Wellness Posts by CoachJ

There's No Trick, Just Cut Back On The Treats

2010-10-29T13:37:45Z

Wellness.com - There's No Trick, Just Cut Back On The Treats by CoachJ

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.

-Coach J
trainwithj

Strength Training: It's More Than Pumping Iron

2010-07-03T04:46:58Z

Wellness.com - Strength Training: It's More Than Pumping Iron by CoachJ

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.

-Coach J
trainwithj

Ripped Abs But A Weak Core

2009-12-05T17:36:11Z

Wellness.com - Ripped Abs But A Weak Core by CoachJ

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.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8Pt9rOJ9Do

The Truth About Exercise: The Role of Exercise in Losing Weight

2009-09-04T12:49:58Z

Wellness.com - The Truth About Exercise: The Role of Exercise in Losing Weight by CoachJ

Time magazine several weeks back (8/17/09) published an article by John Cloud, entitled "The Myth About Exercise." The premise of the article essentially states that exercise from a weight loss perspective is a total waste of time. The explanation provided is that exercise makes you hungry; thereby causing you to consume more calories than if you didn't exercise at all. The author goes as far as to suggest that exercise actually results in weight gain, which is the complete opposite of what the participant (with the exception of some i.e., athlete bodybuilder, etc.) hopes to achieve by partaking in an exercise regimen. Cloud does mention, although casually almost as an aside, the other benefits of exercise (disease prevention, health promotion, improved mood, energy, etc.) just in case the reader was thinking about giving up exercising altogether.

Since the article was published it has caught the attention of other fitness professionals. Our ears certainly perked up. I have read other articles rebutting Mr. Cloud's article and while agree with some of their meritorious arguments I cannot deny that although I think the Time article is potentially dangerous it is not without merit in its own right. The fact is that you can't exercise the weight off. As I have stated in previous works, weight loss is about nutrition and exercise is about getting fit as hell. However, that said, exercise plays an important role in weight loss and most of the research indicates that diet without exercise leads to individuals putting the weight back on that they lost and in some instances additional lbs. are acquired.

As previously stated, the Time article argues that exercise makes you hungrier and that after a workout session you feel that you've earned a treat of sorts; so you get yourself a high calorie muffin at Starbucks. It is my experience that both of these views represent only a segment of the population. There are actually some of us who experience exercise as an appetite suppressant, especially when performed at a high intensity. Also, for the well informed and for those truly committed to losing weight the idea of sabotaging your hard work in the gym by eating a doughnut is preposterous. Diet and exercise are behaviors, and the two behaviors must serve to support one another. That is why properly educating the general population is a critical component in fighting obesity.

While the point of the article is well taken, you're not going to exercise off a 5,000 calorie day with a 60-minute walk on the treadmill, the article neglects to address the effect that high intensity strength and aerobic training has on the body. As other fitness experts have mentioned in their rebuttals, Mr. Cloud doesn't even factor in the power of EPOC. I've written about this in an earlier article so I will keep it brief. EPOC is the calories we expend after a bout of exercise in an effort to return back to "normal." As with most everything in life, the truth rests somewhere in the middle; you can't simply exercise the weight off without making any substantial nutritional changes. However, dieting alone is not a long-term solution. Diet and exercise are co-dependent upon one another and any attempt to lose weight that doesn't recognize this, truly misses the point.

-CoachJ
trainwithj

Food Independence

2009-07-11T13:55:36Z

Wellness.com - Food Independence by CoachJ

With the 4th of July, the celebration of our nation's independence now behind us, I thought it was appropriate to discuss a modern day revolution in the works. It is the revolution against corporate America's control over our food. For the foodies, environmentalists, etc. reading this article none of this will be new, but like the impending wide release of the film "Food Inc." I am trying to reach a broader audience. Having completed Michael Pollan's book In Defense of Food, this article may read more like a book review. Although much of the book did not provide a good deal of never before heard information, the author's historical and sociological approach to explaining our past and how we got to today does a tremendous job in helping to understand the "why." It is that understanding of "why" that I believe will inspire people to get off of the sideline and make the necessary changes to improve their overall health and well being through their food choices.

In his book, Michael Pollan explains that food production has changed more in the last 50 years than probably the last 10,000 years. One display of a nation's superiority is its ability to feed its people. As a result, our government almost 50-years ago, began a mission to enable us to feed everyone and to do so cheaply. The result was a vast amount of highly processed, easily accessible, inexpensive food choices filled with hormones, pesticides, and other harmful chemicals. I'm sure you have all read or heard about how the cows are fed corn to fatten them up, and how the corn makes the cows sick because they aren't supposed to eat corn. The sick cows are then given antibiotics. The cows then pass gas (methane) which some have argued is worse for the environment than car emissions. If you haven't heard this and you're eating some beef you may want to stop reading until you finish, but you get the picture? By the time the beef gets to our table from corn fed cows, we are basically eating sick animals filled with antibiotics. For those wondering, why corn? Corn is inexpensive and helps the corn industry. The end result is that we are less hungry but are also less healthy. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity are all on the rise. This may be masked by the fact that medicine is improving and as a result we are able to fight disease and sustain life longer. However, we are getting "sicker" as a nation. The use of pesticides and hormones allows corporate farms to produce more food, more quickly, and more cheaply. As a result though the food has less nutritional value, potential harmful effects to us and to the environment, and therefore in the long run may actually be more costly. So the question is do you want to pay less for food now or more for healthcare later, or more for food now and less for healthcare later? I would rather pay more for food now.

A good chunk of Pollan's book discusses the concept of "nutritionism." Essentially "nutritionism" is the reductionist approach to discussing food in terms of its nutrients (macro and micro) as opposed to in terms of the whole food. So we now talk about proteins, carbs, fats, vitamins and minerals instead of poultry, broccoli, brown rice, and beef. This new approach to discussing food is complicated and therefore spawned a whole new profession...the nutritionist. Pollan suggests that if we simply ate a wide variety of whole foods, unprocessed grains, fruits and vegetables free from pesticides and hormones, grass fed animals, and fish, and if we ate less in general, most of us would never need a nutritionist. I think he has a point. Another point Pollan raises in the book concerns the inaccuracy of food science and the flaws in research. One-day eggs are bad for you, the next day they are fine. One-day, butter is off the table and margarine is on. The next day margarine is the new Satan. His solution again is to instead of trying to isolate the single property of a food, which is seemingly impossible anyway, and place it in a pill, let's instead celebrate and enjoy whole foods that grow the way nature intended. The variety will take care of the single magic property we are looking for.

The one section of In Defense of Food that really drove it home for me was his discussion of the French and their relationship with food. When we initially think of French food we think fattening, yet most French people are thin. How do you explain that? The French eat better quality fresh food. They eat a wide variety of food at a meal but they eat less of it. They don't eat in between meals, something I remember hearing when I was a child. They eat three meals though and don't skip meals. They take their time when eating which allows your brain to get the message that you are full, preventing overeating. We have been conditioned to believe that fat in food is bad when the real enemy is the processing of food and our gluttonous consumption of food. We have also come to believe that food should be cheap and that a good deal is in the quantity of food versus the quality. We spend far less of our annual income on food than the French. I think the French understand that you pay more to get more...more quality that is. The irony is that we (Americans) hate the French, probably because they sleep more, eat better, love better, and overall live better. Maybe it's time we take a page out of their playbook and invest more on our food in the front-end so we can save more on the back-end.

In, In Defense of Food, Pollan lays out a set of rules. In respect to him and his work I won't reproduce them here, although some have been covered in the context of this article. I highly recommend purchasing the book. These rules are not impossible to implement. With the rise of organics and local produce in our supermarkets, supermarkets like Whole Foods dedicated entirely to this concept, and farmers markets it is now easier to eat better than in the recent past. By choosing to make these changes we not only help ourselves but we help the local farmers and our planet. Cost is a potential barrier, but if enough of us make the change then Industry will have to listen and so will the government. Isn't this how all revolutions are started?

Just a side note, simply because something is organic or sold in a health food store doesn't mean that it is good for you or that you can't get fat from eating too much of it. However, that's a discussion for another time. Also, one caveat to not eating between meals, I believe this rule does not apply to individuals that train hard and train often. Refueling after an intense workout is imperative to recovery and progress. However, this is a small segment of the general population. As always don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, ideas, or thoughts you'd like to share.

-CoachJ
trainwithj

6 Parts Of A Training Program To Shape Up For Summer

2009-05-22T14:39:35Z

Wellness.com - 6 Parts Of A Training Program To Shape Up For Summer by CoachJ

Getting in shape for summer includes beginning an exercise program. In my previous article I mentioned several forms of exercise indicating that there was no single form that was absolutely superior to another; they all have their place depending on your health status, fitness level, and goals. That said though, I can’t help to think that some of you might have been sitting there feeling no closer to where or how to begin than before reading the article. As a result, this month’s article focuses on a general format for designing an exercise program. I believe that most exercise programs should include the following ingredients in the following order:

1) Core/prehabilitation
2) Movement preparation/dynamic warm-up
3) Reactive neuromuscular training/plyometrics
4) Strength training
5) Cardiorespiratory training
6) Recovery/flexibility training

Core/prehabilitation – Core is defined here as all of the musculature in your box, or between your shoulders and hips. In this are included the abdominal and low back musculature. However, the core is not limited to these areas alone. Also included are the muscles surrounding your scapula (shoulder blades) and pelvis (hips). Glute bridges (rear end), band walks, planks, side-planks, scapula mobility and stabilization are just a few examples. The purpose of performing these types of movements at the beginning of the workout are two-fold, first to activate the core prior to performing strength training, and second to aid in preventing injury. Core activation at the beginning of the workout is like preheating the oven prior to baking.

Movement preparation/dynamic warm-up - After performing a series of core/prehabilitation exercises I like to have my clients move into a dynamic warm-up/movement preparation. The purpose of this section of the workout is to prepare the individual for the strength workout that follows. It is my contention that this section leads to better performance of the strength workout and limits the potential for injury by properly warming up the body. I try to avoid static stretching here except in cases where needed as a corrective strategy, often seen in beginners and post rehabilitation individuals.

Reactive neuromuscular training/plyometrics – This type of training is not just for athletes and is appropriate for most. However, certain individuals may have certain chronic conditions/injuries that may prohibit this form of training. In English, plyometrics for the lower body include movements such as jumping, hopping, or bounding/leaping. Medicine ball throws and military pushups (pushups with a clap) are examples of upper body plyometrics. More is not better here. Definitely emphasize quality over quantity. The same is most likely true for most areas of training. The key is proper progressions. Begin with takeoff and landing technique and then advance slowly to more explosive, more advanced movements. The purpose is to improve power/explosiveness. This type of training also teaches deceleration. Most injuries occur during body deceleration. If landing after dunking a basketball is at one end of the spectrum, stepping down off of a high curb is at the other end. Plyometric training can assist in the successful performance of both activities.

Strength Training- If core activation and movement preparation are the preheating of the oven, then the strength-training portion of the workout is the actual baking. Your goals will help shape this section, but here are some general pointers for designing your program. Resistance training can be performed to improve hypertrophy (muscle size), muscle endurance, muscle strength, and muscle power. These three categories are all addressed by varying repetition ranges, intensities, and volumes. Generally, muscle endurance is achieved through high rep ranges (15+) and low intensity. Muscle strength is accomplished through heavy loads and low repetitions. Muscle power is developed by performing “explosive lifts,” i.e., cleans, and snatches, with relatively lighter loads but at high speeds. Muscle hypertrophy is accomplished through moderate loads/intensities, moderate number of repetitions (8-12), and high volume (many sets and exercises or a large amount of total work). Exercises can be organized in pairings, complexes/circuits both large and small, but however you group them you should generally perform the more complex large muscle group lifts first and save the simple less complex movements for the end of the workout or circuit/complex. I prefer to train movements versus isolating muscle groups; pushing, pulling, lowering your center of gravity by lunging or squatting, rotation or more importantly movements that ask you to fight against rotation, and bending or reaching movements. By training movements as opposed to muscles in isolation you are sure to hit all of the important parts while performing a more functional routine that more closely resembles how you move and function in everyday life. More bang for your buck.

Cardiorespiratory training- Otherwise referred to as aerobics this aspect of training has many heart healthy benefits in addition to calorie burning. In this section I will try and keep it simple and target it towards the average person interested in becoming more fit versus the competitive endurance athlete. First you need to establish the mode of exercise. Will it be walking, running, biking, the elliptical, or a combination of some or all of the aforementioned activities? No matter what you choose, for the first two to three weeks I recommend continuous aerobic training, where you keep your target heart rate at 60-70% of your Maximum Heart rate. There are a variety of ways to determine your maximum heart rate that go beyond this article. 220- your age was widely accepted for years, but is now thought of as grossly inaccurate. The Miller formula, 217- (.85 x age) is somewhat more accurate but misses the mark in certain populations. The bottom line is that these formulas are estimates to be used as starting points. I like the rate of perceived exertion scale where you rate your exertion on a 6-20 scale with 7 being “very, very light,” a 13 representing an effort that is “somewhat hard,” a 17 is “very hard,” and a 20 is I can’t breathe I have to stop. Sixty-seventy percent of maximum heart rate would correspond to roughly a 12-15 on the RPE scale. After several weeks of establishing a base, or a tolerance to the aerobic activity, and if deemed appropriate by your physician, I would begin incorporating intervals where you perform short sprints to 75-85% of your maximum heart rate (16-18 RPE) followed by full recovery to below 60% of maximum heart rate. Interval training has been shown to be more effective both in its aerobic benefit and caloric expenditure. However, it is not for everyone. Vigorous aerobic training, such as running, should be performed on average 3 times per week for 20 minutes per session. More moderate aerobic exercise such as walking should be performed more like 5 days per week for 30 minutes per session as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine.

Recovery/flexibility training- Improvement occurs during recovery and not actually during the workout. Therefore including rest periods both in and around the workout are important to the success of the program. In addition to rest proper nutrition and refueling the body after a hard workout is critical. In order to be able to come to the next workout fully prepared to get after it again the body needs to be rested, refueled, and in optimum form. Flexibility work helps keep the body in optimum for so that proper mechanics can be employed during the workout. By flexibility training I am not solely referring to static stretching, although that is certainly a viable tool to use after and in between workouts. Active and dynamic stretching can and should also be employed as well as self-myofascial techniques such as foam rolling. Over time and through physical and psychological stress the fascia, tissue that surrounds muscle, becomes ‘distorted’ through adhesions/knots. Foam rolling helps break those adhesions down and return the fascia to its optimum form. In general, flexibility training attempts to correct muscle imbalances and maintain proper function.

As you can see, there are many aspects to consider when designing a training program. In order to get the best results you can’t afford to leave an ingredient out. It is all of these facets of training combined that add up to provide the results you desire. Hopefully, this provides a little more insight into what is considered when planning a comprehensive exercise routine. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to send me an email and hopefully I can at least point you in the right direction.

The Perfect Workout?

2009-04-12T09:14:34Z

Wellness.com - The Perfect Workout? by CoachJ

We are all in search of the perfect exercise, the perfect workout, "The Perfect Pushup," and sole solution to achieving our health and fitness goals. But does such a thing exist, or is it just a great marketing ploy feeding upon our desire to get something for nothing or at least next to nothing. There's the "10-Minute Trainer," "8 Minute Abs," and "Shapely Secrets in 7 minutes" to name just a few of the infomercials we are inundated with on a Sunday morning or on late night television. All promise to give more for less, just what we want to hear, right?

Then there are the guru wars. It started with Richard Simmons, Body by Jake, then Tony Little, next came Billy Blanks and "Tae Bo", and now we have Tony Horton. Is one guru truly better than another, is one method of exercise superior to it's alternative? There are so many to choose from. There's Pilates and yoga from which we now have yogilates because someone couldn't decide. They thought weightlifting was dangerous and took some "know how", so they created universal and nautilus machines. Then they realized people got just as hurt on machines, so we looked towards physical therapy and came up with functional training. Then functional training wasn't enough so they combined functional with weightlifting and "strong man" workouts, and created something called cross-fit for the real masochists. About 10 years ago we were so bored with training we went back several hundred years and brought kettle bells to the mainstream and now they are a staple of many commercial facilities.

Is there a one size fits all prescription to achieving superior health and fitness? Is there only one method or one tool for getting the job done? If you could only have one tool what would it be? Would it be a kettle bell, a stability ball, a pull -up bar, or a Pilate's reformer? Would it be the ab-lounge, ab-roller, ab-rocker, or "Perfect Pushup" handles? Or, would you just do cardio using your spin bike, elliptical cross trainer, or stepper? Maybe you would take to the road and become a runner, running in the rain, in the snow, in the heat, in the cold? Maybe you're a purist and would say that the best machine ever created was the human body and that's all you would need to get the perfect workout and perform the perfect exercise?

So what's the answer? Yes, all of the above. I'm sure you saw this coming, but there is no one size fits all solution. The perfect workout is the one that you get up for everyday and perform on a consistent basis. If I design for you what I deem as the perfect exercise regimen, but I can't get you to commit to performing it regularly then I guess it's not that perfect. Just like a carpenter has a variety of tools at his disposal to choose from depending on the job, the same is true for the exerciser. There are no good and bad tools, there are only appropriate and inappropriate tools based upon your goals, fitness level, and health history. All of the gadgets are cool but that is all they are gadgets or tools. Like the carpenter you determine what job needs to get done and then you select the appropriate tools to make it happen. So for one person that may be yoga and spinning, and for another it may be taking a "cross-fit" class and running. And for others it may be hiring a fitness professional that incorporates ideas and strategies from all of these forms of exercise. I'm all for efficiency. My days of training three hours a day are long gone, but the idea that training for 10 minutes per day for the rest of one's life is a solution that is appropriate for everyone I find a little misleading. As mentioned in previous posts variety is a key component of any program so that the body doesn't reach a plateau and remain there indefinitely.

The American way has taught us that in order to get real results that are long lasting and retain real value, hard work is necessary; it is expected. Then why should we expect anything less from our approach to achieving superior health and fitness? We shouldn't. The quest for achieving superior health and fitness is a never-ending journey and not simply a destination. I wish you the best of luck on that journey and don't hesitate to contact me if I can be of any help.

-CoachJ
TrainwthJ

6 Keys To Success With Your Health And Fitness Resolutions In 2009

2009-01-11T08:31:43Z

Wellness.com - 6 Keys To Success With Your Health And Fitness Resolutions In 2009 by CoachJ

1) Keep a food diary- record what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, where you eat and what your mood is before you begin to eat. Before you can plan where you want to go you have to know a little about where you have been.

2) Keep an exercise journal- log what exercise you do, when you do it, what your intensity level was, and what your energy levels were before and after. Like the food journal, lack of a plan is a plan to fail.

3) Move more sit less. Find ways, besides formal exercise to get more active. None of this should be new: take the stairs, park your car further away from your destination, take breaks and get up from your desk to walk around the office or outside if possible. Every bit counts.

4) Eat more fruits and vegetables. Seems basic right; yet most of us eat hardly any. The nutritional value speaks for itself. Growing up that is all we heard, "eat your fruits and veggies." For those seeking to lose weight, fruits and vegetables as a snack or in larger quantities to replace fatty, processed foods are an excellent choice. Here's a tip regarding what your dinner plate should look like. Take the plate and cut it in half. Make half of it green. Take the other side of the plate and split that half in half. One quarter is for your lean protein (fish, chicken lean beef i.e., London broil, filet mignon), and the other quarter is a whole grain or complex carbohydrate such as brown rice or a half of baked potato (minus the butter and sour cream).

5) Set performance based goals. Set goals for yourself, like taking 10,000 steps per day (use a pedometer), 12 strength workouts per month, or 60 minutes of aerobic exercise per week. These types of goals are easily measurable, adjustable, and the satisfaction you receive from achieving them because they are easily attainable will motivate you to do more as you progress.

6) Eat when you're hungry, don't when you're not. This one ties in with keeping a food diary. Being in touch with your emotions will help you differentiate when you are eating out of hunger versus eating because you are bored, tired, anxious, depressed, excited etc. Overeating is the main culprit for most people battling excess weight gain. Don't skip meals so you don't get to the next meal starving. Don't eat on the run or too quickly so you can monitor your intake, but also so you can get an accurate gauge on your level of hunger. Before you dive into that box of cookies ask yourself, am I really hungry or is it something else? If you're not hungry find another behavior as a substitute, like taking a walk. If in fact you are truly hungry, ask yourself if you can make a better choice. I know you can.

-Jason Mittelman
TrainwithJ

Muscle...it does a body good

2008-10-12T12:07:58Z

Wellness.com - Muscle...it does a body good by CoachJ

Why building muscle is the best approach to looking and feeling great

There are three primary reasons in my opinion to build muscle:
1) Increase strength
2) Burn more calories
3) Improve body composition

In order to build muscle one must participate in some form of resistance training program. Your muscles can't tell the difference between dumbbells, machines, cables, tubing, medicine balls, kettle bells or simply gravity to name several kinds of resistance tools. That said though, they each challenge the body in slightly different ways. Thus, a comprehensive program should include several approaches to placing an external load upon the body while performing a variety of movements.

Strength increases come as result of two factors: neuromuscular improvements and increases in muscle size. Simply stated, neuromuscular improvements result in increases in strength due to a learning curve and an increase in efficiency by your nervous system. Following an improvement in your nervous system's ability to perform a particular movement pattern additional gains in strength are due to an increase in the actual size of the muscle. Plain and simple, larger muscle results in increased force production, which means increased strength. Therefore, in order to see gains in strength beyond those seen at the beginning of a training program due to neuromuscular "learning" you are going to have to increase muscle size.

Muscle is a metabolically active tissue, which means it needs to expend energy to sustain itself. You may be more familiar with the term burning calories. By increasing the amount of muscle on your body you will be increasing the amount of energy you will expend or the amount of calories you will burn at rest. In a typical cardio session lasting one hour in duration the average exerciser can burn anywhere from 500-700 calories. However, once the session is over, the after-burn is minimal almost non-existent especially if the session was your typical steady state training as seen in jogging. A strength training or resistance training program targeted at increasing muscle will lead to an increase in resting metabolic rate (RMR). That means that although your strength training session for that hour may expend less calories than running for an hour, the added muscle (over time, not from a single session) will lead to an increase in total calories burned throughout the day which you just don't get from traditional aerobic training.

Improved body composition is another benefit in participating in exercise that builds muscle. Positive lean muscle mass to fat ratios have been suggested to be beneficial in reducing heart disease, diabetes, and in connection with reducing the chances of getting certain cancers. From a pure vanity perspective muscle just looks better. Muscle is denser than fat, which means it occupies less space. So for those women that fear adding muscle will make them look bigger my reply is that it will do the exact opposite. "Well, Jason I don't want to look like a bodybuilder". Don't worry you won't. The key to the success of the very large bodybuilders is three-fold: training volume (how much they do), nutrition (how much they eat), and in many cases what kind of drugs they do. Muscle will make you look leaner and sculpted.

The only problem however occurs when you increase muscle without reducing fat. Proper nutrition is a big component of weight loss. It is almost impossible to exercise the weight off and keep it off long term. Initially, it is possible that if you build muscle and still have a layer of fat surrounding the muscle you will have the appearance of having gotten bigger. For example, picture a balloon inside of a balloon; the inside balloon being muscle and the outside balloon being fat. If the inside balloon increases and the outside balloon remains the same the two together are larger. You may say that this is the very reason you are afraid of strength training. That is short-term thinking. Go back to my earlier points on the benefits of muscle building. If you build muscle you will expend more calories; that in conjunction with a proper eating plan will lead to a reduction in fat mass. With less fat and more muscle on your body you will be a smaller, more compact version of your old self. By beginning a resistance-training program today you will be on your way to feeling and looking your very best.

-Jason Mittelman
TrainwithJ

Back to School...Back to Basics: Fall Into a Consistent Routine

2008-09-03T12:39:41Z

Wellness.com - Back to School...Back to Basics: Fall Into a Consistent Routine by CoachJ

In the past several articles I have discussed the importance of exercise intensity and efficiency. Additionally, I have introduced to many of you the concept of interval training as the preferred method of aerobic conditioning. While these elements of a training program are still of high importance to me, I think it is time to take a step back and return to the core of my philosophy as it relates to exercise and physical activity. First and foremost I believe in making a consistent committed effort towards regular physical activity. I don't care how great a program is or how great a piece of equipment purports to be, it is only great if you use it.

The problem for many of us is that we are all or nothing. We spend years being totally inactive and then we watch Michael Phelps set the record for the most gold medals won at an Olympics and are inspired to get into shape. The inspiration that Phelps delivers is not the issue, the problem is that we decide we're going to find out what he does in his workouts and then copy it into our own workouts. Shortly thereafter, we become really sore or possibly injured, and then we realize that his workouts are way too intense. Instead of scaling back the workout, we instead quit and return to doing nothing.

Our individual fitness levels fall somewhere on the continuum of beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Where we presently fall on this continuum should determine where we begin our exercise programs, not where we hope to be someday. We should be very progressive in developing our programs, incrementally increasing the intensity of our workouts. If it's been awhile, maybe Jennifer Garner's workout from her celebrity trainer is not the place to start. I look at the human body as I would a building. For a tall building to be strong and stable it must have a good foundation or a strong base. Our bodies are no different. With my personal training clients I help build them a good foundation. I teach them the basics. We initially begin very slowly, strengthening their core (I define the core as everything between you're hips and shoulders, not just your abdominals), teaching them the fundamentals of how to push, how to pull, how to squat, how to lunge, essentially how to move. Once they have a good foundation we then up the intensity by increasing the difficulty of the movements, by increasing the loads, by combining movements to create compound movements, by shortening rest times, and by linking movements together just to name several of the strategies I employ. It is amazing to see the progress and the commitment to exercise that develops when the approach is gradual and focused more on improving strength and function, and becoming more active in general rather than a bottom line number on a scale. My experience has been that if you put performance first then, with proper nutrition, the desired aesthetics will follow.

For many of us it is getting over that initial hump of beginning a program that is critical to our long-term commitment to regular activity and thus our success. Before you begin you should accurately assess your current fitness level, and honestly evaluate your current exercise and activity participation. Many of us tend to overestimate the amount of physical activity we partake in; an honest appraisal is necessary if we are ever going to achieve the results we desire. The food pyramid places different types of food in various categories. Nutrition experts recommend that we get a certain number of servings from each category in order to get a balanced diet. The approach to an active lifestyle is similar. There are several forms of activity all of which play an important role in improving our overall health and fitness. They are activities of daily living, recreational activities and formal exercise. Grocery shopping, walking the dog, walking to the train station, and your occupation are some examples of daily activities. Golf, tennis, rollerblading, basketball, soccer, softball, and gardening are some examples of recreational activities. And then there is formal exercise that includes activities such as weight lifting, aerobic exercise, yoga, Pilates, and martial arts. It is important to participate in activities that fall into each of these categories. Earlier I mentioned assessing your current activity participation levels. Now go back and do it again but differentiate what you do by category and evaluate where and how you can make improvements. Performing formal exercise 3x per week for 30 minutes is a great start, but it can't completely make up for an otherwise completely sedentary life. Start thinking of strategies to incorporate extra activity into your day. On the flip side playing sports, and walking further from your car in the parking lot to get to the store can't replace the benefits of formal exercise. The point is that it is not an either/or. Each of these categories are a piece of the puzzle, a complement to one another, and all vital to feeling better and becoming more functional and more productive.

For beginners the first thing, the hardest thing to do is to get in the boat. We can't begin your journey if you aren't on board. Once we get you in the boat the goal is to gradually increase the amount of activity that you participate in until it becomes a consistent regular part of your life; in other words a routine. For the more advanced exerciser the goal should be a greater move towards quality and efficiency, rather than just quantity. For some this group, commitment is often not the problem. The issue is about aversion to change. I addressed the importance of variety in my last article and how it can help the stagnant break through and achieve further progress. For those advanced exercisers in a rut, the solution is probably not an issue of doing more. For many, the problem is they are doing too much. Higher intensity, more efficient, shorter duration workouts with greater recovery time in between may be a better solution. Recovery strategies including massage, self-myofascial release using a foam roller and stick are also beneficial to improved performance.

In conclusion, the answer to improving our health and fitness is probably not some new piece of equipment or the latest workout fad; it may be as basic as moving more and sitting less.

-Jason Mittelman
TrainwithJ