Bodies- Check'em out!!... No, seriously

There are two different ways you can work out these days. One way is to do your exercises and finish them as quickly as possible, which is basically just "going through the motions". The other way is to take some time, focus on each muscle moving, and understand how your body works together. This is better than just "going through the motions" because you can engage your muscles more efficiently for a better work out.

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to go to the Bodies exhibit this past weekend with a good friend of mine (also a fantastic client and triathlete). The bodies exhibit is a collection of cadavers that are arranged in all types of positions. Each cadaver showcases different groups of bones, muscles, and areas of the circulatory system and nervous system.

To actually see the origins and insertions of each muscle is amazing! Understanding where muscles connect to the body can help us understand each muscle's role in movement. So, if you see the Latissimus Dorsi muscle at the exhibit, you'll now know what muscle to visualize and focus on when you are doing a Lat Pull Down. Understanding how muscles connect to the body also help us critique and correct our form. If we want to do a bicep curl (once seeing where the biceps attach) and your body is moving a lot more than just the bicep, it is now safe to say that the form of the exercise may be compromised.

The bodies exhibit is an interesting trip. It can really define a new perspective about how the parts of the body have to work together in order for us to move and live. There are several Bodies exhibits scattered around the US. Here's a link to their main page for a location nearest to you.

http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/

Core Muscles-- they don't just stem from abdominal crunches

Plank, Side Plank, Bridges, Trunk Twists ... These are all Core Muscle exercises that engage a lot more than just your rectus abdominis . There are many muscles that require activation if you want to train your "true core". Your "true core" is comprised of various muscles such as the transverse abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, rectus abdominis, multifidus, erector spinae, quadratus lumborum, which are surrounded by supporting muscles (psoas major, psoas minor, glutes and more).

The benefits of core training exceed much more than a flat stomach or defined 6 pack. Core strength helps with postural alignment, back pain, core stability, balance, and almost every single sport. Core strength helps prevent core muscles from fatiguing. When those muscles do happen to fatigue, your body is much more prone to injury. Unfortunately, injuries in the core area affect your whole body. (If you have lower back pain, it can feel like your whole body's natural movement is compromised.)






Core Training should be the first priority of full body strength training, which should then be followed by training of the extremities (arms, legs, etc). Whether you are running a marathon, deadlifting 400 lbs, or cycling in the Alps, you need your core muscles to maintain stability. Think of what will happen to your body if you run with a weak core. Your spine will not be supported, which can result in common aggravations/injuries to the lower back.

Core strength can be best measured by how well you can stabilize your core muscles (torso area) while moving your extremities. For example, lift your leg while in plank position and see how well you can keep your hips stationary and squared to the ground. If you can't keep your back flat and your hips stable, it may be because your core muscles aren't strong enough to support your hips. Once you do strengthen your core, your body will be able to efficiently support itself in full body movements. This can help you run/swim longer (due to the absence of lower back pain), movements such as squats, lunges, and jumping jacks will be easier, you'll have better posture when strength training, and you can transfer energy better in full body movements. Think of what your core does while swinging a baseball bat or golf club... it's so much torso/trunk rotation!

Here are some foundational exercises that you can do a couple of times a week to strengthen your core.

plank


plank with leg lift


v sit


Russian twists


bridges



Try all of these for 30-60 seconds for 2-3 sets each every 2 or 3 days.


enjoy your core!!!

Prevent a New Year Resolution!

--Much apologies for the posting delay of this blog. Priority Fitness' move was a lot more demanding than expected. Thanks for waiting. Ok, enjoy!--

We have all turned a corner. Summer is now over. Yeah, I said it. Some of us still may be in denial... but it's the truth. The transition from long sunny days to longer, colder nights is now in effect. It's ok. We've all been through this before. But there's a catch... We are about to hit a change in our lifestyles. As the weather gets colder, and the days become shorter, we naturally stay indoors more. Even the types of food that we eat differ. We naturally gravitate towards heavier and more weight bearing foods (meat, potatoes, etc.). It's even apparent in our festive holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Some of you may be saying, "Ben, you're crazy. We are so far away from any of those holidays". Well, the "crazy" part I'm used to, but the whole holiday thing I disagree with. I've seen it. Our exercise activity (and motivation) naturally decreases at a steady rate until we hit January’s spark of New Year resolutions. But why do we allow ourselves to reach a point where we must "resolve" our fitness goals at the beginning every New Year? It's a lot easier (and way healthier) to maintain a fit lifestyle rather than play catch-up in January. Now is the time when we can create a healthy foundation of exercise and nutrition to guide us through the colder weather and incredibly unhealthy holidays.

So here we are... Footsteps away from a new challenge of staying fit. How do we fight the cold weather and holiday pounds?

I suggest starting off with getting a calendar and flipping the pages all the way to January 2010. Pick a goal - it can be anything - lose 10 lbs, run a 6 minute mile, or even workout 5 days a week consistently. Think about where you want to be in January and the activity it requires. For example, if you want to run 6 minute miles, you should be running anywhere from 3-5 times a week (each week consistently getting faster as the months go forward). Now you can take your aspiring activity level/regiment and start working backwards through the calendar. Let’s go to the last week of December on the calendar. What do you see yourself doing? What do you want to be doing? If it's running 4 days a week or alternating cardio and resistance training 5 days a week, pencil it in!! Make it as detailed and realistic as you want. Continue doing this every week until you reach the present day. As the weeks you fill out become closer to today, the workouts that you are filling in per day should be progressively conforming to what you are doing now. You should end up with a workout routine that maintains a consistent progression towards your goal as time moves forward.

The whole point of this is to see things in the big picture. There are going to be some days when challenges will face us. Whether it be rain, snow, or just the plain cold; if we have something to take us out of our current situation and remind us to keep our eyes on the future, we'll be able to stay on the right track.

This way, when we hit January 1st, our resolution will already be resolved…

The Muscles Behind the Tour de France

I rarely watch TV these days. I have nothing against it, I just haven't made the time to watch it. That is, until the Tour de France started this year... What an amazing example of pure (for some not always pure) athletic talent. Despite the controversy of steroids and blood doping, the use of certain muscle fiber types is represented so well.

                                                         

We have two main types of muscle fibers Type I (slow twitch) fibers, and Type II (fast twitch fibers). Type I fibers are used for repetitive, long endurance activity. They don't fatigue very easily and make the body seem leaner. Type II fibers are used for short bursts of energy. They are extremely powerful and also fatigue very quickly. They make the body look much thicker and muscular than Type I fibers.

  

                                         Type I Fiber      

                        

                                                                                                                                              Type II Fiber

                              

The cyclists in the Tour de France have to engage both types of fibers during their competition. Their hours and hours of competing every day requires constant Type I fiber use, yet they must also sprint! This requires Type II  fiber use. This style of sport is extremely intense and requires many years of training be done well.

Since we now know what our muscle fibers are specifically used for,  let's use this information for our workouts. How do we train? Power lifters engage in short bursts of energy. They primarily engage Type II fibers. Marathon runners require repetitive motion for long periods of time. They are going to mostly use Type I fibers. Cyclists require both! What do you want to focus on? If your goal is overall fitness... Do everything. You can lift weights one day, run longer distances that next day and then take it from there. This style of Cross-training is also the best way to strengthen our hearts and muscles.

In case you are wondering... Each of us is born with a specific genetic ratio of Type I:Type II fibers. Some of us are natural sprinters (more Type II fibers) and conversely, others are natural long distance runners (more Type I fibers). Even though we can never change our fiber type ratio, that doesn't mean we cant train the way we love. Through consistent exercise, all of us can still strengthen the specific fibers we choose to train. 

Switching Up The Routine

When it comes to training, the redundancy implied from a "routine" doesn't always need to be applied. If you run the same 3 mile loop every day, your body will eventually become accustomed to it. The initial results you received from your runs will eventually taper out and plateau. Fortunately, there are ways to fix this. If you want to direct your workouts to receive constant results, varying your activity is vital.

This puts us in a predicament. What do to do now? Well, one option is to continue doing the same thing we were doing and not receive the physical benefits that we were once striving for. The other option is to try something new. When we change our workouts and "shock" the body, we respond to that activity more drastically. That "shock" response is expressed by what ever that activity demands; increase in strength, more endurance, higher VO2 max, etc. The best way to think about this physical phenomena is to view this reaction as a defense mechanism. I know, it sounds a little crazy, but it makes sense. Since our genetic code has not changed in thousands and thousands of years,let's think about what happened when we were trying to survive in the wild. If a human wasn't fast or agile enough to catch a dear for food, or maybe even pick up something up that was really heavy (perhaps rocks or branches for shelter) then that would result in compromising chances for survival. As a defense mechanism, the body naturally increases speed, agility or strength just in order to stay alive (whether it be catching that dear or picking up that rock). This theory still applies today.


Since we don't catch our own food anymore or build shelter, we can see our bodies physically react to our workouts. If we sprint as fast as we can or pick up a weight that gets really heavy,we are naturally going to get faster or put on more muscle in order to be prepared for the next time we are in that situation (same thing like trying to catch an animal or pick up heavy rocks for shelter).

However, if we don't lift weights that are heavy for us or don't run to the point of physical fatigue, we aren't going to reach those results....just a flat plateau. Since it is now officially summer (and the weather is now permitting), we have so many more options to vary our workouts. If you are just a runner, try some of outdoor pools for swimming. If you have just been lifting weights, go for a run in the park. Try running the stairs if you have just been doing even paced miles. You can even hop on a bike and put some miles on your belt. If you really enjoy variation, try multi-sport events such as a triathlon. Priority Fitness' trainer Chris will be doing his first NYC Triathlon this July 26th, Go Chris!! Varying your activity can also keep our minds from "plateauing". It's extremely important to keep our heads fresh and feel excited for all the different types of things out there.

Sharing the Spotlight

One of the most important lessons I have learned as a Personal Trainer (and business owner) is to not re-invent the wheel. There are so many theories and existing data that has been proven about science and fitness. What's better than taking existing research and putting it into play? Unfortunately, there is also a lot of junk promoted in the health and wellness field today too. It can be really hard to decipher what's true or false. So, I've made the decision for you! Here are some links to legitimate articles and posts this week that I (based on my education and experience in the field) agree with.

For an awesome overview of exercise

Some great advice about analyzing and preventing injuries

Great tips on dieting at work (except the fasting part in the end!)

Abs!

Some new and different nutrition tips- From a really cool blog that I just happen to stumble upon while surfing (the internet of course)

5 excuses that will keep you fat- From a blog that I have been keeping my eye on for a while

OK, so I figured I'd switch it up this week and share the spotlight with some other sources. It's important to understand other people's opinions on certain matters. It helps me figure out my stance on topics which in return defines my point of view (especially in the fitness world) even more. I chose these articles because I agree with their theory and information. How about you?

Interval Training and You

In order to design a safe and efficient workout routine, it's crucial to have some experience under your belt. Picking a bunch of random exercises out of a hat can not only prevent your from reaching your fitness goals, it can also lead to over-used muscles and injury. Interval Training is one of my favorite styles of training. It provides the opportunity to strengthen your anaerobic muscles while still keeping your heart in a decent zone to burn fat. The workout session is very fast paced and direct, however the balance of "cool down" to High Intensity exercises maintains sanity. Interval Training sessions burn a lot more calories than old fashion strength training even though they require the same amount of time (45- 60 min).

OK, so the first order of business is figuring out which exercises you want to do... That's totally up to you! The beauty of designing your own workout is that you can pick any muscles you want to train. After picking your target muscles, you have to pick exercises that correspond to the muscles you want to train (ie: chest, triceps and shoulders- pick push ups, legs- pick squats). It's important to distinguish between your high intensity exercises (exercises that demand a big increase in your heart rate- squat thrusts, sprints, mountain climbers, etc) and your low intensity/cool down exercises (exercises that allow your heart rate to recover- crunches, slow step ups, alternating bicep curls, etc).

The sequence of the exercises is next. Assuming that all of your exercises are timed (not up to a certain amount of repetitions), we can start off with a total of 7 exercises (4 high intensity and 3 low intensity) with 60 seconds per exercise. If the goal is 5 circuits with a 45-90 second rest in between each one, this is what it should look like.

Low Intensity= LI
High Intensity= HI

circuit 1- LI, HI, LI, HI, LI- 45 sec rest
circuit 2- HI, LI, HI, LI, HI- 60 sec rest
circuit 3- HI, LI, HI, HI, LI- 60 sec rest
circuit 4- HI, HI, LI, HI, HI- 90 sec rest
Circuit 5- LI, HI, LI, HI, LI- You're Done!

You should be doing each exercise more than once (even up to 3-5 times), however don't do any of the same exercises within each circuit- ie: don't do 3 sets of squat jumps in Circuit 2, alternate with mountain climbers and sprints. You can leave the other sets of squat jumps for the third and fourth circuit.

Here is a list of some High Intensity exercises:
Squat Thrusts
Mountain Climbers
Sprints
Squat Jumps
Side Shuffling
Plyo Box Jumps
Hill Runs
Jumping Jacks - Try them for speed!

Here is a list of some Low Intensity exercises:
Resistance Band Rows
Stomach Crunches
Bridges
Bicep Curls/ Tricep Extensions
Step ups
Calve Raises

Refer to these previous blogs for some other exercises too

http://priorityfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/keeping-work-outs-going.html

http://priorityfitnessblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/time-has-finally-come-your-park-workout.html

Now all you need is a stop watch and some effort.

If you have any questions about Interval Training or have a routine that's been effective, it would great to hear about it.

Thanks and Good Luck!