I always knew that it sucked getting old but I never knew exactly how much.  Now that I’m essentially there, I’m more determined than ever to fight the effects of it for as long as I’m physically able!

Losing Fat Is Not Always a Good Thing

One of the more insidious tricks that old age plays on your body as you age involves fat.  Yeah, I know that we spend most of our lives fighting the accumulation of it but fat plays a very important role in how our bodies function.

The type of fat I’m talking about here is called subcutaneous fat.  This is the fat that’s right below the surface of our skin.  Subcutaneous fat acts like a “shock-absorber” protecting bone and muscle tissue from the usual bumps and grinds of daily life as well as the typical exercise routine or one-on-one game of basketball.  It also acts as an insulator helping our body regulate temperature.

As we age, the amount of subcutaneous fat steadily decreases, especially on our face and hands, the elbows and lower arms, as well as the knees and lower legs.  This is the reason that as you age, you tend to look gaunt or even bony,  especially around your face and joints.

The problem with this is that as you lose more and more subcutaneous fat, your muscles and joints become much more susceptible to bruising and injury.  It also means that your body has a harder time regulating it’s temperature – one of the reasons many elderly are always feeling cold.

So losing subcutaneous fat is not a good thing and one of the things you’ve got to compensate for as you age.

The Worst Part of It

Although the effects from the loss of subcutaneous fat is bad enough, it’s not the worst part of the story.  As you age, Father Time throws you a “1-2 punch” composed of the two following facts:

First is the fact that as we age, our body increases it’s accumulation of body fat to our upper arms, upper legs, and torso.  Remember that the rest of our body is actually getting skinnier as we loose subcutaneous fat from the face and extremities.

Second is the fact that aging generally reduces the size of muscle tissue.  As you age, you’re not as strong as you used to be in addition to having less endurance.

“But wait a minute,” you say.  “That can’t be right.  I can’t be accumulating more body fat because I still weigh the same!”  Sorry, but the cruelest trick of all is that as we age, our body increases the amount of body fat it stores at the same time that our muscles are shrinking.  Your weight may stay exactly the same but your proportion of body fat vs. lean muscle slowly and consistently increases until about age 70.

Now, you tell me – does that really suck or what?

Getting Old Sucks!

The more I read, the worst the story got.  Aging essentially slows down, reduces, or in some cases, begins to shut down essentially all of our physical and “life support” systems.  Everything from the loss of your sex drive to the creation of brittle bones.  From your digestive system to your heart, everything begins to lose strength, endurance, and efficiency.  “Geez!” I thought. ”Why not just shoot me now!”

But There is Hope

I was really depressed at this point.  Why would anyone want to watch their body slowly deteriorate day by day?  Why would you go through that?  All of a sudden,  the movie “Soylent Green” didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

But the chapter did end with some hope and since the focus of my blog is fitness, I’m pretty sure you’ve already guessed what it is.  It turns out that in study after study, moderate exercise has been shown to delay – in many cases significantly delay – the physical effects of aging.

More specifically, it appears that resistance training tends to create a wider range of positive benefits than does endurance training.  It’s not that cardio isn’t important, it is.  But resistance, or strength, training positively affects a number of things (other than building strength) including balance and flexibility as well as increasing the production of essential hormones that normally decrease with age – and maintaining strength, balance, and flexibility are the keys to staying independent as we age.

No Magic “Youth” Pill

Sorry, regardless of what you might see on the late-night Infomercials, there is no “fountain of youth” pill, elixir, injection, or supplement.  Nothing that “works while you sleep” to turn back time.  The only proven method that delays the effects of age, the ONLY PROVEN method, is exercise.

So it turns out that the only way to beat Father Time is to literally beat Father Time.  Punch him in the face with your kickboxing gloves.  Smash his foot with a dumbbell after working out.  Tie him up with your resistance bands after your routine.  Every time you engage in any kind of physical activity – taking a brisk walk, lifting weights, doing pushups, whatever – you’re taking a punch at Father Time.

Yeah, I know that Father Time always wins in the end but I’m determined not to give him an easy fight.  I’m determined to go the full distance and give it all I’ve got until the Good Lord rings the final bell.

How about you?

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Email Me:  Hiram Perez   

Technorati Tags: aging, getting old, exercise, health, fitness, muscle, father time, hormones, fat, resistance, cardio

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We’ve all been taught that exercise is a great way to reduce stress and for most of us, it really works.  But what affect does all this exercise have on our productivity at work the next day?

A recent study in the October issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine looked at the relationship between exercise, workplace stress, and productivity.  The results were not what you might imagine.

The study looked at a sample of 2,823 workers in Minnesota who were surveyed on their levels of workplace stress and amount of exercise as well as their productivity on the job.  The researchers found a couple of interesting things including (quoting directly from the JOEM Press Release):

1. “In general, higher stress levels at work were linked to greater productivity loss.  Workers with a higher body mass index were less productive, regardless of other factors.”
2. “After adjusting for body mass index, there was a significant interaction between physical activity and stress level. For highly stressed workers, a high level of physical activity was linked to significant productivity loss. In contrast, for workers with relatively low stress levels, physical activity had less effect on productivity.”

What this study appears to show is that the recommendation that you “exercise your stress off” should only apply to low stress levels.  The study found that for overweight employees who exercised 7 hours per week, the ones that felt highly stressed at work suffered an estimated productivity loss of 11% while those that felt lightly stressed at work only suffered a productivity decline of 2%.  Apparently, trying to “exercise off” a high level of stress leaves you so tired the next day that your productivity suffers, which probably leads to more stress.

The study concluded that when stress levels are high, increased physical activity tends to decrease productivity.  If that’s so, then what’s the best way to cope with high stress levels?  The study suggests that “stress management is at least as economically relevant to promoting worker health and productivity, compared to more traditional lifestyle factors…”

OK, so what are the takeaways from this?  Here are some of the things I found valuable (NOTE:  these are totally my opinions – read the study for yourself and come to your own conclusions):

• Workers who are overweight (high BMI) seemed to be more susceptible to stress and productivity loss than workers who were not overweight.  The study did not specifically say this but to me, it seemed implied in a number of places.  The key takeaway from this observation is to lose the weight.  Reduce your BMI and you’ll be in much better shape to handle whatever your workplace dishes out.
• If you face high stress levels as work, you’re much better off learning effective stress management techniques, such as meditation, than you are trying to “work off” the stress with exercise.  Heading to the gym after a stressful day only leaves you tired – and the stress is still there.
• What works for me, even after a stressful day, is exercise that requires my complete attention.  For example, I head to karate class or practice kickboxing with a partner.  It’s hard to worry about how much stress I have when you’re in the ring with someone trying to rearrange your face.  You’re forced to focus on the activity, not on the stress.  As a result, the stress tends to melt away.  On the other hand, if you do an exercise routine that doesn’t require any thought or concentration (weights, stair-master, treadmill etc), then the stress is going to stay front and center.

Stress is a killer, and not just of productivity.  It’s effects on blood pressure and heart disease are pretty well documented.  However, stress is also a part of everyday life.  As a result, you need to learn how to deal with it in a way that reduces it’s effects and doesn’t create more of it.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: productivity, fitness, stress, exercise, balanced health, meditation, journal of occupation and environmental medicine, joem

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I mentally started making fun of how she looked, of how she ran, of how obviously out of shape she was.  She wasn’t jogging, she was waddling! She wasn’t breathing, she was gasping for air!  She wasn’t running, she was stumbling!  She…..   “STOP!!” I had to yell at myself.  ”At least she’s out there working up a sweat.”

 I have no idea why I felt so smug and critical but what made me stop cold was the realization that she was out there taking action and I wasn’t.  She was trying to improve her health while I was sitting on my butt in an air-conditioned automobile.  She was the one DOING SOMETHING and I was the one feeling superior??  

What’s the old saying… “people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”  Yeah, that’s it.  People who don’t get up early to go jogging shouldn’t “throw stones” at those that do.  

This “episode” taught me two things:

1.  Criticism swings both ways:  Giving it is easy – taking it, not so much.  It’s way too easy to sit on the sidelines and criticize or poke fun at all the people trying to improve themselves.  It’s easy to tune into the “Biggest Loser” and laugh.  Look at ‘em sweat!  However, taking a long hard look at your own body in the mirror after you’ve gotten out of the shower isn’t easy, or fun either.  Before you get ready to throw a “stone” in someone’s direction, remember that you live in a glass house as well.

2.  To make changes, you’ve got to take action.  If you want to get healthy, lose weight, gain muscle, or whatever else your goal might be, you have to take action.  You have to get out there and sweat.  You have to work at it.  You have to get up early and stay late.  You have to take things as they are and then make them the way you want them – and that takes work.  

So the next time you see some poor slob jogging along the side of the road gasping for air, don’t cop a superior attitude.  Instead, put on your running shoes and go join them.  Get off the sidelines and get into the game.  Do something!

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

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Now, there’s even more reason to stop – and this time, to stop for good.  A recent infographic has shown up on the Internet showing the various organs in the human body that the ingredients of soda can negatively affect.  Some of these I already knew about.  Some of them are new.

Although it’s been claimed that this infographic is from “the insurance industry,” that’s not the case.  It’s from a site called TermInsurance.org, a domain which according to a WhoIs search,  is registered in the Grand Cayman Islands.  From what I could see, it looks like an affiliate site.  However, don’t let the apparent lack of authority of the website detract from the information on the infographic.  

The health problems listed on the infographic supposedly come from reputable sources and can include things like:

• Increased Tooth Decay
• Asthma Attack
• Heart Disease
• Kidney Disease
• Reproductive Issues
• Sugar Overload
• Obesity
• Diabetes

Check out the original article here, where you can get a larger image of the graphic that you can read and/or print out.

IDEA TIP: this would be a great graphic to print out and tape to your refrigerator door. If that doesn’t make you think twice about reaching for another soda, I don’t know what will!

The empty calories coming from the high amounts of high fructose corn syrup sending your insulin levels sky-high is reason enough to stop drinking — or at least significantly reduce — your soda consumption.  This infographic should convince you the rest of the way.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

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Then right after the first of the year, Teri and I took a great winter vacation to Jackson Hole, WY.  We had a blast playing in the snow.  No time for exercise – having too much fun.

Lastly, as we flew home from vacation, I started getting a tickle at the back of my throat.  You guessed it, I got home with a royal case of the flu.  Definitely no exercising now.

For the next 2 and a half weeks, I battled the flu.  Every time I started to feel better, I’d make plans to start exercising again and sure enough, I’d wake up the next day feeling like crap all over again.

Finally, I’d had enough.  I wasn’t feeling 100% but well enough to get out and take a brisk walk.  I figured that if I waited until I felt completely recovered, we’d be well into July.  It took effort but I got up off the couch and started moving.

You know what?  The more I moved, the easier it was to move some more.  Getting my cardio up to the point where I was breathing hard seemed to open up my chest and break up some of the congestion.

I felt I was finally able to start my New Year’s Resolution – yep, in February.  What is my resolution?  It’s to “get serious.”

What do I mean by that?  Easy.  2011 is the year to get serious.  It’s time to get serious about:

• Getting into shape
• Eating healthier foods
• Losing weight
• Getting fit

I also included some financial goals as well (“it’s time to get serious about getting my company back on the growth path”, etc).  The point is that you can “play at” getting into shape, you can “play at” trying to lose weight.  Or you can get serious and actually do it.

How many times have you told yourself, “I really need to start working out” and then immediately said, “tomorrow.”  See, that’s “playing at” getting into shape because we all know that “tomorrow never comes.”

How many times have you told yourself “I’m going to cut out junk food” immediately followed by the thought, “right after I finish this piece of cake?”  That’s “playing at” losing weight and I used to fall into the same trap.  I was always going to do something to improve my health or fitness tomorrow, or down the road, or right after this bowl of ice cream.

If  you’re serious about change, you don’t play those games. If you’re tired about being weak, or overweight, or broke, or whatever, then get serious about changing it.  Get serious about doing what it takes to get yourself from where you are now to where you really want to be.  And then get serious about staying there.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S. Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.” This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

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So why go through all the effort?  Why put yourself through all the pain and agony?  Well, because exercise produces some “magic” effects.  Primarily:

Physical Strength and Conditioning

I shouldn’t even have to mention this one, right?  Of course, working your body develops your muscles, including your heart, so that they’re stronger and can work longer.  Your body becomes much more efficient at using oxygen and burning nutrients.

But the real benefit is more than just tighter abs – much more.  The more you exercise, the easier your everyday motions become and the more you can enjoy life.  Picking up your kids (or in my case, grandkids) becomes a joy instead of a literal pain in the lower back.  Being able to play chase without feeling like you’re having a heart attack is not only fun for your kids, it makes you feel like a kid as well.

Which brings me to the next “magic” benefit of exercise:

Mental Conditioning

Sure, the more I exercise, the better I feel physically.  But the better I feel physically, the better my mental outlook. gets as well  After a good workout, your brain is deluged with all the endorphins and extra blood flow generated by the physical activity.  It makes you think that anything’s possible – and you know what?  Anything IS possible!

Exercising on a regular basis also builds mental discipline and focus – two things that are basic “keys to success” in your work and career.  Working out in the morning (my favorite time) is the best way to start your day with a clear mind and sharp mental focus.  You’ll arrive at work ready to jump in and tackle the day’s workload while everybody else is still trying to shake out the cobwebs with large doses of Starbucks.  That kind of mental conditioning is sure to be noticed by the “higher ups.”

So Just Do It

Even the most basic exercise routine will quickly produce results, both physical as well as mental, that can only be described as life-changing.  Your entire outlook on life will change for the positive and your jeans will fit better too!  You can’t find a better deal.  So what does it cost?  Just 20-30 minutes of resistance and cardio training every other day or so.  That’s it.

There are all sorts of workout programs out there designed for the beginner to the advanced athlete.  The ALL work – but only if YOU work them.  So find one that you like and get started.  Don’t think about it, just do it.  The results you get will be simply magic!

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You can find the Esquire article here.

In the article, the author describes trying on a pair of H&M brand dress pants at a local clothing store.  Pulling on a pair of Size 36 dress pants – his regular size, he found that he could barely get them buttoned.  What’s going on?  Were they mislabeled?  Had he suddenly gained weight?

I found myself flashing back to a very similar situation the last time I bought a new pair of jeans.  I found that I tended to stick with a particular brand simply because their size 36 fit me much better and more comfortably than the size 36 of some of the other brands I tried.

The author decided to take a more “scientific” approach and investigate further.  He went across the street from the clothing store, bought a tailor’s measuring tape, and then came back and actually measured the H&M pants he had just tried on along with a number of pants from other manufacturers.  The result?  Even though they were ALL labeled “Size 36,” the waist measurements actually varied from 37″ (the H&M brand) to a whopping 41″ depending on the manufacturer!

Isn’t that crazy?  That’s “vanity sizing” in action.  The manufacturer knows that you don’t want to admit that you’ve added 5 inches to your gut over the past couple of years so they simply slap a “Size 36″ label on a pair of pants with a 41″ waist.  You get to feel like you still wear the same size pants that you did in college and the manufacturer gets a sale.  Everybody’s happy.

Oh really?  Little wonder America has an obesity epidemic.  We can’t even admit to ourselves how fit (or fat) we really are.

So quit fooling yourself.  It’s pretty obvious that you can’t rely on America’s clothing industry to make it easy for us so you’ve got to depend on yourself.  Go and get yourself a flexible tailor’s measuring tape and slap it around your waist and get a true reading of where you are (don’t suck in your gut either!).  If you find you need to lose some inches, get to work and do it.  Don’t simply switch clothing brands because their pants fit more “comfortable” (meaning they’re bigger) or because they offer a “relaxed fit” (another marketing word for “bigger”).

I encourage you to read the article because it really opens your eyes to the marketing “tricks” that clothing manufactures play on us.  And they’re not the only ones.  Food manufacturers do the same thing when they reduce the serving size so the number of calories per serving doesn’t seem so large.  They ALL do it — and we tend to snap it up, hook, line and sinker.

Do your best not to fall for it by becoming an informed consumer.  If you’ve gained a couple of inches, do what it takes to get it back off.  Buying bigger clothes lulls you into a false sense that everything’s OK and you convince yourself that you don’t have to change anything.

So get out your measuring tape and face facts.  In the end, you’ll feel much more in control of your fitness because you’ll have accurate information.

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Here’s one case in point.  I love Pillsbury’s Toaster Strudel, especially the ones with the cinnamon filling.  To me, there’s nothing better than starting off my day with a breakfast of 2 pieces of toaster strudel and a glass of cold milk.  After all, I just did an intense hour of a P90X workout (I usually exercise in the morning before breakfast).  Having something besides my usual protein shake can’t hurt, right?

Well, here’s the problem. My usual protein shake is only about 200 calories – and that includes the banana and strawberries I throw in. However, a quick look at the label on the strudel package rocked me back on my socks.  The first thing to notice is that the “Serving Size” for the nutritional information on the label is based on 1 pastry.  ONE pastry?  Who eats just ONE pastry?  So I knew I was trouble from the very start.

I normally have 2 pastries at a time.  At 190 calories EACH, that’s 2 X 190 or 380 calories.  Add in the calories from the glass of milk (2% milk) and you’ve got a grand total of 380 + 120 = 500 calories.  500 calories!  Yikes!

Although the high number of calories is bad enough, a second major problem is the TYPE of calories.  Notice in the label that 60 of the 190 calories – about 31% – come from FAT.  Ugh!  So out of the 500 total calories I had for breakfast, 120 of them are pure fat that I’m sure went straight to my midsection.

A third problem (this just keeps getting better and better) is the type of fat.  Again looking at the label, we see that more than half of the Total Fat is the WORST type of fat:  Saturated Fat and Trans Fat.  There are a total of 4 grams of saturated and trans fat.  Since there are 9 calories per gram of fat, that’s 9 x 4 or 36 calories of “bad” fat in EACH pastry.

And if you haven’t already sworn off Toaster Strudels, there’s more.  Last but not least, each pastry contains 5 mg of Cholesterol.  Although cholesterol is a natural part of many foods, a strudel is probably not the best source of it.

That’s why it’s so hard to lose weight.  The stuff you love to eat usually contains an abundance of extra calories that are very easy to lose track of.  However, it all eventually shows up around your midsection!

So what are my takeaways from this (besides “ditch the strudel”)?  Here are a couple:

1. Read the label FIRST. Always evaluate what you are ABOUT TO EAT, not what you just ate.
2. Be Aware of the Serving Size. Manufacturers will always try to down play the amount of calories in their products by reducing the serving size.  Don’t get fooled by this.  Do the math and then decide how much (or how little) you’ll have.
3. All Calories Count. If you’re trying to lose a couple of pounds, calories – ALL calories – count.  Make sure you don’t let extra calories sneak in just because you take a “pinch of this” or a “spoonful of that.”  There’s no such thing as “just one.”  It all adds up and it all counts.
4. Know the Content of Your Calories. It’s critical that you not only know the amount of calories you’re about to consume, but also the type of calories.  Are most of the calories made up of Protein?  Carbohydrates?  Fats?  If it’s listed first on the label, then that’s what makes up the majority of calories.
5. Be Aware of the Type of Fats and Carbs. You should also evaluate the type of fats and carbs you’re eating.  I shouldn’t have to tell you (or tell myself!) that saturated and trans fats should be at the absolute bottom of your list, not at the top.  Refined carbohydrates and sugar should low on your list as well.

The bottom line is that this breakfast “food” bombs out in all nutritional categories.  Little wonder that even after killing myself at the gym, when I step on the scale, my weight still hasn’t changed.

Losing weight is like playing detective.  You have to ferret out all the places that extra calories are sneaking into your diet and plug the holes.  You have to scrutinize every single calories to see what type it is and you have to decide whether eating it will support your goal or not.

It’s not as difficult as it sound but it does take awareness and effort.  As for me, the box of Toaster Strudel is now sitting at the bottom of my kitchen waste basket (small tear at the corner of my eye) and I’m back to my low-fat protein shakes in the morning.  I’m more determined than ever to control my weight.  How about you?

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Mistake Number 6:  Not Enough Variety

Face it:  most exercise is boring, repetitive stuff.  Lift, hold, release, and then repeat over and over and over again.  Mind numbing.  Little wonder most people find it so hard to stick to a fitness routine.

If you’ve been doing the exact same exercise routine for so long that you don’t even have to think about it anymore, then you’re guilty of making this exercise mistake.

But getting bored with your exercise routine is only part of the problem.  If your routine never changes, your body quickly gets used to performing the same routine over and over again.  End result?  You stop improving.  Before long, you start noticing that even though you’re “exercising” as much as usual, you’re not losing any weight or getting any more fit.  You’ve hit a plateau.  Your body has “memorized” the routine and has optimized itself so that it expends the least amount of energy completing it.

Another problem is that constantly doing a routine that never changes can lead to injury as the exact same muscles get worked in exactly the same way every single time you exercise.

Change Up Your Routine

The obvious answer to these issues is to change up your routine.  Some ways to accomplish this include:

• Vary the exercises. If you’ve never done Yoga or boxing or any of the Martial Arts, try incorporating some of those moves into your routine.  Try adding body-weight exercises or kettle-bells instead of using weight-machines all the time.  Add in some “old school” exercises like push-ups and pull-ups.  Exercise on a balance board or Bosu ball.  In general, finding several different ways to work the same muscle groups will significantly improve the effectiveness of your workout in addition to making it much more fun and interesting.
• Vary the sequence. Instead of starting at the same machine in the gym every single time, try doing your exercises in a different sequence.  If you always start your routine doing bicep-curls, try starting with back exercises first.  Do your routine in reverse and then change it up again the next time.  Keep your body guessing as to what exercise is coming up next so that it never gets the chance to “optimize” the routine and reduce the amount of work your muscles do.  You’ll find yourself burning a lot more calories.
• Vary the intensity. Change the speed and intensity of your routine at frequent intervals.  Without sacrificing form or safety, speed up – or slow down – your routine periodically.  Alternate between heavier and lighter weights than you normally lift.  Again, keep your body guessing as to what’s coming up next.

They say that variety is the spice of life.  It’s also the key to effective workouts.  Variety keeps you from getting bored with your routine in addition to significantly increasing the efficiency of your workouts.  The only way to keep improving is to keep changing your routine in some way.

Give it a try.  You’ll see results right away!

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: exercise, routine, workout, weight loss, fitness, variety, weight lifting, gym

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Exercise Mistakes: Number 3
2. Top 10 Exercise Mistakes: Number 4
3. Top 10 Exercise Mistakes: Number 5

I started this program last week and man, what a workout!  I thought I was in half-way decent shape but this program is a “killer!”  It’s Marine Bootcamp combined with Jr. High Gym Class.  This is the first training workout that I actually had to train for!  It’s that intense.

The 12 DVD’s cover workouts for:

• Chest & Back – geez, this one’s all push-ups and pull-ups with some weight training thrown in.
• Plyometrics – man, were my legs store after doing this one.  Not quite the same as martial art plyo’s but intense nonetheless.
• Shoulders & Arms – lots of training for your bi’s and tri’s.
• Yoga X – think yoga is for sissies?  Think again.  This routine will have you dripping with sweat and burning some serious calories.
• Legs and Back – as if the plyometric workout didn’t leave your legs sore enough.
• Kenpo X – a modified martial arts routine that incorporates moves from the Kenpo fighting style.  Sounds easy but this is a serious cardio workout.
• X Stretch – think this workout provides a breather?  Guess again.   You’ll be amazed at how much effort (and calories) you’ll expend holding some of these stretches.
• Core Synergistics – sounds like an ab routine but it’s much more.  This workout targets your entire core muscles.
• Chest, Shoulders & Back – great, more push-ups (kidding).  Get that V-shape by working the muscle groups of the upper body with this workout.
• Back & Biceps – straightforward weight routine with lots of curls.
• Cardio X – heart pounding, lung burning, non-stop cardio routine that will keep you reaching for the “Pause” button on your remote!
• Ab Ripper X – short 16 minute routine but man, it works nothing but the abs.  Although you can do this workout separately, it’s also included at the end of some of the other workouts.

Also included in the program is:

• P90X Fitness Guide – the “manual” explaining how the program works, how to perform your fit test, and a complete listing of all the exercises performed in the DVD’s.
• P90X Nutrition Plan – a pretty straightforward “eat less, eat healthier” guidebook with meal plans and recipes.
• P90X Calendar – something you can tack to the wall to track your progress.  I actually bought a package of “smiley face” stickers that I place in each box representing each day that I complete a workout.
• P90X “How to Bring It” DVD – basically introduces the program.

What’s my honest opinion?  Well, first of all keep in mind that I am not affiliated in any with with P90X.  Also, the link I provide at the end of this post is a “straight” link to the manufacturer, not an affiliate link.  You can also get this program at Amazon.com, like I did.

I actually enjoy this program.  It’s combines a lot of “old fashioned, hard-core” body-weight exercises (like push-ups, sit-ups, etc) with traditional weight training along with some “new-agey” stuff like Yoga, Kenpo, and Stretching.  But make no mistake, you’ll leave a pool of sweat on the floor after every workout.  My heart monitor frequently records around 700 calories burned in each session.

What’s neat about the videos is that you feel like you’re in a fitness class.  The other people in the video demonstrate variations you can do on each exercise while Tony Horton keeps the pace moving at a pretty good clip.  At the bottom of the screen is a “timing bar” that tells you exactly how long you’ve been exercising as well as how much further you have to go.  There’s a separate “exercise timer” that counts down the seconds for timed exercises or poses.  In short, you always know how far you’ve come as well as what’s coming up.

Is it effective?  Man oh man, is it effective.  This is raw strength building.  You might think that something like Yoga is only for people in leotards but you have no idea how much strength it takes to hold some of those poses for the required length of time.  And every pose, I mean EVERY pose, begins from the push-up or “plank” position.  Your muscles will feel drained after every workout.

This program is for both men and women.  You’ll see at least one woman in each video giving the guys a run for their money.  Tony also explains how to modify the exercises depending on whether your goal is bulk or lean muscle.

As far as drawbacks go, the only one I saw was in the Fitness Guide.  Yes, it contains a complete list, and description, of each exercise on each DVD.  However, there are no pictures anywhere.  So the description for a sit-up is something like, “lay on your back, reach forward using your abdominal muscles to touch your toes.”  Come on!  Don’t these guys know a picture is worth 1,000… well, you know the rest.  This is the only place I would have LOVED a picture, a diagram, a stick-figure drawing, anything, to demonstrate how to perform the exercise.  The end result is that you really have to WATCH each workout first to see how the exercises are performed and then REWIND the DVD and actually perform it.

The good part is that you’ve only got to do this a couple of times until you learn how to properly perform the exercise.  For the traditional exercises, it’s no big deal.  I mean, everyone knows how to do a push-up, right?  However, for Warrior Half Moon Yoga Pose, you’ll first want to see where you’re feet need to be, what direction you’re supposed to be facing, and so on.

All in all, I think this is a great program.  There’s enough variety in the program so that you don’t get bored.  Tony does a great job of keeping you motivated while pointing out how to make the exercises more effective.  I’d highly recommend this program to anyone who’s looking for a DVD-based, strength building and conditioning training program.

The price for the P90X program is around $140 (prices will vary so shop around).  You can order it from a variety of places including the TV Infomercials, Amazon.com, or the P90X website at BeachBody.com.  Again, these are not affiliate links so feel free to visit these sites and take a look at the clips they have from the actual DVD’s.  It should help you decide whether or not this program is for you.

So, back to those push-ups!

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: p90x, workout, fitness, exercise, tony horton, beachbody, pushup, body weight, weight loss, balanced health

The P90X program is available from Amazon.com:

P90X Extreme Home Fitness Workout Program – 13 DVDs, Nutrition Guide, Exercise Planner

• Get lean, bulk up, or grow stronger, with an endless variety of mix-and-match routines to keep you motivated
• Muscle Confusion technique accelerates the results process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so your body never plateaus
• Collection of 12 highly diverse and intense DVD workouts
• Also includes comprehensive three-phase nutrition plan, specially designed supplement options
• Personal trainer Tony Horton will keep you engaged every step of the way

Tired of ineffective workouts that sound great but produce less-than-optimal results? Turn to the P90X Extreme Home Fitness system, a bundle of 12 sweat-inducing, muscle-pumping workouts designed to transform your body from regular to ripped in just 90 days. Hosted by personal trainer Tony Horton, the series of DVDs will help you get lean, bulk up, or grow stronger, with an endless variety of mix-and-match routines to keep you motivated. The secret behind the P90X system is an advanced training technique called “muscle confusion,” which accelerates the fitness process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so that your body never plateaus and you never get bored. The more you confuse the muscle, the harder your body has to work to

Rating: (out of 689 reviews)

List Price: $ 150.00

Price: $ 139.80

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2. Just Show Up
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Mistake Number 5:  Not Properly Adjusting Exercise Machines

Most exercise machines are designed to accommodate a variety of body types and provide a wide range of resistance or weight settings.  Unfortunately, most people never return the machines to their “neutral” setting when they finish with the machine.  Unless you properly adjust the machine before you begin your workout, you won’t get the most benefit from the machine and in some cases, you might actually injure yourself.

Properly adjusting an exercise machine includes paying attention to the following:

1.  Making sure the machine is clean and in good working order. Yes, I know that maintenance is “not your job” but you’re the one that’s going to get hurt if the machine is not working properly so you need to give each machine a critical “looking over” before you get on it.  In addition to making sure the machine isn’t covered in sweat from the guy that just finished using it, you need to also look for obvious mechanical stuff like jammed, frayed, twisted or broken cables, weight plates that look like they might fall, missing or broken parts, and so on.  If you notice something obviously wrong, get the attention of the gym staff so they can put an “Out of Order” sign on the machine.

2.  Making sure you know how the machine moves. If you’ve never used a particular machine before, get one of the gym staff to show you how to use it.  Make note of how the machine moves – especially note the pinch points, where the weights or bar hit, and so on.  You want to make sure that you keep your hands, fingers, and feet away from those areas when you’re on the machine.

3.  Adjusting the machine to your body type. Most machines can be adjusted to fit a wide variety of body types, from tall to short.  Make sure you adjust the seat and the arm or leg rests to your body size and type.  You should be comfortable moving the muscle group that the machine targets through its full range of motion.  If you don’t adjust this properly, your workout won’t be very effective or you’ll run the risk of injury.  A little time spent adjusting the machine can really make a difference in the quality of your workout.

4.  Alignment, alignment, alignment. Make absolutely sure your body is aligned properly on the machine.  If you adjusted it properly in the previous step, it should be.  There should be no sideways motion or pressure on any joints.  Keep in mind that even though the machine might be adjusted properly, your body type might still have problems maintaining proper alignment.  For example, when I was significantly overweight, I used to try to exercise on a stationary bike.  As soon as I got on the bike and bent over to grab the handle bars, the flab around my gut would drop down between my knees preventing me from keeping my legs aligned properly.   The only way for me to pedal the bike was to push my knees out to the side.  Instead of pedaling straight up and down, I was literally pedaling out to the side.  After a couple of minutes, my knees were killing me.  If you can’t physically keep your joints in alignment – for whatever reason – don’t use that particular machine.

5.  Exercise or Weight Level. The last thing to check is to make sure the machine is on the proper exercise level or that you have the right amount of weight on the machine.  You can injure yourself if you assume that there’s a lot of weight on the machine and there’s actually very little.  The same applies if you assume there’s very little weight and there turns out to be a lot.  In both cases, you’re not prepared and can easily sprain or strain something.  If you’re on a treadmill, you can easily get knocked off your feet if the machine unexpectedly starts off at a fast pace.  Make sure you check what exercise or weight level the machine is at and adjust it to where you need it to be.

By keeping these points in mind, you’ll be able to maximize your workouts in addition to reducing your risk of injury.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: exercise, fitness, machines, health, balance, alignment, joints, muscle, workout, exercise mistakes

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Exercise Mistakes: Number 4
2. Top 10 Exercise Mistakes: Number 3
3. Top 10 Exercise Mistakes: Number 1

Then wouldn’t you know it – I got hurt and had to take a week off from working out.  Here’s what happened.

I was doing my usual Kickboxing routine and was on the speed-bag really making it “sing.”  I was having a great workout and my muscles were really feeling good.  Right next to the speed-bag station was a 4′x4′ square plywood box standing on end.  The box is there so that some of our younger students can have something to stand on in order to reach the bag.

Anyway, somehow I must have nudged the box rocking it forward while I was concentrating on hitting the bag.  The box slammed down hard and caught my foot right on the big toe.  You might as well have hit me with a hammer – the effect was exactly the same.

At first, I couldn’t feel anything but a tingling numbness.  It’s like when a bell rings – you hear the initial “gong” but then you continue to hear a “ringing” sound for quite a while afterward.  My toe felt like it was “ringing” – and not in a good way!

First priority – find out if anything is broken. I gritted my teeth and tried to flex my toes.  OK, I can move my big toe with no problem so no broken bones.  That’s a relief.  However, the “ringing-numbness” sensation is beginning to wear off to be replaced by a throbbing sensation.

Second priority – get some ice on it and elevate it to reduce swelling. Anytime you have an impact injury, the capillary blood vessels in the affected area usually rupture quickly filling the area with blood.  That’s why the area begins to look dark red or purple.  In my case, my toe started looking like a cherry tomato.  As the blood and fluid leaks into the damaged area, it swells creating pressure on the surrounding tissue and nerves – that’s what caused the “throbbing” sensation.  Getting an ice pack on my toe and elevating my foot within 5 minutes of getting hurt really helped to keep the swelling, and the pain, down to a tolerable level.

Common practice is to put an ice pack on the area for 10-15 minutes, and then take it off for 10-15 minutes before putting the ice pack on again.  That should keep the area cool enough to reduce swelling without risking frostbite.  Follow this schedule as often as you can for the first 24 hours.

Third priority – give it time to heal. Walking was really painful the following day, and the day after that.  However, I took things slow and kept my foot elevated as often as I could.  Keeping the area protected from further bumps and damage was also important – especially since wearing shoes was painful so I went barefoot as often as I could.

Unfortunately, this part you can’t rush.  You’ve got to give your body time to heal.  In my case, I was off my feet as much as possible for an entire week.

Fourth priority – keep exercising to the extent you can. Now, that doesn’t mean I sat on the couch and munched potato chips all day.  I still worked my upper body by lifting weights 3 days a week.  I just couldn’t do any running or jumping since my foot was out of commission.  To the extent possible, rest the part that’s injured, keep exercising the part that’s not.

Yes, I know that there are some injuries (like back or stomach injuries) that hurt no matter how you move and in those cases, lay off the exercise completely.  However, if you’ve got an arm or shoulder sprain, continue exercising your lower body.  Knee or foot injury?  Keep doing chest, arms, and back exercises.  Use some common sense but keep exercising to the extent you can.

Why try to keep exercising?  Two reasons.  First, exercising will take your mind off the part that hurts.  That’s a huge benefit all by itself.  Second, exercise will elevate your heart rate increasing the blood flow to the hurt area.  This will (in my opinion) significantly speed recovery time.

My bottom line is that I went from hardly being able to walk to resuming my Kickboxing routine (without the kicks of course) within 7 days of getting injured.  The key to getting back on track with your routine after an injury is to keep your priorities straight!

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: fitness, injury, recovery, rehabilitation, exercise, health, soreness

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Mistake Number 4:  Not Progressing Wisely

Let’s face it – we all want instant or overnight results.  We’re like little kids that pick up a dumbbell, do 2 or 3 bicep curls, and then immediately run to the mirror and flex our muscles to see if they’ve gotten any bigger.  And of course we’re disappointed when we see that they’re not.

Now as adults, we still fall victim to the same kind of thinking.  Of course it doesn’t help to be constantly bombarded by non-stop commercials for fitness products that promise to work “even while you’re sleeping.”

Whatever the reason, it’s natural to want quick results.  However, when it comes to physical exercise, trying to hurry the process is a sure recipe for injury.

You risk serious, and perhaps even permanent, injury when you:

• Exercise too much. If your fitness routine calls for doing 1 hour of exercise 3 times a week, trying to get a week’s worth of exercise in one 3-hour setting just doesn’t work.
• Exercise too hard. Who hasn’t gotten that competitive spirit when you’re with a with a group of friends playing basketball or tennis and then paid the price for playing too hard by not being to get out of bed the next day?
• Exercise too often. Trying to get quick results by exercising every day actually slows your progress.  Your muscles need sufficient time to rebuild before you work them out again.

In each of these cases, you’re piling on more than your body can handle – and believe me, it’s going to let you know!

Building fitness requires working through a gradual progression of exercise levels, each a little more challenging than the one before, with enough rest in between to let your body rebuild.

The most difficult thing to do when beginning any fitness program is to start slow, but that’s exactly the way to get the quickest results.  I know it’s counter-intuitive but you see it in professional sports all the time.  You’ll see a star player really pushing himself hard and seemingly making great progress in a short period of time.  Then bam!  He blows a knee or tears a muscle.  Next time you see him he’s on the bench and out for the rest of the season.  Some progress!

Fight the urge to push beyond your body’s current limits.  You’ll only set yourself back.  The quickest way to get into shape is to take things slow and steady.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: fitness, exercise, health, competition, balance

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2. Top 10 Exercise Mistakes: Number 2
3. Top 10 Exercise Mistakes: Number 3

Sorry.  There’s no such thing.  Let me say that again so you can stop your frantic searching — there is no secret way to losing weight.  All you have to do is eat less, way less as it turns out.

I know what you’re thinking.  You’re thinking, “But I already cut out eating bread with my meals” or “I already skip dessert and I STILL can’t lose weight.”  The problem is that you haven’t cut enough.

That lesson was brought home to me in an interesting way.  I’m reading a fascinating book titled, “Physics for Future Presidents: the Science Behind the Headlines,” by Richard A. Mueller.  In it, this Physics Professor takes much of the hype out of many of the issues that crowd today’s headlines.  In a very straightforward way, he tackles issues such as “dirty bombs,” terrorism, energy, climate change, and so on.

It was on his chapter on energy where he’s talking about how much energy a gallon of gasoline contains that I found, of all things, a comparison to the energy content of food.  Mueller states that “food is almost as good as gasoline” in terms of energy content.  He goes on to say that,

“If you find this high energy content implausible, watch a hummingbird.  It uses enormous energy to flap its wings just to sip a tiny amount of nectar.  Clearly the energy in the nectar must be more than enough to cover the work being done by those rapidly beatings wings that hold the bird in front of the flower.  It is.  Food is almost as good as gasoline.”

Because food has such a high energy content, it actually takes very little of it to completely nourish our bodies and fuel our daily activities.   The problem is that we’re typically greatly overloading our bodies with way more food than what we actually need.  Professor Mueller goes on to say that,

“On the downside, the enormous energy content of food is what makes it so difficult to lose weight without serious dieting.  One 12-ounce can of soda contains, typically, 150 food calories.  A person can work that off with a half hour of vigorous exercise (running, not jogging; basketball, not baseball; swimming, not golf), provide, of course, that he doesn’t reward himself with a can of soda.  The best way to lose weight is to eat less, not to exercise more.“

Make sure you pay particular attention to that last line:  “the best way to lose weight is to eat less, not to exercise more.”  It’s simple physics.  To eliminate 150 calories from your diet, you can do half an hour of hard exercise, or you can simply pass on the soda and drink water instead.

Now, to be clear, note that he didn’t say that you didn’t have to exercise at all or that exercise isn’t important or that it doesn’t help you lose weight.  He didn’t say any of these things.  All he said is that from a physics standpoint, it’s easier to lose weight by eating less than by exercising more simply because food has such a high energy content.

So let me summarize:

1. If you want to lose weight, eat less – way less. Although when you first start a diet it feels like you’re dying, your body will actually adjust after a couple of days.  Your stomach will get smaller so that small portions will be more filling and your digestive system will get more efficient since you’re not constantly overloading it anymore.  If you can make it past the first week, it really does get easier.
2. Yes, I did say “eat way less.” Just making token cuts like skipping the bread or desert isn’t enough.  Not eating bread reduces your total calorie count by what, maybe 250 calories?  Big deal.  That’s not nearly enough.  You need to cut your total caloric intake by 1/2 to 2/3.  No, this is not a typo.  Cut your meals by one half to two thirds of what you’re eating now.  Unless you make really radical changes to your diet, your body simply adjusts to not having bread or not having dessert and you end up weighing the same.  IMPORTANT NOTE:  radical changes to your diet does put a strain on your body at first so make sure you’re in good health to begin with and that you’ve discussed your plans with a healthcare provider.
3. Exercise is still important. Physical exercise still plays an important part in your weight-loss plans.  You still have to keep your metabolism rate at a high level, you still need to keep your muscles toned, and you still have to encourage your body to burn fat instead of muscle.  Exercise does all these things so it’s critical that you work in as much as you can.

How have I used this information?  Well, here’s the diet that I try to follow (notice I said “try” because honestly, I do occasionally cheat).  I try to follow the “reduced calorie” routine for as many days as I can during the week.  It doesn’t always work out that way but I try to follow it as many days as I can.  On weekends, I eat whatever I want but obviously try to keep from undoing all my progress.

My “Reduced Calorie” Diet

Breakfast:  One 8-oz Protein Shake (I use Syntha-6) with one small banana or 2-3 strawberries mixed in.  Calories:  about 150

Lunch:  One cup (about 8-oz) of soup.  I love Campbell’s Chunky Healthy Request (not the “condensed”) soups, especially the Beef Barley.  Keep in mind that most cans of soup contain 2 portions so make sure to read the label!  Calories: about 150

Dinner:  Another protein shake.  Calories:  about 150

So during the week, I try to get by on around 500 calories per day (more or less).  Am I always successful?  Of course not.  I occasionally throw in a snack in between lunch and dinner that probably adds another 100-150 calories.  The key is to make sure that your “snack” is a wise choice like a piece of fruit, some nuts, or a granola bar.  It’s critical that you stay away from sugary “empty” calories.

Again, this diet is not for everyone – and not everyone will be able to stay on it for long.  Make sure you are in good health before starting ANY diet (or exercise) plan and discuss your plans with your doctor or healthcare provider.  That being said, use your head and take things slow and easy at first.  Like I said earlier, it does get easier once you get past the first week.

Now 500-600 calories per day isn’t much, but then, I’m a little guy (5′ 10″) so don’t take the actual number of calories as gospel.  Simply take what your normal diet is and try to get buy on half.  Do that as many times as you can during the week.  If that means you do it every other day, that’s fine.  If you can only do it on Wednesdays, that’s a good start.  The point is to start.  Once you do, you’ll find that adding an additional day gets easier and before you know it, you’ll be getting by on much less food.

Make sure you keep up your exercise routine.  In fact, when you start getting hungry, go out for a brisk walk instead of reaching for the chips.  Drinking lots of water will also help to keep your stomach from grumbling.

So to sum up, “token” dieting doesn’t work since your body simply adapts to the slight changes in food intake.  The end result is that you end up weighing exactly the same.  To lose weight, you’ve got to make a radical reduction in the amount of food you eat – on the order of 1/2 to 2/3 of what you’re eating now.  Drink plenty of water, get plenty of exercise, and above all, use common sense and check with your doctor along the way.  I think you’ll be pleased with the results you start getting.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: diet, weight-loss, nutrition, balanced health, fitness, muscle, protein, weight, calories

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Well, according to several studies, here is the recommended technique to use in order to optimize your weight lifting sessions:

• Optimal Number of Reps per Set:  8-15. In order to really work your muscles and promote the release of fat-burning hormones, you should only put enough weight on the bar so that you can perform between 8 and 15 repetitions.  Doing less than 8 reps doesn’t release as many fat-burning hormones and if you can do more than 15 reps, you probably don’t have enough weight on the bar.
• Optimal Number of Sets per Exercise:  2-4. Performing 2-4 sets (composed of 8-15 reps per set) will keep your hormone at a consistent, fat-burning rate.
• Optimal Rest Period Between Sets:  60 seconds. You should rest no more than 60 seconds in between sets.  Otherwise, your muscles begin to cool down and heart rate, as well as your level of fat-burning hormones, begins to drop.
• Number of Seconds to Lower Your Weights:  3 seconds. Many people simply let gravity take over and let the weight drop down to the starting position.  This is dead wrong and can actually lead to serious injury.  You may not believe it but in many exercises, your muscles actually work harder on the eccentric, or lowering, phase since they’re working against the force of gravity and trying to decelerate the weight load at the same time.  Take a full 3 seconds to slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position in a controlled manner.

Are there exceptions to this “formula?”  Of course there are.  If you’re working on building strength, you should focus on lifting heavier weights for a smaller number of reps (usually 1-2 sets of 2-3 reps) and increasing the rest period in between.  However, for people that are trying to build and tone muscle and lose a few pounds in the process, this combination should get you there in the least amount of time.

So what are you waiting for?  Head to the gym and give it a try!

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: weight lifting, weights, exercise, fitness, gym, health, weight loss, fat-burning

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Mistake Number 3:  Bad Form

One of the biggest and most frequent mistakes I see in the gym is to use bad form when performing an exercise.  Bad form at its worst can lead to strains, sprains, or even more serious and sometimes permanent, injuries.  At its least, it renders your exercise ineffective.

Some of the more common examples of bad form usually fall into two categories:  (1) doing the wrong exercise and (2), doing the exercise wrong.

Doing the Wrong Exercise

Some people simply should not be doing certain types of exercises.  An exercise routine should be matched to a person’s existing condition, their physical body type, and their size and weight.   Some people just don’t have the physical range of motion or the muscle structure to benefit from certain types of exercises.

Others may be too big, too short, or too heavy to make proper use of the exercise machines, despite the fact that most machines can be adjusted within a wide range of settings.

I’ll give you a personal example.  Years ago, I carried quite a bit more weight in my midsection resulting in a bit of a “beer belly” (even though I don’t drink beer).  What did I do?  Why run to the gym and jump on the LifeCycle (a stationary bike).  I cycled for about an hour before going home feeling pretty good about all the calories I had burned.  The next day I could hardly walk.

What happened?  Well, I was pretty overweight and most of that weight was in my midsection.  As soon as I got on the bike and leaned forward to grab the handlebars, all that weight kind of sagged down between my thighs.  In fact, the only way to make room for my sagging belly was to push my knees out to the side — out of alignment, in other words.  After an hour of cycling, my knee joints had taken a beating.  It’s a wonder they weren’t damaged seriously.

In another case, I saw an instructor put a brand new student, who also smoked, through a pretty intense cardio routine.  The new student almost passed out before puking their guts out.  The instructor should have modified the routine to better fit the current condition of the new student (who was never seen again, by the way) instead of trying to “force-fit” the student into a cookie-cutter routine.

The point is that there are some exercises, and some exercise machines, that certain types of people shouldn’t be doing.  Make sure that your exercise routine is matched to your current physical condition and your body type as well as your height and current weight.

Doing the Exercise Wrong

Most cases of bad form are, by far, people doing an exercise incorrectly.  It should be obvious that doing the exercise wrong can lead to physical injury.  Not so obvious is that most of your efforts are ineffectual, and that’s a real shame.  You only have so much time to get to the gym so why would waste time and energy going through motions that don’t actually work your muscles correctly?

Performing an exercise incorrectly usually include the following:

• Poor or Improper Alignment. In most exercises, especially those involving weights, the large muscles of the body are designed to move in more-or-less straight lines.  This is what aligns the entire muscle against the load it’s trying to move.  Using bad form or alignment subjects a section of the muscle to an uneven amount of force increasing the chances that the muscle will strain or tear at that point.  Before you lift any kind of weight, do a quick mental check to make sure every part of your body is lined up properly.
• Using Too Much Weight. This is more of a “guy thing.”  Trying to lift too much weight before your body is conditioned for it can put more force on muscles and joints than they’re capable of handling.  Using too much weight also leads to the last item.
• Lack of Controlled Movement. If you’re trying to lift too much weight, you’re not going to be able to control the movement of your muscles through the full range of the exercise.  As a result, one of two things will happen:  you’ll either “sling the weight” using momentum instead of your muscles to press or push the weights ups, or you’ll shorten your movement by not extending all the way and thereby fail to execute a full rep.  In both cases, you’re not working your muscles completely or effectively.

In all cases, if any exercise or exercise movement doesn’t feel comfortable, by all means stop doing it and get some help.  Most gyms have trainers on staff that will be happy to show you how to use an exercise machine properly or that can help design an effective exercise routine.  Telling them where it hurts or what feels uncomfortable will usually help them come up with modifications to the exercise or adjustments to the machine that you can make in order to better accommodate your specific condition or body type.

Get the most out of your time at the gym by making sure that you’re using good form – doing the right exercise and doing the exercise right.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: form, weight lifting, weight machines, alignment, biomechanics, posture, muscle strain, injury, exercise, fitness

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Mistake Number 2:  Unbalanced Strength Training Programs

An “unbalanced strength training program” is a weight or resistance training program that concentrates on only 1 or 2 areas of the body and ignores the rest.  It’s only natural, I guess, that most people tend to focus their training on the muscles that they think will make them look younger, leaner, stronger, or sexier.  These muscles most often include the biceps, abs, and legs.

Do a quick Internet search and you’ll find all kinds of “miracle-get-fit-quick” programs that supposedly “target” these specific areas.  Take a close look around the gym and you’ll find people spending the majority of their time primarily working these muscles -  guys trying to do 200-pound-bicep-curls and women working nothing but the leg-press and the “butt-buster.”

The results, like the guy in the picture, can sometimes look unnatural and downright freaky.  However, how things look is pretty subjective (some people think looking like Popeye is cool – whatever) so let’s put looks aside for a moment and only talk about whole body health effects.

The muscles of your body are designed to work in unison, with each muscle playing an important part of whatever motion you’re engaged in. Whether it’s shooting hoops or lifting weights, for any type of movement, your muscles create the movement together by playing one or more of the following roles:

• Agonist or “Prime Mover”:  This is the muscle that acts directly to bring about a desired movement through contraction.  If you’re performing a dumbbell bench press, for example, the agonist is the Pectoralis Major (or “pecs”) which contract (shorten) to raise the arms as you press the weights upward.
• Synergist or “Assistant Mover”:  As the name implies, this is the muscle (or muscles) that indirectly assists in creating the desired movement.  In the dumbbell bench press, the synergist is the Anterior Deltoid (or “front delt”).
• Antagonist:  The antagonist is the opposite partner of the agonist.  It’s job is to return the limb to the starting position by creating  a force that’s directly opposite to the Prime Mover.  In our bench press example, the antagonist is the Posterior Deltoid (“rear delt”).
• Stabilizer:  This muscle (or muscles) are responsible for stabilizing and supporting the muscle next to it.  In a dumbbell bench press, the stabilizers are the Rotator Cuff muscles.
• Neutralizer:  Similar to the stabilizer, the neutralizer is a muscle (or muscles) responsible for eliminating or canceling out an undesired movement.  In our example, the Rotator Cuff muscles also act as neutralizers acting to cancel out any sideways or unstable movement as the arms press up.

Developing one muscle to the exclusion of the other creates an imbalance between that muscle and it’s paired antagonist frequently leading to injury.  For example, overdeveloping the pecs by doing dumbbell bench presses all day long can lead to muscle stain or tearing of the Posterior Deltoid, the antagonist muscle.

Why does that happen?  Interesting story that most people don’t consider.  When you’re doing a bench press, for example, most people are surprised to learn that the Posterior Deltoid is the muscle most susceptible to injury, not the Pecs.  Why is that?  Because when you press up (using the Pecs), you’re lifting a weight against gravity and your movement tends to be slow, measured, and controlled.  However, when you go back to the start position, most people tend to simply let the weights drop back down to chest level without taking into account that gravity is now pulling in the same direction as the weights.  Unless you’re careful, the movement back down tends to be faster, less controlled, and end with an abrupt stop.  That puts a lot of strain on the Rear Delts.  If you’re going to get injured doing this exercise, that’s where it’s going to happen.

Same scenario applies to your legs.  If you spend enough time in a gym, you might have heard the advice, “strengthen the glutes and stretch the quads.”  The reason is that most people are “quad dominant.”  In other words, their quads are already much stronger than their glutes making it much easier to strain or tear the glutes when they try to develop their quads even further.  If you’ve ever injured your legs doing a leg press, it’s almost always on the return when your glutes are straining to slow the weights quickly.

The key to building a stronger body is to make sure that your weight or resistance training program is balanced and incorporates ALL major muscles groups, not just the “sexy” ones.  That means following a workout that includes the chest, the back (upper and lower) and shoulders, the arms (biceps, forearms, and hands), the core (upper and lower abs, obliques), as well as your legs and hips.  It’s important to strengthen not only the big muscles, but the supporting ones as well in order to prevent injuries.

The end result is that you’ll not only look and feel better, you’ll move better with increased coordination and balance.  Isn’t that why you work out in the first place?

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: fitness, weight lifting, exercise, balanced health, bench press, dumbbell, ACE, muscle, strength training, resistance training

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