S T R E T C H I N G the Truth

Stretching is one of the key components to preserving your mobility, improving your joint health, and developing ultimate body balance; but it is an exercise tip that is most often disregarded. Over the years I have heard many different opinions on stretching from when to stretch and how often to stretch, to the different types of stretching. And, with so many opinions out there, I want to clear things up and give you the absolute truth about stretching.

When is the Best Time to Stretch; Before, During, or After Exercise? 

I suggest that before every exercise session you do a brief 3-5 minute low impact warm up and then stretch each muscle group for 20-30 seconds. Stretching during exercise can be done if you are feeling tightness in a certain muscle or group of muscles but it is not completely necessary. What about after exercise? This is the most important time to stretch because your muscles have been flexing and working and need to be taken back to their original range of motion before exercising again. This is where muscle and body imbalances can either start or be corrected, so make sure you allow time to stretch after your workout, too.

How Often Should You Stretch?

In an ideal world, stretching would reach its full potential if we did it every day. But, stretching every day is probably impractical and unrealistic for most of us because of our schedules and our lifestyles. A more realistic approach to stretching would be to do a full body stretch at least 3-4 days a week for 10-15 minutes and stretch specific muscles on the same day that you exercise them. Stretching can be monotonous and tedious, but it is absolutely necessary for our mobility now and in the future.

Which Type of Stretching is Best; Static or Dynamic Stretching?

When it comes to stretching there are two main types; static and dynamic. Static stretching means getting to the point where you feel a stretch in a particular muscle and holding that stretch without movement. Dynamic stretching would be getting to the point where you feel a stretch and then immediately return to the starting point, repeating this several times. Basically, dynamic stretching is stretching with movement. I recommend static stretching most of the time especially after exercise but it’s OK to do some dynamic stretching before exercise as a warm up. Just be sure to go slow with your movements to avoid over extending a cold body part or joint.

There are many opinions on stretching but it is absolutely vital that it is included in your fitness routine, even if your routine does not involve resistance training. The best way to look at stretching at the end of each of your workouts is that it gives you a great head start and a great beginning to your next workout. And, that’s no lie.

 

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Your Inner Strength

When you hear the word “strength” or when you hear someone refer to someone else as being strong, what are the first things that come to your mind? It could be that you think that person is emotionally strong, physically strong, or both. Either way, it’s a great quality with which to be associated for anyone. Most often, especially in my line of work, when I hear someone referring to strength, I think of physical strength.

I know a lot of people who are physically strong but I know for a fact that for some, muscular strength has come at a very stiff price. And, when it comes down to it, most of those very strong individuals have a very weak link that goes unnoticed and shows up over time. I’m talking about inner strength or how strong the body is on the inside in terms of joint health, body balance, and flexibility.

Developing and maintaining muscle mass is essential to having a strong body but it has to be done in a way that is not detrimental to your body on the inside. It all comes down to using correct form and technique, not over training, eating a healthy diet, and giving your body what it needs to fully recuperate from exercise. So, the next time you’re exercising and feeling good about your “strength,” make sure it’s more than muscle deep.

Strength -the ability to resist being moved or broken by a force

Mobility 4 Life

I want to live as long as I’m alive. I want to keep moving freely, run when I want to, play sports, exercise without pain, and enjoy life for as long as I possibly can. And, by the means and methods of which I use to exercise, eat, and manage my stress, I will most certainly enjoy the rest of my life to its fullest and I want the same for you.

I have listed my top four things you need to do STARTING NOW to ensure you too will live well for the rest of your life.

1. Become Educated in Exercise – The single most valuable thing you can do is to start learning about your body, your muscles, and your joints; not only the different muscles but more importantly how these muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage work during exercise. As many of you have heard me say, “Over 90% of what I see in our exercise arenas is not only incorrect, but detrimental to future mobility and quality of life”. In most cases, I see the gym as a waiting room for orthopedic surgery and joint replacement. If you want to learn how to exercise the right way, come see me and I will teach you exactly what it looks like and feels like to exercise correctly.

2. Prepare and Recuperate – These two things are the most common elements missing in fitness. Most of your success in fitness will come from what you do OUTSIDE of your exercise routine. You have to prepare the body for exercise with the right nutrition, timing of your pre workout meal, plenty of rest, and positive productive thinking. The exact same things apply to recuperation; good food¸ timing of food, rest, and positive mental attitude are the keys to full recuperation. Plan ahead, be ready, produce, and seal the deal.

3. Become Educated on Nutrition – The absolute best thing you can do when starting to eat healthy is to get educated on nutrition. Not diets and eating plans but good old basic food. Learn what different foods do for you, how your body uses them, timing of digestion of different foods, and how certain combinations of foods affect your body. This is where it’s at; there are far too many of us with different genetics, needs, goals, and lifestyles to pin down any one eating plan that works best. Once you truly learn about nutrition, you can write your own plan. To start with, get rid of those fried foods and those sweet things we call deserts; Ok, maybe a little desert every now and then.

4. Toughen Up; There’s a Fight Comin” – Getting healthy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not easy. It’s a daily, weekly, monthly, and lifelong battle. It is easier for some than others but over all, it’s a fight. You must understand that there will be many ups and downs and this is all natural. EVERYONE goes through this but it’s the tough ones that prevail and succeed. There will be obstacles and stress around every corner so be prepared. Stress is a part of life; managing stress is the key so learn to train your mind as well. Find a partner who has similar fitness goals as you and keep each other in check by providing accountability.

The key to living as long and as well as you can begins with education; education on correct exercise and nutrition. And, as with anything in life, being prepared is always the best way to go but don’t forget the recuperation side as well. And last but not least, get tough, stay tough, and power through life’s challenges that will always be along your road to a better longer life.

“To live is the rarest thing in the world, most people exist; that is all.” – Oscar Wilde

Exercise: Too Much, Too Little, Just Right

In an era filled with countless new exercise programs, new exercise methods, and newly designed exercise equipment, our choices to get fit are numerous. The issue is definitely not a lack of effective fitness programs available to us, but more of a lack of understanding of just how much exercise do we need to get and stay fit.

Almost every single bit of literature and information available to us about exercise is about making sure we get enough exercise but there is very little that addresses doing too much. Here’s a number for you; over half of the people that I see exercising on a regular basis are over training. That’s right, OVER training.

So, how do we know the amount of exercise that’s just right for us? Your exercise routine should match your fitness goals and your routines and goals are far too many to address here. But, no matter your fitness routine or goals, I have listed some guidelines that tell you if you are doing too much, too little, or just right.

1. Include off days – every exercise program needs to include off days. I recommend that you take two full days off a week and split them up across the week. For example: 3 days of exercise, 1 day off, 2 days of exercise, 1 day off. Your results are determined by how well your body is recuperating; you need days off to fully recuperate.

2. Exercise Durations – get at least 30 minutes a day for five days a week of moderate exercise and on the other end of the scale, do not exceed an hour and a half a day for five days a week.

3. Soreness – you may experience muscle soreness the next day or even 1-2 days after exercise which is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). But, you should not have soreness in the same muscle for more than three days. Soreness is NOT an indicator of a “good” workout; just make sure your soreness is not in your joints.

4. Avoid Pain – You should NEVER experience pain when exercising. Pain can be and is a sign of over training and injury. There is discomfort with exercise such as getting out of breath, experiencing the burning sensation in your muscle during exercise, fatigue, being tired, and mental exhaustion but you should never have pain. If you do have pain, stop exercising and let your doctor diagnose this pain. Make sure you aren’t doing too much and that you are recuperating enough from exercise.

5. Your Immune System – the right amount of exercise can and does strengthen your immune system. However, too much or too little exercise can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to bacteria and viruses. If you are exercising and you frequently get colds, you could be over training. Check your training frequency and intensity and make sure you are recuperating from exercise. If you are not exercising, starting a fitness program can and will strengthen your immune system. And, don’t forget to wash your hands after exercise and keep your hands out of your face.

6. Eat Well and Understand Nutrition – eating good food is only part of eating well, the other part is eating at the right times. My new exercise program, It’s All Heart, has a 45 minute nutrition segment which details not only what to eat, but when to eat. Make sure you are eating an hour and a half t0 two hours before you exercise and immediately after exercise. Read and understand how the different foods affect your body and energy, this is very valuable information and will improve your workouts.

7. Monitor Your Heart Rate – Invest in a heart rate monitor or start taking and recording your heart rate several times during your workout. Also, start taking your heart rate at different times of the day including before you go to sleep and right before you get out of bed in the morning. An elevated resting heart rate can mean you’re not exercising enough or that you are exercising too much as well.

8. Listen to Your Body – In addition to your heart rate, your body has other ways of telling you if you are doing the right amount of exercise. Pay attention to your energy levels throughout the day, how well you are sleeping, and monitor your emotions, moods, and mental energy. When you are exercising right, your energy, mood, sleep, and feelings of well being are very high but when your exercise levels are not what they should be, a downward spiral of feelings can become the norm.

Exercise and eating well are the keys to living as long and well as you can, just be sure that your exercise program or the way you are exercising isn’t actually taking years off your life. Treat your body now how you want it to treat you later in life and I’ll see you on your next exercise day.

Burn Baby Burn; The Truth About Lactic Acid

It seems that almost every conversation about resistance training or anaerobic activity always centers on “The Burn”. I’m talking about that deep burning sensation in your muscles that feels hot or stingy when reaching muscle exhaustion during weight training or short burst energy activities like sprinting. What exactly causes that burning sensation and is it a sign that you’re exercising correctly?

Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock

Without getting too technical, that burning sensation is caused by a buildup of lactic acid. When we do exercise for short periods of time (up to 3 minutes), our bodies are in an anaerobic state. Anaerobic means “without oxygen” and means that when we need immediate energy, oxygen is not a readily available source of energy. So, our body relies on another form of quick release energy called glucose. When this happens, glucose is broken down into pyruvate and when we are in anaerobic activity, pyruvate is converted into lactate. When your body has high levels of lactate (lactic acid), there is also an increase in the acidity of the muscle cells themselves which creates that burning sensation. This is exactly why when you are truly in an aerobic state, you do not feel “The Burn”.

Although there are those that believe lactic acid is what causes us to have DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), it has never been proven that this is the case. Muscle soreness is caused by microscopic muscle fiber damage. When you have muscle fiber damage from exercise, your muscles become inflamed and swell which is what causes the soreness you feel from exercise during the next 2-3 days afterwards.

There you have it, the truth on lactic acid. It’s a perfectly natural part of exercise and is the direct result of spent energy during anaerobic activity. So, the next time you here a conversation pairing that burning sensation with muscle soreness; you can step right in and tell the burning truth.

Is Your Workout Working Out?

Ultimately, your effort in fitness should match your goals and your level of success. Unfortunately, what I have seen in my 21 years in the fitness industry is a lot of efforts headed in an undesired direction and being undermined by the way people exercise. I’m referring to people exercising with a program or in a way that will not yield their desired results simply because of two reasons; the program they are using does not match their fitness goals and/or they are not giving their bodies what it needs to get the most out of their workout. To help you maximize your effort and your results out of your exercise, I have listed the top two things you need to do to ensure your exercise routine is truly paying off.

• Match your program with YOUR body and genetics – we all have different genetics and predispositions when it comes to body types so you must pick a program that best suits your physiological makeup. For example: for those of you who gain weight very easily and have a hard time losing weight, pick a program that keeps you moving with high repetitions and very little rest time. On the other hand, if you have a hard time gaining muscle and body weight in general, pick a program that is much slower paced with mostly low repetition resistance exercises and moderate cardiovascular activity. Find your best match.

• Preparation and recuperation – this is the biggest short fall and most common mistake in fitness; not giving your body what it needs to prepare for exercise and what it needs to fully recuperate after exercise. Exercising is great for your body and is essential for optimal health but you have to give your body what it needs to get healthier both before and after exercise. This means eating the right foods at the right times, getting plenty of sleep, and managing your stress on a daily basis. If your body and your mind are not prepared for exercise your exercise routine will be much less affective. And, if you do not give your body and mind what it needs to recuperate fully after exercise, your exercise program will be much less affective and even potentially harmful. Start strong, finish stronger.

As I tell people almost on a daily basis, most of your success in fitness is determined by what you do outside of your actual exercise program. To make sure your workout program is actually working out you must first of all make sure your program actually “fits” you. And, once you know you have the right program, treat it right; it will do your body good.

The Bottom Line

You know that 360 degree look you get of yourself in the dressing room as you’re trying on new clothes and you see angles of your body that you do not see on a daily basis? In most cases it’s really hard to see what your backside looks like and, in my experience in personal training, it’s the number one body part that people (mostly women) want to look good. So, I want to give you my top three tips to keep your “bottom line” in shape.

1.) Squat and lunge – the two best glute muscle builders and shapers. When doing squats, keep your feet wider than shoulder width because when your feet are wide, the emphasis is more on your hips and glutes than your quads. Press off of your heals instead of your toes and go slow during the entire exercise without bouncing. When doing lunges, go slow and press off your heals instead of your toes. Spread your feet out so that your knees are behind your toes when lunging and go slow without bouncing at the bottom.

2.) Stop running or reduce your running time – depending on your body type and genetics, running can cause you to lose muscle mass in your legs and glutes. Instead, substitute a stationary bike or do some kick boxing to replace your running.

3.) Avoid over training – over training can and will rob your body of muscle and this will show up or be noticeable in your legs and glutes. Your legs and glutes are the biggest muscles in your body and are the muscles that will deplete and reduce if over trained. Make sure you are getting plenty of protein and log your training and training durations.

The idea is to keep as much muscle as you can especially when trying to lose weight. The areas of your body with the most muscle are also the areas which will be most affected when exercising too much or the wrong way. We all want to look good in all areas of our body especially those areas we cannot see but others see all the time. And, that’s the “bottom line”

Weighing Your Options

When it comes to managing your weight, it really comes down to making more good eating choices than bad choices. Now, if only it were that easy. We all know that the opportunities to eat bad food, fast food, and too much food are literally around every corner. With all of this convenience to make bad eating choices, we need to weigh our options before we make that bad eating choice that is going to make us feel bad for eating poorly. Before you drive through that fast food restaurant, eat way more than you should, or go crazy eating at the next party, take a second to run through this checklist.

• Is It Worth It? Are a few moments of satisfaction from eating bad food worth the despair you’re going to feel for the next several days or even weeks for making a bad choice?
• Remember When – remember how you felt the last time you made bad eating choices and how bad it made you feel. Remember asking yourself “why did I do that?”
• It All Adds Up – Every single choice you make adds up over the long run. If your good eating choices outweigh your bad eating choices, great things will happen; keep the scale in your favor.
• Be Honest and Be Accountable – journal your food, both good and bad. But, write down EVERYTHING you eat and drink and be honest with yourself by leaving nothing out. This leads to accountability and can help you make the good outweigh the bad. Read your journal often and make a point to review it often.

Weight management is a part of life. It is different for all of us and some of us have a lot tougher time than others at being successful at having and maintaining a healthy body weight. Whatever your challenges may be with your weight, constantly remind yourself of how good it feels when you make the right food choices, especially when that choice was made in the face of temptation.  And, take another step to where you really want to be and smile.

Muscles: Which Kind are Best?

Muscles! Everybody wants them but the means to get them is different for everybody. There are different types of muscle in our bodies and each has a specific job or use. Understanding the different types of muscle in the human body and different types of muscle fiber will help you in determining which types of exercise and how much of each type are right for you.

Let’s start with the different types of muscle:

1. Cardiac Muscle – you guessed it; this is the type of muscle that makes up your heart and is found nowhere else in your body. This muscle is involuntary and never stops working.

2. Smooth Muscle – this muscle is found mostly in your digestive system and is involuntary as well

3. Striated (skeletal) Muscle – this is the muscle that you see on your body which is attached to your skeleton and is voluntary. This type of muscle has two main types of fiber and each type has a specific ability during exercise.

• Fast twitch – this type of striated muscle is for short burst of energy like low repetition strength training and sprinting. If your fitness goal is to add muscle size, this type of fiber is where you need to concentrate; low repetitions (6-8 reps and less) during your strength training is where you need to be with longer rest times (2-3 minutes) between your sets. This fiber puts out a lot of energy in a very short amount of time; this is your strength fiber
• Slow twitch – this fiber is for long periods of energy like high repetition strength training, jogging, running, biking, or any activity which is extended in time; this is your endurance fiber. If you want to tone, shape, and lose body fat, this is the muscle fiber on which you need to concentrate. You would want to do high repetitions (15-20) during your strength training with very short rest periods (30 seconds – 1 minute) between each set. Circuit training with cardiovascular activity is a very good way to work your slow twitch muscle fibers.

I suggest that no matter whom you are or what your fitness goals are, you should work both types of striated muscle fiber to achieve body and muscle balance. However, if your goal was to gain muscle and size, I would concentrate on fast twitch fibers for about 75% of my program. If my goal was to trim up, shape, and tone, I would concentrate on slow twitch fibers for about 75% of my program. Be sure to write down everything you do in exercise especially your resistance exercises, sets, reps, and amount of time between your sets. All of these variables can be manipulated to get you to the body you want; just make sure what you tell your body matches what your body is hearing.