Are We Really Working Hard?

A great piece written by Alwyn Cosgrove who is based in California. Check it out:

I think there are definite parallels between work and fitness training. Over the past few years I think as a whole, in both areas, we’ve confused working “hard” with working long.

Think about someone you know who you’d describe as working hard for a living. Now – do they really work hard – i.e. back breaking, intense physical labor — or do you mean that they work long hours – nights and maybe weekends?

Working “hard” and working “long” are not the same. And neither one means working effectively.

You could make the case that someone who is working long hours and weekends to achieve their objectives may not necessarily be working hard at all – they may be doing completely ineffective activities.

In addition, their rate of actual quality work output may be very low on a minute-by-minute basis. Or quality output may not be frequent enough — so they are trying to compensate by increasing their total volume.

But just increasing the volume of an ineffective, low-quality (i.e. intensity), infrequent activity isn’t helping whatsoever. Effective, results-producing work is not dependent upon the total volume of work primarily.

It’s the same as effective, results-producing exercise:

Effectiveness first.
Intensity second.
Frequency Third.
Volume last.

Is your training effective?
Are you focused and striving to do more work/lift more weight/do more reps in the session?
Are you training regularly? (in all studies – frequency of exposure to a stimulus is a primary key to success).

Once you have effective and technically sound exercise, performed with appropriate intensity on a regular basis – then you can think about adding volume. Doing more work can’t replace effectiveness, intensity or consistency.

–
AC

 

How Vitamin D Inhibits Inflammation

How Vitamin D Inhibits Inflammation

ScienceDaily (Feb. 23, 2012) — Researchers at National Jewish Health have discovered specific molecular and signaling events by which vitamin D inhibits inflammation. In their experiments, they showed that low levels of Vitamin D, comparable to levels found in millions of people, failed to inhibit the inflammatory cascade, while levels considered adequate did inhibit inflammatory signaling. They reported their results in the March 1, 2012, issue of The Journal of Immunology.

“This study goes beyond previous associations of vitamin D with various health outcomes. It outlines a clear chain of cellular events, from the binding of DNA, through a specific signaling pathway, to the reduction of proteins known to trigger inflammation,” said lead author Elena Goleva, assistant professor of pediatrics at National Jewish Health. “Patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, such as asthma, arthritis and prostate cancer, who are vitamin D deficient, may benefit from vitamin D supplementation to get their serum vitamin D levels above 30 nanograms/milliliter.”

Current national guidelines suggest that people should maintain a minimum blood serum level of 20 ng/ml, although there is much scientific debate about optimum levels. Vitamin D has long been known to contribute to bone health by promoting the absorption of calcium. In recent years, much attention has been paid to its possible immune and inflammatory benefits. Low vitamin D levels have been associated with several diseases including asthma, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis.

In the current study researchers examined the specific mechanisms by which vitamin D might act on immune and inflammatory pathways. They incubated human white blood cells with varying levels of vitamin D, then exposed them to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a molecule associated with bacterial cell walls that is known to promote intense inflammatory responses.

Cells incubated with no vitamin D and in solution containing 15 ng/ml of vitamin D produced high levels of cytokines IL-6 and TNF-alpha, major actors in the inflammatory response. Cells incubated in 30 ng/ml vitamin D and above showed significantly reduced response to the LPS. The highest levels of inflammatory inhibition occurred at 50 ng/ml.

Through a complex series of experiments, the researchers identified a new location where the vitamin-D receptor appears to bind directly to DNA and activate a gene known as MKP-1. MKP-1 interferes with the inflammatory cascade triggered by LPS, which includes a molecule known as p38, and results in higher levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha.

“This newly identified DNA-binding site for the vitamin-D receptor, and the specific pathways inhibited by higher levels of vitamin D provide a plausible mechanism for many of the benefits that have been associated with vitamin D,” said Dr. Goleva. ‘The fact that we showed a dose-dependent and varying response to levels commonly found in humans also adds weight to the argument for vitamin D’s role in immune and inflammatory conditions.”

5 Key Rules for a Better Body

With the huge amount of information out there regarding diets and fat loss, it is easy to become overwhelmed and somewhat confused about what to do. At DiVerge Fitness we have found that those who achieve the best results stick by 5 simple but key rules:

1. Eat every 2-3 hours:

These will be smaller portions spread throughout the day instead of big large portions 2-3 times per day. So, starting right now I want you to make a vocabulary change when you discuss food with yourself, with others, and why you are eating every 2-3 hours. It goes like this: “I am eating every 2-3 hours to fuel a healthy body”.

2. Include lean protein every time you fuel your healthy body:

Complete, lean protein generally is food that was an animal or comes from an animal. Examples include: chicken, beef, fish, dairy. “Lean” means low fat. Therefore, you want food high in protein but low in fat (e.g., leaner cuts of meat, low fat dairy, etc.).

3. Include vegetables every time you fuel your healthy body:

I know seems like a daunting task but it can be done. Get creative with your food choices and cooking and incorporate as much vegetables as possible – your body will thank you for it!

4. Save heavy carbohydrate foods for after exercise:

Rice, pasta, potatoes, etc. Go for it! But wait until after exercise. Research shows that the body can process carbohydrates more efficiently after a bout of exercise. But starches, grains and sugars are such staples of our diet here you may ask? Heart disease, cancer and diabetes are also staple medical conditions here too and there is a strong relationship between the two!

5. Eat fat!

Healthy fat that is. Your body needs fat – it is essential! A healthy balance of all three types of fat can dramatically improve your health. The three types of fat are:

a. Saturated fat – you will get from the lean protein that you are eating. You can also add in butter or coconut oil for cooking.

b. Monounsaturated fat – you can get from mixed nuts, olives and olive oil.

c. Polyunsaturated fat – you can get from flax seeds, fish oil and mixed nuts.

Proper nutrition to fuel a healthy body can seem almost impossible, but it’s not. Start with these 5 basic steps and you will be well on your way to a better body and a healthier life!

Until next time…Move Yourself!

Chris Kendrick, CSCS

An Attitude Shift for Better Results

An Attitude Shift for Better Results in the Gym

I posted a Facebook congratulations today to Sean Smith for being below 10% body fat. While his results are fantastic his attitude towards his workouts and his days got me thinking. Is there a common attitude among our clients that achieve great results? I viewed 10 different client profiles this morning that achieved great results with body fat loss. I also viewed 10 different client profiles of individuals that are struggling to decrease their body fat level.

 What is the difference between each of these groups of clients when it comes to their attitude? Let me tell you the different phrases I hear each of the clients use in daily life. Remember our thoughts become our actions and our actions lead to our results.

Great Results Group:

1. Good morning

2. I feel great today

3. Thank you

4. See you tomorrow

5. I ate really well yesterday

6. It is good to see you

 Poor Results Group:

 

1. I am tired

2. I didn’t want to come in today

3. I ate bad food yesterday

4. Are we done yet?

5. I don’t have enough time

6. I don’t know if I can do that

 What group are you in? Are thoughts determining your results?

Back To Basics Nutrition

During the Paleolithic period, many thousands of years ago, people ate primarily vegetables, fruit, nuts, roots and meat—and a wide variety of it. Today, these staples have been largely replaced with refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, cereal, bread, potatoes and pasteurized milk products… and a much narrower selection of fruits, vegetables, roots and nuts.

This is precisely the recipe for a leaky gut, and all of its associated health problems, which is why simply returning to a Paelo diet by eating foods that are concordant with your genetic ancestry may help you become healthier. This includes focusing on whole, unprocessed foods including vegetables (except corn and potatoes) and free-range organic meats, while avoiding sugars and grains.

Paleolithic lifestyle expert and Colorado State University professor Dr. Loren Cordain states:

“The nutritional qualities of modern processed foods and foods introduced during the Neolithic period are discordant with our ancient and conservative genome. This genetic discordance ultimately manifests itself as various chronic illnesses, which have been dubbed “diseases of civilization.” By severely reducing or eliminating these foods and replacing them with a more healthful cuisine, possessing nutrient qualities more in line with the foods our ancestors consumed, it is possible to improve health and reduce the risk of chronic disease.”

A New Years Lesson From Ryanair

During my flight back to Dublin from Barcelona I was reminiscing about the experience I had with a Ryanair staff member and its similarity to New Years resolutions. Most of you reading this have made a list for the year and if not a list maybe one or two things you want to accomplish. Unfortunately, most people will fail to achieve their goals. Why? One explaination involves not being able to adapt. Akin to my escapades in Barcelona, life can have unpredictable twists and turns. The key is to be flexible to change and do whatever it takes to achieve the desired goal. In my case, it was making sure i didn’t miss my flight. In the case of your goals for 2012, it might mean a simple change in food intake or perhaps an extra couple of hours sleep at night. A small tweak is all it might take to keep the ball rolling towards your desired goal or goals.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the company, Ryanair is to Europe as Southwest Airlines is to the United States. Low-fares, no frills, get what you pay for air travel. This past week I was fortunate enough to travel to both Milan and Barcelona (both fantastic cities by the way) and the airline of choice was Ryanair. When traveling with Ryanair you have two choices when it comes to baggage:

1. Bring a carry-on bag no bigger than a glorified briefcase at no extra charge, or

2. Check your luggage at a cost of €15 per bag per flight

So, in order to satisfy option number one, some efficient packing is the name of the game especially since Ryanair staff are on hand to monitor the size of bags. The trip from Dublin to Milan was no problem. Milan to Barcelona was similar. Two for two. Unfortunately, when flying from Barcelona back to Dublin I was not so lucky. One of the last passengers to hand over my ticket at the gate (I refused to waste my time standing in line for 30 minutes before the gate opened like my fellow passengers) I was told by a Ryanair staff member that my bag was too big and I had to fix it otherwise I would have to check it and pay the €15 charge. I shifted things around, put the shoes here instead of there, compressed the bag a few times and tried again. No joy.

Another famous Ryanair rule is how strict they are about boarding on time and closing the gate when they say they will close it. The gate was due to close at 1.45pm and not one minute after. By now, I was running out of time and desperate measures needed to be taken. As before, I shifted things around again but I also took some clothes out and put them on over the clothes I was wearing. After all, you can never wear enough clothes for the infamous Irish weather…problem solved and I made it on the plane in time! Remember to be flexible and willing to change course as you take on the challenges 2012 will present to you. It will not all be plain sailing but with some creativity and perseverance you can achieve your goals and make this year a great one!

Chris Kendrick, CSCS

Low Back Pain and the Connection to Glute Activity

Low Back Pain and the Connection to Glute Activity

Looking for low back pain exercises? Well, the answers may not be as obvious as you think. In this article, I’m going to show how by training your glutes (and NOT doing sit ups or crunches)(STOP doing ineffective exercises), you can help prevent low back pain.

As more and more people develop lower back problems one cannot help but question the type and quality of their exercise, if in fact they exercise at all. Low back pain can arise for a number of different reasons from prolonged sitting, poor core stability, and even poor lifting mechanics in the gym.

Whatever the cause, a recurring theme is noticed in individuals with low back pain – inhibition of the gluteal (buttocks) muscles. Traditionally, core-stability programs tend to focus on the trunk muscles (transversus, multifidus, obliques and paraspinals); however, the glute (bum) muscles are also very important for core stability and preventing low back pain. Remember the more you sit the bigger your butt gets.

Anatomy and Mechanics of the Glutes

The glutes are comprised of the gluteus maximus (the largest muscle in the body), and the gluteus medius and minimus. The gluteals play a dual role – not only do they act as mobilizers (to create movement) but they also act as stabilizers. For instance, as mobilizers, the gluteus maximus initiates hip extension (pulls the leg back), meaning that it is involved in movements such as the push phase in running or jumping, whereas, the gluteus medius and minimus abduct the hip (move the leg sideways out from the body).

From a stability perspective, during running for instance, the gluteus maximus acts to maintain upright posture and stabilize the sacroiliac joint. The gluteus medius and minimus work to maintain a level pelvis when weight-bearing on one leg, preventing the free side from dropping down.

The problem that I notice most often is that many individuals train body parts and not movements. They opt for the “vanity” workout instead of the intelligent workout. At the same time, these same people are very often the sporty type engaging in activities such as running, cycling, tennis, and team sports. And this is where the problem arises. The body is being trained to look good and not necessarily to perform well and/or prevent injuries.

To Squat or Not to Squat?

Here’s an example of a functional movement that many gym-goers incorporate into their “vanity” workouts – the squat. The squat is a great functional movement that mimics many daily and sporting movements patterns.

But here’s the problem – it has been shown that individuals with poor core stability, inhibited gluteals, or pre-existing low back pain DO NOT activate their glute muscles properly , when performing exercises such as the squat. What’s happening here is that the hamstrings are firing first to extend the hip, followed by the lower back, and then (and sometimes not all) the glutes fire. I performed an FMS testing on a group of very fit individuals two weeks ago and the findings were very interesting. All individuals had some form of low back pain. However the most in shape individual who currently has 2.6% bodyfat was unable to fire his right gluteus medius or minimus at all.

This poor pattern of activation leads to tremendous stress on the lower back as the load is directly transferred from the hamstrings onto the lower back via sacraltuberous and dorsalsacral ligaments, thus, totally bypassing the “supposed” prime mover – the gluteus maximus! Thus, the load is dangerously placed on the passive structures (ie. ligaments and joints) rather than the active structures (ie. muscles).

Weak Glutes and Knee Pain in Runners

Here’s another example of how weak gluteals can even lead to other problems. Many runners often complain about knee pain due to the repetitive high stress nature of running.  These runners often turn to buying new shoes, orthotics, or medicating themselves to mask the symptoms. Although these methods may have there place, preventing knee pain (and back pain) for that matter can often boil down to having functionally trained, endurant gluteal muscles, especially the gluteus medius. Any time I come across someone complaining of knee pain, one of the first things I assess is their gluteus medius. And guess what? It is often inhibited, misfires, or weak!

Therefore, to improve muscle function, it is easier to think in terms of the mobiliser/stabiliser system as it guides us into using exercises that will be more functional. The system tells us that stabiliser muscles need to switch on easily at low-load levels, they need to be able to maintain joint position and they need to have good endurance. Stabiliser muscles tend to become inhibited and are not active enough for sufficient duration.

Therefore to train stabiliser muscles correctly, exercises should involve positions that mirror your daily activities or athletic movements, they should be trained with light loads and many repetitions or made to hold the correct position for a prolonged period. In so doing, you will strengthen your lumbo-pelvic stabilty and help prevent muscle imbalances resulting from biased training. The end result – better core/pelvic stability, proper muscle activation timing, better energy transfer, and less chance of developing low back problems.

3 Awesome Glute and Lower Back Exercises to Prevent Low Back Pain

The following are several excellent movements for developing better glute activation, lumbopelvic stability, and eventually improved back health. They start very basic and progress in difficulty.

Equipment needed:
• Your Body

1. Deer in headlights – Lying flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground, place both hands on your glutes. Try to contract your right glutewithout engaging any other muscles, specially the hamstring. Hold for 5 seconds trying to squeeze as hard as you can. Repeat this on the leftside and then on both sides.

2. Clams – Lying on your side with both legs bent, ensure that your feet are still in line with your torso. Then, open legs (like a clam shell) apart while ensuring that your feet remain together. Only raise the leg to about 45°. You should feel this in the glute of the working leg. Perform 15-20 reps per leg.

3. Bridge – Level 1 
Lie on your back with knees bent. Brace your abdominals and squeeze your bum cheeks together as if holding a $100 bill between them. Curl the bum off the floor, lifting the hips until the knees, hips and chest are in line. Hold this position, purposefully squeezing the glutes to support the bridge position. Start with 10 x 10 seconds, building up to 2 x 60 seconds. If you feel a strong contraction in the hamstrings or the lower back is straining, then you are not using your glutes strongly enough. Focus on them to ensure they do the work.

Synergistic Dominance of Hamstrings & Low Back Pain

Low back pain is one of the most common medical problems reported in Western societies, with an average 60-80% adults experiencing low back pain at some point in their lives (1).  With the advances in research, the exact mechanical or biomechanical causes for low back pain still not fully understood.  When presented with a client experiencing low back pain, a general postural and movement assessment should be performed.  Special attention should be directed to pelvis position (specifically the degree of anterior tilt) and to foot position.

Muscle activation patterns and strength testing should be performed to the gluteus maximus, hamstrings and abdominal muscles.  Research has demonstrated that adults suffering from low back pain, often present with underactive gluteus maximus and overactive hamstrings (4).  This blog post will review the association between low back pain and underactive gluteus maximus, and how you can correct this muscle activation pattern in your client suffering from low back pain.

Since low back pain is often a myriad of muscle imbalances contributing to the low back pain, it can be difficult to find the postural or movement compensation which initiated the low back pain.  In a client presenting with low back pain, but no osseous changes in their spine (no arthritis, no stenosis) the low back pain is often a case of altered reciprocal inhibition and synergistic dominance. 

The gluteus maximus plays an important role in human locomotion, by decelerating hip flexion during the swing phase of gait, extending the hip back for the propulsive phase and by stabilizing the SI joint for attenuation of ground reaction forces.   Since all muscles are assisted by synergistic muscles, if the main agonist is not firing correctly the synergistic muscle will activate.  This is referred to as synergistic dominance.  In this case, due to a decreased neural drive to the gluteus maximus, the hamstrings act as the synergist and take over the role of the gluteus maximus.

Although the hamstring functions acts as a good synergist to the gluteus maximus, it is not designed to be the sole hip extensor.  Synergistic dominance by the hamstrings can lead to pre-mature fatigue, overuse and over-activation of the hamstring muscles.  This could put the client at risk of hamstring strains, hamstring cramps and SI joint pain.

Reversal of altered reciprocal inhibition & synergistic dominance

The reversal of the reciprocal inhibition includes inhibition and lengthening the hip flexor complex, coupled with activation of the gluteus maximus.

References:
Larsen, K.  Prone hip extension with lower abbdominal hollowing improves relative timing of gluteus maximus activation in relation to biceps femoris.  Manual Therapy, 2010.   15: 61-65

Lewis, C.  Muscle activation and movement patterns during prone hip extension exercise in women.  J Athletic Training, 2009.  44(3): 238-248.

Nourbakhsh, M.  The relationship between pelvic cross syndrome and chronic low back pain. J Back & Musculoskeletal Rehab, 2006.  19: 119-128.

Wagner, T.  Strengthening and neuromuscular reeducation of the gluteus maximus in a triathlete with exercise-associated cramping of the hamstrings.  J Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 2010. 40(2): 112 – 119.