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

Free Weights vs machine training. Which is better? This is a question that continues to be asked usually by potential clients viewing our facility or even by people requesting me to set up home training programs for them. This is a good time to look at machine weight training vs free weights.

I think it is obvious by the look of our facility which is my preference. Yes, we have power racks. But the only “machines” in my gym is a lat pulldown and cable row. There are no chest press machines, leg press machine or hip abduction/adduction equipment. Yes, I do have a Smith machine, but it is not used for it’s intended use.

The only use our Smith machine gets is for progressing pushups for those not able to complete a “full length” push up on the floor. We also use the Smith machine for inverted rows. But, you will never see a bench press, squats or lunges performed on our Smith machine.

In my gym you will fine dumbbells, cable stacks and plenty of open space to move. Sleds, ropes, kettlebells all keep us moving and getting stronger in the “real” sense.

Machine Training:

Machines do have a very limited advantage – they are easy to use and learn. They require no special instruction which I think is why the “big box” gyms have a multitude of machines for every conceivable muscle group.

Machines support too much. They are isolative, in that you are working muscles in isolation as opposed to incorporating several muscle groups as well as core stability. Machines works on a fixed path, so do not allow the muscles to work naturally. This tends to work the prime movers, but does recruit stabilizer muscles to the same degree.

Machines do not require you to “weight bear”. Since you are sitting or laying down, you are not moving your body under load hence the benefits of building stronger bones is lost with machine training.

Machines also don’t stimulate the nervous system as much as free weight training. Strength gains are not just from muscles getting larger. Strength grains are also due to the nervous system’s adaptation to resistance training. As the brain “learns” the movements involved, the nervous system improves as well.

The most obvious disadvantage of machine training is the transfer to real life. How does sitting in a machine chest press or laying down in a leg press machine help you with lifting groceries out of the trunk of your car or lifitng/carrying your child. Even transfer to sporting activities is non existent.

Free Weights:

You only have to look at the variety of exercises available not only with dumbbells, but with kettlebells, sleds etc to see the obvious benefits of training with free weights. The variety of exercises and tools allows the entire body to be trained. It is more functional, allowing the body to move through natural motions as well as all planes of movements. This freedom of movement mimics activities in real life.

Free weight training allows you to increase whole body strength. Prime movers as well as stabilizer muscles are all active. These vitally important stabilizers are not neglected as they are in machine training.

Free weights allows for simplicity of movement and equipment. You can do a wide variety of exercises with just one set of dumbbells or one kettlebell. No more huge “total gym” pieces of equipment taking up all of your workout space. These huge pieces of equipment that advertise total body training are not only expensive but counter productive to real world strength.

Free weights on the other hand are inexpensive, portable and take up very little space – leaving room to move!

If you are looking to set up a workout area at home, keep in mind free weights. The variety is endless and the benefits are endless as well. Just ensure that you seek qualified help in getting started.

If you are looking for a fitness facility, look for open space. If the gym is crammed full of machines, this should not be a facility of choice. Current research has proven beyond a doubt that free weights and movement based training is far superior to machines. These big box gyms crammed wall to wall with machines are dinosaurs and not staying current with the science of training. Once again, though seek our professional help to get you started.

Till next time – move free!
Narina

September – this time of year marks the return of kids to school and parents return to their workout plans or embark on a new fitness regime. This is a busy time of year for most gyms, bootcamps and personal trainers as everyone seeks to return to their healthy lifestyles that sometimes go astray with the summer vacation plans. I have written blog posts in the past about what to look for when hiring a personal trainer or what to watch for when attending bootcamps.

But, with questions arising at the studio this past couple of weeks I thought it prudent to once again touch base regarding group exercise. People as a rule love to workout together. The sense of camaraderie of “sweating it out” beside someone else makes the exercise regime a little more enjoyable. For some, there is also the sense of competition which helps to motivate and spur you through a tough workout.

But along with wanting to work hard, possibly shed a few pounds and improve your “cardio” you must learn to train smart. Physiotherapists are kept busy dealing with injuries associated with bootcamp style training (strained hamstrings, shoulder injuries, low back pain). There are a few very popular exercises that seem to be the backbone of every bootcamp workout regardless of where you go and who teaches it. These are: push ups, lunges, planks, squats, crunches/sit ups and prone superman. Most of these exercises are ok when done correctly and a couple of these (can you spot which ones?) should not be done at all. Let’s take a look at each one individually and assess whether they are appropriate.

Lunges

This along with crunches and situps seems to be the most popular exercise in group fitness classes. And it is also an exercise that is often done incorrectly and with terrible form. Lunges, especially when done stepping forward is an advanced exercise that requires adequate mobility of the ankle and hip. Lunges also require stability through the knee and upper body. And yet in almost all bootcamps you will see lunges done in the first class and quite often as a warm up.

Some of the benefits of performing lunges are: strengthening the glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings, improves posture, develops core strength and stability, improves balance and coordination. The lunge is one of our primal patterns. This is a movement that is stored in our brains from early development.

Unfortunately even though we are born hard wired with this movement pattern, over time we lose the ability to perform it correctly. Some common flaws Seen in a Lunge:

Forward Lean – this can be caused by tight hip flexors or quads. Or it can be a simple as being lazy and not working to keep the upper body posture strong throughout. If you are in a hurry to complete the exercise, you may not be focused on keeping tall and this allows the body to lean. Take your time and reset your posture before each rep.

Knees Adduct (Cave In) – If a person has weak glutes they are not able to stabilize adequately or decelerate the hip motion This leads to the knees caving in That is where glute activation exercises (bridges, tube walking) come in. You see there is a reason to be walking back and forth with those dang tubes around your feet!

Foot Caves In – This often seen along with the knees moving in Typically a muscle imbalance in the lower leg will cause this (tight calf muscles) and weak anterior tibilias muscles. These are the reasons we do the calf stretching, ankle mobility work (specifically the toes up) before and after the workouts

Improper Landing – landing on your toes or pushing off from your toes is usually due to weak muscles around the hip. If you lack the strength in the glutes and posterior chain to get you back to the starting position, then you will push off from your toes utilizing your quad muscles more. Focus on pushing from the heel, not the toes.

Variations and Progressions of the Lunge:

The lunge is an exercise that can be started very basic and progressed to very complex and difficult. As you can see from the list of progressions below the forward or walking lunges typically seen as warmups or exercises in Day 1 is actually 3rd in the list of progressions that I typically follow with clients. Only when I am satisfied that they can control their movements from head to toe do I progress to a more dynamic movement such as as they forward lunges. Typical progressions of the lunge are:

#1 static lunge (or split squat) #2 reverse lunge #3 forward lunge #4 walking lunge #5 rotating lunges.

Squats

Once again squats seem to be the backbone of group fitness or bootcamps. As with lunges, squats require adequate mobility and stability to perform safely and correctly. You often hear people say they can’t do squats because it hurts their knees. In some cases this is true due to various reasons (knee surgeries, arthritis, ligament damage, meniscal injuries). But for healthy individuals knee pain is commonly due to bad form, faulty movement patterns and instability through the core. When care is taken to instruct the squat and prepare the client through proper mobility drills, warm ups, and core training this exercise can be done pain free.

Push Ups:

The push up probably one of the most under rated, misunderstood and often a rarely performed exercise. Let’s take a walk through thru this great body weight exercise.

To perform the push up correctly, you must maintain a straight body or plank position. This requires that muscles of the back, abdominals, glutes and even leg muscles are working to maintain the plank position. Push ups are not an exercise you would want to do with a “relaxed” attitude. Keep the body tight. Push ups may look easy, but there is technique involved in performing a correct push up and unfortunately it is also an exercise that is commonly done incorrectly. Some common mistakes seen with push ups are: looking up or hyper extending the neck, allowing the head to drop towards the floor, or leading with the chin, allowing the hips to drop or sag, elbows out, shallow range of motion.

With that in mind, the correct way to do a push up is:

Lie face down on the floor with toes pulled under
Keep elbows at about a 45 degree angle
Press up to the starting position and slowly lower yourself toward the floor
Keep a neutral neck – don’t look up and don’t allow head to drop to the floor
Keep chin tucked
Keep your abdominals tight and squeeze your glutes

Two common exercises done in group fitness and bootcamps should not be done by anyone. These two exercises are:

#1: Crunches and/or Sit ups: Although the rectus abdominis has a very limited ROM and is not really the most important core muscle to be working, this old school exercise still seems to be the “ab” exercise or choice. Crunches and situps put the spine under extreme flexion and should be avoided due to high risk of disc injury. If you want to work the core, this is probably the worst choice of exercise.

I did a whole blog post “Say No to Crunches and Sit Ups Forever” that goes into more detail about the anatomy of the Core and why these two exercises should be eliminated from everyones exercise list.

There is however a variation of the crunch movement that does have it’s place in a well designed exercise program. This exercise was recommended by spine research Dr. Stuart McGill and is referred to as the McGill Crunch. This is safe and is the only crunch movement we allow our clients to perform.

#2: Prone Superman

This is another very poor choice of core exercises. This superman is not to be confused with the “birddog” exercise which, when done correctly is an excellent core exercise and is also a staple in our facilities’ core training program. The prone superman is routinely done lying prone or face down. The arms are extended out in front. The arms and legs are then lifted simultaneously off the ground. This once again puts the discs of the spine under tremendous pressure now through lumbar extension.

An alternative to this is the “birddog” sometimes called superman:

As with any exercise program undertaken, homework should be done by the individual prior to joining any gym, group fitness class or bootcamp or hiring a personal trainer for that matter. Credentials should be checked, insurance verified and references should be available if requested. Inquire as to what assessment and orientation is done prior to starting the group class. Be aware of what exercises are to be avoided and be aware of your own limitations or contraindications. Group fitness and bootcamps can be fun and motivating. But, they also need to be done safely with a plan of regressions and progressions for each exercise to accommodate each person’s abilities.

Have fun. Train Hard. Be Safe
Till next time,
Narina

The human body is a complicated machine. Combinations of muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and other connective tissues all work together to allow us the amazing movements that we do both consciously and unconsciously on a daily basis. From minute to minute the muscles of our bodies are working together like a well rehearsed orchestra. From prehistoric times the body has developed movement patterns that utilize various muscles in a symphony of pushing, pulling, squatting, lunging, rotating and pressing.

In order to perform complex movements and stay upright and balanced, the muscles of the body must work together from top to bottom and side to side. Muscular combinations called slings work together to stabilize and balance the body while allowing movement to occur. These slings work from top on one side of the body to muscles of back, hip and glutes.

In this article we are going to talk about 3 muscular slings of the body:

#1 – Longitudinal Sling
#2 – Posterior Oblique Sling
#3 – Anterior Oblique Sling

1. Longitudinal Sling

The Posterior longitudinal sling consists of the deep multifidus muscle attaching to the sacrum with the deep layer of the thoracolumbar fascia, blending with the long dorsal sacroiliac joint ligament and continuing on into the sacrotuberous ligament. In other words the erector muscles of the spine work with the biceps femoris (hamstrings) through the sacrotuberous ligament of the pelvis and then onward to the peroneus longus muscle of the lower leg.

2. Posterior Oblique Sling

The Posterior Oblique sling consists primarily of the latissimus dorsi of the back and the contralateral (opposite) gluteus maximus muscle. The gluteus maximus then blends into the fascia of the thigh (the iliotibial band).

During the pushing phase of gait, there is contraction of the glute max that occurs with the opposite latissimus dorsi muscle as the arm is extended. This contraction of opposite muscles produces tension in the thoracolumbar fascia (in the lower back) that assists in stabilizing the sacroiliac joint of the leg on the ground.

3. Anterior Oblique Sling

Anterior oblique sling consists of the external oblique, internal oblique and the transversus abdominis muscles via the rectus sheath, blending with the contralateral (opposite) adductor muscles (of the inner thigh) via the adductor-abdominal fascia. In other words, the adductors (of the inner thigh) work together with the internal oblique the same same on and the external oblique muscles on the opposite side to stabilize the body.

As the speed of the gait increases from walking to running, activation of this sling of muscles is more promient in order to provide stability during movement. These become especially important during sporting activities such as tennis, soccer, hockey at the body must change direction and adjust speed by decelerating in order to slow down to turn and change direction and then by accelerating back upto speed.

As you can see from the anatomy and descriptions of how these muscles are integrated to work together, you can understand why exercising using machines is counter productive and counter intuitive as well. Our bodies are not designed to sit or lay in machines to exercise. We are designed to move in all directions and in various speeds/tempos. That is why we will train using exercises that integrate movement and strengthen the muscles in the way they are designed to move.

For example in the single leg deadlift, the weight is held on the same side as the leg that is off the ground. This cross-body movement is a total core stabilization exercise. Standing on one leg and lefting the weight with the opposite arm places three-dimensional force through the core. Other exercises that we can do that work the cross-body slings are: single leg reaching row on the cables, asymmetrical squats, cone squats, split squats with rear leg elevated with asymmetical load.

Till next time,
Narina

Sources: http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/myofascial.html
Paul Check, MMS, HHP, NMT The Outer Unit. C.H.E.K. Institute

Pain by definition:

Pain is the unpleasant feeling common to such experiences as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, putting iodine on a cut and bumping the “funny bone”. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage”

Pain can be very subjective and a persons’ pain threshold can vary greatly from person to person. What may be perceived as painful to one person may not solicitas much of a sensation to another.

We can all attest to pain in everyday situations such as described above. But, what is sometimes difficult to undertstand is the feeling or tolerance of pain during a workout situation.

Those of you that train at VWP are accustomed to the coaching staff inquiring how you are feeling, presence of pain etc. But what is sometimes confusing is just what is pain, is some pain okay or should anything be said at all?

The phrase “No pain, No gain” has no play in our facility. There is really only one answer to the presence of pain – yes or no.

During the course of performing an exercise, you may feel a burning or even a feeling of fullness in the area being worked. For example, walking lunges down and back the turf are sure to elicit some burning in the quadriceps (or thighs); a timed set of push ups may have your chest and arms burning as well. Sometimes the feeling of fullness may be a feeling of “tightness” to some people. Normally though, once the set of lunges or push ups is completed that feeling of burning or tightiness will disappear after a few seconds. This is completely normal and tells us we have generated a response within the muscles.

What we don’t want is any feeling of pain, especially close to a joint. This is not normal. There is no such thing as just a little pain. There is either pain or there is not – there is no middle ground.

When we talk about pain during the performance of an exercise, we are referring to sharp pain felt at any point during the course of performing that repetition.

The feeling of pain at any time is not normal and the exercise should be halted immediately. Sometimes it is as easy as re checking form or technique in order to continue pain free.

It is essential that all pain, no matter how minor it seems, be reported to your training staff.

At Victoria Wellness our motto is “Want Gain, Then No Pain” If you want to improve your health, train harder, run faster, enjoy all aspects of fun in life then learn to recognize pain, report presence of pain and train pain free.

Till next time,
Narina
“Monitoring, Mentoring, Motivation”

Today’s blog post is from guest contributor, Kinesiologist Rick Kaselj. For more information on Rick and his articles please see the Contributor page.

There is a lot that you can do if you have knee pain or knee stress when exercising. Here are four way to get rid of knee pain and knee stress when exercising.

#1 – Lunge Backwards

Most often we step forward when we do a lunge. When we do this, it puts a lot of strain on the knee. If we step back and perform a lunge, we decrease the stress on the knee but still work the legs and glutes.

#2 – Squat Halfway

It is common to do squats to 90 degrees but when you pass 45 degrees you increase the stress on your knees. If you only squat from standing to 45 degrees, you still work your legs but decrease the stress on your knees.

#3 – Stretch Out Those Hamstrings

I know you are thinking, how can the back of my thigh have an effect on knee pain but it does. When the hamstrings are tight, they pull the lower part of the leg against the upper part of the leg. This leads to greater stress and pain on the knee. Make sure you spend some time at the end of you workout to stretch out your hamstrings and this will help with knee pain.

#4 – Knee Behind the Toes

When you are performing a leg exercise and you let your knees pass your toes, this leads to greater stress on the knee. The knees passing the toes is a common mistake people make when performing lunges, squats and leg press exercises. Keeping the knees back and not letting the toes pass your toes; decrease the stress on your knees.

Sum Up the 4 Ways

During your next workout remember to step back, squat halfway, stretch those hamstrings and don’t let the knees pass the toes. I am sure if you do these four tips on getting rid of knee pain when exercising, your knees will be happier.

Rick Kaselj
To learn more about Rick Kaselj you can check out his exercise and injury blog at http://www.ExercisesForInjuries.com

I came in early to the gym as usual wanting to get some emails and computer work done before my morning workout. But, the computer gods were conspiring against me this morning. My wireless mouse has decided not to cooperate, so I am spending more time chasing it around the screen and attempting to get it to work. Batteries are the answser, but do I have any in my drawer? Of course not, so I will have to make do until later today. But at least it seems to be cooperating at the moment, which is good because I wanted to share my morning workout.

Today, I just wanted to mix it up a bit, so I made it up as I went. Well at least I made it up as I walked from my office to the gym floor. Here’s what I came up with. After a warm up I went through this little circuit 4 times (didn’t have a lot of time left after chasing computer mouse around). Here goes:

Walking Lunges down turf and back – 26 lunges in all
Flat DB Press – 45 lbs – 8 reps
Renegade Rows – 30 lbs – 6 reps
Single Leg Deadlift – 16K kettlebell – 8 reps

Got the job done and on with the day. What is your workout going to be today? Comment and let me know.

Narina

I was a little tired this morning. Late evening at the gym last night and up early this morning. I wanted a quick and kick butt workout this morning. A workout that moved fast from exercise to exercise so I didn’t have time to think about being tired. So, this little dumbbell circuit filled the bill. We use this often at our gym. After a good warm up, clients will usually go through this workout three times before we move on to core work and some sled to finish off. Give it a try. Make sure you are well warmed up. At our gym, we use a series of mobility drills followed by some walking lunges and push ups. All exercises are for 8 repetitions. Go through entire circuit; rest 45 seconds and repeat 2-3x. Okay, here goes:

DB squats
Bench DB Press
DB Lunges
Bench One Arm DB Row
Step Ups with DB
Push Ups
DB Reverse Lunges
DB Single Leg Deadlift or DB Romanian Deadlift

Give it a try. Let me know how you did. For more information on our mobility drills and dynamic warm ups, send me a comment to this blog and I will be happy to forward our warm up regime to you.

Also, sign up for our newsletter. Our latest newsletter deals specifically with mobility vs flexibility – what’s the difference.

Have fun,
Narina