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.

 

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.

Your Immune System – Building the Ultimate Force Field

Nobody likes getting sick, and being under the weather is both inconvenient and without prejudice. Those nasty viruses and bacteria which have been on earth for a long time have only gotten stronger and are constantly evolving with each day. They are a constant threat to everyone’s health and as we get older, our immune system needs help to stay strong to defeat these germs on a daily basis. The key is to build a strong defense and to make sure you have the ultimate force field.

Make these things I have listed a part of your everyday life so you can build and maintain a strong immune system and kick those viruses to the curb.

1.) Wash those hands – Always wash your hands before touching your food and it’s also a good idea to keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer when eating at restaurants because menus are full of germs from many people; think about it. And, keep your hands out of your face.

2.) Get plenty of sleep – Sleeping is your body’s chance to recuperate from your day. When you do not get enough sleep, your immune system takes a hit and you will be more susceptible to bacteria and viruses. Shoot for 8-9 hours of sleep every night.

3.) Manage your stress – Stress weakens the body and the mind and causes you to expend energy which you normally wouldn’t spend under less stressful conditions. Stress is a fact of life and mostly unavoidable; find a way to manage it and get some relief.

4.) Get active – An active body is a more healthy body if treated right. The right amount of exercise strengthens your entire body and especially your immune system. Exercise creates blood circulation, growth hormone release, hormone production, and burns calories which all equate to better health. Although exercise is healthy, be sure not to do too much exercise; this weakens your immune system.

5.) Eat clean fuel – Food is fuel and clean fuel burns hot. When you eat “clean”, you are eating 4-5 servings of both fruits and vegetables a day; fruit and vegetables are full of high quality vitamins and minerals which create and support a strong immune system. High quality protein and whole grains also play a key role in building a strong immune system. Make sure you are also getting enough essential oils (Omega 3, 6, and 9) in your diet to ensure healthy cells. And, last but not least, drink plenty of water every day; at least 100-120 ounces a day.

From head to toe, we are only as strong as our weakest length. Maintaining a strong immune system is a daily fight and you have to pack a powerful punch and build a strong force field because germs are planning their next punch and will hit back.

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”

To Succeed in Fitness, Just Follow Your Heart

Throughout our lives we have heard the phrase, “follow your heart.” It’s great advice for anyone and I truly believe you cannot go wrong by doing so. And, it just so happens that the number one best thing any of us can do in fitness is to do the exact same thing; follow our hearts.

Cardiovascular fitness has long been measured by the ability of our hearts to maintain a healthy heart rate during different types of aerobic activity. There have been heart rate zones which have been titled aerobic zone, fat burning zone, and anaerobic zone simply by the number of heart beats per minute. There are fitness test and stress test that are designed to measure ones fitness level by how the heart reacts both during exercise and during recovery after exercise. We have the American Heart Association which is a national association built on and around having a healthy heart.

Our bodies are built around, governed by, and depend upon our hearts for every single function we have and is truly the center of our health. Doesn’t it make sense to be aware and record our heart rates during ALL types of exercise? Absolutely! Not only did I design my brand new It’s All Heart fitness program around the heart but I take and record my heart rate during all of my exercise days including anaerobic (weight training) exercise days.

It’s amazing what you can learn about your heart when you start paying attention to your heart rate. In fact, you would be surprised to learn what your heart does during weight training (anaerobic exercise). I use a heart rate monitor during all of my workouts and it records the following:

• Exercise duration
• Calories burned
• Fat burned
• Average heart rate
• Max heart rate
• Min heart rate
• Amount of time in aerobic zone

Once you get 5-6 weeks of data from your heart rate monitor or from just taking your heart rate at different times during exercise, you can start making changes within your workouts to see how these changes affect your heart rate. And, you can see where you need to improve your heart rate.

Here are some of the things I have found out by recording my heart rates during exercise.

• My max heart rate is higher when I lift heavier weights like in the 4-6 repetition range but my average hr is lower because my rest periods between sets is longer.
• My max hr is lower but my average hr is higher when I do higher repetitions like 10 reps because my rest periods between sets are much shorter.
• All of my hr numbers are higher when I do not get enough sleep the night before
• All of my hr numbers are higher when I change exercises
• My hr numbers are higher when I work out later in the day
• All of my hr numbers are the highest when I train legs

These are just a few of the things I have learned about my heart during exercise. I have been taking heart rates for the last 5 years and at this point, I can predict with great certainty, what my hr will be according to which exercises I will be doing on any given day. I also know when my heart is at its best and which resistance exercises and repetitions cause my heart to work in different ways. These are great things to know about your heart and will help you understand how your heart reacts to different types of exercise.

So, the next time you here someone saying “follow your heart”, do exactly as they say.

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.

The Three Most Important Things

“Whatever you can do, or dream, Begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!”

– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Over my 21 years in the fitness industry as a personal trainer, motivational speaker, and fitness program developer, a few things that I have found to be certain is that you have to keep learning and getting better at what you do. And, another thing I have discovered is the very things that I do to stay ahead in my career are the very same things that you should do to stay ahead in your fitness quest.

1. Stay Educated – The first thing you need to do in fitness is to understand your body and the correct ways to exercise. Do your research and learn which programs are best for you and your needs and why. Understand what goes on inside your body during exercise like heart rate and metabolism. Know your numbers by monitoring your blood pressure and knowing your cholesterol and understand what those numbers mean. Educate yourself on nutrition, not diets or fads, but basic food groups and how your body uses them. Keep an open mind, step out of your comfort zone, and try new things.

2. Be Prepared – Most of your success in fitness will be determined by what you do outside of your exercise program. Preparing your body before exercise by getting enough sleep, managing stress, and eating the right foods at the right times (see #1). Being prepared also means giving your body what it needs to recuperate after exercise by duplicating what you did to prepare for exercise. The sooner and better you recuperate your body after exercise, the better your next exercise day will be. What you do or don’t do today compounds into the next day, week, month, and years of your life. BE READY!

3. Stay Young at Heart – There are many things we cannot control in our lives; our genetics, when we were born, how tall or short we will be, the size of our feet, predispositions, and many others. But, one thing we all can do no matter who we are or what we do; we can all stay young at heart. For me personally, this is the 25th year I’ve turned 20. I refuse to get any older and 20 years of age is where I will stay. I truly believe that we are only as old as we let life convince us to be. Stay humble, avoid complacency, laugh as often as you can, and do what you can to help those less fortunate.

There you go; my top three most important things I have learned in my life to keep moving forward. Apply these to your life and see what happens. That means the next time I see you, I expect to see a big smile.

Tami Ferguson

I have always been involved with exercise 5-6 days a week, but when my pain level from a car accident began increasing it became impossible for me to exercise. My workouts and physical therapy sessions were moderately successful but when I finished with PT but I was told I would have posture problems for several years. That’s when my husband got me involved with Bobby and his It’s All Heart exercise program. After 2 weeks, my energy soared and my posture began to improve.

I have fusion of my C5 and C6 vertebrae and an artificial disc in my L5 vertebrae. I have had pain throughout my entire body for the last 8 years. Bobby’s program has alleviated a great deal of this pain which has helped me have a much more active life.

Before I started It’s All Heart I was working out incorrectly and was re-injuring self. After using this program, my body is MUCH stronger and I have improved my posture dramatically. I attribute all of this to my much stronger and balanced core from doing the many different exercises on this program. The resistance and cardiovascular moves within this program are amazing and I can feel my core working correctly and my body gaining balance every day I exercise.

Although I still have pain in and around my fusions, I have never felt pain relief like this program gives me!

I have recommended It’s All Heart to my mom who is currently using this program and to many other friends. Level One is an absolutely perfect transition from rehab to a more active fitness program; it really leaves no voids.

I can’t wait to see what Bobby produces next, I am definitely a lifetime customer. Great Job Bobby!

The Heat Is On; The Truth About Burning Body Fat

It seems without a doubt that everyone involved in various forms of exercise all have one definite goal in common; to lose body fat. At the same time, it is very obvious as to why many people are confused and misled when it comes to understanding and knowing how to lose body fat in a healthy way. For this very reason, I have listed the three essential variables you must employ and provide for your body to truly lose body fat and keep it off.

1.) Feed the Muscle – A big mistake many people make when trying to lose weight and body fat is they cut too many calories across the board. The first thing you should do is make sure you are getting plenty of good clean protein to support your muscles which should be about 1-1.5 grams per pound of body weight. Next, do not eliminate complex carbohydrates from your diet. On a molecular level, protein needs complex carbohydrates to truly build and maintain lean muscle mass. And, make sure you are getting plenty of good unsaturated fats in your diet. Every cell in your body relies on good fats to support your cell health and your immune system. Do Not Starve Your Body; Feed It.

2.) Time Your Eating – Eat smaller and more often. When your body has too much food at once, your digestive processing slows down and so will your metabolism. Eating smaller amounts of food 4-5 times a day every 3-4 hours will ensure a higher metabolism and will keep your body from storing more fat. Also, reduce calories at the end of your day (dinner) and omit starchy complex carbohydrates and fruit, and eat a very small amount of good clean unsaturated fat. Stick with clean protein and green vegetables for dinner.

3.) Avoid Over Training – I see this all of the time, people doing way too much exercise. When you over train, your body will actually reduce the amount of fat it burns because it senses a physical threat and will reserve body fat for the very high energy needs you have placed upon it. Not only for the energy you need to exercise, but also the energy your body needs for basic functions and blood support.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Go ahead and turn up the heat on burning body fat, just be sure it’s body fat your truly burning.