I am moving!

Hey everybody, I decided to upgrade to a real website (no offense to blogger.com they have been great) so I can have more options and control over what I share and how I do it.  It is just getting started and I haven't had much time to work on it yet but all my posting will be done there from now on.  So check out my website here, everythingbutthegym.com
 thanks everyone!

5 Common Injuries And Their Prevention

I did this as a final project for a class I'm taking, but I spent a decent amount of time on it and it is exercise related so I wanted to share it with all of you.  This was for sports participants mostly, but everyone suffers from these injuries even non athletes.  Of particular importance in our culture is the amount of lower back injuries and people who report lower back pain.  I address this as one of 5 common injuries, because it has plagued even me! (So annoying)  I hope you can take something from it and use it, enjoy.
Click Here to go to youtube

The Four Types Of Resistance Technology

Hi everybody, it has been a long time since I posted and I wanted to put up something fitness related.  This is an essay I wrote about the four types of resistance machines/technology that is out there.  It may not be interesting to some of you, but those of you who are into exercise science and fitness gadgets and gizmos, may find some interesting ideas and perspectives.  I hope you enjoy.

photo source: http://images.sciencedaily.com/2008/02/080205121740-large.jpg

The four technologies of training equipment are constant resistance devices, variable resistance devices, accommodating resistance devices, and static resistance devices.  Each one has different uses and has pros and cons depending on the user and purpose.  Constant resistance devices are things like free weights or pulley machines where the wheel is round so it gives even resistance.  One of the disadvantages of this type of equipment is that it does not correct for differences if biomechanical leverage changes.  Such as, in a squat with a barbell, the weight of the bar stays the same throughout the lift.  However, the squat will be much harder at the bottom due to reduced leverage and much easier at the top of the motion.  So at the top of the squat, we are losing some of the benefit of the exercise.  This is also an advantage, as it has been shown that this is how our muscles evolved to work and is a natural type of stress to the body that helps us develop better stabilization strength, and power as well (Hatfield, p. 199).

For general population training this will improve a client’s joint integrity through training the stabilizer muscles and also teach them how to move objects in real life better than machines.  Also for everyday people, this type of resistance training has a disadvantage.  For deconditioned people or first time exercisers this may be dangerous even with light loads.  They may have old injuries or just be so inflexible and immobile that the leverage disadvantage becomes too much when trying certain exercises with a full range of motion.  They also may not have the core or stabilizer strength to do the exercise safely.  In these cases, machine exercises may be a better option to start training.  For sports training the same advantages of these tools apply, athletes will encounter similar resistance to what they will find in real life on the field.  This is a plus.  A disadvantage is that these exercises may lack sport specificity where other tools may be better for some training techniques.  Such as using resistance bands to train a martial artists kick.  For bodybuilding and mass gaining constant resistance technology can be very effective.  This type of exercise can engage a lot of muscle mass at one time due to stabilizer recruitment and help to elicit a larger hormonal response and therefore muscle growth.  For some advanced bodybuilders this type of training tool may not be enough.  Some may require more advanced techniques such as fixing chains to a barbell and doing bench presses (variable resistance)  (Hatfield, p. 199-206).

The second technology of training equipment is variable resistance devices.  This can include offset cam machines that change resistance through the range of motion.  Some are made so they roughly follow the leverage curve for the movement so it provides more resistance as the range of motion becomes more favorable.  Dynamic variable resistance technology is another form, as well as spring loaded and resistance band machine.  For the general population an advantage of this type of training could be to serve as a break in the routine.  If a client is getting bored with doing dumbbell bicep curls, they could try some resistance band curls.  Another advantage is that it provides less resistance where the leverage is the worst.  So if a client is rehabbing a muscle, this could be useful.  They could work a full range of motion in the joint and be challenged at the top (say a bicep curl) but at the bottom where they are weaker and where the injury happened (say from hyper extension) the resistance is more accommodating (Hatfield, p.200-201). 

photo source: http://www.isokineticsinc.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/llpowerpunch2fs.jpg

In sports training these types of technologies could be used to train power for sport, such as the example I gave of a martial artist using a resistance band to train his kick.  This can be provided by variable resistance.  These tools can also be used to help someone through sticking points like using resistance bands to do reverse barbell bench press, or assisted pull-ups, to help the athlete build strength through the weaker ranges of a movement.  One disadvantage though is that these types of movements feel unnatural, nothing in the real world responds this way.  Essentially this type of training if not used correctly can confuse the motor unit signals to the brain and limit growth (if used to exclusion of other tools).  For bodybuilders and mass training, these technologies can be used to shock the muscles into new growth.  Using the overload principle, we know that to make a muscle grow you want to put maximum levels of stress on the muscle.  These technologies can help us do that.  Where they are limited is in their ability to develop the stabilization strength that you can with free weights.  Developing these important muscles will allow us to stay injury free and actually lift more weight and so maximize our muscle development.  Bottomline, variable resistance has its place in a well-rounded program but should not be used to the exclusion of free weights and other tools (Hatfield, p. 199-206).

“Accomodating resistance machinery is designed to allow you to exert maximum resistance throughout the full range of movement in each of your exercises” (Hatfield, p. 201).  This allows you to contract your muscle fully through the entire range of motion,at each point the “weight” is its heaviest.  This is done by controlling the speed at which you can move the machine.  An advantage of this for the general population is that when the speed is controlled by the machine, there is no ballistic movement.  This can be an important consideration for the untrained client who is just starting to exercise.  Ballistic training is important for everyone, but it is dangerous for the client who has been sedentary their whole life.  Keeping them safe by controlling speed can be useful in the early stages.  On the other hand, eventually you will want to introduce ballistic movement to everyone, because LIFE is ballistic!  If you fall or slip or have to sprint from danger, life is not a slow controlled movement (all the time).  So eventually the client will need more than accommodating resistance can offer (Hatfield, p. 201-203). 

photo source:  http://www.hawaiianshirtray.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Air-Pressure-Accommodating-Resistance-Machine1.jpg

For sports training, this training tool has limited usefulness.  Sports movements tend to be ballistic, and indeed the nature of human movement is mostly ballistic, it is how our bodies are meant to work.  However this type of tool may have some limited use as a periodized training technique for pure strength athletes like power lifters who must generate maximal muscular contraction to move incredible amounts of weight.  On the other hand, some tools such as ergometers are electrically driven to provide a constant resistance, similar to what water provides.  So this could be useful for those athletes on crew to practice their sport specific conditioning.  For bodybuilding and muscle mass, again this comes down to stimulating the fibers maximally and in new and different ways.  In bodybuilding, you have to spend a long time to really get results.  This equals a lot of hours in the gym over a number of years, if you are going to be competitive.  So with that said, you are going to have to change things up from time to time to avoid boredom, injury, and burnout.  Changing your routine by incorporating different forms of resistance can not only give your mind a break, but your CNS as well.  Changing the way the muscles are stimulated can provide new growth and help you bust through a plateau to a new level of fitness (Hatfield, p. 199-206).

Lastly I will talk about static resistance devices.  This type of training is known as isometric training where the muscle is contracted and no movement occurs.  This would be like pushing up on a door jamb as hard as you can, you are contracting the muscle maximally but no movement happens.  You may not have heard of this type of isometric, maybe you are more familiar with the static pose type of isometric where you hold a pose against gravity for as long as you can.  This would be something like a plank, or a wall sit.  Maximal isometric contraction was popular in the 50’s and 60’s but died out shortly after.  It was found to be effective, but only for increasing strength at the joint angle trained.  This means that you do not receive increased strength through the full range of motion, which is the most practical type of strength (Hatfield, p.203). 

photo source:  http://www.ironmacfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/alexander-zass-isometric-exercise.jpg

However, for general population use, isometric exercise can be an effective rehab tool because there is no joint movement which can be harmful in some cases.  But with isometrics no movement occurs and we can still strengthen the muscle.  For sports, this can be useful to train specific positions that are needed to be very strong.  Sport has a large element of predictability, which is good for training because we often know what positions need to be worked.  But, we also need full range strength in sport so we will need to incorporate other tools.  For bodybuilding and mass, isometrics will improve size very little.  However they can be very useful for training any sticking points in a lift such as the 90 degree point of a bench press.  Using isometrics can help you get past this when you are stuck at a certain weight.  This thereby aids your full range of motion training with free weights which WILL increase muscle size and strength.  (Hatfield, p. 199-206).

Source:

Hatfield, F. C.  (2011).  Fitness: The Complete Guide.  Carpinteria, CA: International Sports

Sciences Association. 

Goal Setting: Part 2

One Step At A Time....

Last time I talked about the success I had with goal setting.

I had another success two years into my enlistment, when I decided to get serious about putting on some muscle.  Most of my teenage years as a young karate student I weighed about  175-180lbs at my full adult height of 6’2”.  I was extremely lean; about 9% body fat.  I didn’t really like being skinny, so I finally decided I would focus solely on putting on muscle mass.  I focused on eating more, training for strength and cutting back on my cardio.  In about a year and a half I was up to almost 200lbs and I still had my sixpack intact.

Before

175 lbs April 2008

After

195 lbs September 6, 2009

So what changed?  I had struggled with trying to put on muscle before but it didn’t work.  What changed was I had a single solitary focus, to gain muscle; before my energy and focus had been split too many times, between too many goals.  Now I had a single goal, I could focus all my attention on that one thing.  And like my karate days, when I had one goal, I stopped worrying about the details so much and just let the process happen.  I stopped micromanaging things, over-obsessing about my workouts, programing structures and all that stuff that can get so complicated.  I have maintained that muscle gain to this day and continue to whittle down the fat and build new muscle.  My current fitness goal is to complete the training program I am on right now.  That’s it, just stick with this routine.  It is a solid routine so I know if I stick to it, everything else will be fine.  Show up, work hard, and be kept accountable.

photo source:  http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/307623_10151305349982988_350305662_n.jpg

Actually my girlfriend is helping me out with that a lot these days.  She has been my accountability buddy.  With my schedule and where I live, it is impractical to have a workout buddy.  And my training is somewhat unorthodox so a lot of people wouldn’t be into doing my routine.  None of that matters when the person who keeps you accountable doesn’t train with you.  Like I talked about before, having a workout buddy is great for many reasons, but it isn’t necessary.  Just get someone who is close to you to check up on you.  Two more weeks and I will have completed a very tough and productive 10 week cycle.  I have wanted to quit a couple of times, but my girlfriend kept me on track and I’m glad she did.

photo source:  http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/380014_10151295207612988_157163933_n.jpg

Now for your goals, I recommend setting something meaningful to you, something personal and that you really want.  It should also be measurable, saying you want to get in shape isn’t measureable, how do you know when you get there?  And goals need to have a deadline, it needs to have some type of urgency so you keep working towards it and don’t stop.  Be realistic!  Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was the perfect body, so be reasonable.  And lastly, once you have your goal set, don’t fret and worry about every little thing.  I was a big victim of this, overanalyzing my routines, constantly changing them, not having faith in what I was doing, just don’t fall into that trap.  I eventually learned, one goal at a time, set it, and forget it! As Ron Popeil would say.  Get your goal, and stick with it for a set amount of time, I say at least 6 weeks.  After that you can reassess and tweak it if need be, but don’t keep changing it every week or you won’t get very far.  Take these tips and use them to your advantage, best of luck in your goal setting.

Goal Setting: Part 1

"How can I set good goals this year?"

photo source: http://www.omtorgdev.com/5-high-performance-goals-2013/ 

Set goals that have meaning to you.

I’m going to say right up front, I have been a terrible goal setter in the past.  When I started working out at 16 years old, martial arts kept me motivated.  I loved the class I went to, so I didn’t care about setting goals. It was enough that I loved it, and I showed up.  My classmates and instructor would guide me and push me on, and I kept getting better.  Eventually though I did need some type of goal to keep going. The weeks turned into months and before I knew it I had been training for over a year.  At this point, my gains in ability and fitness had slowed dramatically from when I was a white belt (the first belt given in Karate) and I was feeling frustrated.

Yeah buddy, I can relate.

photo source: http://buffetoblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/karate-fail.jpg

I want to touch on this point here, about how fast you can make gains.  When you start training for the first time you will get what is called ‘newbie gains.’ During those first few weeks or maybe the first month, you will get extremely rapid results.  After that things slow down as the body starts to adapt and progress seems harder to come by.  Its ok, this is normal, try to not get frustrated.  This is your body’s way of trying to conserve energy and maintain homeostasis.  Also when you start a new plan you are usually excited to get going! You’ve made the commitment to making positive changes and everything is new and interesting.  For most people, this feeling eventually wears off.  Now aside from staying motivated (which I talked about in earlier posts), there is something else you can do to keep yourself on track – goal setting.

photo source:  http://www.empowernetwork.com/webmillionaire/files/2012/12/home-tuition-goal-setting.png

Ok so back to my story, I was getting a little frustrated…  Time kept moving on, and I kept showing up to class.  But I wasn’t getting better as quickly as in the beginning.  I was working harder and harder to see improvements which only got smaller and smaller.  I loved what I was learning, but I was getting discouraged, just showing up wasn’t enough anymore.  I needed something to shoot for.  What I needed was a goal.

Since I was mainly interested in martial arts at the time, the goal that made the most sense was to reach a higher level of skill.  Many systems of martial art have progressions built into them, in the form of a belt system.  The highest rank in karate is to receive the coveted black belt.  Symbolically it is the recognition of a high level of skill and understanding within the system.  In reality it is just a piece of cloth.  But boy did I want it!  As soon as I set my mind on getting that belt my motivation was renewed, my focus sharpened, and I was determined to get that belt.  Eventually all my hard work payed off.  

Accountabilibuddy

photo source:  http://davidvalefitness.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/23f7de33f6c50aef_running-buddy.jpg

One thing you have to do, even in you think you are great with goal setting, is to have a friend who keeps you accountable.  Accountable, accountabilibuddy, get it?  Now for me, I had this without even knowing it at the karate school, all the people there who became my friends, the instructor, they all kept me accountable.  I didn’t want to let them down so I would train hard on my own outside of class. And I would come in even when I was really tired so they wouldn’t give me a hard time at the next class.  The point is, if you have a workout buddy or even just a friend who you tell to check up on you, you are far more likely to stick to your goal.  I believe people dislike failure, but people dislike failing in front of others even more.  In fact, tell as many people as possible; it will make it harder to skip your workouts.  This is true for diet, fitness, or any other goal you want to set to improve yourself. 

The best accountabilibuddy will be one you can work out with, who is close to your level of fitness for what you are working on.  This will allow you to push each other and do things you can’t alone, like spotting and certain partner exercises like medicine ball sit-ups for example.  But your workout buddy above all else will be there for you on those days when you are really struggling to get moving.

So this goal of earning my black belt worked out great for me, and retrospectively I can deduce why. 

1.     It was simple, straightforward (that doesn’t mean easy).

2.     It was measureable, either I got the belt or I didn’t.

3.     It was only one goal!

4.     I had small goals built in.  Other belts to earn between white and black, these were stepping stones to keep me on track.

photo source:  http://simonpaulharrison.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/stepping-stones.jpg

Why is number three important? Well remember I said I have been bad at goal setting in the past?  That came later, during my time in the military and after my Karate training.  At that point my training shifted more towards fitness goals and was less about martial arts.  But I also started adding in all sorts of training and had many goals at the same time, and I didn’t have the same support structure to keep me accountable.  I would have simultaneous training goals of improving my speed in martial arts techniques, doing more pushups, improving my kicks, doing more burpees in a minute, increasing my muscle size, etc.  Well I’ll tell you, I wasn’t too successful at that time.  And as I said, it was because I had too many goals, and because I didn’t have people to keep me accountable.

So if you get yourself a friend or two on board with keeping you accountable, you will be successful.  Aside from that, keep the four things I listed in mind when setting your goals.  This is not the definitive guide to goal setting, but I don’t think anyone would argue with these guidelines.  

Keep your goal simple, simple is better.  Make it measureable, saying “I want to get fit” isn’t a goal.  Goals have to be something you know you have reached.  Saying I want to lose 6% body fat or be able to do 100 strict form pushups in a row is a measureable goal.  Limit yourself to one large goal like something I just listed.  But then have smaller goals that help you achieve the larger one.  They should not compete with each other.  So maybe your ultimate goal is to run a marathon, a short term goal could be a 5k.  And another short term goal after that could be a 10k.  This is a simple example but you want to have your short term goals lead up to your long term goal incrementally. 

I will have more for you next time on this topic, until then check out these goal setting worksheets.  I use my training logs (usually a notebook) to write my goals but if you prefer a nice neat printout, these might be just the thing.  Remember goal setting can be used for any area of your life, the same principles apply. 

photo source:  http://images.fastcompany.com/upload/inline-yum-brands-reach-for-it.jpg

Set a big goal, and plan your way there.

Free printouts links!

A goal setting sheet for all areas of your life.

Another long term planning guide for life goals.

Sheets for workouts, nutrition, goals, you name it!

Motivation: Part 2

Get Motivated, Stay Motivated

photo source:  http://www.dhfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/family-guy-motivation-personal-trainer.jpg

Talk about a fire under your ass!

Hi again everyone, I decided there are a few more areas to cover in this topic before I move on.  Last time I talked about how to stay motivated by exploring your options, finding something you enjoy, and allowing your interests to adjust over time.  I want to expand on the first point: find something you enjoy (or dislike less).

For some of us, it may not be a given activity that motivates us, but a certain result we are looking for.  A target bodyweight, losing fat, building muscle, etc.  This is something we should not overlook, it's fine to focus on one of these objectives as your motivation.  This applies more to goal setting which I will talk about in another post, but for some people, wanting to change their body may be all the motivation they need. 

photo source:  http://www.rippednfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/big-biceps-weightlifting-workout-arnold.jpg

Maybe you could to be the next Arnold.

If you feel sufficiently motivated to start an exercise program for one of these reasons, (weight loss, muscle building, etc.) I would say that is great.  However, in my personal experience and what I’ve seen and heard from others, this sort of motivation does not last.   How many people do you know of, maybe even yourself, who has failed to follow through with a new year’s resolution to lose weight?  People get excited to lose weight and get onboard with a diet, exercise program, the whole nine yards because they are excited to finally lose that weight.  But within a very short time; a week, a month, they have lost that excitement and usually quit.

http://www.diabetesmine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/new-year-resolution-cartoon-1.jpg

So how do we correct this?  Well we don’t need to correct it, so much as reinforce it, reinforce our desire to improve.  Zig Ziglar said something to the effect of, motivation doesn’t last but neither does bathing, that’s why we recommend it daily.  I think this is a great way to look at it, we should be getting motivated every day!  I have struggled with this in the past, and I still do, I am only human.  But I have improved by reminding myself at the beginning of my workouts, what I want to accomplish and why I am doing it. I keep motivational posters around my room, (hey, they motivate me anyway) I listen to music during my work out that inspires me, these are all tricks you can use to stay motivated but you have to find what works for you.

photo source:  http://data.whicdn.com/images/45750682/a-daily-motivation-2_thumb.jpg

What we need to do to keep going is stay motivated, whatever motivates you keep doing it!  We can't rely on one dose of motivation to carry us through our endeavor.  Think about it, anything else in our life that runs out, we refill. Our gas tank, our refrigerator, even our stomachs, but when we run out of motivation we just say "oh well, I guess this isn't for me."  Why?  Why don't we refill our motivation?  Whatever got you motivated in the first place to start making your life better, go find more!  Read motivational stories, listen to music that moves you, look at your favorite celebrity poster, whatever it is!  Throughout this post I have given examples of what you could do to motivate yourself, but these are only examples.  The truth is I don't know what will motivate you, only you can discover that.  But once you do, don't forget it, keep doing it, and never stop being motivated.

Check out this article on bodybuilding.com for some nice tips on staying motivated in the new year.  
-Free motivational tips

photo source:  http://blog.michaelmichelini.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/stay-motivated.jpg

Stay motivated...

Motivation: Part 1

What gets you motivated?

photo source:  http://www.crescentsolutions.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/motivation.jpg

Hi again everyone, so for my second ever blog post, I tried to figure out where the fitness journey begins.  I think this is important because I want to help those of you who haven’t started but want to.  And even for those of you who are fitness enthusiasts or “health nuts” as you may have been called, it is something we should investigate. 

There are many different ways of looking at this, but I think what gets you started on the road to a healthier life is motivation.  Motivation is what will drive you to seek out information, make time for your workouts, skip the dessert, and continue to keep on going day after day.  You may know someone you admire who is in really good shape, who eats well and has the kind of personality that makes others happy and is always energetic.  And maybe you think, “How does he do it, how is he so motivated?”  Well I want to tell you that even if you think you can’t be motivated, you can- you just need the right fuel.

photo source:  http://www.nexercise.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/exercise_motivation.png

What do I mean by fuel?  Well it’s my way of saying what gets your engine burning, that fire inside of you that drives you to do something, passion might be another way of putting it.  If you have never felt that way about working out, don’t worry, you can.  First of all, there are a million ways to work out, so it is important to explore your options.  If you think your options are limited to running on the treadmill for 45 minutes and doing machine exercises for your muscles, no offense but no wonder you aren’t motivated!  I find that boring too!  

But maybe you never thought of dance, or martial arts as a workout, but these are great ways to exercise.  Or what about some outdoor options like skiing, biking, kayaking, paddle boarding, or sports- beach volleyball, hockey, basketball, you name it.  Or maybe something like Crossfit, or swinging kettlebells or clubbells gets your heart pumping.  Whatever it is, you won’t know unless you explore your options so to get motivated, learn about as much as you can.

Now if you search, and you find something that motivates you to live better, don’t try to put a strangle hold on that one thing.  What I mean is, cross train.  If you find out you LOVE running, don’t just run and run, eventually you will burn yourself out, physically and mentally.  Try to do something else a couple times a week or whatever fits your schedule.  Try a yoga class or a spinning class to mix things up.  Not only will your body thank you for the new challenges allowing it to bust through plateaus, but your mind will be revitalized as well.  

And secondly, your interests will not always be the same.  If your interests change (and they will) over the course of your life, simply readjust.  Well I suppose it’s not always so simple, if you have invested a lot of time in martial arts for example, it may be difficult to let go when the spark fades.  I’m not suggesting we be flimsy or shallow in our pursuits, you must stick to your efforts to see results, no matter what you do.  But if you don’t have the same enjoyment for your sport or activity that you once did, let it go and find a new routine or hobby that DOES excite you again.

Me after Run For Your Lives in PA, most fun I've ever had running.

I’ll finish by saying that for me, my interests have changed many times, as I mentioned in my first post.  Currently though, what gets me to train when I’m feeling tired and sore is the thought of winning a shiny new medal at one of the many obstacle course races I am going to do this summer.  Some people may not find that to be terribly motivating and that is perfectly fine.  What motivates you is unique to who you are, and unless you are motivated by something morally abhorrent, who is anyone else to judge?  If you only want to work out to look good with your shirt off, and that gets you out of bed at 5AM and to the gym, I say good for you!  By the  way, everyone wants to look better, don’t let them fool you. 

So in summary- explore your options, find something you can enjoy or atleast hate less ;) and allow your interests to adjust over time to stay motivated.

I will leave you with a picture of my newest creation, my own obstacle course training wall to get ready for run for your lives, Spartan sprint, and warrior dash this season.  Maybe these races could be the perfect thing to get you moving too.

Obstacle race info links below

• The Spartan races, from 5k Sprint to 12 mile Beast
• Run For Your Lives! zombie infested 5k 
• The Warrior Dash, get a medal AND a fuzzy viking helmet!

Explore your motivation…