A Too Familiar Scene
Roger: “Hey Bill, where are you going?”
Bill: “To the gym”
Roger: “Again? You practically live at the gym”
Bill: "Gotta hit the treadmill again for at least 45 minutes to burn off all the stuff I ate and drank over the weekend!”
Roger: (Thinking to himself) “Sounds like a good plan, but why doesn't Bill ever look any different after all these years of walking on that treadmill?”
This scenario is played out by countless people every single day. They mistakenly believe that the answer to all their fitness and fat loss needs can be solved by logging endless hours a week doing steady state (long moderate intensity) cardiovascular exercise and “burning away the calories with each step they take”. Sadly, they are mostly "burning through countless pairs of athletic shoes" not to mention precious time.
The truth is, while cardio is an important component of a well rounded fitness program , it is only ONE component.
Not only that, but after years of going to gyms and seeing the same people, on the same equipment, actually get bigger (and I’m not talking about bigger muscles or increased height), it’s clear that this is a faulty strategy. Basically, all those miles on the treadmill aren't getting them anywhere and not just metaphorically!
I would be remiss if I didn't mention that if fat loss is the goal, the nutritional aspect is ultimately about 80 percent of the equation but that won’t be the focus of this post since it's not my area of expertise (you should get advice from a Registered Dietician or nutritionist regarding nutrition).
That being said, weight loss in by itself does not equal fitness. There are plenty of people who are "skinny fat". What this means is that they may not carry a lot of body mass, and may not have the same health risk factors as someone who is overweight or obese, but they have limited work capacity. For this type of individual, doing basic everyday tasks like climbing stairs and carrying groceries may leave them out of breath.
So it's the combination of right nutrition with effective, intelligent exercise that equates to true fitness.
It's Better Doing Something Than Nothing Isn't it?
Certainly doing any form of regular exercise is better than being completely sedentary. But doing the same thing over and over again is not only relatively ineffective but it can actually cause musculoskeletal issues over time .
In terms of it not being very effective, the body adapts to any stress placed on it so that it doesn’t have to work as hard. Therefore as your body adapts to the same treadmill routine, it becomes more efficient and hence burns less calories.
From a musculoskeletal standpoint, doing the same exercise over and over, by definition, neglects other movement patterns. This means you are overworking some muscles while neglecting others, which can lead to “Overuse Injuries”.
Third, there is an “epidemic of bad form” that is so rampant it takes every bit of self control I can muster to NOT run over to people at the gym and plead with them to "come down off the machines" in an attempt to rescue them! Okay, perhaps a “slight” over exaggeration, but not by much. :)
Getting Your Props Can Be A Bad Thing
One of the most common form problems is created when people prop themselves up with their arms, often w/ hyper extended elbows.
This pretty much “shuts down” the core and its intrinsic stabilizers as well as the mechanisms responsible for balance of the body (not to mention being an unfavorable position for their arms, shoulders and neck). So they are taking an already repetitive form of physical activity and creating even more potential for injury because the biomechanics of their bodies are so distorted and misaligned.
To use an analogy: If you've ever injured one of your feet and you had to hobble around for any length of time, chances are you probably didn't feel very good in your hips, back and neck due to the misalignment of your physical structure. This is similar to what folks do when they distort their bodies on a treadmill or stair climber. It's more subtle, but over time these awkward body positions are bound to "catch up with them".
Some Ways To Fix The Various Problems
Mix up your program: Even if you insist on doing primarily cardiovascular exercise, at least change the mode of activity. Instead of ONLY using a treadmill, use an elliptical or an exercise bike. Still this is very much one plane of motion (forward and back aka “Sagittal plane”) so it’s not ideal but still better than only using one piece of equipment.
Better still would be to mix in other, more multiplanar (multiple directions of movement) activities such as kickboxing, aerobic stepping, agility based training, various dance forms, anything that allows your body to move side to side or with some rotation of the hips in addition to forwards and back.
Vary the intensity level: On machines the two main options are to increase the speed or resistance (for example, on a treadmill you can vary the incline to increase the resistance). You can use various types of “interval” training where you vary “work and recovery” ratios (I have a blog post on this which gets into more detail: http://time4youfitness.blogspot.com/2009/08/interval-training-key-to-increasing.html
Strengthening Your Position
Implement some resistance training to your exercise program: Strength training builds lean body tissue (i.e. muscle mass) which in the end will help you burn more calories 24 hours a day. Steady state cardio pretty much burns calories only during the actual activity, not much of an “afterburn” effect (known as EPOC “Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption”). Plus steady state cardio doesn't do much in the way of building muscle (unless one is very deconditioned).
Not The Same Ol' Thing
Try to mix up your resistance training program as well by not always doing the same exercises with the same amount of resistance (weight), in the same order. Again, while it’s certainly better than nothing you’ll severely limit your progress and again risk overuse issues.
Also I recommend that you limit your use of machines that isolate specific muscles (like "leg extensions", "leg curls", "biceps curls"), instead it is best to focus on multi-joint movements such as leg presses, squats, presses and rows. These are infinitely more time efficient as well since you are working several muscle groups at the same time and by all accounts they create a greater metabolic effect as well (which means greater caloric expenditure!).
Getting Informed
Try to be conscious of the form you are using: This applies to both cardiovascular and strength training. As mentioned above, try to avoid propping yourself up on the machines, you should be able to balance from your center of gravity.
This may require you slowing down your pace on the machine as you work on having good alignment in your movement. Also make sure you have good footwear, if your feet aren’t contacting the ground properly because of what you are wearing it affects your entire body in a negative way.
The same holds true with resistance training, get someone who is knowledgeable to help you learn the proper biomechanics of the exercises. You may not be able to afford to have a trainer all the time but if you’re at a health club usually someone there will help you learn the basics of the equipment.
Please STOP Doing That!
The "Bad Form Epidemic" isn't limited by any means to what I see on the cardio equipment. I can hardly workout at a gym without wanting to beg people to stop what they are doing because it hurts my spine just watching them.
An example is the dangerous form folks use as they perform seated long pulley rows. Nine times out of ten, they are using too much weight, their head is thrusting forward with each rep, as their arms "flail back and forth” banging the weight stack each time without any sense of control.
Of course I restrain myself, but it takes a lot of effort on my part not to say anything. I desperately want to help them but since I don't work there I really can't cross that line as a fitness professional.
I promise that what I'm saying here isn't coming from a place of "trainer arrogance" but a real concern for the damage these folks, with the best of intentions, are potentially causing themselves.
Unfortunately they just haven't had the opportunity to learn how to train correctly, often because they haven't had the exposure to good information and proper instruction.
Additionally, it seems that people often workout under the mistaken notion that the machines will automatically correct their alignment, but this is not the case. In fact, often the machines aren't a good fit for their frame which means they are placing a force against a "line of pull" far from optimal at best, injury inducing at worst.
"Applied" Knowledge Is Power
There’s some great books available that I highly recommend regarding resistance training such as “Resistance Training Instruction” by Everett Aaberg or “Effective Strength Training” by Douglas Brooks. Both of these gentlemen are highly educated and respected fitness professionals and authors.
Another suggestion might be to hire a personal trainer periodically to design a program for you and instruct you on proper form of those particular exercises. This way you can have hands-on teaching so you'll know what the exercises should feel like (called "kinesthetic awareness") when done properly.
You will generally want to change your program every 4 weeks or so in order to elicit new adaptations. The price you pay for the trainer will surely be a lot less than almost any treatment you may need if you injure yourself. Plus you are optimizing your time and effort which means better results, which is why you're there anyway right?
In Closing
So in summary, be aware that while some exercise is certainly better than nothing, doing the same thing over and over again and/or exercising with bad body mechanics may not be giving you the benefits you seek. In fact it may be actually be causing you more harm in the long run than the benefits you receive in the short run.
Also, to get the best results, please don't limit your training to only one mode of exercise, be it cardio or resistance training. However, if I had to choose between them, resistance training, especially performed in a circuit training style, would be my choice hands down!
Note: Beyond the elements of Cardio and Strength mentioned above, there are also many other aspects of fitness that contribute to a well balanced fitness program (such as flexibility and balance training to name a couple). Any sound program should address those elements as well and I've discussed them in other blog posts so please refer to those.
2010 Scott Fishkind / Time4YouFitness
http://www.time4youfitness.com
An Oft Hidden Fitness Treasure
Perhaps one of the most neglected areas of fitness training is balance work. Sure it’s not “sexy”, won’t give you ripped abs and buff muscles, but from a functional perspective it’s very important!
I generally try to incorporate some type of balance work with all of my clients (as well as in my own training), even if it’s just during the warm-up phase of the workout.
Often people who aren’t elderly or suffering from a neurological disorder don’t really think much about balance and take it for granted.
However if you consider the older population, one of the most common ways they get injured, often seriously, is to lose balance and fall. In their more fragile state, often exacerbated by osteoporosis, falling can have serious and long term negative consequences.
When To Start?
For more middle aged clients I stress that the time to start working on balance is now! The sooner one can make balance training part of their lives the better chance they have of maintaining it in the future.
Even for clients in their mid-twenties and younger, balance training can help them with performance, whether they are seriously competitive athletes or weekend warriors, balance plays a key role in functioning at a high level.
Walking Is A Balancing Act?
Balance is not only involved in “obvious” balancing situations but is actually a key element in walking. This requires dynamic balance as you shift from one foot to the next.
Balance is an integrated process that takes place on vestibular, neuromuscular and musculoskeletal levels.
So basically, you need to have a good internal sense of equilibrium (vestibular), the ability for your nervous system to communicate clearly with your muscular system (neuromuscular), and the strength and flexibility to execute the commands of the nervous system (musculoskeletal).
There are many ways to practice balance, progressing from simple to more complex.
Note: Before moving into any balance position, I always instruct my clients to move systematically up their kinetic chain (the linked, interdependent segments that contribute to movement).
To do this, you start from the sole of the foot and make sure it is rooted firmly with a solid base of contact from the big toe to the little toe to the heel. Then move up through the ankle, knee, hips and lower torso (abdominal and lower back region) etc.
By doing this you don't haphazardly move into the balance position but you make sure you are strong and integrated from one joint to the next.
Basic Balancing Progressions
The most simple example would be standing on one leg with the other leg barely raised up from the floor.
A somewhat more complicated combination type balance would be standing on one leg while hugging the opposite knee in towards your chest (“Knee Hugs”).
A favorite, relatively simple combination exercise is to stand on one leg as you tilt your body forward while extending the opposite leg behind you to a comfortable degree. This is called an “Inverted hamstring” exercise. This not only works balance but strongly works the core musculature as stabilizers as well.
This particular exercise is quite similar to a variation of a Yoga pose often referred to as “Warrior 3” Pose. In fact, most styles of Yoga contain many excellent poses (called "asana") to practice balance.
The next level would be adding some movement, such as standing on one leg while you reach the other foot forward, backwards or to the side, further challenging your base of support.
It's Good To Be Perturbed!
Beyond that you can add different types of “perturbations” such as balancing while moving a medicine ball right, left and center or having a partner toss you a medicine ball while you continue to balance and then throwing it back to them.
Often I’ll have clients take a step, have them catch and toss the ball back before they step forward to the next foot. This way they are moving dynamically, having to momentarily stabilize, and then continue.
This can also be done moving laterally (from side to side) either stepping or even "bounding" to the support leg and balancing while catching and tossing the ball.
All these exercises are not only very effective, but they happen to be a lot of fun as well, and exercise should be as enjoyable as possible!
Getting Wobbly?
Balance can also be challenged using devices such as sitting on Stability (aka “Swiss”) Ball, using various slant boards, half foam rolls or BOSU trainers (which look like half of a stability ball on a flat base) among others.
There is some controversy as to the actual “carry over” of using these devices into functional activity but that is beyond the scope of this post.
Personally I do use stability balls and the BOSU balance trainer, but my purpose is more for challenging core stability rather than for pure balance, though surely there are balance elements involved in those types of training .
Some "Bullet Points" Related to Balance
• Balance is a component of all movements.
• Functional balance in a dynamic process involving multiple neurological pathways.
• The ability to reduce force at the right joint, at the right time, and in the right plane of motion, requires optimum levels of functional dynamic balance and neuromuscular efficiency.
• Balance training has been shown to be particularly beneficial to improve dynamic joint stabilization.
• Dynamic joint stabilization is the ability of the kinetic chain to stabilize a joint during movement.
• Improvements in dynamic joint stabilization can decrease injury and help improve performance.
(these are summarized from the NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training Manual third Edition)
Scott Fishkind
Time4You Fitness
http://www.time4youfitness.com/
Self Myo-WHAT?
There’s no doubt that one of the most successful flexibility modalities that I’ve been utilizing, both for my clients as well as myself, is Self-Myofascial Release (SMR). To say I’m a huge fan of this flexibility modality would be an understatement. For me personally, it has been life changing from a physical perspective.
Though the term itself sounds really complicated, Myo simply refers to muscle, fascial refers to fascia (the web of connective tissue throughout our body). People often develop muscular adhesions (i.e. knots) in their soft tissue for a variety of reasons.
This not only causes “local” muscular discomfort, but can create imbalances in the antagonistic muscle groups. Antagonistic are muscles that work in opposition to one another. For example the hip flexors are antagonistic to the gluteals (i.e. butt muscles) and if the hip flexors are overly tight then they tend to “turn off” the glutes.
This leads to a host of physical issues that can lead to muscle imbalances, which can lead to other problems, in particular postural issues. I want to keep this post from getting overly technical so I will refrain from drifting into the neural mechanisms involved in all of this (such as reciprocal inhibition, autogenic inhibition, length-tension relationships etc.).
Tools Of The Trade
Commonly used tools for SMR are a foam roll and a tennis ball (“The Stick” and “Tiger Tail” are two other excellent tools and certainly there are others as well). The tennis ball is used primarily under the feet but can also be used for other, hard to reach areas, whereas the foam roll is used for everywhere else that is appropriate. I would never recommend rolling your cervical spine (neck) area for example. I’m also not a big fan of using it for the lumbar spine (lower back) area either.
The most common areas SMR is used are the Quadriceps (front of the thighs), Calves (back of the lower leg), Hamstrings (back of the thighs), Gluteals (Buttocks area), IT Band (Iliotibial Band, which runs along the outside of the thigh), the Hip Flexors (this can be a bit tricky with the roller, so sometimes the tennis ball works better for this area), the Adductors (muscles of the inner thigh) and the Lats (muscles of the upper back).
As mentioned above, the feet are a great area to work using a tennis ball. I prefer to actually start with the feet myself and work my way up the body.There are deep fascial connections that run from the feet upwards, something Thomas Myers speaks of as “Anatomy Trains”.
A "Core" Resource
Mark Verstegen, in his Core Performance books (he has several “Core Performance”, “Core Performance Essentials”, “Core Performance Endurance”, “Core Performance Woman”, “Core Performance Golf”)) is a huge proponent of SMR and discusses it in his books and Core Performance Essentials DVDs.
I highly recommend Mark’s materials as excellent resources that are available at a very reasonable prices (compared to texts and dvds used by fitness professionals). His books are just great multifaceted fitness programs focusing on total fitness and nutrition as well as motivation!
Mark also created the DVD for the GO FIT Foam Roll available in most sporting goods stores. It is not my favorite foam roll because it does tend to compress after a relatively short amount of time and it is on the more expensive side. It does come with an excellent dvd but you can actually access most of his dvd footage for free on his website.
Core Performance Foam Roll Video Links
Getting Started
The basic SMR technique is simple, you just roll over the specified area, if you feel particular tightness/tenderness then hold in that area for 20-30 seconds until the knot releases and then continue on from there.
Combining Self-Myofascial Release techniques with the various stretching techniques (such as static, active isolated, or dynamic stretching) can really provide more significant positive changes than just using those stretching techniques by themselves.
Though SMR is often referred to as a “Poor Person’s Massage Therapist”, this should not be taken to imply that it can replace a qualified massage therapist. For folks needing real specific deep tissue work I highly recommend seeking out the proper soft tissue specialist. In these situations, SMR makes a nice adjunct to that type of treatment since it is very convenient and can be used daily as needed.
Contraindications
There are some populations where SMR may be contraindicated such as those with Diabetes, Osteoporosis and other conditions. When in doubt, a qualified health care provider should give guidelines.
Happy Rolling! :)
Note on Purchasing Foam Rollers: I highly recommend “Perform Better” which is an excellent online company that sells a variety of foam rollers and other fitness items. They tend to be very reasonable and they have many options available. For beginners, their Biofoam roller is a good option since it's on the softer side. Their PB Elite, is much more durable though may be a bit too intense for beginners.
Perform Better also has free online video and pdf downloads related to foam rolling as well which you can check out.
The “Perform Better” website is: (click on the link) Perform Better Foam Rollers
Scott Fishkind Time4You Fitness
Time4You Fitness
I consider FUNCTIONAL TRAINING to be the foundation of my approach as a personal trainer. Unfortunately the term Functional Training has a lot of different, often incorrect, connotations.
Unfortunately, many people think of it as being associated with performing strange circus acts on wobble boards, stability balls or BOSUs. This has caused some people to bash anything to do with the idea of functional training based on this common misconception.
While I do utilize some of those tools, they are not used in a way that resembles a Barnum and Bailey’s routine.
So What IS FUNCTIONAL TRAINING you ask?
Rather, to me, FUNCTIONAL TRAINING is about using your body in a more integrated, synergistic fashion. Juan Carlos Santana, one of the most well known and respected proponents of Functional Training speaks of it simply as “Training movements not muscles”.
Basically, Functional Training is distinguished from the more isolated “Bodybuilding” approach that was in vogue for so many years and still used by the majority of people in gyms today.
For example, if you compare doing a seated overhead shoulder press to a squat-push press, you can see that the second exercise is much more functional in nature. The Squat-Push-Press is similar to squatting down to lift something off the ground, then picking it up and using combined actions of the lower and upper body to bring it overhead (for example lifting a box off the ground and placing it on a high shelf).
Compare that to the seated overhead press which doesn’t resemble an activity one might encounter in the course of their day. Therefore it’s not related to how someone is likely to actually function in daily life.
Is there room for various types training in the FUNCTIONAL continuum?
Now certainly there is a place for more isolated types of training in order to build “Prime Mover” strength or Hypertrophy (i.e. increase in muscle size) and it all comes down to context.
If you have someone who has muscular atrophy in their thighs, then building back the size and strength of those muscles is critical in order to help the body function normally.
So in this instance, even a seated leg extension or leg curl would have a functional purpose. However, once those muscles get sufficient size and strength, those types of exercises wouldn’t continue to have much functional benefit (after all, how often does one sit and need to lift something up by extending or flexing their knees?).
On the other side of the physical spectrum, a football player who needs to build lean body mass and maximal strength will get functional benefit from doing exercises like a Bench Press.
Ideally they would get the best all around benefit by combining that with exercises that use their body in a more functional position as well. These might be exercises such as a standing split stance cable chest press, or explosive medicine ball throws, which closer resemble the way they would utilize strength and power in a game situation.
Staying Balanced
Balance is another element that one must consider in order to function well, then certainly that is an element that needs to be practiced. Typically I prefer to work on balance with the feet on the floor and often adding perturbations (such as having clients catch and toss a medicine ball, or holding the medicine ball and moving it right, left and center).
Stability balls and BOSUs have their place as well, but again this doesn’t mean spending excessive amounts of time learning tricks such as standing on a stability ball and doing squats. That really doesn’t have any functional application that translates well to any activity (unless you are going to need to actually stand on a stability ball and squat. :)).
However, being able to sit on a stability ball, with good pelvic alignment can help train the core musculature to work in balanced manner, utilizing the muscles surrounding the hips, abdominals, and lower back region to contribute to proper posture.
Does it always look Functional?
There are also exercises such as planks and side planks that don’t look like actual “real life” situations, but still they may train the muscles to be stronger in the way they will function on a daily basis. A plank for example allows one to put the body in a position where you are working the stabilizing function of the core musculature. So although looking “non-functional”, there is functional benefit to be derived from this type of activity.
Doing a Split stance unilateral cable (or tubing) row is certainly a lot more functional looking. As you row, the resistance would rotate your torso if you didn’t stabilize through the Oblique musculature, but by resisting the rotation you are creating static strength in those muscles. This is more functional because you would actually use a similar movement for example when starting a lawnmower.
What about the Crunch?
Compare the above two exercises to doing an abdominal crunch. Aside from getting out of bed in the morning, there isn’t too much use for doing spinal flexion against resistance. When you bend over to pick something up you are actually using the muscles of the back (erector spinae and other muscles) to lower you into that position.
This doesn’t mean you must never do crunches, but it’s better, from a “functional” perspective, to work the abdominal and other core muscles as stabilizers as that’s how they can best serve you in most activities you are likely to encounter both in life as well as sport.
If one's goal is strictly aesthetics then the crunch would have more of a place in an exercise program, but do be careful with overdoing them because according to well known lower back expert, Stuart McGill, too much spinal flexion can put the intervertebral discs under excessive stress which can lead to debilitating injuries.
If you feel you "must" crunch, then I suggest using caution and avoid using momentum when crunching. But still, I would limit the amount of crunching one does overall (ideally from a "risk vrs reward" perspective, I'd all but eliminate crunching almost completely).
In Closing
I hope this provides at least a brief clarification surrounding some of the misconceptions that abound when it comes to understanding what FUNCTIONAL TRAINING training is all about.
Scott Fishkind
http://www.time4youfitness.com
