GETTING THE BURN
There was a time when I was definitely NOT in the kind of shape I’m in today. I carried about 40 pounds of extra fat on my body and a large portion of it seemed to settle around my mid-section.
So like anyone else in my position I figured I’d better start doing some ab exercises so I could “burn away the fat”.
While I’d feel the “burn” in my abdominal region from the exercise, it didn’t actually melt the fat away from that area (it was just lactic acid accumulation).
I later learned that spot reduction, from exercise, doesn’t actually exist. The only way to spot reduce fat is from a surgical procedure like liposuction.
SO WHAT DOES WORK?
What I also came to learn was that it took a combination of things to achieve the results I wanted.
First and foremost, I had to face the fact that I had to change how I was eating. I was on the classic “See Food” diet where “If I saw it, I ate it!”
Second I had to start on a consistent exercise program.
This plan worked and I not only lost almost all 40 lbs in about 6 months but I also got extremely fit!
I WANT TO PUMP YOU UP!
Interestingly enough, what worked for me was not the typical cardio approach that so most people believe is key to losing weight (i.e. body fat).
I intuitively discovered that it was about building muscle!
This was lucky for me since I enjoyed resistance training more than cardio.
I did supplement occasionally with cardio, just because I figured I should do some cardio, but it was really a minimal amount.
Years later I learned that the reason resistance training was so critical to the success I had is because muscle is “metabolically active” tissue.
This means it requires a certain amount of energy in the form of calories in order to maintain itself.
Fat doesn’t use much energy and in fact it is a form of stored energy, so it’s not metabolically active in the way muscle is.
FAT LOSS PATTERNS
One thing that really surprised me throughout the process was that as I started losing fat, it came off pretty much everywhere else before my abs.
When it did start to come off there, it started with a 2 pack just below my sternum, then a 4 pack and eventually a 6 pack in the lower abdominal region.
I eventually learned that people tend to lose fat in a certain pattern . On most men it seems that the waist is the last place fat tends to come off, with women it’s usually, the hips and thighs .
Certainly some folks have different genetic patterns and I’ve actually seen the exact opposite scenarios between men and women.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Even after all these years that I’ve been involved with fitness, first as a “layperson” and then as a fitness professional, the only difference my physique undergoes these days in terms of fat loss is primarily as a result of how I eat.
This is because my fitness program is extremely consistent in terms of the way I cycle intensity.
In the winter months I like to carry about 5 extra pounds because I find being too lean in the winter doesn't work for me (as I can't stay warm), but as spring approaches I shed them.
This is always accomplished by gradual reductions in my overall caloric consumption, small changes that get me to where I want to be pretty easily and painlessly.
And what do you know, those lower abs come back where I want them to without any extra ab exercises. :)
IN SUMMARY
So in Summary. No matter how much time you spend working on your abs. butt or thighs, it won’t burn off the fat in those specific areas.
What will work for most people is to first clean up your nutrition, add a resistance training program to build lean body tissue (i.e. muscle) and supplement it with cardio as the "icing on the cake" (pun intended! :)).
A caveat: I wanted to clarify that I am not against cardio training and I do include training that I call "conditioning" work. This includes modalities like kickboxing, aerobic stepping and agility work among others.
I also do metabolic strength training which are intense circuits (or complexes) which create a great metabolic disturbance. This type of training does give cardiovascular and weight loss benefits.
Primarily, I'm just not a big believer in the efficacy of "steady state" cardio such as typical machine training on treadmills, bikes and ellipticals, as a primary weight loss tool (note: for severely overweight or deconditioned individuals, this may be a good starting point but not to the exclusion of nutritional modifications-the most important element- and resistance training).
If one wants to use those types of modalities, then interval training, in particular high intensity interval training, can give great benefits and will certainly produce caloric expenditure both during and after the workout.
The problem is that often people do that type of training as their sole source of fitness and often additionally neglect the nutritional element, and therefore don't get the fat loss benefits they are seeking.
Scott Fishkind
http://www.time4youfitness.com/
"So you’re a personal trainer?" I am commonly asked.
"Yes" I say.
"Like those folks on “The Biggest Loser?"
"Well, to be honest, nothing I do remotely resembles what is portrayed by the trainers on that show!"
This type of conversation happens to me on a regular basis. I’m put in the position to explain that what folks see on their TV is the polar opposite of how I treat or train my clients.
I’m sure it’s a pretty common scenario for most Personal Trainers ever since the phenomenon of “The Biggest Loser” ("TBL") came on the scene.
Before I continue, I do want to say that I'm sure there are a percentage of viewers who may be motivated to start exercising and trying to clean up their eating as a result of the show and that is great, but there is a lot about the show that concerns me on many levels!
PERSONAL TRAINING?
First of all, even though they have personal trainers leading the workouts on the show, what they are doing on the show is not actual personal training.
What makes Personal training “personal" is the idea that programs are custom designed to meet the specific, individual needs of each client. However on the show there seems to be a general plan that each trainer uses and some contestants survive it and some don’t.
Also no responsible personal trainer would ever risk putting a severely deconditioned and morbidly obese individual through those types of grueling workouts. It takes time for one's body to adapt to safely handle the stresses of exercise both from a musculoskeletal and cardiorespiratory standpoint.
Maybe they can get away with it because they have medical staff "in the wings" on "TBL", but it's not the way personal trainers would typically handle a client with that type of physical profile.
Second, I can’t imagine any responsible trainer who would even consider, let alone get away with, the type of verbal abuse seen on "TBL". It also should go without saying that no paying client would tolerate that sort of behavior for a minute.
Both of those issues go against everything our education as trainers (not to mention "common sense") teaches us. Rather what I have seen on that show would be considered reckless and abusive, plain and simple.
In fact if a trainer used those types of tactics and a client was injured, they wouldn't have a leg to stand on from a legal standpoint because it would be so far outside of what is considered the "standard of care"
Train Wreck?
Fairly recently I was listening to a podcast interview with Coach Robert Dos Remedios (2006 NSCA Collegiate Strength Coach of The Year). In it, Coach Dos (as he is called) referred to “The Biggest Loser” as a ”train wreck”.
This is because it has the same effect on people as a terrible accident that people can’t turn away from out of morbid curiousity. He continued by saying something to the affect of "And this is coming from a guy who works his athletes so hard that most people would consider what I do abusive!"
He said that if he treated his athletes that way the folks on "TBL" were treated, he wouldn’t have a job very long because no one would tolerate it!
Is It All An Act?
The irony is that I wouldn't be surprised if in "real life" the trainers on "TBL"are completely different in how they would train or treat real clients "off screen". In fact they may be the kindest, most compassionate people in the world, but regardless of what the truth may be, that isn't what "TBL" viewers get to see so all we can go by is what we're given.
Bottom line, whatever they're doing is working to attract viewers and sell products so I don't see a change anytime soon.
And The Winner Is!
The only reason the trainers on 'TBL" get away with all of the above on the show because ultimately it’s a “game” and the "contestants" know that they've got no choice but to deal with it in order to have a chance at winning the prize money!
Sadly, it has been reported that in numerous cases, many of the contestants on "TBL" don’t end up keeping the weight off (in fact an NBC exec said about 50% ) because they lost it in an environment they cannot possibly duplicate in their real life.
Also, the backlash of going through an extreme process like that is analogous with what happens when someone severely deprives themselves on a diet and then goes on uncontrollable eating binges.
Getting Real!
Ultimately, REAL transformation happens both on the inside as well as the outside. What I mean by “Real” is a change that will last indefinitely. That is unlikely to happen if one's primary motivation is coming from a combination of prize money and the prodding of overly aggressive trainers beating them senseless with exercise.
For example, when I train my own clients, I challenge them to find their edge but not go over it. They know I "want" them to stop if they start to feel overwhelmed. Within a fairly short amount of time, every client I've worked with ends up pushing "themselves" because they learn where their personal safe threshold is.
A big part of the reason people may not work hard initially is because in the beginning they can't tell the difference between discomfort and fatigue or when they are actually moving into the danger zone.
Once they learn to judge that difference internally, they are self motivated and actually seem to enjoy the challenge of pushing to their personal edge. I've never once had to yell at a client and in fact I'm more likely to be reminding them to be mindful of not crossing the edge rather than trying to force them over it.
It's the difference between "extrinsic" (outer) and "intrinsic" (inner) motivation. Intrinsic motivation is ultimately more powerful!
The truth is, it really doesn't take more than a few sessions for this to start to happen and they could easily employ this approach as well on "TBL" but I guess that wouldn't get ratings!
Who Are Really The Biggest Losers?
Ultimately, I really believe that the real “Biggest Losers” are many of the people watching the show, in particular those who may have a lot of weight (i.e. bodyfat) to lose themselves.
I say this because those viewers see the contestants losing insane amounts of weight each week and may feel that if they can’t accomplish the same that they are somehow failures. This can lead to them just give up in frustration!
Even if they are fully aware that the “contestants” on the show are in an unrealistic situation, with nothing to do 24-7 but concentrate on losing weight, it doesn't help them feel better about their own predicament. The show has led to unrealistic, not to mention unhealthy expectations regarding achievable weight loss.
Where are they now?
MSNBC Interactive did an article about the show called "Where are the biggest losers now?" Erik Chopin, the overall wnner of season 3 was interviewed. He revealed that he has put almost all of the 200 lbs that he lost on the show.
When he spoke with Bob Harper, his trainer on "TBL" Bob recommended that he use a more balanced approach that he can do for the rest of his life" in order to take the weight off again.
In fact Bob said (direct quote from the article) “You know how to take it off and you know how to put it on — what you don’t know is how to live your everyday life”.
Okay, so much for the great tools these folks were given to take into their lives. I guess all those 100 calorie snack bags and Subway sandwiches (no doubt products of the show's sponsers) didn't do the trick..... big surprise!
Unfortunately most people watching "TBL" probably haven't seen that article I referred to above and may mistakenly still believe that the only way to achive weight loss is using the extreme tactics shown on the show.
They may also believe those solutions will bring about long term change, that once you lose it then you are all done and you'll keep it off forever. I mean, who could lose 200 lbs and ever go back. Just ask Erik, and about half of the other folks who lost all that weight on the show. This is a terribly sad situation!
A "Personal" Concern
Besides having unrealistic weight loss expectations, it also greatly concerns me that the viewers may be afraid of hiring a qualified fitness professional who could help them because they are afraid they might be treated like the folks on "TBL".
This is extremely upsetting to me because the main reason I went through the process of becoming a certified personal trainer was because I wanted to make my living making a positive difference in people’s lives. I would never think of treating my clients with anything other than respect, kindness, patience, and compassion!
Most people really don't know how to go about tackling such a complex issue. They don't know where to begin in terms of setting up an appropriate exercise program. Most likely they will need the help of a Registered Dietician or nutritionist along with a fitness professional to help them have the right tools to be successful. But if they think all personal trainers are like those on "TBL" they may never take the first step on what may be a life changing experience!
Scott Fishkind Time4You Fitness
http://www.time4youfitness.com/
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
Boy, if there’s ever been one body part that seems to be misunderstood and mercilessly picked on, it’s the glutes (aka “But-tocks” courtesy of Forrest Gump). They are the Rodney Dangerfield of body parts. For those of you who remember Rodney, his signature line was "I don't get no respect!"
The Glutes are often referred to in a negative context “What a pain in the backside” or the idea of “Sitting around on your bottom”. The second one implying that the glutes are a non active lump of useless flesh. Nothing could be further from the truth and I think it’s time we cut the glutes some slack and gave them their just due!
The fact is, the glutes are the most powerful muscle in the lower body, they can really make a difference in terms of a person having usable lower body strength or speed. They can help you lift heavy objects and help propel you with more force.
In exercise programs the glutes are most often trained for aesthetic reasons (i.e. “because people want their “butt” to look better in a pair of tight jeans”), but I believe it’s really important to think about training it for function as well.
Often in locomotion or lifting, people tend to be more hamstring (back of the thighs) or quad (quadriceps-front of the thighs) dominant. I have learned, by focusing more on learning to activate my glutes using specific exercises, that I can really propel myself with much less effort. This is especially noticeable when I consciously “fire” my glutes when I’m walking or pushing something requiring lower body strength.
The reason that the glutes are often left out of the equation in terms of generating power, is that they are often inhibited because of tight hip flexors. This also create postural issues by creating too much anterior pelvic tilt which creates too much curvature in the lumbar spine (i.e. lordosis).
The body has mechanisms where tightness in one muscle can inhibit (i.e. relax) it’s antagonistic muscle. Antagonistic muscles are muscles on opposite sides of a body part that perform movement in the opposite direction. For example the hip flexors bring your hip forwards, the glutes extend the hip backwards. This relaxation of the antagonist is called reciprocal inhibition. So if you have tight hip flexors then it can create inhibition in the glutes. There’s other factors that are involved in all this (like length-tension relationships) but I don’t want to get into all that in this post.
Anyway, Reciprocal Inhibition is the same mechanism that tells your triceps (the muscles in the back of your arm) to relax when you flex your elbow using your biceps and other flexor muscles. If the triceps didn’t relax you would be unable to bend your elbow because the triceps would “insist” on keeping it extended straight. So antagonistic muscles have an important relationship and reciprocal inhibition is a necessity. It’s only problematic when it’s triggered by chronic muscle imbalances and tightness.
In order to activate the glutes, typically the strategy is to first release the hip flexors via various forms of stretching techniques. Some of these are using Self Myofascial Release. This is done using a foam roller (aka “the poor man’s massage therapist”) and other implements such as tennis balls or "The stick" and the like.
You find the trigger points (i.e. knots/adhesions) in your muscles and fascia and hold the foam roller against that spot for 20 or more seconds until it releases. This is accomplished by a neurological mechanism called “autogenic inhibition” which accomplished via the Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO) .
Note: The Golgi Tendon Organ is a "mechanoreceptor" found at the junction where the muscle and tendon meet. It's sensitive to change in tension of the muscle and rate of that change.
When excited, the GTO will cause the muscle to relax in order to prevent the muscle from being placed under excessive stress and sustaining injury.
A Mechanoreceptor is a sensory receptor responsible for sensing distortion in body tissues. (NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training Third Edition)
This is then followed by various forms of more traditional stretching such as static (long stretches held at the point of slight tension) though sometimes more active and dynamic forms of stretching can be used as well.
Once the muscle(s) causing the inhibition is released ( in this case the hip flexors) then you can focus your attention on activating it's antagonistic muscle ( in this case the glutes).
After this process you want to re-educate yourself to fire the glutes in functional types of movements. These are movements that require hip extension, such as when your leg goes behind you when walking or running, or when doing squatting or lunging types of movements.
A very good exercise for learning to fire the glutes is a "glute bridge". This is performed lying on your back, hands along your sides w/ your palms down. Your legs should be bent with the feet dorsiflexed (pointing your toes towards your shins) so that you are primarily on your heels. Consciously contract (squeeze) your glutes as you lift them off of the ground. Only go as high as you comfortably can but never hyperextend your back (so you want to avoid creating an arch in your back). Rather you should have a straight line from you knees on down to your torso.You often don't need to go very high at all and "your glutes should be talking to you!".
If you are feeling it primarily in your hamstrings, you may need to adjust the position of your feet by moving them either closer to or further from your glutes.
Certainly a nice side effect of activating and strengthening your glutes is that they’ll look a lot better. Of course if there is adipose (fat) tissue covering them up you will need to use nutritional strategies and fat burning exercise (such as metabolic strength training, interval training and other cardiovascular exercise) to get the maximum aesthetic results.
Unfortunately, just working the glutes themselves won’t be enough to get those aesthetic results since you can’t “spot reduce” with exercise. But if you put all the elements together you’ll not only have more functional glutes but you’ll probably be happier with the way they look as well!
So love your glutes, take care of them, learn to use them to help you function better in your life.
