Purge the Pain - Take Two

Have you ever gone through old pictures of yourself and laughed at how goofy you looked?  If not, let me give you that moment, respectively.



Cowboy Stud



It’s a real knee slapper. Once you’re done choking on your gum from laughter, let’s get in to what I’m really talking about. But don’t rush yourself, it won’t be easy holding the laughter in and trying to read.

So, I recently looked back at one of my articles I posted. I realized that, I didn’t do a real good job of getting my point across. In fact, I did a horrible job. 



You know you look how I feel?



So, I’m going to take another shot at this one. I’ll post the original article and then state the point that I was trying to get across.

Give me a minute as I search for my red pen....


Whether you are a weekend warrior, mother of three, on the verge of getting the big scholarship or you’re just looking to get rid of nagging pain and injuries as you age, this tidbit issue is the one for you.  We all deal with some sort of pain issues, and are curious about ways to improve our performance on and off the court.  I’m going to give you 3 tips to consider for helping your health and performance.

1. No rest for the wicked:  The first thing to consider is that time off is not going to heal the problem.  Yes, the swelling will go down, but the mechanical issues will remain constant.  Inflammation (swelling) is not the cause of the pain.  Rather, it’s the mechanical movement strategies (cheat patterns) our bodies learn through over-compensating movements such as moving, sitting, standing, etc that have developed over years of performing these improper muscle compensations that cause the pain.  Time off might help you “feel” better, but once you start up again those same issues come back again.  Just ask any long distance runner who has issues with their gait.  Obviously, while working out, you never want to move into pain and make it worse, but there are many things you can do to improve the improper cheat pattern mechanics that caused the injury in the first place. Once you accept this concept, you will be on your way to healthier living, and pain free performances in competition.

No rest for the wicked-Take two:



What I was really trying to say, is that, nowadays, most people sit on their butts all day, and look for any possible excuse to avoid exercise. And, an injury should be no excuse either. Obviously, if you have a broken leg you shouldn’t be trying to run a marathon. There are other things you can do while you have a broken leg, such as, working on core stability or upper body strength. Bottom line is you should do whatever exercise you can while avoiding pain and still inducing a positive training effect. This will also keep your routine consistent and help you stay focused on your health.

2. Progression:  Without getting too in-depth on this concept, realize that from doing absolutely no exercise or exercise specific preparation for your muscles, to going on the basketball court (or whatever it may be) is a very high risk.  For example, if you can’t squat properly, you probably shouldn’t be doing explosive jumping.  Your body needs to be able to progress through certain muscle movements first before hand.  Your nervous system is what gets  

your body to move or do certain actions that you tell it, and when you go for months or years without telling these nerves to fire properly, they kind of hit the snooze button a few times before they are ready to be awaken.  Your body then needs to learn how to function properly and fire these nerves.  It’s the same reason why we need to learn to do addition and subtraction before we can multiply.  Adding and subtracting are precursors for multiplying.  For those of us who aren’t accountants and don’t use math every day, this is why we struggle to remember what 9x6/2 is. The answer is 27 if my math serves me right.  My advice before you hit the courts or field is to learn proper movement patterns specific to your competition, and strengthen that core!  Learning core stability with a plank is a good start, and also learn to perform a squat with proper form.  This will promote strength and stability in the hips and lower body.

Progression-Take two:

I liked where I was going with this, but again, I still didn’t get the big picture across. Progression is definitely a good thing for preventing injuries and allowing your body to adapt at improving movement patterns. I was a bit extreme when I stated that “if you can’t squat properly, you probably shouldn’t be doing explosive jumping.” But I’d rather be too cautious than to rush in to it. What I meant was in the long run is where you’re doing harm. If you don’t fix basic movement patterns (squat) that everyone uses on a daily basis and in sports, you’ll get injured a lot faster and a lot easier than someone who addresses their problems. It may not hurt you next time you try jumping or play in a pick-up game. But, the bottom line here is, if you don’t address mechanical movement problems, you are going to eventually lead yourself into injury of some sort.

3. Variety and/or deload:  Add variety to your exercise routine and you will see benefits instantly! This will improve strength, coordination, mental fatigue, and consistency.  The more variety of experiences you get with your exercise the better of an all around athlete you will be, less injuries you will get, and the more your body (and mind) will feel fresh and ready to dominate the task at hand.  If your someone that really likes the routine your in and doesn’t care to try new ventures, I suggest varying rest periods, sets, reps, resistance that you normally do, and be sure to have deload weeks, giving your muscles recovery through movement, decreasing the intensity of your workouts while still working important motor units.  This is something that many struggle with accepting but I assure you, it will benefit you in many ways!

 

Variety and/or deload-Take two:

I just have a little more to add to this one. Bottom line here is, keep a variety of activities and exercises in your training. If you keep doing the same thing every week, your nervous system will not be able to recover quick enough and will not respond approprieately to the exercise.  You’ll hit plateaus with strength. And most of all, you’ll feel more aches and pains rather than if you keep changing up the activity or exercise keeping your body fresh and keeping your nervous system on board . Ask any “meathead” in the weight room who benches every week. He’ll tell you all about how his shoulder’s hurt and his strength isn’t going up. Ask the person you see walking or running  for hours on the treadmill if their hips and knees hurt and they wonder why they aren’t losing weight.

Hopefully I did a better job at getting the big picture across. I’ll try to keep the embarrassing moments to a minimum from now on.

Only The Strong Survive

We all have many reasons we exercise and take time out of our busy schedules to focus on our health. But, I believe, that we all have one thing in common when it comes to choosing our health and fitness goals. Looking and feeling good is really what we all want. Everyone wants to look good, and everyone wants to feel good. It’s plain and simple. There’s one very important component that many people try to avoid at all costs when it comes to achieving this.

I’m talking about strength training. Weights tend to be the least used equipment in most exercise routines. Go in to any commercial gym and you’ll constantly see people all over the cardio equipment like two frisky teenagers all over each other in the back of the movie theatre. These are usually the people (not the frisky teenagers, or maybe, who knows) that always wonder why they aren’t losing weight or getting tone when the elliptical machine or treadmill says they burned 1,379 calories. These are usually the people that are always complaining about their back and/or knee hurts from all the repetitive motion day in and day out without any attention to building stability or mobility in their joints. Now, don’t get me wrong, steady-state cardio is definitely a great form of exercise and it has a place in everyone’s routine, respectively. But, we can all benefit from doing a little strength training. I’m not saying everyone should go to the gym and pick up the biggest dumbbell they can find and try to lift it (trust me, you don’t want to do this, you’ll just end up with black and blue toes!), but preferably something heavier than your purse.

"Plus it's not a purse, it's called a Satchel.  Indiana Jones wears one."

So, let’s take a look at the benefits of resistance training.

Let’s take a look at strength training can benefit someone who wants to look good, or what most people label as “tone” or lose weight. First off, there’s no such thing as “toning” your muscles. Your muscles are either anabolic (growing, but not necessarily bulking) or catabolic (breaking down). The “tone” look your body may get is from improving body composition, or in other words, decreasing body fat and improving lean muscle tissue! Secondly, the following equation explains whey resistance is so important for “looking good”

Work = Force x Distance

Whether you’re a science guru or not, you can see that this equation demonstrates that the greater the force (strength) needed to move the weight, the greater the work (energy expenditure) that is being done by your body. Therefore, this greater force being used by your body, the greater the energy expenditure (calories) used. To give you a visual, simply plug in someone who lifts 20lbs of force on any given exercise/lift, and then compare it to if that individual could lift 40lbs of force on the same given exercise.

Work = 20lbs x distance

Work = 40lbs x distance

And, when your strength is improved, not only are you using more energy while you are actually exercising, this increase in lean muscle tissue also increases your metabolic activity throughout the day! Meaning, you’ll burn more calories throughout the day compared to if you had less lean muscle tissue!

Now that you know that increasing strength can lead to opening the floodgates to greater metabolic demands, imagine how much easier it is going to be to keep the weight off once you focus on getting your strength up first rather than trying to do the typical steady-state cardio or the common “light weight with high reps” routine, or any routine for that matter. (Also, note that is been shown that strength training 2-3 times a week can improve aerobic capacity as well!) Whether you are doing steady-state cardio, or you are doing resistance training, increasing your strength will induce a greater metabolic demand before, during, and after your workout than someone who has less lean muscle mass.


Now, let’s take a look at how resistance or strength training can help make you feel good. Honestly, I could go on and on about the benefits of strength training, but I’ll focus on a few. Some of the benefits to note right off the bat is how it can reduce signs and symptoms of such diseases and chronic conditions as arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, back pain, heart disease and depression. You’ll notice, most of these conditions I just listed (if not all of them) require medication of some sort. Strength training has similar improvements on signs and symptoms to medication. The only difference is that strength training is cheaper! Pretty, pretty, pretty powerful stuff if you ask me!



 It also decreases the aging process. One of the main reasons for this is how it improves bone density and strengthening of bones. The stronger your muscles and the greater the amount of lean muscle mass, the stronger the bones have to be. Also, post-menopausal women can and usually do lose bone mass (1-2%) annually. And, another reason it decreases the aging process is its positive effects on balance, stability, and flexibility. So, no more falling and cracking your hip!


Another great benefit is improved sleep quality. Falling asleep quicker, deeper sleep, waking up less often, and longer sleep are all interrelated with people who regularly exercise. Again, this shows that exercise is a helluva lot cheaper than sleep medication or comparable treatment. Just sayin’.




The low-down on the sitch (situation)

Strength training can be (if properly instructed how to do so) and is beneficial to all who participate in it. Two to three days a week of strength training has been shown to be more than enough frequency to the get positive results listed above. Frequency should vary depending on individual goals. One general rule of thumb is to never strength train the same muscle groups on consecutive days, allowing 48 hours of rest for your muscles. Before participating in a strength training program, consult a qualified professional and get proper instruction, especially if you are inexperienced or have any injuries or limitations. Working out with a group of friends can make it enjoyable and more productive, and also can help improve consistency.


Alright, ‘nuff said. Does anyone know where the weight room is?

Posture Makes Perfect

First off, I want to sincerely thank all of you who keep up with my blog. I’m getting an overwhelming response from all of you and I love it! This site is growing larger than I ever intended it to be. I keep adding more and more followers every week and have received nothing but great feedback. Since I started this blog, for whatever reason, “Bad to the Bone” comes on whenever I enter a room. With all kidding aside, I’m so glad you all take the time to focus on your health and realize that you are worth every bit of knowledge you can pick up along the way. (Rock fist)


Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought about your posture? Have you ever wondered if you could change, or improve your posture? Well, there are many reasons that factor in to the answer to that question. Your own posture and mobility (or lack there of) of certain muscles in your body is the greatest tool we have to improving our posture and all the benefits that follow. Let me try to simplify that answer down and help you realize how important your posture is and what it means.

Quite frankly, your posture is a symbol of health and strength. As we age, our posture is continuing to change, for better or for worse. Lifestyle has a huge role in posture. And nowadays, when most of us are sitting at a desk all day looking at a computer inducing horrible effects on our body that sooner than later we’ll get accused of being a creep because our back posture and hip alignment has us bent so far forward that it looks like we’re trying to look up women’s dresses as they walk by. Not what any of us (both men and women I’m assuming) was going for.

Your posture has can induce injury, or reduce movement that may be limiting your daily activity function. Your posture may influence your joint alignment, muscle imbalances, flexibility, and muscle stiffness. I would say that’s a pretty powerful influence on health and whether or not you are feeling good without aches and pains throughout the day. Although, you may have poor posture to some extent, but you may have never had any pain or injuries. I’m not saying poor posture is a direct cause of pain or injury, but it definitely plays a key role over time if issues are not addressed.

Over time, depending on your lifestyle habits and prolonged posture tendencies, muscle tissues tend to lengthen, shorten, and increase or decrease in stiffness. These habits and tendencies eventually cause asymmetries. With such asymmetries in such areas as the hip can result in leg length differences. These differences are strong correlations with pain and injuries such as sciatica pain/symptoms, and low back pain.

Let’s take a look at some general and common posture problems. One very common problem is rounding in the shoulders and upper back (or hunch back).  This usually causes a forward head position, which limits the necessary mobility in the scapula (shoulder blade), and can reduce back and rotator cuff strength. These are all factors that can be associated with shoulder impingement. In this case, what experts suggest that may help, is that doing specific exercises that would promote proper mobility (in this case-depression, retraction and stabilization of the scapula) in the scapula, which can induce a beneficial effect on posture and strength/stability in the upper body. I’m saying this in a general aspect, as all cases are significantly different and need individualized evaluations and modifications.

Another common problem is pelvic tilting-anteriorly or posteriorly. In a case of an anterior pelvic tilt, the tendency is a tremendous amount of tightness in the anterior hip (hip flexors) and a great deal of over strain on the hamstrings. One would think that you would need to stretch the hamstrings since that is where they are having problems.  But it's quite the opposite of what you want to do.  Anterior tilt also places the hips in internal rotation, flexion (refer back to my attempt at a joke about the creepy old man), and adduction (narrow upper leg stance). This is very a common pelvic alignment with athletes and it’s also why you see so many athletes pull hamstrings and groin muscles. And due to the internal rotation, this puts a lot of stress on the ligaments in the knee, which increase risk of (including myself) ACL tears. For this very broad example, it may help to work on improving mobility in the hip external rotators, strengthening (shortening) the hamstrings, unilateral stability in the hips, and getting a helluva good stretch in the hips flexors.

Improving posture is something that takes a lot of patience, BUT, does not take a lot of time out of your day just to have a beneficial training effect on your body alignment. Not only are their simple strengthening and stretching exercises to get unilateral balances in the joints throughout the body, but also very simple (without equipment) and easy to execute corrective drills to induce proper functions manipulating different mechanic scenarios.

 If  you have any pain, weakness, or posture issues, want to improve performance, or simply want to promote optimal function in your body, all you have to do is be willing to dedicate 5-15 minutes a day to improving your health and helping you feel better without so many aches and pains.  Not only can posture improve pain symptoms, it can also unlock strength breaking through dreaded plateaus.  Consult a proper health professional about any issues and concerns you have, and you can be on your way to feeling better and improving your posture! 

Whatever It Takes

What is thought? Thought is something more than you do. It is what you are as well. Thought composes our entire being except for the portion of us that is form, or our physical body. This newsletter will take an interesting look at the concept of thought, and how to will yourself to happiness and success.

Your desire to improve your life or your health is really the thought to improve. Your will to live is really your thought to live. Your feelings are also preceded by thought. What I’m trying to get at, is that all your behavior is caused by what you are thinking. Everything on the face of the earth is all thought! Now that you all officially think I’m crazy, let’s apply this to a situation. Say, you’re trying to lose some weight. Instead of seeing (or thinking of) yourself as an overweight shell of the person you want to be, begin to think of yourself as that much happier, healthier person you want to be. Get an image and never let that image out. You will then begin to act on that image, and find your eating and exercise habits adjusting to fit that image. Also, remind yourself that the lighter, healthier person that you visualize is already here, even though he/she is surrounded by some excess weight.

Now let’s talk about how to WILL yourself to success. “I gave it my best shot” or “I really tried hard” are missing something; will. You must be willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. That’s part of the visualization process I talked about earlier. If it means getting less sleep, or doing things unconventionally, then so be it. Everything- your dreams, your aspirations- that you picture in your mind are already here waiting for you! You just have to be willing.  If you can think it, it means it already exists, because if it didn’t, you wouldn’t be able to think it. If you don’t believe me, ask Einstein!

Willingness is really a state of mind. It’s an internal statement that says “I will be happiness” and “I will take the next step towards making my dream a reality.” Are you willing?

Also, realize there is no such thing as failure. Get this concept out of your thoughts. You never fail, you simply produce results. If you attempt to lift 200lbs and only lift 150lbs, you didn’t fail, just produce a result. Your concept of failure comes from someone else’s opinion of strength. You can either think you are weak, or you can keep working on your strength and proceed from the results.

Regardless of the circumstances of your life, you are the writer, author, director, and producer of your mental images. You always act on these images. Your circumstances do not determine what your life will be. They only reveal all kinds of images you have chosen up until now. Everything from your health to your finances, to your relationships, you are acting on these images. Your mind stores away all of the images that you elect, and you carry these thoughts out like daily assignments. You cannot have a feeling without first having a thought. If you want to change some aspect of your life, start by changing your thoughts. Once your thoughts reflect genuinely what you want to be, the appropriate emotions and behavior will come automatically. Believe it, and you will see it!

*Ideas and concepts of this newsletter were based on the best selling book, “You’ll See it When You Believe It” by Wayne W. Dyer.


Tyler Hanson
BS Kinesiology
AFAA CPT

Fat loss facts and strategies- and then some

I’ve gotten a few emails back with question’s regarding my fat loss facts and strategies issue, so I figured I would do another newsletter on how to further improve your processes in reaching your fat loss goals. I’ve gathered 5 strategies for you that will guide you in not only your exercise selection, but also in developing some theory behind your workouts.

5 Get lean strategies to adhere by when designing your workouts



1. Perform full body workouts- These result in a higher metabolic cost. When you work a lot of muscles at once, it creates a large demand on your metabolism. Simple as that.



2. Perform exercises with a high intensity (fast reps) - Exercising fast will burn more calories according to research. Obviously, I don’t want to sacrifice proper form. Keeping proper form is essential for safety and effectiveness. Improving speed has great benefits (see #4).



3. Eat Pray Love. Sorry, my creativity is lacking this week so this is my best attempt at a joke. Nonetheless, it helped me get to 5 strategies rather than 4. In my book, the number 4 should be retired anyway for obvious reasons-one being 285 consecutive starts for a quarterback. That’s as close to a physical phenomenon as you can get.

4. Use some form of resistance-that can be your own body weight, which is ideal as well as dumbbell’s, kettlebell’s, etc. Building strength is extremely important when the goal at hand is to get leaner. Building strength forces your body to recruit more muscle fibers which will ramp up your metabolic cost of the entire workout. This means you will burn more calories and fat while training. One last reason to build strength to get lean- research shows that boosting strength will improve speed, and being able to move faster allows you to burn more calories and fat during and after your workouts. Ever look at a professional sprinter, compared to a long distance runner?

5. Progression in your workouts is key- never perform the same workout. Ever. Every week should be a challenge to your body even greater than the last, do more reps, or less rest periods, or more weight, etc. Any way that you can bump up the metabolic demand is perfect. In other words, COWBOY UP as they say out west!

Final note-If there one’s thing you get out of this newsletter, I hope it’s that you never want to do the same workout over and over. It’s important to change it up and continue to challenge your body in ways it has never seen. Hopefully this process will also help make it less of a drag and more interesting, while keeping you more focused on the goal at hand. Granted, there will always be days, or weeks, where you need to “take it easy.” No I don’t give you all a free pass to your recliner and 12 pack. Again, switch it up and do something fun-kayaking, tennis, swimming, hiking. Even though you are taking it “easy” you will find that your body will respond a lot better than “pushing through” the mental fatigue and physical burnout. You will refresh not only your body, but your mind; both of which will thank you in the long run by helping you reach your goals that much sooner.

Tyler Hanson

AFAA certified personal trainer

Thanson42@live.com

Tips to consider when exercising for fat loss

This week’s topic is about an email I received recently. Maybe you can relate to it, I’m sure you will all at least find it helpful.

The email was from a girl whose goal was to shed body fat and lose weight. Her typical workout was basically going as long as she could (around an hour) jogging on a treadmill or elliptical. She thought that fat loss was directly related to calories burned in a workout. Well, don’t get me wrong, going for a jog (on a treadmill or outside) has its benefits- increased arterial compliance, decreased blood pressure, improved insulin sensitivity, improved glycemic control- that I don’t want to discourage you and I hope I don’t. But here are a few helpful tips to help you see the big picture of fat loss training (*assuming you are eating correctly*)



Fat loss Facts and Strategies



*Experts state that we need to think less about the metabolic changes (it’s complicated...) that are occurring during a workout and focus more on what’s happening after you leave the gym. (Hint: far more fat loss or gains than you think!)

*Going for a jog ONLY burns calories while you’re doing it, and it can be very hard on your hips, knees, and ankles.*

*High intensity training, on the other hand, will effect your metabolism to keep burning calories long after you stop training - if you know how to do it right.   This is possible through what is called Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC).

*Instead of running on a treadmill, focus on full-body circuits such as split jacks, jumping jacks, and burpees that are performed for numerous rounds with minimal rest (30, 60 or 90 seconds). This will shock your muscles, to induce a large metabolic demand on your body’s cardiovascular, endocrine, and nervous systems. Stoking the fire if I may!




Tyler Hanson

AFAA certified personal trainer

Thanson42@live.com

The Harmony between Hormones and your health

I know I haven’t been talking about the most appealing topics lately, but I’m trying to give you something from every piece of the puzzle, not just training. This week I want to talk about hormones. No not steroids, nor will I be talking anything about PMS-I barely know the difference between an ovary and a belly button.  Just kidding, but seriously.  Two more important hormones that weather you’re looking to get buff like Arnold to impress Maria, or loose the belly with Richard Simmons, this information will help you reach them a lot easier.


Your hormones are controlled by what you eat and when you eat. Your workouts also affect hormones. Throughout the whole day, your body is like a furnace burning through calories. Your body’s furnace is hottest when you are working out, meaning it will burn through energy stores (or wood for a furnace) a lot faster compared to when your furnace temperature is cooler. This means that eating around your workouts is extremely important-even for weight loss! It’s not rocket science, but it can be very confusing for people, as far as what to eat. So, either you can keep reading this and find out some answer’s, or you can pick up your ninja turtles, G.I. Joe’s, or lincoln logs, and have a blast if this is too monotonous.

Glad you decided to keep reading, you had me worried! So, the hormones that I’m most concerned with are Cortisol and Insulin. Cortisol is a stress hormone released by the adrenal glands. Believe or not, your body is under a lot of stress when you exercise! So this means that when your workout, your cortisol levels are through the roof.  If these stress levels stay elevated, it can be counterproductive to recover from your workouts since it inhibits amino acids and glucose from entering the muscles. By not allowing your body to recover after your workouts, you will induce less lean muscle with a greater percentage of body fat in your body since your muscles are unable to replenish. Someone with more lean muscle tissue in their body will burn through more fat stores a lot faster, than, someone who has less lean muscle tissue. And yes, you can also be thin (not bulky!) with a higher amount of lean muscle tissue. If Cortisol is the bad guy, the hero is Insulin- IF he arrives within a half hour before and after your workout. Seriously, how many people do you know that use a hero and villain analogy when describing hormones? That’s a rhetorical question; I know, outstanding. You need to boost your Insulin levels surrounding your workouts, so he can use his super powers to offset the negative effects of Cortisol. These super powers are results from being able to provide your body with fast-acting amino acids (building blocks to protein) along with refueling muscle glycogen from being depleted-compared to someone who doesn’t fuel up before and after their workouts. What works best for me is raisins (1/4 cup to ½ cup) to replenish muscle glycogen, and a protein shake with amino acids (no, this will not make you “bulk up” women!!) before and after your workouts. Honey is also another great, low calorie, insulin booster. Also, Vitamin C before and after your workouts can also minimize the negative effects of Cortisol- try taking about 250mg.

So, there you have it. Your body will simply be running in circles, going no where-just like a hamster on a wheel if you refuse to fuel your muscles before and after your workouts (for both weights and/or “cardio”). What’s the point of working out if you’re not doing your body any good, am I right? You will not lose weight (or fat), gain muscle, get ripped, or improve your health without paying attention to your hormones!



Tyler Hanson,

AFAA certified personal trainer

Thanson42@live.com