With Halloween almost here I thought it would be a good time to examine what a treat is and what it should be.  By definition a treat is something that is given by way of compliment; it’s an extra thing, or a bonus, that people derive pleasure or enjoyment from.  For me, a treat should be special, not an all the time everyday occurrence.  I think that’s what makes it special.  Where we get into trouble is when we use a treat as a coping mechanism for an emotional state we are in: happy, sad, nervous, excited, stressed out, bored, and tired, to name a few.  “I’m stressed out, so I’m going to have a margarita, because I deserve it,” may be a familiar inner dialogue to you.  Maybe you’re sad so you have ice cream to cheer you up, or excited about something and feel the need to celebrate by having a Mexican fiesta.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a good margarita and a Mexican fiesta, although I prefer chocolate cake to ice cream, but the point is that it should truly be a special occasion.  For many weight management is a constant battle.  Those waging this battle seem to be always looking for the magic diet or exercise program to help them.  Unfortunately, it is not that simple, but it’s not that complicated either. We all get the body we deserve.  If you think you deserve more than what you currently have then the first step is to be honest about your efforts. Below are 6 common sense tips that require some effort and some discipline but are very realistic and manageable.  Nothing of any value comes without some sacrifice.

 

1. Eat home more: control ingredients and portions. Eating out should be a treat. Eat the things you like but with better ingredients (avoid processed, chemical laden products) and eat less of it (smaller portions).

 

2. Eating out is not an excuse to binge. Get the menu ahead of time. Make your   choices ahead of time. Plan your other two meals around what you plan to eat when you’re out at the restaurant.

 

3. Walk more ride less. There’s nothing new here. Take the stairs instead of escalators and elevators. Walk whenever possible instead of taking the car or cabs. When you do have to ride, park further or get off a stop or two earlier than your destination. An increase in activity, even small ones will pay off over time.

 

4. If you are not an athlete, do not participate in an intense training regimen, or you’re not trying to gain weight avoid snacking in between meals. Eating 5 or 6 small meals is great on paper, but the truth is not many people can do this effectively. Stick with 3 appropriately portioned meals (1/2 plate green, 1/4 lean protein, 1/4 complex carbohydrate/whole grain and finish with a small plate of fruit. If you are an athlete or participate in an intense training program, then fueling up before and after training/workouts is very important. Choose low calorie healthy snacks like fruit, yogurt, milk, peanut butter on a slice of whole wheat bread to help you power up either before or after. Plan around meals. If you're working out right after breakfast then you probably don't need an extra pre-workout meal. The same is true if you're having dinner right after a workout, you can skip the post workout snack.

 

5. Skip the treats. A state of deprivation leads to binging but that doesn't mean you need treats. Treats should be special and rare. The road to healthy eating and exercise requires some self-sacrifice and re-education. Save the treats for a real special occasion and make sure it's not just anything, but something you really enjoy.

 

6. Start a training program today. Choose activities you enjoy, but make sure they include strength and aerobic conditioning along with flexibility/ range of motion training.

If you’ve been reading my articles over the years you already know that I am a big proponent of strength training.  Strength training though is more than lifting weights.  When most people hear strength training they have images of body builders pumping iron.  I’ve tried to make it clear that strength training is much more than that and the training that I am a proponent of is probably better labeled as strength and conditioning.  Simply stated strength and conditioning addresses more than the muscle building aspects of fitness training.  It includes flexibility/mobility training (more than stretching), prehab exercises to prevent injury, core strengthening (not sit-ups), strength training, and aerobic and anaerobic conditioning. 

 

For the purposes of this brief article I am going to focus on the strength training aspect of strength and conditioning.  I define strength training as the movement of a  mass by exerting force against the resistance of that mass over a determined distance at a determined speed.  The amount of mass, the form of that mass, the selected distance, and speed of that movement are all variables of a training program.  So you are probably wondering should the mass be heavy, should you move it quickly or slowly, should you move it a large distance or a small distance?  The answer is yes to all of the above.  Heavier masses will be moved more slowly while lighter masses will be more conducive to power training and can be moved more quickly.  You should train for both strength and power so you should move heavy weights (mass) more slowly and perform movements with lighter resistances (mass) more quickly. 

 

In regards to distance, I find that when you perform movements that challenge you from your toes to your fingertips you get the most bang for your buck.  These exercises, like picking up a weight from the ground and then lifting it above your head are very challenging to say the least.  You are using multiple muscle groups in a synchronized way to perform the movement.  These movements are more functional then let’s say a machine biceps curl performed sitting down, because they resemble real life everyday movements like picking up a box or a laundry basket and placing it on a shelf or a bed.  The more muscle groups you use in performing a movement the greater the energy demand, thus the greater caloric expenditure.  And when you put a series of these total body exercises together back to back with minimal rest you are not only getting a strength benefit but also a conditioning benefit similar to cardiovascular training.   Your heart rate will get up higher than using the elliptical while performing the circuit and will take longer to recover when you’re finished resulting in an after-burn; an important aspect of metabolism that I have addressed in earlier articles.

 

Strength training also referred to as resistance training is not reserved to just lifting dumbbells.  While dumbbells and barbells are excellent tools that I use regularly, there are other tools that provide challenging and unique stimuli to our bodies that deserve consideration.  Training with sandbags can provide a very challenging workout.  Because the sand moves while you lift or carry the bags there is the added demand on your body, especially the core, to maintain stability.   Performing exercises where you lift the sandbag, place it on one shoulder and then carry it a determined distance, before lifting the bag and switching shoulders for the return trip are very challenging.  Kettlebells, because of their shape and design, are great for swinging.  The kettlebell swing is excellent for hamstrings and glutes, and the motion and speed of the exercise can really get the heart rate going.  The TRX suspension trainer is a great tool for training the entire body using your bodyweight and gravity as resistance.  It takes bodyweight training to a whole new level.  These are only a few of the tools out there that can take your strength and conditioning to a whole new level.  Not only are these tools effective, but they are also a great deal of fun.  After training with these tools myself, I can’t see why anyone would want to simply go to a gym to sit down on a machine perform an exercise and then move on to the next machine, or plop themselves on an elliptical trainer for 60 minutes.  Many of us work at jobs where we sit all day, do you really think the exercise we need is at a gym that encourages us to move while sitting down or move without going anywhere? 

 

In conclusion, strength training is more than pumping iron.  It is functionally challenging yourself to move against resistance to get stronger and to improve your performance of daily activities and recreational sport.  While cardiovascular training has been attributed to adding to the length of your life, strength training will help improve the quality of your life.  And when total body movements are performed in sequences or complexes the heart healthy benefits of this type of training can also be realized.  If your workout looks like play then you are probably on the right track.  On the other hand if it resembles that of a hamster on a hamster wheel it’s time for a change.

Making an honest effort in achieving your health and fitness goals

 

In addition to my work as a personal trainer and strength and conditioning specialist, I coach girls’ basketball at the local high school.  One of the themes this past season was a journey for the truth, the truth about us as individual players and as a team.  In order to find this truth, we needed to leave fear of failure behind and to commit to every aspect of our goal, a state sectional title.  Finding out the truth would require us to do the uncomfortable, and the inconvenient.  It would mean leaving no stone unturned in our journey.  I explained to the team that there is nothing worse than ending a competitive sports career with regrets.  If they were willing to do what it takes to search for the truth, and be honest in their efforts, then no matter the end result they would walk away from the season with a clear conscience and at peace with their performance.  We finished the season having won another league title, 25-4 (the best record in over a decade), and with an appearance in the state sectional final (the first in 2 decades).  Although we fell just short of our ultimate goal of a state sectional title, I would say we had a very successful season, and came pretty close to finding the truth we were searching for.

 

Looking back at this theme of finding the truth about oneself as a competitive athlete, I realized that this principle holds true for just about every other facet of life.  Anything that we want to be good at requires an honest assessment and effort.  The lessons learned this season with our basketball team can be applied to one’s performance at work, in the classroom, in relationships, and yes, even in health and fitness.  Let me rephrase that, these lessons can be especially helpful in achieving our health and fitness goals.  Our realized potential (RP) is a product of our ability/talent (A) and our effort (E). RP = A x E.  One’s ability/talent is predetermined by genetics; essentially it is what your parents gave you.  How much of this ability is realized, is a function of one’s efforts.  Very few people ever give 100%. For most of us, it really isn’t possible.  Thus, our realized potential is never an exact reflection of out ability, but more of a percentage.  The greater our efforts the more our realized potential will resemble our innate ability.

 

In regards to basketball, I broke down effort into three categories: 1) physical (strength, power, speed, quickness, agility, etc) 2) basketball skills (shooting, dribbling, passing, etc.) and 3) basketball IQ.  The only way to find out the truth would be to make sure that we addressed all aspects of each of these categories.  If we simply cherry picked the things that we liked to do and ignored that which we didn’t care for then we would never know how good we could be.  There would always be doubt and questions unanswered.  In other words, to find out the truth about one’s realized potential, you have to honestly assess your ability and then you have to make an all encompassing, comprehensive effort.  Once you get into, “ I’ll work on my shooting, but I’m not lifting weights,” or “ I’ll do some running, but I don’t like watching game film,” then your efforts are compromised and your results are sure to follow suit.

 

The reason so many people fail at achieving their health and fitness goals is because they fail to make an honest assessment and then an honest effort.  If you’re 5’1” and have a stocky build, you are not going to be 5’9” with a long slender build from doing Pilates three times per week.  What you can do is maximize what your parents gave you; in other words, be the best you can be.  As it relates to health and fitness I break down effort into the following three categories: 1) Nutrition 2) Training (strength, power, mobility, aerobic & anaerobic conditioning, etc.) and 3) Recovery (rest, flexibility, refueling, etc.).  So whether you want to lose weight, improve your performance of daily activities, like playing with your children/grandchildren, or you want to compete in a triathlon you must fully address each of these categories.  You can’t say you want to lose weight, but you are unwilling to change your nutrition, or that you want to be stronger, but you are only willing to jog but don’t want to strength train.  And for those type A’s who think more training is the answer, they need to know that quality is preferred to quantity. We improve when we rest not during the work period, so recovery is a very important element of performance.  In order to make an honest effort, working hard in only one particular area just doesn’t cut it; we must take a more comprehensive approach. Oftentimes, when we fall short of a goal it is because we were unwilling to do the uncomfortable and the inconvenient.  It is unfair to say you want something and then be unwilling to do all that is required. To find out the truth about oneself one must exhaust all avenues, so that when you look back you can say you did all that you could. An honest effort will move you towards achieving your health and fitness goals; a journey filled with successes along the way with no regrets.

       Here we go again, a new year with a renewed commitment to being all that we can be.  It’s resolution time and for many of us what would New Year’s resolutions be if they didn’t include some sort of quest for improving our health and fitness?  To help you in that endeavor here are my top ten do’s and don’ts in 2010:

 

        1)   Do Exercise- If you haven’t already read the article “The Hidden Benefits of Exercise,” by Laura Landro in the January 5^th edition of the Wall Street Journal check out the following link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704350304574638331243027174.html

Who doesn’t know that exercise is good for you?  It’s more than a tool for weight management.  The Journal article makes it clear that exercise is truly a panacea for disease and illness. Exercise reduces the incidence of cardiovascular disease and its by-products of strokes and heart attacks.  It lowers the risks for contracting certain types of cancers, such as colon and breast. The mental benefits of reducing depression and delaying or averting Alzheimer’s disease are also realized through regular exercise.  Regular exercise has also been shown to reduce diabetes a very fast growing disease in the U.S. in connection with our expanding waistlines. There are even studies demonstrating how exercise combats the common cold.  With all of this information out there it is hard to find a reason not to exercise.

        2)   Do Strength Train- Resistance training helps maintain bone health in addition to building/maintaining muscle mass.  Along with the metabolic benefits of having more muscle mass on your body, there has been some recent evidence that shows that an intense bout of strength training can be effective at metabolizing fat; once thought to be reserved exclusively for cardiovascular exercise.  However, my biggest support for participating in a strength training routine has to be function.  If cardio can extend your life then resistance training can help improve the quality of your life.  It makes the activities of daily living and participation in recreational activity easier.

        3)   Do Flexibility Training- Self-myofascial release (foam rolling, stick work), static, active, PNF, and dynamic stretching all assist in maintaining muscle extensibility and joint mobility.  There has been some debate over the benefits of stretching as it relates to injury prevention and overall performance.  For every study that shows its benefit there is another that shows it has a more limited effect.  What we do know is that there is an appropriate range of motion at each of our joints, and that there is a proper length-tension relationship for our muscles.  Flexibility training along with muscle strengthening exercises helps maintain the proper length-tension relationships and avoid muscle imbalances.  It is the muscle imbalances that we see between one side of our body and the other that eventually lead to breakdown and injury.  So if not acute injury, then flexibility training can at least aid in the prevention of injury that develops from a more chronic overuse condition. 

        4)   Do Eat Three Meals A Day- Many people skip meals thinking they are cutting calories, but in actuality the depravation leads to overeating at a subsequent meal.  Also, like a fire needs logs to burn your metabolism needs energy obtained from food to keep it churning.

        5)   Don’t Eat Between Meals- This seems to go against the whole movement of eating five small meals per day, but the reality is that very few of us can commit to this way of eating on a consistent basis.  If you’re not training hard, like an athlete, then start eliminating eating between meals (intense training requires post workout nutrition to replace nutrients that you lost and rebuild muscle).  When I was a kid you were always told not to eat between meals; we were a lot thinner then as a nation.  As Michael Pollan points out in his book In Defense of Food, Europeans generally don’t eat between meals and look how thin they are. We can’t seem to get in a car and go somewhere without bringing some snacks.  He also raises the question about “why can’t we make it from breakfast to lunch without having to eat something?”  I think he has a point; it’s only3-4 hours.  

        6)   Do Eat More Fruits & Vegetables, and Don’t Eat Processed Foods- Plain and simple fruits and vegetables are good for you and processed foods like Twinkies aren’t.  Not all processed foods are as obvious as Twinkies but they can be just as devoid of good nutrition.  In addition to the vitamins, minerals, and overall health benefit of eating fruits and vegetables, eating more of them can mean eating less of something else like…Twinkies.

        7)   Do Eat Local & Do Eat Organic- There was a recent study published claiming that there is little added nutritional benefit from eating organic foods versus conventional foods.  What the study fails to examine or mention in its findings are the negative health benefits from eating conventional foods due to insecticides and additives to increase shelf life in processed foods.  The study also does not examine the potential harm to the environment due to conventional food production in addition to commercial farming.  Buying local supports local small farms and supports the environment through farming methods and the jet, and truck fuel saved in transportation.  I buy local and organic whenever possible.  My next step is to buy in-season, but I admit I’m not there yet.  Maybe next year!

        8)   Do Eat When You’re Hungry, Don’t Eat When You’re Not- Now you probably think I’m messing with you; I’m really not.  A good deal of our obesity is not only because we eat the wrong foods, but also because we eat too much food.  The reason many of us overeat is because we participate in emotional eating.  We eat when we’re sad, depressed, excited, tired, bored, angry, nervous etc. You get the point.  I know that it’s simply stated but the next time you reach for that easily accessible processed snack ask yourself, “am I really hungry or am I eating this to satisfy something else?” If you’re eating for some reason other than hunger then it is time for a substitute behavior like going for a walk.

        9)   Do Vary Your Cardio Routine- I can’t tell you how many people I know that have been doing the same exact routine the same exact way for decades and they don’t understand why they have ceased to see results or why they have nagging injuries.  There are a variety of ways you can vary your routine.  You can change the mode of exercise, between hill walking, running, biking, swimming, etc.  You can vary the durations and the intensities.  As I have frequently suggested in previous articles, if appropriate for you fitness level and state of health, incorporate interval training (alternating low and high intensity efforts within the workout).

        10) Do Try Something New- Whether you’re in a rut or have hit a plateau trying new forms of exercise can be just what the doctor ordered.  There is no single end all be all form of exercise.  There are many tools at your disposal and there is no saying that you can only choose one to build your masterpiece, a healthier more fit you.  So in 2010, whether it’s yoga, Pilates, kettlebells, suspension training, weight lifting etc., add something new to freshen up your old routine. 

 

Crunches are not the solution to a strong and stable core

It’s hard to watch a fitness piece/program on television, read an article in a glossy magazine, or go to the gym and hear a trainer or group fitness instructor speak about fitness and not mention the word “core.”  “Core training” has been all the rage now for several years; Pilates’ primary selling point is its emphasis on core training.  My experience with the general population has been that no matter how much they say they understand the importance of having a strong core, and that they want a stronger core, what they are really saying is that they want a flat, ripped stomach.  The problem though is that ripped abs don’t necessarily mean or equate to a strong core.  I have seen muscle bound fitness enthusiasts, when tested by presenters at seminars I have attended, fail miserably when their core is functionally challenged.  The six-pack that everyone so desperately wants represents a superficial muscle group of the core musculature.  It is only one piece of the puzzle that is frequently over emphasized.  Read this carefully, you cannot crunch fat off of your mid-section.   More crunches or a better infomercial mouse trap are not the answer to a flat stomach, and I hate to break it to the Pilates faithful but drawing in from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep is not the solution either.  Getting rid of your “spare tire” comes from weight loss or rather fat loss, realized through good nutrition and a full body comprehensive training program. By now everyone intellectually understands that you can’t spot reduce, yet they are still looking for the magic exercise to take the fat off.  I’ll let you in on a little secret; the magic exercise is discipline.  Core training then, is not about six-pack abs.

 

Now that I have discussed what core training is not about, it is time to address what it is about.  There are many definitions of what the core includes, but without giving an anatomy lesson, I will define the core as the musculature between the hips and shoulders.  It not only includes superficial muscle groups but also deeper musculature, critical in making human movement effective and efficient.  Core training is about developing core stability, and the transference of force.  The core’s ability to stabilize the spine is the limiting factor on how much force and/or power we can exert in an upright position.  In other words, our ability to push or pull, to hit or kick, and to bend and lift an external object or opponent is dependent upon our core’s ability to stabilize the spine and transfer force to our limbs that are involved in the movement. Maybe the more important aspect of core training is core stability.  Several years ago when “core training” became a hot topic, and fitness professionals began moving away from crunching movements that flex the spine, there was a big movement towards rotational movements.  Shortly thereafter, the same exercise scientists that warned about the risks of lumbar flexion began to warn us about lumbar rotation as well.  It now seems logical that what we probably need more of is not actual rotational movements of the spine but anti-rotational movements.  In other words, exercises that ask us to fight against rotational forces may be more appropriate and effective in developing core strength or rather core stability.

 

All of this said, I am not saying to throw out all crunches and rotational exercises.  What I am suggesting is, to significantly cut back on the volume of crunches performed; reducing the number of exercises, sets, and reps performed in each workout and throughout the week.  As far as rotational movements, I try to focus more on shoulder and hip turn without rotating the lumbar spine alone.  I don’t think the back is as fragile as some would have us think, however I think back to a description given by renowned strength coach Mike Boyle where he made the comparison of exercises that flex and rotate the spine to bending a credit card.  When you bend a credit card it does not break on the first bend, but do it a couple of hundred times and eventually it will tear in half.  Thus, instead of crunching and twisting the fat off, which I have already established is impossible; I focus my core training on strength through stability.  The exercises I focus on are bridges and planks in a variety of ways: hip and glute bridges, prone bridges, side bridges, and bird-dogs are all apart of my core training regimens.  I also throw in some band work for the musculature of the hips and some scapulae (shoulder blades) work (Y’s, T’s, W’s, L’s) to strengthen and maintain proper movement of the upper extremities.   Most total body movements also challenge and strengthen the core, such as pushups, squats, lunges, medicine ball chops and throws, and one arm-cable rows in a standing position.  These movements when done properly ask us to maintain good posture while using our extremities to move against an external resistance and/or gravity.  Performed diligently, combined with proper nutrition and aerobic exercise you will not only get a strong and stable core, but you will in turn get that flat stomach you wanted without doing hundreds of crunches.  For more details on exercises that you can perform to get started make sure to check out the companion youtube video.