that's really stupid. Good trainers spend so much time and effort teaching proper technique so people don't get injured, so don't injure yourself my attempting to lift too much weight or get one more lift when you know you are fatigued. It's just not worth it. Also, a Dumbbell press is a far better exercise. It allows for freedom of motion at your shoulders, builds unilateral strength, and is much more safe. If you get stuck you can simply drop the dumbbells. You might make some noise but I'd much rather you make a little noise than get injured.

For the past year I have been fully committed to the barefoot bandwagon. I train barefoot. I do most of my running barefoot. I love it. Yesterday I learned the bad thing about training barefoot. When you kick something while barefoot it hurts much more.

Activate your Glutes!

Up until now I've focused on hip mobility when it comes to reconditioning an injured low back. After the hips are properly mobilized then it's time to strengthen the glute muscles. Most good coaches and trainers (like me!) include the glutes as a core muscle. It is possibly the most important core muscle. And it should be our primary hip extender. I say "should" because so many of us sit all day long (at work, in the car, on the couch) that our glutes stop functioning optimally. When the glutes stop functioning then something else has to over compensate...and in this case it's the hamstrings. This leads to hamstring injuries. If you've ever had a hamstring injury take this quick test. Perform a single leg hip extension. Check your bum with your hand. Is it rock solid? Or is it soft? Can you lift one side higher than the other? If it's soft then you need to get your glutes working. If you passed the test it's time to further strengthen your glutes. Even if you didn't pass this is a great exercise to add to your warm-up.

Single Leg Hip Pivot

1. Start by stretching your arms up over your head.
2. Slightly bend your right knee
3. Pivot at your hips. Stretch out with your hands and your heel. Try to keep your arms with your ears. Extend your back knee and stretch. Stretching with your arms and leg will help you keep a natural curve in your back and keep both hips parallel to the floor.

Give this a try and next week I'll show you how to load this movement pattern to really strengthen the glutes.

Encouraging New Show

I haven't ranted about the food we eat in quite some time. Long time readers know I am a big proponent of eating Real Food. Real food consists of meats (eggs, beef, chicken, fish), vegetables, and fruit. We eat far too much processed foods and food products, and it's killing us. Today's children will have a shorter life span than their parents due solely to the crap we are feeding them. I mention this because recently I have seen a couple commercials for a new television show that has piqued my interest. It's Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC starting in a couple weeks. After seeing the commercials I was really hoping it wasn't going to be crap like the Biggest Loser. (Seriously, Jillian Michaels is hawking weight loss pills? What a fraud.) Anyway, after watching this video of a presentation Jamie Oliver gave I am especially encouraged by the show and the good that it can do. I highly encourage everyone to take a mere 20 minutes and check it out.

Have a great weekend everyone!

More About Metabolic Resistence Training

Those of you who I often speak with no how I feel about steady state cardio for weight loss (it's ineffective.) Everyday I see the same people plugging away on a treadmill or elliptical machine for 30 - 45 minutes. Those are the people who never get any results from their training. The goal should be to increase strength while also increasing long term metabolic rate. This is done using Metabolic Resistence Training. Here is a video by Rachel Cosgrove. In it she articulates the reasons for this strategy much better then I can. It's all about utilizing activities that will build muscle, result in an elevated metabolism for hours post-workout, and burn calories during the workout. Metabolic Resistence Training is the best way to accomplish all three things at once.

Stop Doing Crunches

Today's post will be in keeping with the low back reconditioning theme.

There are many popular exercises performed every day by people at the gym that makes me cringe. Probably the worst one is excessive crunches. There simply isn't enough time to tell people how much damage they are doing to their low backs by performs hundreds of crunches or, even worse, use the trunk flexion machine. Here is a good article written about Dr. Stuart McGill, who is a leading back researcher and has been a very influential figure in the fitness industry for some time. "While there are lots of ways to injure a back, the sit-up is an easily preventable one. According to his research, a crunch or traditional sit-up generates at least 3,350 newtons (the equivalent of 340 kg) of compressive force on the spine. The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health states that anything above 3,300 newtons is unsafe." The point is, our lumbar spines only have so many flexions in them before the disks herniate. Why perform hundreds of crunches per day knowing that is a great predictor of future back pain? The problem is often vanity. Everyone wants the six pack. Truth is everyone has a six pack...it's just covered up by a layer of fat. If you truely want a better looking mid-section then you need to turn your focus to your diet and create a caloric deficit while eating the proper amount of protien and dietary fats. One of the great core exercises is the bird dog. This can be a difficult exercise to perfect without instruction. They keys for this exercise are:

1. set up with your hands directly under your shoulders and hips directly under your knees
2. Extend at your hip and opposite shoulder. The key is to press your hand and foot out as opposed to just lifting your limbs up. You should have zero movement in your back.
   

This is another great exercise to add to your daily routine!

If it's Important Do it Every Day

Earlier this week I was talking to one of the women I work with about her recurring neck problem. This isn't a major issue by any stretch. She just feels a little tugging on the side of her neck when performing some exercises like heavy deadlifts. Her FMS shows limited thoracic spine (mid and upper back) mobility. Thoracic spine immobility often will lead to neck pain. We perform some upper back mobility corrective exercises during each session but she still has some lingering discomfort. I was then reminded of a great line I recently learned; If it's Important Do it Every Day! Corrective exercise is important! Foam rolling is important! These things should be done every single day, not only on the days you train. In fact, if you really want to offset the damage done to your body (especially for those office workers out there) you should take just a few minutes multiple times per day to perform some corrective exercises and foam roll.

Obviously this rule isn't limited to fitness. If progressing in your career is important to you then read or do some type of professional development every day. If you want to learn to play an instrument (I want to learn the harmonica) then you must practice every day. You have much more time than you think to accomplish your goals. I wrote last year about budgeting your 112 hours. Check it out!

Everyone have a great weekend!

Oh, and if you suffer from neck pain here are some great corrective and strength exercises to make part of your daily routine:

1. Seated t-spine rotation
2. T-spine Extension
3. Shoulder circuit
4. Inverted Row
   

Choose the right Fish Oil

I was just watching the morning news and came across this story about a lawsuit filed against some fish oil suppliers because of their elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenel compounds (PCBs.) PCBs have been found to cause cancer and birth defects. As many of you know I am a big proponent of taking 4 - 6 grams of fish oil per day. So this report may cause some alarm. This study found that the most contaminated fish oils are Nature Made Cod Liver Oil, Now Foods' Salmon Oil, and Double Strength Cod Liver Oil. These are all fish oil from larger fish, fish further up on the food chain. That's the key. The lower on the food chain the fish oil is from the less contaminated it will be. You should be diligent about reading the labels. Look specifically for sardines, anchovies, and krill. If it simply says "fish oil" then the company is likely hiding something and it should be avoided. Fish oil is a very important part of everyone's diet. The anti-inflamatory and heart health properties have been well documented. Just be sure to read the labels and you will have no worries about taking a contaminated product.

Happy March!

Over the last month I've learned something...keeping up with a blog can be very difficult. My goal for this month is a minimum of three posts per week. I can do it!

I will begin the month by continuing my series of low back reconditioning exercises. 80% of the population will suffer from low back pain at some point in their life. This is a pretty good indication that we need to completely change the way we move and the way we exercise. Most low back issues are due to glute inactivity and hip immobility. Due to our culture of sitting all day many people have glute muscles that simply don't do the job they were designed to perform. The Hip Extension is a simple yet very effective exercise to add to your warm-up to help activate those under-performing glute muscles.

1. Begin by lying on your back, bend your knees so your heels are directly under your knees, and lift your toes off the floor.
2. Squeeze your glutes! Pretend you are holding a piece of paper between your butt cheeks...don't let go of the paper!
3. Extend your hips.
   
4. Hold for 8 - 10 seconds for 3 - 5 reps.
5. Your butt should be rock solid and you should not feel much in your hamstrings. If you do feel it in your hamstrings squeeze your butt tighter.

This exercise can be performed daily as part of your warm-up or really at any point during the day.

On a completely different note...anyone know anything about designing web sites?? I'm in need of some guidance in this area.