Victoria Wellness Professionals » narina

A Member’s Journey Thru the Fitness Challenge

narina — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:14:40 +0000

2-3 times a year at our gym we have a 6 week Fitness Challenge. The Challenge is to help clients re-focus their nutrition and exercise program and also to help educate proper eating and encourage a little extra work outside the gym. We all know that ideally we should be doing something physical for 20-30 minutes every day. If you wish to make noticable changes to body composition it requires a plan of attack and a follow through of that plan. For those that follow through for the whole 6 weeks, they all will notice pounds lost, inches lost and body fat lost. But there is always a wide range of results.

The more diligent clients are with their nutrition (remember you can’t out train a bad diet), the more noticable the results. One client, Heidi took this Challenge to heart and was relentless is her determination to stay on track and work her butt off! It did the trick and she came through with a 1st place finish and $1050.00 to boot!

The article below is Heidi’s journey through the 6 weeks of the Fitness Challenge. Thank you very much Heidi for sharing your journey and Congratulations!

“Six weeks goes by very quickly…if you’re on vacation in Tahiti. If you’re changing the entire way you think about food – it becomes an eternity. But for someone like me who likes to do things fast and who has only ever really extreme dieted for short periods of time, it is yet another example of how slow and consistent will always outperform quick and extreme.

The first week was done the old fashioned way. Eat as little as possible and work out like a crazy person. By week two, I was basically a zombie and realized, I would be dead in a month. Which is probably why I then spent the next 4 days eating anything I could find.

My Oprah Winfrey ah-ha moment came when I seriously decided to do this thing by the book. Three small meals, two snacks a day. Where have I heard that before. Guess what – it really works. For me, 1200 calories was going to do the trick. Eating every 2 ½ hours was the most important thing in the entire process. Also realizing that when you feel hunger pangs, an entire meal does not need to be consumed. A few bites of protein, does the trick and will get you through until your next meal.

I tried eating as little carbohydrates as possible. It didn’t take long for my family to encourage me to eat just a tad more carbs since the bitch-factor was becoming a little hard to take.

I found a protein shake laden with spinach and broccoli ( I have a fantastic blender) was my best breakfast option. Lunch either became what everyone else’s breakfast looks like-one egg with one slice of toast , or it would be a protein rich (small) sandwich.

Snacks would either be a pear, peach or apple. Dinner was very difficult as I’m a true pasta girl. I’d force myself to eat things like fish and yet more vegetables but actually really enjoyed how satiated I felt and believe me – there’s no better feeling than that of being full when you’re on 1200 calories a day.

At this point, I was finally on a bit of a roll and although I go to the gym every day, I decided to actually listen to Narina (took me awhile) and do one more cardio workout a day. A lovely 30 minute, thought provoking (Ok that’s going overboard) interval session on my treadmill at 8:30 at night definitely kept me away ffrom the kitchen. It was when I added this last morsel to the equation that things really started to happen for me.

It took me the entire 6 weeks for my mind to adapt to a this new way of eating. I no longer had cravings. I felt energized and strong and hey…some money on the table always makes for added motivation! ” Heidi F.

Till next time,
Narina

Improve Your Golf Swing with TSpine Mobility

narina — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 22:39:21 +0000

In past articles, we have mobility vs flexibility and how our bodies are a collection of joints, some requiring mobility and others requiring stability. The thoracic spine or mid back area is proving to be a critical component in maintaining a healthy lumbar and cervical spine.

For the golfers out there, this is especially important. In the golf swing you need you need to be able to separate the upper body from lower body. During the backswing your pelvis needs to be stable allowing the shoulders to turn. If you are unable to separate the upper and lower body, you will be limited as to how much shoulder turn you can perform. This is where thoracic mobility is important – to allow movement through the back while keeping the pelvis stable.

One of the exercises we routinely use to help increase thoracic mobility is the diagonal plate raise. This exercise, done with a weight plate is one of the best exercises to increase movement through the thoracic spine. It is important when performing this exercise that you focus on keeping the hips straight and not allowing them to rotate with the shoulder. Watch the video of this exercise and if you practice it correctly yourself, there will be no movement through the lumbar spine at all; all the movement should be originating in the thoracic spine (or upper back). To view this exercise please visit my blog:

Last but not least is the shoulder or gleno-humeral joint. Also closely connected to the health of the shoulder is the area of the shoulder blade (the sacpulo-thoracic joint).

You cannot discuss shoulder health without talking about the stability of the shoulder blades which directly reflects the health of the rotator cuff. The scapula, rotator cuff and shoulder is an area that whole exercise physiology textbooks are written about. In order to have a shoulder that allows mobility, you need to have a stable base first. Without a stable base provided by the scapular muscles, the shoulder joint can become quite immobile, causing decreased range of motion and pain.

The scapular stabilizers (lower trapezius, rhomboids, serratus, levator scapula) are responsible to hold and lock the shoulders in the right position for the shoulder to function properly. Some of the exercises that we use to strengthen these various muscles are as follows. All rowing movements will help to strengthen the trapezius and rhomboids. How often have you heard us say pinch and pull.

When you pinch your shoulder blades together, the rhomboid muscles in the middle of your upper back activate. These muscles originate along the spine (C7 and T1) and then attach themselves to the inner border of your shoulder blades. The pinching action will pull the shoulder blades together and this in turn with other muscles throughout the upper back and shoulder (rotator cuff) will cause the shoulder to sit in an anatomically correct position allowing proper function of the shoulder.

Other exercises that benefit the shoulder joint are the lat pulldown and prone trap raise. We also have variations along those exercises that we use (stiff arm pulldowns, high pulley rows). Often with these exercises we will instruct you to “pull your shoulders to your hips”. This prevents the shrugging so often seen with these exercises and once again helps to maintain the shoulder in a healthy position. The muscles primarily responsible for this are the middle and lower trapezius.

The trapezius muscle is a large muscle that originates at the skull , the spine of C7 and all the thoracic vertebrae . It then inserts along the rear of the shoulder, the scapular spine and part of the clavicle. The trapezius muscle’s main responsibility is to keep the scapula down (no shrugging) and to maintain stability to allow shoulder mobility.

So, this is starting to turn in Anatomy 101 and I may have gotten a bit off track. The scapular and shoulder, as I mentioned are worthy of a book on their own. I am sure either you personally or someone you knows has had, does have or will have shoulder problems. It is probably the most common problem we see in and out of the gym. And because of so much of what we need to do the keep healthy and strong, involves the shoulder, we much be diligent about the work necessary to keep the this joint healthy.

I hope this helps you to understand why we do what we do in the gym and why it is important that we strive for correct movement in all the exercises regardless of how insignificant and boring the exercise may be. After all, some of the most important exercises (prone trap raise, reach roll and lift, side lying windmills) don’t come attached with Country names (Bulgarian squats, Turkish Sit Ups, Russian Deadlifts).

So next time we utter “pinch, pull or “shoulders down” you will be able to picture what and why.

Till next time,
Narina

Resources:
1) National Academy of Sports Medicine – Upper Body Muscular
Anatomy (A comprehensive approach to Integrated Functional Anatomy)
2) National Strength & Conditioning Journal, Volume 25, June 2003
- A Comprehensive Approach to Shoulder-Complex Maintenance by Phil
Wagner, BS
3) A Joint-by-Joint Approach to Training by Mike Boyle

1, 2, 3 – Contract

narina — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 13:30:11 +0000

Muscle Actions
by Rhonda Jarmuth, RMT, CPT

The muscles we train and use everyday to move our bodies have three different types of contractions:

Eccentric, Isometric and Concentric

These muscle contractions enable us to manipulate gravity, react to external forces, momentum and resistance. Which all together produce efficient movement. And not one is more demanded in activities than another, eccentric is just as important as isometric and concentric and around you go.

Eccentric: You’ll hear this is a lengthening of a muscle. Yes it is, but a stretch is also a lengthening of a muscle. A better way to think of this contraction is the muscle is resisting gravity (or the weight of a dumbbell) and also decelerating or reducing forces. It’s our braking system. Walking down stairs is a good example of the quadriceps muscles (on the front of your thigh) eccentrically contracting to keep the knee bend under control. Without this you’d need pretty fast feet to remain upright.

Isometric: This contraction will keep a joint still and hold a position or guard the joint through motion. The muscle can make this type of contraction either with a resistance or against resistance. It’s our stabilizing system. When you’re down on all fours performing Superman the rotator cuff is isometrically contracting to keep the shoulder (of the hand remaining on the floor) still. While performing a dumbbell press the rotator cuff is stabilizing the shoulder joint throughout the movement of a rep.

Concentric: Now this is the muscle contraction most of us think as the cream of the crop when we’re working out. It’s that bulging bicep you see with arm curls. But remember that even though this is the exciting contraction it’s no more important than Eccentric and Isometric. If you want technical this is the shortening of a muscle that brings one bone closer to another and decreases the angle of a joint. It works against force (raising your heels off the ground), produces force (a jump squat) and creates acceleration (a golf swing). This is the engine.

This may seem like we a have a different muscle for each type of contraction or that one muscle is only capable of one type of contraction. Not so. One muscle can do each of these three contractions.

Here’s an example of what the Gastrocnemius muscle (the calf muscle) does:

Concentrically it’s the main muscle responsible for you lifting your heels off the ground to stand on your toes. Then it’s working eccentrically to lower your heels back to the ground. And when your holding a standing position with heels on or off the floor it’s working isometrically to stabilize the foot and ankle.

Our muscular sytem is very dynamic and capable of moving our bodies in many ways. Knowing this makes it more important to ensure your training regiment works all three of these types of contractions. If you do, you’ll notice not only your every day activities are seemingly effortless, but your chosen sporting activities will be as well. Seriously. Take action, and all aspects of your active lifestyle will improve.

Till next time,
Rhonda

Quick Reads from Victoria Gym Bulletin Board

narina — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 21:19:10 +0000

Thanks to Meaghan for providing some great short articles for our bulletin board at the gym. Here are just a few gems for you to consider. Enjoy!

POSTURE

Most of us spend a large amount of time at a desk, in front of a computer. This can lead to a lot of postural imbalances.

Muscles that tend to get short and tight:

Pectoral muscles – tight chest muscles pull the shoulders forward
Iliopsoas – tight hip flexors from being in a seated position
Upper neck extensors – tight extensor muscles can lead to head forward posture

Muscles that tend to get over stretched and tight:

Rhomboids and Mid/low Trapezius – between the shoulder blades
Gluteus Maximum – your glute muscles were meant to be perky, not flat!
Erectors – the two long groups of muscles on either side of your spine. These help to keep your trunk and neck upright

Best Stretches:

Pec stretch
Hip flexor stretch
Chin tucks

Focus on good posture while you’re working or playing

HIGH INTENSITY INTERVALS – WHY DO WE MAKE YOU DO THEM?

Finishers are intense bouts of cardiovascular exercise with short rest periods are designed to get you the most bang for your buck!

Benefits:

- burn fat
- short in duration
- burn high amounts of calories
- improvements in both anaerobic and aerobic fitness
- afterburn effect by increasing metabolism (you’ll burn more calories throughout the day!!)

How to Incorporate Intervals into your day:

Choose one or a few intense exercises to do at a high speed, for a short amount of time (20-30 seconds), followed by a rest period. Exercises can be running, biking, fast squats, pushups, burpees…just about anything! Repeat several times!! Enjoy!

BREAKFAST

Importance of eating breakfast:

- After fasting throughout your sleep you need energy to start the day
- Boosts and maintains your metabolism
- Weight control – studies show if you eat breakfast you will consume less calories throughout the day

What is there to eat!

1. Try to include protein – this will keep you full longer
eg. Eggs, Whey Protein, Cottage Cheese, Greek Yogurt, Natural Nut Butter

2. Enjoy Fiber – fiber has been shown to reduce your risk of certain cancers, diabetes and other diseases. Fiber also will keep you feeling full!
eg. Berries, Oatmeal, Fruit, Sprouted Breads

3. Add Vegetables – veggies are low in calories and high in nutrients
- try adding veggies to your omelet tomorrow, or try blending some spinach into your smoothie!

Thanks Meaghan for providing some great little snippets of knowledge. Remember, watch your posture both sitting and walking, get some aerobic work in the way of intervals and last but not least, start your day with a well balanced breakfast to get that furnace burning!

Till next time,
Narina

Fitness Programs in Victoria

narina — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:14:54 +0000

At Victoria Wellness, we pride ourselves in providing not only safe, but science based exercise programs that address clients’ goals, their needs and hopefully have a little fun along the way. All our clients will go through a thorough assessment prior to the development of a program. Programs are constantly being reviewed and changed as needed.

I thought it would be fun to show a couple of videos of workout sessions in progress. Personal coaching sessions are done in a small group setting. Each trainer/coach will work with up to 3 clients; each one having their own individualized program. This is a very supportive and motivating environment and allows our training team to assess and teach each session.

For those that prefer the group atmosphere, we also offer group classes. All clients that attend group sessions will still go through the assessment protocols just as for personal coaching clients. However, their workouts are more circuit oriented with all members doing a similar workout. Even within the group class, the exercises are selected as per an individuals abilities. Some exercises may be substituted if an individual is unable (due to injury or other reasons) perform a specific exercise.

At Victoria Wellness, we pride ourselves on offering the best in personal training and customer service in Victoria. Thank you to all the clients who so generously gave of their time in the making of the videos. Also, thank you to some returning clients who also participated.

Till next time,
Narina

Whoa Canuck Fever Hits the Gym

narina — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:01:32 +0000

This is a bit of a departure for me with respect to the blog. Usually, I am writing something technical or exercise related. But, today I am feeling in a bit of a lighter mood so a little jaunt down a side path is in order.

Our little gym is humming this morning with talk of the Stanley Cup Playoffs tonight. Naturally being from Vancouver, my husband and I are pulling for the Canucks to take the Cup back to Canada. Even myself and the staff at the gym got in the mood today. Of course, that got all the clients chatting and it was indeed fun times (along with the hard work) of course!

Meaghan, Narina and Rhonda getting in the Canuck mood!

Client Commitment:

I have been blessed with an amazing group of people to train over the past 10 years that the Studio has been open. Not only are these clients incredibly dedicated to the healthy lifestyle, they continue to work hard each and every time they come into the gym. Most of these clients have trained religiously 3x week for 5 years and more now. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our wonderful clients at Victoria Wellness and a special recognition to the clients that have been with us 5 years and more:

5 years

Max, Heidi, Doug, Marilyn, Lin, John P., Kathy J., Anne M.

6 Years

Allison, Kim, Mary P., Greg, Shellie, Marla, Maureen, Christine, Bill

7 Years

Dianne A., Teresa, Jill S.

8 Years

Rada, Gerald, Lisa

And the 10 Year Award goes to: Dale F. and Paulette

Thank you so much to all of you for making my dream a reality!

Our New Smoothie Bar Has Arrived!

We have come a long way from our humble beginnings on Johnson Street and we will continue to grow and offer the very best in personal fitness coaching in Victoria. Thank you to all who have supported and trusted us over the past 10 years. And thank you to my wonderful training team – Rhonda, Meaghan and Denise for keeping the spirit going!

Till next time,
Narina

Hollowing vs Bracing

narina — Tue, 31 May 2011 21:01:25 +0000

by Rhonda Jarmuth

Hollowing vs Bracing

Pretty much all of us have experienced back pain at some point in our life or at least will. Without a doubt you’ve learned in order to deal with low back pain you need a strong core. But what does that really mean and how does sucking your belly in and doing a hundred crunches help? Really it doesn’t. A 6 pack does not equal a strong and stable core.

What is Core Stabilization?

It is the ability to contract the muscles surrounding the spine creating a stiffness. This stiffness won’t allow “energy leaks” during static and dynamic activities which ensures optimal power with minimal force loads on the spine.

Core Stabilization Techniques

1) Hollowing – drawing in the abdomen

2) Bracing – widening the trunk. Not pulling in or pushing out, think of what you would do if someone was to punch you in the stomach.

So which one creates that ideal stiffness around the spine – bracing.

Hollowing was a technique developed in 1999 by a group of Australian scientists doing a study on muscle motor patterning following a back injury. This technique has it’s place and it’s best used in treatments with physiotherapists and for people dealing with a current injury.

To hollow during a workout would actually inhibit the potential for optimal stiffness because it only isolates the transverse abdominals. If you took a cardboard box on its side and loaded it from the top, the box would crumble. If an athlete drew in their stomach while attempting heavy lifts, they too would crumble. There is no mechanical rationale for hollowing to enhance stability.

Bracing is for those individuals not undergoing treatments from physio or uninjured people working to get stronger.

In a 2007 study done by Stuart McGill, PhD & S. G. Grenier it was found the brace technique improved stability by 32%. The transverse abdominals contributed 14% of stability to the brace pattern.

The takeway from this study shows that hollowing offers minimal stability to the core stability compared to the bracing technique.

Unless you have a back injury, do not perform isolation transverse (hollowing) exercises for core stability. (Crunches and Sit ups are a whole other realm of why nots). Go for exercises which involve bracing the whole stomach and include the obliques. Eg. Pallof Press, Farmer Walks, prone plank, side plank and supermans (birddogs) are a good start to developing a strong and stable core.

Grenier, S.G & McGill S.M. 2007 Quantification of Lumbar Stability by Using 2 different abdominal activation strategies: hollowing vs full abdominal muscle contraction = bracing.

25 Tips To A Healthier You

narina — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:18:07 +0000

Here is a great list of my favorite tips to help you on your way to good health. My favorite is # 1 and #2 – what are your favorites or do you have one or two to add to the list?

Get adequate sleep.

Take time for yourself – pampering is ok!

Limit or eliminate foods with ingredients ending in “ose” eg fructose, sucrose, sucralose….

Eat breakfast everyday.

Ensure adequate protein daily – .8 grams per pound of body weight.

If at a desk job – get up and move once 2 hours

Include neck stretches into your daily regime; especially if you sit at a computer.

Find a good book, relax and read.

Delegate responsibilities, especially household chores.

Try to get in extra exercise each day – park in the corner of the mall parking lot, walk up an extra flight of stairs, make extra loads to carry in groceries. Try to find ways to add a few extra steps to your day.

Eat at least 5 servings of fresh vegetables daily.

Eliminate your intake of junk food. If you want results – this is not open for negotiation!

Eat fresh fruit instead of drinking fruit juice.

Include some hand/forearm stretches while out for a daily walk.

Don’t miss workouts, minimum 3 times per week whether at a gym or at home. Consistency is king. You will not make progress if you miss workouts!

Hug your significant other, just because.

Workout hard, workout short and go home.

Avoid negativity; surround yourself with positive.

Cheer on Vancouver Canucks. Can you believe it; they made it this far!! I’m even watching; go figure……

Make sure you eat adequate calories – starvation and low calorie diets don’t work.

Include stretches after every workout, whether strength workout or cardio.

Tissue preparation (foam roller work) and warm ups are vital to safe workouts and injury prevention.

Root for your favorite on American Idol (mine is Haley – who is yours?).

Use sunscreen; take care of your skin; prevent skin cancer. Yes, we will get summer eventually.

Think positive, be positive and smile – it’s contagious.

Your body is like a garden; tend it well and it will blossom!

Till next time,
Narina

The Extreme Sport of Gardening

narina — Wed, 04 May 2011 15:16:26 +0000

I would think most people in Victoria have already started their spring gardening or like me are thinking about the outside chores that need to be done. So, that brings up the topic of today’s newsletter – the hazards associated with the extreme sport of gardening.

We are already starting to have clients coming in the gym, especially on Mondays, sore from gardening over the weekend. And, as the weather improves, more and more time will be spent outside in the yard.

Most people would never think that gardening is a hazard and I am sure no one ever thinks about preparing for a gardening session or warming up. Just as most golfers (at least recreational golfers) never think about the need to warm up or prepare for their round of golf, most gardeners never give it a thought as well. But, it is important to prepare. It never fails that as soon as the weather warms up and people are headed outdoors, the gardening injuries start. Just as in the winter with the white stuff (s- – - ), there is a rash of back, shoulder or wrist injuries.

Gardening is exercise. If you think for a moment of all the movements that you do when you are outside weeding, moving soil, planting – they all involve some sort of squatting, lunging, turning and twisting. Have you counted how many times you might get up and down off the ground in a typical gardening session? If you are doing a lot of pruning, think about how many times you might be squeezing the handles on a set of pruners! Talk about repetitive use – tendonitis just waiting to happen.

When you take into account all the movements involved, it is not much different than a session in the gym. Even moving soil with a wheelbarrow mimics the sled pushing done in a typical workout. You would never start a strength training session without being warmed up, why not warm up for the work outside?

I think for the most part, clients here at VWP are better prepared that the average person that isn’t fit and in shape. But, even VWP clients should take just a few minutes to warm up and prepare.

A little warmup that you could do at home just prior to picking up those gardening tools:

Ankle Circles – 10 each direction on each foot.

Leg Swings – Swing leg front to back and then side to side. 10 each direction on each leg.

Squats – 12 body weight squats. Maintain a nice straight back; go only as low as comfortable. Stance should be just outside shoulder width.

Rear Lunges – 8 to 10 on each leg. Watch your posture, stay tall.

Arm Swings – giant arm swings – move through as full range of motion as possible and pain free. 10 swings in each direction.

These few warm ups will take about 5 minutes to do and will just help prepare your body for the job ahead. Remember to use good body mechanics as well. If you must lift, lift from the hips and not bent over at the back.

Remember that gardening is exercise and if you spend 8 hours in the garden you will most likely feel some sore muscles the next day. If you have had a long day gardening, a hot bath with epsom salts, a session with your foam roller if you have one, will go a long way to alleviating some of the aches you may feel the next day.

Now you are ready to take on the back yard. Enjoy.

Till next time,
Narina

Single Leg Training – A Must Do – No Excuses

narina — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 22:01:07 +0000

A question that often comes up is the need for single leg work. Years ago, it was thought that squats and deadlifts were all there were needed to keep the body strong and for the athletic community, all that were needed to build strength and power. Strength training has primarily been on two limbs and in the sagittal plane (moving front to back). With the increased knowledge in how our bodies work and how the muscular system functions, training methods have also changed. It is now known that single leg training is of great benefit and involves working more muscles resulting is greater strength and stability. Single leg training should be included in everybody’s fitness program.

Very little in life or sport happens with two feet on the ground. With all movements, there is always one foot on the ground and one in motion. Simple walking is a case of single leg movement.

When performing double leg exercises, we are using the prime movers mainly (quads, gluteus maxiumus, hamstrings). With single leg squats for example, the stabilizing muscles (glutes medius, adductors or inner thigh) and spinal stabilizers must all come into play to maintain a stable pelvis.

Some examples of single leg exercises are: step ups, lunges, split squats, rear foot elevated split squatand one leg squats. With all of these single leg exercises, all but one have the non working foot supported. With lunges, the non working foot is still on the ground.

With rear elevated split squats, the non working or rear leg is supported on a block. The only unsupported single leg exercise is the single leg squat. With this squat, the non working foot does not touch the ground.

“Having only foot in contact with the ground forces the hip structures, the abductors and external rotators, to stabilize against movement in both the frontal and transverse planes”. (1)

It is known that one way to prevent knee pain is to strengthen the muscles that control the hip, the knee and the foot. This can be accomplished with single leg training.

Another group of exercises done as a single leg is the deadlift. The single leg deadlift is primarily a hip hinge movement. But, the spinal erector muscles as well as the lower trapezius and rhomboid muscles of the back must work to stabilize the spine and shoulder. The glute (or hip rotators) and pelvic muscles must work to stabilize the pelvis and keep it in the sagittal plane. The single leg deadlift takes the load off the lower back and loads the glutes.

So, even though single leg work can be demanding and even a little frustrating at times, it is vital to our overall health and well being. Single leg squats and deadlifts are excellent examples of strength training exercises that will allow you to stay healthy and enjoy all the many activities that you do outside the gym.

Till next time,
Narina

1. Advances in Functonal Training, Michael Boyle. On Target Publications 2010