The following video re-post was inspired by this recent New York Times article
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html?_r=2&emc=eta1
and a few of our clients who struggled through workouts today with Peep induced hangovers…
Posted in General Fitness, Weight loss, Wellness
With Christmas only a few days away most people’s thoughts are on last minute preparations such as shopping, baking and wrapping presents. But very soon, for many, thoughts will turn to working off all that holiday cheer and getting in shape.
There are basically three reasons people come to see us here at Precision Fitness: 1. to feel better, 2. to play better, and 3. to look better.
To reach any of these goals one needs to get the “the bottom” of things.
In regards to reason # 1. Weak gluteal muscles are very commonly a major contributing factor to not only lower back pain, but also hip, knee and foot and ankle problems.
In terms of goal #2 –The glutes work as the body’s primary hip extensor and also are the main muscles involved in lateral movement and stabilization. So, if you want to run or cycle faster, jump higher, cut sharper or drive the ball farther, strong glutes are a must.
And as far as goal # 3 – Firm toned buns simply look good.
So to help you with your New “Rear” resolution the following are a few of my favorite exercises to activate, strengthen and tone your backside.
Floor Bridge
Lunge
Reach and Row
Last night I had the pleasure of being a guest speaker at Carolinas’ Healthcare System Livewell Community Wellness Center. After the presentation I was chatting with the Centers community health nurse about all the great programs they provide.
One of the programs that came up was free flu shots. We then had a nice little discussion about the efficacy of the flu shot. As many of you know, I’m personally not a big fan of flu vaccinations. But I’m not here to tell you not to get the flu shot or to pass judgement. I urge you to do your own research and make your own informed decision.
Whether or not you choose to get a flu shot, there is no better defense against the flu or any other disease to for that matter then an immune system that is firing on all cylinders.
Here some strategies you can use that have been shown to help boost immune function. And unlike the flu shot there is no disputing the safety or efficacy of these practices. And the only side effects are a leaner healthier body and boundless energy.
Get Rid of Sugar. Research has shown that high sugar intake can decrease disease fighting white blood cell activity by as much as 50% for up to 5 hours after ingestion. So, on top of increasing your risk of diseases such obesity, diabetes, and some cancers; it appears that eating a diet high in sugar can also make you more susceptible to colds and flu.
Eat real food. Our bodies were designed to eat, metabolize and utilize nutrients from REAL food! Grocery store shelves are littered with food products containing non-food additives. The FDA lists approximately 2800 international food additives and about 3,000 chemicals that are used to color sweeten, stabilize, emulsify, bleach, flavor and preserve our food. These non- food products at best serve no healthful benefit and is some cases are actually harmful to our health. Don’t be tricked by foods that claim to be “enriched.” The only reason processed foods are enriched in the first place is because their processing has stripped them of virtually all their vital nutrients. To help insure optimal immune function and health, stick with natural whole foods with an emphasis on a good variety of colorful fruits and vegetables.
Get plenty of sleep. Sleep deprivation weakens the immune system, thus making the body more susceptible to colds and flu. Most adults need about 7 to 8 hours sleep. Teens need more — about 9 hours daily. Growing kids need from 10 to 12 hours of sleep.
Get Outside. Enjoying a bright sunny day does more than lift your spirits; it also stimulates your body to produce large amounts of Vitamin D. Aside from helping the body to absorb calcium for healthy bones Vitamin D (which is actually a hormone not a vitamin) also plays a major role in the immune function.
Manage stress. Chronic stress can wreak havoc on your immune system. Uncontrolled stress makes your body a sitting duck just waiting to be invaded by the cold producing rhinovirus or influenza.
Exercise regularly. Every time you engage in exercise you’re boosting your body’s immune system. Research suggests immune cells circulate through the body more quickly, and are better able to ward off infection. Exercise has also been shown to reduce the secretion of stress hormones that weaken the immune system. Now the key to this point is that we are talking about moderate exercise. When it comes to exercise and immune function, more is not better. It appears that longer bouts (90+ mins) of high intensity exercise can cause a suppression of the immune response for up to 72 hours after the exercise session.
You can wash your hands frequently (which I recommend strongly) and avoid people who are sick but the reality is… you will be exposed to flu causing viruses. However, just because you’re exposed doesn’t mean you have to get flu. And if you do contract the flu and your immune system is functioning well, chances are all you are in for is an uncomfortable, yet minor inconvenience.
Posted in General Fitness, Wellness
Can you believe it’s November already? Where has this year gone?
With just three weeks until Thanksgiving, the kickoff to the Holiday Season,
it’s time for my annual call to action…
Get moving!
Don’t use the busy holiday season as an excuse to reduce exercise or put off starting a new program.
If you’re already eating right and working out, great…keep it up!
If you’re waiting until after the Holidays to come back with a vengeance don’t kid yourself. The New Year’s Resolution is not the solution.
Make life easier on yourself and increase your chances of success exponentially by starting now. Parties, large meals and extra calories are almost unavoidable during the holiday season. Exercising regularly and enjoying the few extra calories will break the vicious cycle of guilt, feelings of failure, and more eating.
Don’t sit around, get fat and feel guilty, simply
WORK IT OFF BEFORE YOU PUT IT IN!!!
Aside from protecting you from the perils of the Holiday season, exercise has also been shown to protect us from the ill effects of another upcoming season…
The Cold and Flu season…
Just this week The British Journal of Sports Medicine published the results of new research that reveals upper respiratory tract infection is reduced in physically fit and active adults.
The study was done right here my home state of North Carolina by researches from Appalachian State University. Their research showed that during a 12-week period, individuals who exercised at least five days a week had 43% fewer days with an upper respiratory tract infection than those who exercised no more than one day a week..
For more about the study Click Here
So don’t sit back wait for the attack of the cold and flu or the holiday pounds.
Get your backside in gear and enjoy a happy and healthy holiday season!
Posted in General Fitness, Weight loss, Wellness
Reason # 1. Fall is a great time to establish a routine.
With the busy summer behind us many of us are getting back into a routine. The kids are settled back in school, their fall sports are in full swing and schedules are more predictable; now’s a perfect time to add exercise into your schedule.
Hold yourself accountable write it down in your day-timer, program it in your smart phone, make it a scheduled event as important as any other appointment (because it is!)
Reason #2. There’s no better time of year to enjoy outside exercise.
The heat of the summer is gone and the sunny days and cooler temperatures make conditions ideal to get outside and move.
Not only does sunshine boost your spirits, it also boosts your health by stimulating your body’s ability to produce large amounts of Vitamin D. Aside from helping the body to absorb calcium for healthy bones, Vitamin D (which is actually a pro hormone not a vitamin) is a crucial component of a strong immune system. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to an increased susceptibility to autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes, as well as certain cancers and even dementia. Scientists have identified nearly 3000 genes that are effected by Vitamin D.
Get out and enjoy the season by going for a run, brisk walk or bike ride. Play tennis or golf (walk the course if you can), hike or rollerblade. The options for outside activity are virtually endless.
Reason #3. Fall is a great time to eat right.
Autumn brings a bountiful harvest of healthy fruits and vegetables, rich in antioxidants and vitamins. Squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, beans, avocados, broccoli, and cauliflower are all in season and, packed with nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. And you know what the say about an apple a day! Another Fall favorite, apples are a powerful source of antioxidants, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and vitamin C, as well as good source of fiber, and potassium.
Reason # 4. Stay ahead of the Holidays.
Believe it or not the Holidays are right around the corner. Don’t wait to start your fitness program. Coming back with a vengeance after the holidays (the trusty New Year’s resolution) simply doesn’t work. Parties, large meals and extra calories are almost unavoidable during the holiday season. If you start now and remain consistent with your program you will be able to enjoy the parties and the few extra calories without the guilt or the extra pounds.
Reason # 5. Fall is here now and there’s no time like the present!
If you’re not exercising regularly and eating right you can’t afford to put it off any longer. Make the commitment now and you will be rewarded with, an abundance of energy, greater productivity, more self-confidence, and a leaner and healthier body.
Posted in General Fitness, Uncategorized, Wellness
I recently examined the workout of an old friend who has been complaining of nagging shoulder pain. Before I looked at his workout I asked if he was doing any rotator cuff or shoulder stability exercises. His response was “my rotators are fine; I can bench 275 for sets of ten no problem.”
This was all I needed to hear. I didn’t need to look at his current workout to know what mistakes he was making that were causing his shoulder problems.
But I looked at his workout anyway…
And I was right.
How did I know? I knew because I used to think the same way and I made the very same mistakes. And over the last ten years I have helped countless men with aching shoulders who thought the same way and made the same mistakes…
Bench press strength in no way correlates to rotator cuff strength or shoulder stability. Before my two shoulder surgeries I was repping 405lbs with rotator cuffs and scapular stabilizers that were garbage. The fact is, the reason a lot of guys develop this weakness and instability in the first place is because so much emphasis is placed on the bench (I was one of those guys).
For shoulders to move (and lift) in a pain free range of motion the muscles of the rotator cuff work to hold the ball of the ball and socket joint in good position within the joint capsule. In order to raise your arms overhead the scapular stabilizers (i.e. serratus anterior, rhombiods, levator scapulae, upper, middle and lower traps) allow the scapula (which contains the socket of the ball and socket joint) to rotate in a way that allows full range of motion of the arms while keeping the joint space open.
Rotator Cuff MusclesIf the RTC and the Scapular stabilizers aren’t working effectively, the humeral head (ball) is pulled through a faulty range of motion and can create a repetitive stress on the labrum (a common cause of labral tears) and impingement of the bursa, muscles and tendons within the shoulder joint (which creates inflammation, adhesions and can lead to RTC tears).
Labral Tear
The labrum is a lip of cartilage that surrounds the shoulder socket. It serves to increases the depth of the socket and the stability of the shoulder joint.
My buddy’s workout was the typical “guy” workout, very heavy on exercises that strengthen the muscles that pull your shoulders up and forward (pecs, anterior delts, and upper traps). The more you work these muscles and the stronger they become, the stronger the RTC and scapular stabilizers need to be to counter the anterior force and keep the joint moving through a healthy range of motion. Another common result of these types of workouts is the development of excessive tightness in the chest, neck and thoracic spine. This tightness makes it difficult for the scapula to rotate efficiently and leads to faulty movement and soft tissue and joint stress.
When breaking down my friends “chest and back” workout I discovered he was doing about 50% or 80 reps more pushing than pulling. Walk into any gym in America and this seems to be the rule rather the exception. To most gym rats a balanced workout means, flat bench, incline, decline, dumbbell press, dumbbell fly (I guess they’re trying to balance their chest) and then a set of rows and a lat pull to work the back. Then to make it worse they (like my friend) add a separate “shoulder” day and work more anterior delt, pecs and upper trap and further stress the shoulder joints. It’s very important for shoulder health to make sure workouts are balanced between pushing and pulling (it is also very important for cervical spine health).
I also noticed my buddy was also doing a couple of common exercises that under any conditions are VERY stressful on the shoulder joint. First being upright rows, this exercise puts even healthy shoulders in a position that causes shoulder impingement with every rep. The other is behind the neck press (military press). Bringing the bar down behind the neck vs. in front to the chest offers absolutely no advantage in terms or muscle recruitment or development. What is does do however is place a lot more stress on the shoulder capsule as well as the cervical spine (same applies to behind the neck lat pulls).
The first thing I recommended was to get rid of shoulder day altogether. The deltoids get plenty of work with a well designed push routine. To prevent impingement I also told him to dump the “bad” exercises and lay off any overhead pressing for a while.
I reiterated the importance of balance in terms the number of reps of push vs. pull and suggested he incorporate a few good RTC / scapular stabilizer exercises. I also made sure that he was using good bench press and push-up form and not making the common mistake made by a lot of guys in the gym.
I made sure he knew the importance of proper warm-up and stretching and recommended he become acquainted with self soft tissue mobilization techniques utilizing a foam roll and or tennis balls.
I stressed he work on his mobility through his chest, shoulders, neck and thoracic spine and share the following exercises with him.
I told him the importance of maintaining good posture while outside of the gym and explained how lot of time in front of computers, behind the wheel of your car and such can also lead to slouched shoulders that don’t move well in the gym.
And suggested he to take a look at all the supporting data that suggests the anti-inflammatory benefit of getting between 2400mg to 3000 mg / day of omega 3s (EPA / DHA) from fish oil and taking a glucosamine / chondroitin supplement.
Lastly, I apologized for my long winded anatomy, physiology and bio-mechanics lecture but I explained that because I know how much shoulder surgery sucks, whenever I see a chance to help someone avoid it I tend to get pretty hyped up and have a tendency to ramble on…
The end of summer is fast approaching. Now is time the time to assess the damage of those lazy hazy days of summer.
Between long days on the lake or poolside sipping cool refreshments, cook-outs and fast food fueled road trips, it’s easy to see why many people backslide and gain weight over the summer.
With the busy summer almost behind, us many are getting back into a regular routine and schedules are becoming more predictable. Now is the time to add exercise back into your schedule.
Hold yourself accountable,write it down in your day-timer, program it in your smartphone and make it a scheduled event as important as any other appointment…Because it is!
Posted in General Fitness, Weight loss, Wellness
