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STRENGTH AND POWER TRAINING INFORMATION FOR THE SERIOUS ATHLETE! Strength training articles Permission to use these articles You may use these strength training articles in your newsletter, on your site or in your personal fitness emails if you send an electronic copy of the article, along with the date used to Contact Danny Articles written by other strength training coaches express their individual opinions and do not necessarily reflect the training methods or philosophy of Explosivelyfit Strength Training. They are presented here for your thoughtful consideration. Preliminary note to all of you power athletes: Warm ups that consist of static stretching prior to the power and explosive sports are contraindicated because they are detrimental to the outcome. A dynamic warm up is a key component to explosive displays of power. Table of Contents Blood pressure, daily walking and the connection with being overweight
Boosting your insulin response with increased lean muscle mass
Changing your physical activity habits Home exercises that may help ease your knee pain How much activity do you need? Increasing your muscles ability to recover Optimizing the mind body connection Recovering from an exercise session Six stretches that will improve your mobility Starting out with a sensible training program Super-stimulating strength training adaptations Strengthening and stretching your joints Strengthening and stretching your joints Strength training for the older population Super-stimulating strength training adaptations The basics of exercise and health, an introduction for the older adult The effects of potentiation on force, power, and velocity The health problems of too much salt in your diet The influence that exercise has on the food we eat Using exercise to lose and maintain your weight
In most gyms, bacteria, fungi and viruses may flourish due to the environment of plenty of heat, mine being the exception, and humidity, plus the accrued germs that come from everybody that touches the equipment. My trainees certainly aren't exercising with excessive heat and that helps keep of the part of problem in check. Many of the viruses and bacteria can survive for hours on the equipment and other surfaces in the gym. This can be a threat to you because of the chaffing and scratches on the skin that regularly occur while using the equipment. This makes it easier for these germs to enter your body. Even though this is a risk, most gyms and strength coaches spend a certain amount of their time keeping your equipment sanitized. Frequent gym users are well aware of the problems that may present themselves in the way of athlete’s foot and jock itch. However, these are easy to treat, unlike community acquired methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (CA–MRSA) which can be dangerous to your health. MRSA, is an antibiotic resistant bacteria and can be life threatening if not caught in time and didn't treated with high potency antibiotics. Certainly, the threats are out there, but there are simple steps that you can take to avoid some of the germs that are prevalent in the gyms. The first up should be common sense in that you wash your gym clothes after each workout. The days of the filthy socks, stinky sweatshirts, and dirty gym shoes are long past. These are simply an invitation for health problems to pop up in your life. Some people take their gym clothes to the gym in a backpack and change when at the gym and then change out before going home. By doing this, they are allowing the disease causing germs to have a place to rest and regenerate. There are also those who wear their gym clothes back home. These people are spreading the organisms to their car, to their home, and anywhere else, they happen to go while in them. Once these microbes populate enough, they are better able to penetrate the skin barrier through the aforementioned scratches and chaffing. Therefore, the simplest solution is to not wear your gym clothes out of the facility but instead take them off when you are finished working out. Put them in your gym bag, wash both clothes, and bag as soon as you get home so you are ready for the next session. If the bag is one that is not washable, then make a mild bleach solution of one part bleach and 10 parts water and scrub it out. Maintaining gym hygiene and personal hygiene are important in the prevention of disease transmission. The earlier discussion focused on MRSA and keeping gym clothes clean. This is going to zero in more on personal hygiene such as showering, and washing your hands. Healthy people generally are hygienically clean. They don't allow the infectious organisms to remain on their skin very long thereby exposing them to a higher risk of becoming infected. They do this by showering at the gym, or at home after their workout. If you are already washing every part of your body including the bottom of your feet, your toes, the lower and upper legs and the genital area then you are on top of it. It is also advisable to wear flip-flops in the shower and in the locker room to prevent picking up unwanted infections. Once in the shower use a liquid soap that is labeled anti-microbial, not antibacterial, as the former kills a larger spectrum of disease carrying germs, whereas an antibacterial soap only kills bacteria. Moreover, don't share the soap, especially if it is in bar form. Prior to starting your workout thoroughly wash your hands for at least 30 seconds. This is just in case you are caring the MRSA organism. According to those in the know, MRSA can live indefinitely in our nasal secretions. Therefore, washing before and after working out with an antimicrobial soap goes a long way in preventing the spread of MRSA. Carrying a towel wrapped around your neck and then wiping the bench and equipment off simply removes a portion of the sweat and smears the rest of it around on the gear. Instead of doing this, use the disinfectant spray bottles and a paper towel or the Clorox handy wipes, that should be available, to clean up after yourself. If your gym doesn't have any of these items, then go to Costco and buy the triple containers of the handy wipes. As long as they are wet, they contain alcohol and they are still effective. Since you and many others are using the same facility, everyone has to be on their toes to keep the area clean, otherwise you are all at risk of acquiring a preventable disease.
Boosting your insulin response with increased lean muscle mass A brief snapshot of Insulin resistance and why it is important to avoid. This condition causes the body's muscles, fat and liver cells to improperly respond to insulin. The pancreas makes the hormone, insulin. This hormone helps the cells take in and use glucose which in turn is a fuel used by the body to function. If there is not enough circulating insulin, excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream and increases the potential for developing diabetes. It is in everyone's best interest to have as much lean muscle mass as possible to possibly avoid this serious medical condition, especially as you get older. One of the unwelcome conditions of aging is muscular frailty, also known as sarcopenia[1]. Without strong muscles, coordination and balance problems begin to appear. These problems may be held at bay by greater lean muscle mass. A new study reports that increasing skeletal muscle mass by as little as 10%, is also associated with an 11% reduction in the body's resistance to insulin and a 12% lower risk of developing transitional, prediabetes or diabetes. Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles look at the data and 13,644 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Since these people were involved in the study between years of 1988 to 1994, the research is somewhat old. However when the muscle mass of one quarter of the participants was compared between those with the most muscle mass and those at the bottom with the least muscle mass, those with the greatest amount of fat three muscle mass were 63% less liable to get diabetes. After making adjustments to leave out those with diabetes, the connection between muscle mass and improved insulin resistance became even stronger. According to the study[2], “increases in muscle mass above even average levels were associated with additional protection against insulin resistance and prediabetes." Not only is increasing your lean muscle mass important, but also losing weight helps to improve your metabolic health. Most of us already know that the fitter you are, the healthier you are probably going to be. [1] Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass and coordination that results from the process of aging. [2] Preethi Srikanthan, MD of the University of California Los Angeles, USA
Changing your physical activity habits Here we are, well into the New Year and already many people have broken at least one New Year’s resolution. Are you one of them? If so, now could be the perfect time to step back and reevaluate why you’ve fallen off the wagon and are about to end up under the wheels. New Year’s resolutions most often involve changing habits and that takes time. Your old habits won’t change in a flash. They weren’t developed that quickly and won’t go away that fast either. Here are a few suggestions that may help you successfully succeed in achieving this year’s resolutions. They involve creating new habits to replace the old ones that are not working for you.
The health problems of too much salt in your diet Contrary to recent news articles suggesting that the low-salt diets are not helpful studies in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that one high salt meal of 1500 mg of sodium (this is at the upper end of the recommendations suggested by the US dietary guidelines for a full day), reduces the ability of the blood vessels to dilate. Even though blood pressure is not affected, this reduction in dilation ability in healthy people was noted within thirty minutes of the meal. High sodium loads in the body of people with impaired heart functioning can start a heart failure incident, which may lead to death. Not only is excessive salt hard on your blood vessels, it also affects your bones, kidneys, and your stomach. The system within your body that regulates blood pressure and fluid balance is also involved in bone health. It appears as though a high sodium intake increases the elimination of calcium through the urinary process. This in turn causes calcium to be leached from the bone with the attending bone loss and increased risk bone fractures. It's well known that reducing dietary salt intake has a positive effect on the calcium balance of the human body. For this reason, a low-sodium diet may help slow the progression of age-related bone loss. Not only is the skeletal system adversely affected by high sodium, so are your kidneys. In many people, additional salt contributes to hypertension, which is a major cause of kidney dysfunction and even failure. Evidence collected from the studies of animals and humans lead directly to the contention that salt may, in some people, directly impair the functions of the kidney. Another side effect of increased calcium in the urine, see the previous paragraph, and high sodium intake is a potentially higher risk of kidney stones. The story doesn't end there. Some studies have linked higher salt to cancers and ulcers of the stomach. The stomach isn't the only soft tissue organ that may be adversely affected by a high sodium diet; others are the colon and the rectum. According to the research, the evidence is not extremely clear but it is thought that the salty foods adversely affect the stomach lining and make it more likely that bacterium H.pylori can affect the tissues of lining. This bacterium is when the major cause of ulcers and stomach cancer something that most of us may want to avoid. Other findings theorize that the salty stomach environment could be altering the structure of the H.pylori and that in turn increases its ability to continue to live and do more damage to the stomach. There is even more bad news to this story. It is been proposed by some of the scientists, but not yet proven, that too much salt may be a contributor to higher inflammation in the body and could even be a factor in worsening asthma. They also believe high sodium could damage the blood vessels that carry nutrients to the brain, which in the future could lead to vascular dementia. Finally, some of the experts believe that there is a non-distinct link between sodium and weight gain. This weight gain comes about because an increase in salt consumption has a tendency to also increase thirst. Attending to the needs of satisfying your thirst with water is much different than grabbing a high calorie drink, which only increases the chances of becoming overweight. The United States dietary guidelines recommend no more sodium than 1500 mg a day if you are black, over 50 years old; have diabetes, hypertension or chronic kidney disease. That includes most of us adults doesn't it? Several of the ways to lower your sodium intake over the day is to avoid or limit packaged or processed foods and much of the restaurant food. When you eat out, ask for the salt to be left off your food. There's always a saltshaker on the table that you can use to add that little bit of salt if you absolutely have too. Increasing your muscles ability to recover Background on recovery studies The effects that diverting activities have on muscular fatigue , first discovered and reported by Ivan Mikhailovich Sechenov[1] (1829 – 1905) in the early 1900’s, are known as the Sechenov phenomenon. Through his experimental research, Sechenov discovered that during the process of muscle fatigue, nerve impulses from the feedback loop coming from the fatigued muscles impinged on the conduction abilities of the nervous systems firing of that particular muscle and inhibited continued voluntary effort of movement. He discovered that performing a diverting activity produced an increase in flow of impulses from the non-fatigued muscle into the contralateral limb. This shifted the balance between inhibition and disinhibition between the two muscles, thus allowing more work to be done by the previously fatigued muscle. In his experiments, Sechenov worked one arm to voluntary muscular failure. He then worked the opposite arm in a similar fashion, in doing so he discovered he had a quicker recovery time for the previously fatigued arm. Similar findings found that when exercising an upper movement and then recovering with a lower body movement that it increased the upper body’s recoverability. Let's take a look at recovery time before we proceed any further. Recovery time It should be noted that recovery times are not the same for the different muscle fibers. In high-intensity, explosive anaerobic work by the type two, fast twitch fibers, recovery is slower when compared to the type one, aerobic slow twitch fibers. This recovery response was studied and written up in the American Journal of physiology 271, E38-E43 by Casey, A., Constantin-Teodosiu, D., Howell, S., Hultman, E., & Greenhaff, P. L. (1996)[2]. These scientists had nine males working out on isokinetic cycle machine at 80 repetitions per minute and doing two 300 seconds maximum efforts each time. Between the 300 seconds there was a four-minute rest period. During the recovery the researchers checked the ATP and PCr levels of the participants. Here's what they found:
Recovery, as is readily apparent makes a big difference in the power output of the athlete. The take-home message is this: recovery intervals between high-intensity explosive type sessions must of necessity be longer than aerobic endurance type sessions. Some coaches fail to heed this and push their athletes into shorter rest periods while doing explosive, high-intensity strength training. Then they cannot understand why their athletes are not getting stronger. The puke factor when used in training an athlete is simply unacceptable and until some of the hardheaded coaches realize this they're going to continue to experience weaker or less physically fit athletes. If an athlete is not recovered sufficiently, they are exposed to injury due to fatigue and a failure to be able to control their body. Technique and speed of execution begin to disintegrate. Fatigue curves can change between individuals and within a group of individuals depending on conditions they are experiencing. So the question before us now is how do we speed up this recovery process? The answer may surprise you. Increasing your strength and recoverability using diverting activities. Researchers, Matt S Stott, Travis W. Beck, and Jason M. Defreitas of the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma studied ways of increasing recovery capabilities arising from fatiguing concentric isokinetic muscle actions. This small study, consisting of 11 men and 8 women with an average age of 22, was conducted over three separate occasions. Each time they came in their rested 82 sets of 50 consecutive maximal isokinetic concentric leg extensions with their dominant leg. Between each set they were asked to perform either math problems (mentally diverting exertion), a contralateral leg extension (physically diverting exertion), or simply told to rest – this was the control group, for three minutes. The peak torque data, compared between the first and the second set, served as pre-and posttest data. Surprisingly enough, the results showed that when the trainees rested, or performed contralateral extensions between sets the peak torque values were significantly less for the second set. Conventional wisdom would lead us to believe that resting between sets would increase the recoverability of the muscles, however, this was not found to be true. When the trainees rested or performed contralateral leg extensions between the fatiguing bouts, the initial torque values observed for the posttest were significantly less than those from the pre-test were. Additional information gleaned from these tests showed that a decline in the average torque values was noticed from the pre-to the posttest from the control group but not for the math or the physical diverting groups. The researchers reached the conclusions that by doing either physical or mental activity between bouts of maximal concentric [1] isokinetic activity [2] enhances muscle recovery. However, when they worked on math problems for three minutes between bouts, there was no decline between the pre-and post-tests torque values, indicating 100% recovery. Investigators have found similar results between upper and lower body recoverability activities. For example, if the muscles are fatigued in the lower body then doing upper body diverting activities (and vice versa) has been found to be productive. Others have also reported that the by doing physical diverting activities such as large muscle mass isometrics or doing repetitions at 50% of the one repetition maximum can also speed up recovery. [1] http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Ivan+Mikhailovich+Sechenov [2] http://coachsci.sdsu.edu/csa/vol65/casey.htm [1] concentric contraction, contraction resulting in shortening of a muscle, used to perform positive work or to accelerate a body part. It is metabolically more demanding than an eccentric contraction. Called also shortening contraction. (http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/concentric+contraction) [2] i·so·ki·net·ic exercise n.Exercise performed using a specialized apparatus that provides variable resistance to a movement, so that no matter how much effort is exerted, the movement takes place at a constant speed. (http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/isokinetic+exercise)
Six stretches that will improve your mobility
Blood pressure, daily walking and the connection with being overweight
If you are overweight, then daily walking may not dramatically decrease your blood pressure. The healthy benefits that walking has on the blood vessels of a normal weight person may be lost on the overweight individual.
In general, terms this means that your arteries are not widening and the blood flow is not improved with walking, thus your blood pressure may not change to more optimum numbers.
Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern conducted a study that analyzed over 35,000 Caucasian men and women. Each person in the study had regular checkups that included measurements of their Body Mass Index (BMI), and readings of their systolic blood pressure each visit. Additionally these participants exercised at each visit so their fitness levels could be assessed. The results may give anyone who is overweight a reason to reassess their situation.
The results were published in the American heart journal and they revealed that a normal weight person had an average of 12 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure than one who was obese. The blood pressure of the fittest was only 6 mmHg lower than for those who were least fit. Still, that wasn't all they found.
After analyzing the blood pressure, BMI, and fitness data of the participants, they found that physical fitness was an important element in lowering blood pressure in those of a normal weight person. However, it was not as effective of a component in those who were overweight. Interestingly enough, many in this overweight group were physically fit yet their blood pressure was still high.
The take-home message here certainly indicates that diet alone may not help lower your blood pressure. The combination of losing weight, by engaging in regular exercise, and calorie counting will need to be in place before you begin to notice the beneficial effects of exercise on lowering your blood pressure.
Using exercise to lose and maintain your weight "Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you're ready or not, to put it into action." -- Napoleon Hill, motivational expert Losing weight, in the simplest of terms, means using up more calories than you take in. According to the scientific research, one pound of fat is 3500 calories. Therefore, in order to lose one pound of fat you either have to burn up 3500 calories or cut 3500 calories from your diet. Obviously not eating 3500 calories from your diet in one day is not going to cut it. Maintaining your ideal weight is a matter of balancing the number of calories required to remain there. This means balancing out the number of calories consumed with the calories burned during the day. The United States Department of Agriculture's site at MyPyramid.gov states that 60 minutes of moderate to intense exercise is needed each day to prevent an increase of body weight or to lose weight. If you have already lost the weight and want to keep it off, then you may need to increase your activity levels of exercise up to 60 to 90 minutes a day. The key ingredients to losing or maintaining weight is to have an exercise plan. Throughout the week, schedule time to do cardiovascular work, strength training, and stretching exercises. You could do each of these in each session but doing so would mean giving short shrift to one or more of them. You may be better off scheduling separate times for each. For instance, one week’s schedule could look similar to this: three days of cardio and two days of strength training with stretching include at the end of each. The next week would be three days of strength training, with two days of cardio with stretching at the end. The reason you do the majority of stretching at the end is because your muscles are warmed up and your body is in a much more receptive mood. "The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat." -- Napoleon Hill, author Many people equate physical fitness with being able to run long distances or ride the cardio machines for long periods without stopping. Certainly those are admirable goals but jogging or using these machines for long slow workouts does very little to increase your fat loss. One proven way to lose fat is to increase the intensity. You can do that by doing hard, fast, intense intervals. Interval workouts consist of engaging in specific high-intensity, time limited workouts with 20 to 90 seconds rest in between each high-intensity section. For example, if you were running outside you would warm up with an easy 5-minute run. Once warmed up, you would transition into 5 to 10 high-speed sprints. Each of these high intensity sprints would last between 20 to 30 seconds at approximately 80 and 90% of your fastest speed. Keep in mind that if you continuously try to go one hundred percent of your fastest speed, eventually you will create a speed barrier, which is another topic altogether and will not be further discussed. Suffice it to say these self-inflicted physical and mental barriers are hard to break. By continually challenging yourself and lowering the rest periods between the intervals you increase the intensity, which increases the benefits, which burns more calories. It sure sounds simple doesn't it? Anyone trying to lose weight knows it's not as easy as this to do. Cardiovascular exercise is not the only ticket to increasing weight loss nor is it the only ticket to staying physically fit. Well-structured weight-loss programs utilize strength training to boost metabolism[1] and increase lean muscle mass. "Before you begin a thing, remind yourself that difficulties and delays quite impossible to foresee are ahead... You can only see one thing clearly, and that is your goal. Form a mental vision of that and cling to it through thick and thin." -- Kathleen Norris, Writer Increasing your resting metabolic rate means, you are burning more calories throughout the day. This relates directly to the amount of lean muscle mass on your body, i.e. the more lean muscle mass, the higher your metabolic rate is and the more calories you burn. Muscle burns more calories than fat does and strength training keeps this metabolic process functioning at a higher rate even after the completion of the training session. Cardio training, unfortunately, does not have this effect on the body after the exercise session is finished, at least not as long as it does after resistance training. The American College of sports medicine recommends doing 8 to 10 strength training exercises with 8 to 12 repetitions per session at least twice a week. It is my opinion, as a professional strength coach of many years, that twice a week is not enough to increase your lean muscle mass. It may be enough to maintain what you already have and perhaps increase it a little, with the emphasis on little. There is a premium placed on the intensity of the resistance exercise, just as it was in doing high-intensity intervals for your cardio. Heavier weight with fewer repetitions will increase your muscle mass. This is not mean that a woman is going to be bursting out with huge muscles by using heavier weights. This is a common myth and if it were that easy to develop larger muscles, every man on the face of the planet would be muscular and huge. If you eat junk food you get a junk body!~Lamar Gant~ Stretching definitely has a place in an exercise program; however, static stretching before doing either cardio or resistance training is counterproductive and may even lead to injury. It is the purpose of static stretching to increase the length of the muscle range of motion. It does this by relaxing the joint that the muscle surrounds. Since this is a case, it makes no sense to be static stretching before you begin an intense set of interval training or any explosive activity such as lifting weights. The joint receptors are confused and because the joint is relaxed, it is not as tight as it should be when called upon to do intense activities. Start each session with a general overall body warm-up, followed by a series of dynamic stretching or active range of motion movements prior to the actual session. This correctly warms the body up for the exercises that follow. Next follows the actual exercises and then the static stretching as part of the cool down. In reality, there is not a whole lot of difference between exercising for weight loss and exercising for weight management. Both must be kept up on a consistent basis otherwise, all the gains that you've made will be lost. The best exercise program that you will ever find is going to be the one that you stick with day after day, week after week, and year after year. It is a never-ending process; you have to be active in order to be physically fit. You cannot leave out the nutritional component of weight management. A proper nutritional diet greatly enhances your ability to lose and then maintain your weight. Always keep in mind that the best exercise program in the world will quickly be sabotaged by sloppy eating and drinking habits. [1] Metabolism–noun 1. Biology, Physiology. The sum of the physical and chemical processes in an organism by which its material substance is produced, maintained, and destroyed. How much activity do you need?
Virtually any exercise that challenges your muscles, including lifting weights, or using elastic materials such as tubes and bands, outdoor work, such as gardening, mowing the lawn, raking lifting rocks and moving soil around your yard are all considered a form of muscle strengthening activities. The influence that exercise has on the food we eat Researchers have found that exercise can have just the opposite impact on eating that you would expect. In one study, a two-selected groups of people watched ads for washers, dryers, and other household items just before a meal. The second group, avid exercisers themselves, watched exercise ads just before eating their meal. Those people who watched the exercise ads consumed a dramatically decreased amount of food and drink when compared to those who watched the household item ads. The reason for this decrease is believed to be that the ads reminded the exercisers of how much work it is to actually eliminate calories taken in, in a meal. It should be noted that these exercise ads have much less of an impact if the person watching them does not exercise regularly. The bottom line from the study appears to be that if you consistently exercise you would probably eat less if you watched an exercise video or an exercise advertisement before eating. This will cause you to look at the food more critically and perhaps even direct your focus toward your next workout. It also appears that what you choose to do, or think you are doing, is important in your overall ability to control your eating and in reducing each day's total calories. In one example, a group attending a summer camp was told, after the day's activities, that they were going to take a short walk around one of the nearby lakes. The distance around this particular lake was one-mile. Little did they know that their guides had been told to tell approximately half of the walkers that they were going on an exercise walk whereas the other half were simply going for a scenic walk. Those in the exercise group were told how far around the lake they were at the halfway point and then three quarters of the way on the walk, how fast they were going and continually reminded to keep their heart rate within their target zone. In the scenic walking group, the guides pointed out the various wildlife and other attractions as they walked along enjoying the sights. When they got back to the assembly point they were all given supper. The odd part about this whole thing was those who were in the pseudo-exercise group ate more calories than those who took the scenic walk. It is believed they ate more because they thought they had exercised and burned more calories than they actually did. However, both groups kept up the same pace, walked an equal distance around the lake, and finished at the same time. The extra calories came mostly from desert. Therefore, if you exercise it is not a license to pig out afterwards.
Pop[1] consumption and diabetes An excerpt from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that regular pop drinkers had a higher risk of developing type II diabetes. The same comparison between diet pop drinkers, coffee drinkers and diabetes to did not show an increased risk. More than 40,000 men participated in the health professional’s follow-up study. After twenty years, those who drank the most regular pops each day, which in this case was an average of one bottle, can, or glass showed a twenty-four percent higher risk of diabetes when compared to those who never drank the regular pops. It was estimated by the researchers that replacing just one regular pop a day with a single cup of coffee, either regular or decaf, would lower the chances of developing diabetes by approximately seventeen percent. In an earlier study, researchers made the suggestion that drinking one cup of coffee a day may reduce the risk by decreasing certain inflammatory factors. When first studied, the results between the regular and the diet pop drinkers, it appeared as though the diet pop drinkers may have an increased risk of diabetes. These same scientists then pondered whether or not the diet drinks sweetness might have stimulated an appetite for sweet foods. However, this link disappeared when other factors were adjusted into the equation. These same researchers suggested that the people who had been drinking the diet pops might have been trying to lose weight because of high blood sugar, high triglycerides or high blood pressure concerns. Oddly enough, it appears as though fruit punches, lemonades and other high sugar content fruit drinks were not linked to type II diabetes in this particular study. One of the reasons for not finding a relationship is because none of the people in the study actually consumed these types of drinks. Therefore, the researchers were not able to detect any type of a connective impact between these drinks when compared to pops. The recommendation is to cut back on drinking regular soda pops and begin to drink more coffee, tea, water, or even diet pops. Bear in mind that an empty calorie is an empty calorie, and does not help your physical fitness or physical health in any way, shape, or form. [1] Soda, a calorie-laden drink, generally full of sugar.
Strength training for the older population is known to be highly beneficial and it is recommended activity. Before you begin discuss your plans with your health care professional, there may be certain exercises that could cause damage to your joints especially your back. Once this topic has been thoroughly explored and you get the go-ahead, then it is time to begin your training regimen. Start with a good overall body warm up consisting of rope skipping, bike riding, treadmill or some other cardio exercise. After you have your temperature, pulse and muscles warmed up then move into a more torso area directed warm up followed by the exercise preliminary warm up. These are the lighter weight warm-ups that you will use before beginning your workout sets with heavier weight on the bar. Focus a few more sets and reps on those areas of your body that are more susceptible to injury. As for the exercise plan, do your large muscle groups with three to five sets of eight to twelve repetitions. Rest one to three minutes between each set and then rest four to five minutes between the muscle groups. You will want to do shoulders, upper back, chest, arms, midsection, lower back, quads, hamstrings, and calves. These can be split upper or lower if you decide to lift five days a week. Do lower there times in one week and upper twice then switch the next week. If you choose to lift three times a week, limit your time in the gym to around 55-65 minutes total time. Free weights will make you stronger and more coordinated while at the same time helping you maintain your full range of motion.
The basics of exercise and health; an introduction for the older adult
(http://www.whitworth.edu/Administration/ScotfordFitnessCenter/PDFDocuments/PAR_Q.pdf)
Starting out with a sensible training program Optimizing the mind body connection In the gym, you will frequently hear a strength coach talk about the mind body connection. This is especially true when discussing bar speed. “Think speed” is a common phrase in my gym because more speed on the bar translates to greater power output and superior sports success. As much as I hate to admit it, there is a life outside of the gym and if your brain is working at its best then your life will be better. So now the question arises, just how do you make this mind body connection work, and how can you develop it outside of the gym? One way is to give the brain the best possible environment in which to operate. You do this by staying physically active throughout your life. There have been a number of studies demonstrating a clear link between physical activity and higher levels of brain functioning. With a daily regimen of physical activity, the neurons tend to regenerate and grow, which leads to a greater ability to concentrate. As one would suspect, the counterpart to physical activity is sleep. The loss, over time, of even small bits of nightly sleep can begin to affect daytime functions and efficiency levels. Truly, a good night’s sleep is worth its weight in gold. Some people may find it difficult to sleep well, therefore a few of the following ideas may help. One of the proven ways to get a good nights sleep begins with an active day, followed by a period of unwinding before going to bed. Naturally, another source of sleep disruption is caffeine, thus avoiding caffeine could be a solution to this problem. Even drinking less of this substance during the day could help get you better sleep later on in the evening. On a different note, if you are having nightly sleep disturbances or are accumulating a serious sleep deficit then talk to your doctor. There may be other conditions causing this to happen such as chronic pain, or maybe sleep apnea (1). Eating and drinking a healthy diet provides your brain with the necessary nutrients known to be beneficial to your brain health. Foods rich in antioxidants, i.e. the brightly colored fruits and vegetables, foods with omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats like fish and olive oil, are excellent for your brain. The vitamins folate (2) (folic acid is the synthetic version) and vitamin B-12 (3) are sources of brain food, especially if you aren’t already getting enough in your daily diet. Exercise and diet may not be the only issues that are causing a lack of high quality sleep. Stress management in your daily life is another crucial piece to getting more sleep. Unless you are able to harness the negative stress in your life, you will continue to be sleep deprived. This is not to say that all stress is bad because it's not. Some stress adds spice to your life. Too much chronic stress causes a reduction in the part of your brain that creates and stores memories. It can also be a source of mental health problems such as depression or anxiety. Another source of a recurring sleep problem can be physical illness. How you manage, your medical problems may well determine how well your brain functions. Short-term memory is affected by depression, as well as your ability to focus on daily tasks, decision-making or other day-to-day problems. The side effects of drugs, prescribed or otherwise, can interfere with cognition and memory. Heart disease and stroke may predispose a person to dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Included in these medical conditions are likely preventable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels and obesity. The conclusions a person can make from this is to stay active, eat and drink the right things and manage your stress and medical conditions if you want to keep your brain in peak condition. [1] A temporary cessation of breathing during sleep, experienced by some people [2] http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/folate/ Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in food. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate that is found in supplements and added to fortified foods Leafy green vegetables (like spinach and turnip greens), fruits (like citrus fruits and juices), and dried beans and peas are all natural sources of folate. [3] http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-QuickFacts/ Vitamin B12 is a nutrientanemia that makes people tired and weak. that helps keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy.
Recovering from an exercise session Exercise is a way of life for many people; they stay active longer into their lives while remaining mentally and physically sharper than their non-exercising friends. An active lifestyle requires a firm dedication to living a healthy life through good food choices and exercise. Sometimes being active brings with it a few aches and pains. There are moments though when, especially after a particularly hard training session, soreness may occur. Even though this may be a cause for concern, there are strategies that may be used to relieve some of this discomfort. Use a cool down after your session is completed. These few minutes of less vigorous activity help your body to return to its pre-exercise status by lowering your breathing, heart rate, and temperature back to near normal numbers. This time aids in the recovery of the muscles and cardiovascular systems. Static stretching after the initial cool down gives the muscles a chance to relax and gives you a moment or two to improve your flexibility at the same time. Stretches are particularly effective now because the muscles, tendons and ligaments are all warm and flexible; just what is necessary to be productive. Athletes generally weigh themselves before and after training sessions. This is to ensure they are staying properly hydrated. A recreational athlete might consider doing the same for the same reasons because a loss of fluids causes a loss of mental and physical sharpness. The rule of thumb is a pint a pound. Therefore, for every pound you lose exercising you need to drink at least 16 ounces. The exception to this is for an extreme endurance athlete or the salty sweater (1), not only is water important but so are the electrolytes. Give your muscles the nutrients necessary to repair themselves after the session. Low fat chocolate milk is ideal in this situation because it has a good balance of carbohydrates and protein in each pint. Drinking one of these within ten to fifteen minutes pushes the glycogen back into your muscles and this helps them recover faster meaning a quicker return to your favorite activity. ________________________________________ [1] http://www.usatriathlon.org/resources/multisport-zone/fuel-station/figure-salt-in-the-balance
Strengthening and stretching your joints The tissues in the joint share a common meeting place when it comes to strengthening and stretching the muscles, ligaments, and tendons surrounding them. It has been my experience that most people are injured at the extreme ends of the range of motion during a strength training exercise. This commonly happens in the bench press when the bar:
This can also happen while doing a chin up, especially when the body is lowered down rapidly in a ballistic manner in an effort to gain some momentum to go back upward again. Doing so places an enormous amount of stress on the joints. The joints are not strong at that extreme end range of motion position they can be ripped apart. Tearing the bicep tendon off the elbow is a common injury that results from doing the exercise in this manner. Along a similar vein is the lifter doing a dive bomb squat. This is quite frequently seen in inexperienced lifters. They get under the bar, back up quickly and then allow gravity to pull them straight down into the bottom position, which after a quick bounce they attempt to come back up. This style of squat happens, despite prior instructions and demonstrations as to how to do the squat correctly In an effort to prevent a potential injury, it is best to have an unknown and unobserved lifter start out very light. The reasoning behind this is that if they've got a light weight and backup, drop down and rely on the joints integrity to get them back up there may not be quite so much damage in case of an injury. Similar examples of potential damage during an exercise can be found in almost any exercise including the military press, barbell curls, and the dead lift to name but a few. So let us get to the crux of the matter here and figure out a way of strengthening the joints at these end points of the range motions. It is readily apparent that strengthening exercises performed through the full range of motion will not only maintain flexibility but increase flexibility and strength around the joints. At some position, the end of range of motion will be the beginning of the stretch while at the same time this beginning of the stretch can also be the starting of a new position for gaining strength. It is at this point of the exercise the strength athlete should be using a lightweight and gradually building the weight load up to increase strength at this end position. This is a delicate area of lifting and one must proceed with caution in order to prevent an injury. If combining strengthening with stretching at these end range motions, you must absolutely use a weight that is enough to stretch the muscle but at the same time light enough to prevent any overstretching and damage to them. According to Thomas Kurz in his book, Stretching Scientifically, “making 3 to 5 second stops at the maximal stretch increases the effectiveness of these exercises.” By choosing a weight that is just right, you will increase the range of motion and the strength at the same time be protecting the integrity of the joint. Simply strengthening the muscles around the joint but not putting them into the stretch may cause a loss of flexibility in some unexpected positions, which can lead to damage further down the road in your training career. One of the ways to prevent this is to stress the joint in all motions by stretching and strengthening at the point of stretch. For example in the bench press, cambered bars are used to increase the strength in the down position off the chest. However doing so with an extreme camber and a heavyweight can cause undesired injury. You may be best to start out with a 2-inch camber and then move up to a deeper camber. The same is true when using dumbbells as it is easy to rip your shoulders up by going to heavy and allowing the weight to come down rapidly below the level of your chest. One of the ways of strengthening your upper back, shoulders and arms for the chin up is to do straight-arm shrugs off the bar. Allow your body to relax and hang straight down and then shrug upward. The next level would be attaching a weight belt with some weight, again you don't want to go into this relaxed state rapidly allow your joints time to get accustomed to the extra load. As for the squat preventing a dive bomb squat sometimes can be difficult especially with the new lifter. One of the ways to prevent it is to use increasingly lower boxes until the bottom of the squat is found. There is a such a great deal of misinformation concerning stretching and strength training that it behooves the athlete and the coach to constantly stay abreast of the latest information. However, it is very clear that injuries occur with regularity at these extreme ends of the range of motion and it only makes sense to train and strengthen at these points.
Prior countermovement The prior countermovement has been well established as a productive way to greater strength. Program plans using this method have placed an emphasis on eccentric training by using the stretch shortening cycle (SSC). Making use of the SSC mechanisms involves optimizing the length of the muscle fibers, maximizing the muscle activation patterns and transmitting additional energy into the formation of the muscle cross-bridges. During normal strength training, the concentric part of the lift is regularly much lower in weight than what could be lowered eccentrically. Since this is the case, this portion of the lift is undertrained. The question is how to increase this part and still be able to concentrically lift the weight load and finish the repetition. The effects of potentiation on force, power, and velocity (1) Increasing the force, power and velocity to a load, whether it be to a limb or an external object are prime goals in any strength-training regimen. Scientific and anecdotal evidence has demonstrated that force, power and velocity are positively affected with an immediately prior, highly intense, muscular contraction before the actual lift it started. Despite not being quite certain as to why potentiation works, it seems as though these prior moves and moves with a heavy weight eccentric contraction creates an increase in the activation of the muscle motor units. Once this activation has taken place, the movement that immediately follows shows an increase in the rate of force development. This is ideal for starting and explosive strength development training. Even though the scientists have not yet precisely determined exactly how and why this first intense contraction works as it does to increase the lift, they are leaning toward two different interrelated mechanisms within the body. One is the phosphorylation of the myosin heavy chains (2) within the muscle fibers. This is a tad beyond my level of understanding so this is all you get about it. However, there are a few websites, listed in the footnotes below that explain what it is to those of us without a solid biochemistry background. After a through warm up, pick a weight, that represents around ninety percent of a one-repetition maximum. With this weight, do up to three fast repetitions one to two minutes or so before the main activity is to take place. For example, if going into a lower torso activity such as a sprint or jump do one to three short bursts of squats at the ninety percent intensity level. Obviously, you will need to warm up before going to a ninety percent lift. If the sport involves the upper torso then a similar scheme can be set up with heavy bench presses or military presses just before the throwing or upper body dominant skill takes place. In each instance, these prior moves should not unduly fatigue the athlete, thereby minimizing any possible potentiation benefits. Another method proposed a long time ago by Dr. Fred Hatfield, who as many of us already know, was far ahead of his time when it came to getting stronger using scientific principles of training. He stated in many of his writings that disinhibiting certain parts of the nervous system, those controlling whether or not the muscle continued to fire optimally, could be affected with a prior violent movement that counteracted the Golgi tendons response to a heavy load. For example, just before starting the bench press, violently move your arms up and down in the bench press motion before starting the heavy bench. Be careful not to damage your shoulders with these violent arm movements. You can do a similar action prior to a heavy squat by rapidly squatting four or five ultra-fast bodyweight repetitions. I suspect it will also work for the dead lift however, this is untested. In this instance, it would mean several high knees to the chest jumps just before lifting the bar off the floor. (1) From the book Principles and Practice of Resistance Training, by Stone, MH, Stone, Meg, and Sands, WA, HK publisher (2) If you want more information on phosphorylation of the myosin heavy chains search Google with the term.
Home exercises that may help ease your knee pain
A number of factors contribute to patellofemoral pain, two of the most common are muscle weakness and tight muscles and tissues in the leg. Each one plays a part in causing the pain. Building up the strength of the muscles that surround the knee is a good place to begin with in alleviating[1] this pain.
The Mayo Clinic has a series of exercises that you can do at home or in the office. These often times helps to correct the problem in your knees. Do these only if your physical abilities allow and to the point of fatigue, NOT pain.
The hamstring stretch-hold for up to a minute while breathing normally
Find a solid chair and sit in it with one leg stretched out in front and resting on a second chair. Keep your back straight, lean forward at the hips until you feel a gentle pull at the back of the outstretched leg. Remember not to bend the straight leg; keep it straight at all times during this stretch.
Backwards step ups-do these for time. Begin at one minute and work up from there to five minutes.
While facing away and standing at the bottom of the stairs, hold onto the handrail. Step backwards up onto the step with the painful leg. Follow this with your nonpainful leg. Step back down with the nonpainful leg, followed immediately with the painful leg. Repeat for time. Start out at thirty seconds and work your way up to two to four minutes.
Straight leg abduction
Lay on your side with both legs straight out and stacked on top of one another. Lift your top leg up about three to four inches and hold for ten to twenty seconds then lower back down. Do each leg for time by starting at one minute and going toward the goal of continuous movement, hold and movement for three to four minutes.
Straight leg raises
Begin with quad sits.
Straight leg raises on the floor.
Stay with these for at least two months and just possibly your knee pain could be a thing of the past. [1] Definition of ALLEVIATE. transitive verb: relieve, lessen: as a: to make (as suffering) more bearable b: to partially remove or correct. Strengthening and stretching your joints The tissues in the joint share a common meeting place when it comes to strengthening and stretching the muscles, ligaments, and tendons surrounding them. It has been my experience that most people are injured at the extreme ends of the range of motion during a strength training exercise. This commonly happens in the bench press when the bar is in one of these three positions:
This can also happen while doing a chin up, especially when the body is lowered down rapidly in a ballistic manner in an effort to gain some momentum to go back upward again. Doing so places an enormous amount of stress on the joints. The joints are not strong at that extreme end range of motion position they can be ripped apart. Tearing the bicep tendon off the elbow is a common injury that results from doing the exercise in this manner. Along a similar vein is the lifter doing a dive bomb squat. This is quite frequently seen in inexperienced lifters. They get under the bar, back up quickly and then allow gravity to pull them straight down into the bottom position, which after a quick bounce they attempt to come back up. This style of squat happens, despite prior instructions and demonstrations as to how to do the squat correctly In an effort to prevent a potential injury, it is best to have an unknown and unobserved lifter start out very light. The reasoning behind this is that if they've got a light weight and backup, drop down and rely on the joints integrity to get them back up there may not be quite so much damage in case of an injury. Similar examples of potential damage during an exercise can be found in almost any exercise including the military press, barbell curls, and the dead lift to name but a few. So let us get to the crux of the matter here and figure out a way of strengthening the joints at these end points of the range motions. It is readily apparent that strengthening exercises performed through the full range of motion will not only maintain flexibility but increase flexibility and strength around the joints. At some position, the end of range of motion will be the beginning of the stretch while at the same time this beginning of the stretch can also be the starting of a new position for gaining strength. It is at this point of the exercise the strength athlete should be using a lightweight and gradually building the weight load up to increase strength at this end position. This is a delicate area of lifting and one must proceed with caution in order to prevent an injury. If combining strengthening with stretching at these end range motions, you must absolutely use a weight that is enough to stretch the muscle but at the same time light enough to prevent any overstretching and damage to them. According to Thomas Kurz in his book, Stretching Scientifically, “making 3 to 5 second stops at the maximal stretch increases the effectiveness of these exercises.” By choosing a weight that is just right, you will increase the range of motion and the strength at the same time be protecting the integrity of the joint. Simply strengthening the muscles around the joint but not putting them into the stretch may cause a loss of flexibility in some unexpected positions, which can lead to damage further down the road in your training career. One of the ways to prevent this is to stress the joint in all motions by stretching and strengthening at the point of stretch. For example in the bench press, cambered bars are used to increase the strength in the down position off the chest. However doing so with an extreme camber and a heavyweight can cause undesired injury. You may be best to start out with a 2-inch camber and then move up to a deeper camber. The same is true when using dumbbells as it is easy to rip your shoulders up by going to heavy and allowing the weight to come down rapidly below the level of your chest. One of the ways of strengthening your upper back, shoulders and arms for the chin up is to do straight-arm shrugs off the bar. Allow your body to relax and hang straight down and then shrug upward. The next level would be attaching a weight belt with some weight, again you don't want to go into this relaxed state rapidly allow your joints time to get accustomed to the extra load. As for the squat preventing a dive bomb squat sometimes can be difficult especially with the new lifter. One of the ways to prevent it is to use increasingly lower boxes until the bottom of the squat is found. There is a such a great deal of misinformation concerning stretching and strength training that it behooves the athlete and the coach to constantly stay abreast of the latest information. However, it is very clear that injuries occur with regularity at these extreme ends of the range of motion and it only makes sense to train and strengthen at these points. Super-stimulating strength training adaptations Stimulating potentiation adaptations works based on these two principles:
Prior countermovement The prior countermovement has been well established as a productive way to greater strength. Program plans using this method have placed an emphasis on eccentric training by using the stretch shortening cycle (SSC). Making use of the SSC mechanisms involves optimizing the length of the muscle fibers, maximizing the muscle activation patterns and transmitting additional energy into the formation of the muscle cross-bridges. Therefore greater load forces can be generated because of the neural disinhibition that results from a heavy rapid eccentric contraction just before the explosive concentric repetition phase. This method seems to rely in a similar to those that occur with the previously stated potentiation examples. Eccentric actuated loading During normal strength training, the concentric part of the lift is regularly much lower in weight than what could be lowered eccentrically. Since this is the case, this portion of the lift is undertrained. The question is how to increase this part and still be able to concentrically lift the weight load and finish the repetition. Another way to create an atmosphere of greater strength potential is by making use of the stretch shortening cycle (SSC). The SSC effects on the subsequent move can be artificially generated by preceding a maximum effort with a heavy eccentric contraction followed immediately by the concentric motion. This is where the weight releasers come into play. The use of weight releasers is ideal for this type of specialized training. The downside of the weight releasers is they are good for one rep and then must be reset by either the lifter or their good-hearted training partners. If you have training partners, this deloading can happen quickly if they simply remove the extra load off the bar as soon as the eccentric phase of the lift is completed. Coordination is required when removing the plates from the bar so as not to cause it to tip rapidly to one side. Training programs need to be flexible in nature, incorporating the best practices in a systematic manner, and utilizing ever tool available to help the individual trainee realize greater force, power and velocity reactions to a load.
to utter injuriously misleading or false reports about Of the University of Texas at Austin Typically, your pain will gradually subside over time with the proper treatment. If this does not happen then a revisit with your doctor is in order just as it would be if the pain changes in character. For instance if your pain moves up the scale from mild to severe or greater then call your care provider and follow their suggestions. A more serious change would be an onset of new symptoms such as tingling or numbness; both demand a consult with your doctor as soon as you can get in to see them. Your doctor should revaluate these changes in the pain characteristics. They will conduct an examination and either eliminate a possible serious threat to your health or change the directions of the present care program. Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most commonly reported health issues. Throughout ones life, there more than likely will be at least one episode of low back pain. The cause can be muscle strains, deconditioning of the body brought on by a sedentary lifestyle, spinal disk damage from accidents and the degenerative diseases of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. In some cases, the pain escalates into an unbearable situation and must be aggressively dealt with by the medical professional. In the present case of low back pain, serious red flags that appear need to be heeded and promptly attended to by a medical professional. If you experience the following, it is time to seek outside help.
These signs or symptoms could indicate an undiagnosed condition such as an infection, compression fracture of the spinal column due to osteoporosis, nerve root or spinal cord compression, a kidney stone or stones, an abdominal aortic aneurysm , spinal cancer or a tumor that may have started elsewhere and spread to the spine. In the case of the latter, these are especially true in the case of prostate, breast and lung cancers. Pay attention to what your body is telling you and don't let these signals pass without an examination by your doctor.
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