FIT BONES
by Todd Pelan

Interestingly enough, as our muscles increase in strength as well as size, so do our supporting structures. The densities of our bones, ligaments as well as tendons all improve with consistent resistance training. It has been demonstrated that our ligaments and tendons get stronger with increases in the strength of our muscles. Our bones however take a little longer approximately “6-12 months”. These positive adaptations to resistive exercise decrease injury incidences, as well serve as a prehabilitative strategy.

Happy Resistance Training J

Zucchini Pasta with Homemade Orange Pepper Tomato Sauce
by Todd Pelan

Over the past few weeks I have been experimenting with different variations of this pasta dish, which doesn’t even include pasta…Trust me you will not miss it.

Orange Pepper Tomato Sauce:

In a food processor combine:
4 Tomatoes
2-3 cloves of Garlic
Half of an Orange Pepper
6 or more prepared Sun dried Tomatoes
A healthy handful of Fresh Basil Leaves
Large pinch of Fresh Thyme
3 table spoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Cracked Pepper

Mix until desired texture. After you have the texture you like, stir in a can of well-rinsed & drained Chick Peas before adding on top of your Zucchini Pasta. This Pasta Sauce can be served hot or right from the mixer?!

Zucchini pasta:

Simply, decide how many are eating & use Zucchini in place of pasta. Cut into pasta-ish strips, lightly sauté in a little Olive Oil, until desired texture; usually 2-4 minutes “el dente”. Garnish with a Tomato, Avocado, a few mint or Basil leaves; perhaps Fennel. Drizzle some Olive Oil.

As always, enjoy making this your own!

Till next time,
Todd
Monitoring, Mentoring, Motivation

A comment or concern that comes up often during workout sessions is the feeling that is experienced in the muscle during the performance of an a exercise. Just what should you “feel” or is there anything to this “muscle pump” feeling that is often expressed. Also, just what is “going for the burn?”

To describe what someone might be feeling is almost impossible as each persons’ perception is very different.

I have often written in past newsletters or blog posts about the presence of pain during an exercise session. There is no place for pain in the gym. Never do you work through pain. Peoples’ perception of pain is also very individual, but either there is pain or there isn’t. That part doesn’t really differ from person to person. For that reason, if pain is present stop what you are doing and seek help.

But let’s talk about the “feeling” associated with weight lifting. Just what is happening to the muscle when you are weight training?

The muscle pump or “burn” is a physiological response by the muscles during resistance training.

The muscle pump is caused by an influx of blood into the muscles. This increased blood flow is to remove toxins and replace supplies of fuel and oxygen.

The burning sensation is the result of metabolic waste products that are produced by muscles in response to intense weight training.

The muscle pump or burn has little to do with increased hypertrophy or increased muscle size. Increased muscle growth comes only from heavy training which produces less or very little muscle pump. You may get an intense muscle pump or burn from doing very high repetitions with a lower weight, but you would not get increased growth or strength.

Going for the burn does not necessarily mean you have had a successful workout. A successful workout is based on progression. Lifting more weight, performing more reps is a good indicator of a good workout.

It is good to “feel” during a weight training workout and perfectly normal. You may not feel a burn, but you may feel that the muscle is “swollen” or that your skin feels very tight. These are perfectly normal feelings and are not necessarily to be avoided.

Avoid pain, embrace the “burn”. Work out hard, go for the intensity and you will reap the rewards of a stronger and leaner body.

Till next time,
Narina

“Monitoring, Mentoring, Motivation”

Arthritis or degenerative joint disease is so common I am sure we all know someone or of someone who suffers from arthritis. There are over 100 different forms of arthritis. The most common form is osteoarthritis. But other forms of arthritis include: Anklosing spondylitis, gout, juvenile arthritis, Paget’s disease, Psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid disease.

Today’s article is about osteoarthritis, and more specifically osteoarthritis of the knee. We are going to cover basic knee anatomy, pathophysiology of osteoarthritis and what forms of exercise with specific reference to strength training will benefit someone suffering from osteoarthritis.

Basic Knee Anatomy:

The knee is a joint which has three parts. The thigh bone (femur) meets the large shin bone (tibia) forming the main knee joint. This joint has an inner (medial) and an outer (lateral) compartment. The kneecap (patella) joins the femur to form a third joint, called the patellofemoral joint.

The knee is an example of “diathrotic” joint, and is classed as a hinge joint. These are moveable joints that contain synovial fluid and are enclosed by joint capsules. The joint capsule consists of ligaments strapping the inside and outside of the joint (collateral ligaments) as well as crossing within the joint (anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments). These ligaments provide stability and strength to the knee joint.

The bones do not actually come in contact with one another. Articular cartilage caps the articular surface of each bone. Synovial fluid circuilates through the joint during movement. Both of these help to minimize friction as well as cushion the articulating bones. Ligaments help to bind the joint and tough, fibrous menisci are located within the joint and act as cushions as well as to guide the articulating bone.

The knee joint is surrounded by fluid-filled sacs called bursae, which serve as gliding surfaces that reduce friction of the tendons.

Pathophysiology of Osteoarthritis:

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that is caused by the breakdown and eventual loss of the cartilage of one or more joints. Cartilage is a protein substance that serves as a “cushion” between the bones of the joints

Primary osteoarthritis is mostly related to aging. Eventually, cartilage begins to degenerate by flaking or forming tiny crevasses. In advanced cases, there is a total loss of cartilage cushion between the bones of the joints. Loss of the cartilage cushion causes friction between the bones, leading to pain and limitation of joint mobility. Inflammation of the cartilage can also stimulate new bone outgrowths (spurs, also referred to as osteophytes) to form around the joints.

The breakdown of cartilage causes the bones to rub against each other, causing stiffness, pain and loss of movement in the joint.

Some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee are:

• pain when moving the knee

• grating or catching when moving the knee

• pain when walking up and down stairs or getting up from a chair

• pain that prevents exercise

• weakened leg muscles (quadriceps)

There are various treatment modalities for osteoarthritis from physical therapy to medication therapies. But, for the purpose of this article, we are going to discuss exercise, it’s necessity and specifically strength training and suggested exercise protocols.

Goal of an Exercise Program:

The goal of any exercise program is to develop mobility, stability and strength in all muscles and joints. With arthritis the goal is to:

• reduce stress to the affected joint/joints
• increase muscle strength to deload the joints affected

• decrease presence of pain
• maintain joint mobility

• maintain a quality of life

With osteoarthritis of the knee, you want to avoid any exercise/movement that causes stress to the joint. High impact movements such as jogging, running, plyometric exercises need to be avoided. All exercises need to be within a pain free range of motion. Stationary bike or swimming or great for conditioning purposes.

So, just what should a person with osteoarthritis of the knee do? Ultimately pain will be the guide. You must work within a pain free zone at all times. Range of motion for any squats or split squats need to be limited to what can be performed without pain. For some, these two exercises may be contraindicated entirely.

The beginning of any workout should begin with soft tissue work. Foam rolling for the quadriceps, adductors and glutes needs to be done daily.

Mobility exercises must be included for ankles, hips and thoracic spine.

Exercise Selection:

Exercises for the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, spinal erectors, extensors) should be the mainstay of any strength program. Romanian deadlifts, single leg romanian deadlifts and kettlebell swings are safe to include.

Limited range of motion squats, split squats and wall sits should be included to increase quadricep strength which in turn will help to support and deload the knee.

Core stability and strength should also be included using planks, side planks, bridges, superman (or birddogs) as well as Pallof Press are excellent examples of great core building exercises.

It is possible and necessary to keep the muscles strong that support the knee. However, choose the exercise carefully or enlist the services of a fitness professional to help design a safe program that will protect the knee while providing stability and strength.

Till next time,
Narina

Source: Concepts of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Van DeGraaff & Fox,

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

Overtraining manifests itself in several evil ways, but none is quite as evil as muscular atrophy. You work hard and eat right so that you can gain muscle. Because you didn’t pay careful attention to your training program you suddenly find yourself sleepy and irritable and it dawns on you that you are in a state of overtraining. You then begin to notice that while your bodyfat percentage is not decreasing, your scale weight continues to go down. You are experiencing muscular atrophy. You are losing lean body mass.

Overtraining will do the opposite of training when it comes to muscle mass. Instead of seeing larger muscles, your muscles will actually lose size and strength. You will be going in reverse as far as your progress. It is a scary thing for most trainees.

This is one symptom of overtraining that is difficult to detect. Unless you are like me and you measure yourself weekly, this one is likely to fly under the radar for many weeks before being discovered and that just means a longer recovery time in the end.

You can recover from this symptom of overtraining by getting more rest and taking time off from the gym. Give your body adequate time to fully recover from the pounding it has been taking. When you get back in the gym you will soon see your hard work paying off once again with increases in muscle size and strength. Once you discover this symptom, do not delay. Get the rest your body requires so that you will see the gains you deserve.

Mike Mahony
http://thefatburningmachineblog.com(where he chronicles his own training adventures) and http://fitnessexpose.com (where he exposes fitness misinformation overload).

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

Most of you know that in order to recover your body needs rest. You do not grow in the gym, you grow while getting rest. Overtraining throws a wrench into the process.

In a previous article I spoke about mood swings from overtraining. Another symptom of overtraining is sleepiness. You work your body to the point that it cannot recover. It starts to use energy that it normally wouldn’t use. This makes you feel sleepy.

This symptom is no different than how your body reacts to a cold or flu bug. It instinctively knows that rest is the only cure and it sets out to get the rest it needs.

If you’ve been training hard and notice yourself feeling tired alot of the time examine the possibility that you are overtraining. Look at everything objectively. Make the right moves before you dig a huge ditch for yourself.

One sure fire cure is to take a week off from training. This will enable your body to fully recover and you will come back stronger. Give your body the rest it craves and you will be rewarded with great increases later.

Mike Mahony

Michael Mahony is a fitness guru wannabe, computer specialist, huge hockey fan, loving husband, proud father and motivated speaker. He encourages everyone to work hard and work with intensity. His philosphy is that you never work hard enough because you can always work harder than you just did. Michael’s other sites include http://thefatburningmachineblog.com (where he chronicles his own training adventures) and http://fitnessexpose.com (where he exposes fitness misinformation overload). You can connect with Michael on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/michaelmahony and on Twitter @MikeMahony.

One of the problems with most people today is finding time to exercise. Well, even most of us can find 10 minutes sometime in a busy day. This little workout is just one circuit of bodyweight exercises. Repeat it twice for 10 minutes and 4 times through for a full body 20 minute workout.

Core Exercises

The four core exercises we use primarily at our facility is bridges, superman (or birddog), prone plank (isoabs) and side plank (isoabs). The one thing I notice with most people is they forget about engaging their glutes. The glute muscles pay an important role in all of these vital core exercises. Check out the video and practice engaging the glutes with each repetition.

Please feel free to leave comments or questions. Till next time,
Narina

ONLY MEN SHOULD LIFT WEIGHTS!

False. Resistance training is for everyone and women can and should include resistance training in their exercise planning. Resistance training will result in stronger muscles, strong bones, increased metabolism, increased flexibility, stronger joints and connective tissue. Studies have shown that weight bearing and resistance training exercises not only prevent bone loss but also increase bone mass. This is of particular importance to women.

IF I LIFT WEIGHTS I WILL GET HUGE MUSCLES AND LOOK LIKE A MAN!

Absolutely false. Once and for all, lets clear up this misconception. It is physiologically impossible for women to build a muscular physique to the same degree as men. As women, we simply lack high levels of testosterone that are responsible for the muscular development seen on men. Aside of the chemical imbalance, it takes many years of hard work and dedication for women to achieve muscular development to a high degree.

I DON’T WANT TO BODYBUILD, I JUST WANT TO TONE!

Regardless of what your goal is you are bodybuilding. We are all building our bodies’ everyday, with every activity. Whether we are running, playing tennis, swimming, cycling, or whatever our chosen activity, we are building our bodies to better sustain those activities we enjoy. This phrase is just a misuse of terminology. Whether you are bodybuilding for competition or bodybuilding for health it all involves a sound exercise program and healthy diet.

IS SPOT REDUCING POSSIBLE?

There is no such thing as spot reduction. This is another myth that has been around for years and years. You can hear it from anyone, male or female. Whether it involves losing weight off the thighs or “love handles” it is not possible to lose weight off a specific area or exercise weight off a specific area. If there is weight to lose, an exercise program combined with aerobic exercise will result in weight loss from all over the body. Generally, however those areas plagued by most women (hips and thighs) and men (love handles) are usually the last area to see a significant reduction. A good weight loss program requires hard work, discipline and patience.

TO LOSE WEIGHT I MUST LIFT WEIGHTS FOR A HIGH NUMBER OF REPETITIONS.

Again this is another example of a myth that has been making the rounds for years. I believe this stems from the fear that women have of becoming too muscular. So, in order to allay those fears they have been told to lift a very light weight for a large number of repetitions (reps in the 15-25 range). There is no truth to the myth that lifting light weights for high reps will lose body fat. Again, the only way to lose fat is a combination of good nutrition, aerobic exercise and a sound strength-building program. The problem with lifting very light weights is that eventually the body will become accustomed to the stress and will cease to adapt. Once this happens, no progress will be seen toward your fitness goals. The body becomes very adept at conserving energy and will eventually become very efficient at doing the same amount of work with less expenditure of calories. As stated in the article, “reps, sets and weights”, a good strength-building program involves a carefully chosen scheme of reps and weights with ongoing modifications.

This is not to say that high reps do not have their place in a training regime. These are usually reserved for the endurance athlete such as race walkers, marathoners, cyclists, and cross-country skiers. These sports require a program of muscle endurance training, but this is usually done at certain times throughout a training year along with a muscle hypertrophy program. These are two entirely different programs done at different times within an athletes yearly training cycle.

IF I STOP EXERCISING ALL THAT MUSCLE WILL TURN TO FAT

This is false. Muscle is muscle and fat is fat. The two are different components of our physiological make up. They cannot become the other under any circumstances. We can become successful at decreasing our bodies’ fat stores and increasing our lean muscle tissue but they do not turn into the other. If one stops exercising the muscle tissue you have built up will atrophy (shrink) back to its pre-exercise form. If you don’t exercise your muscle will still atrophy over time. This is a natural form of aging, but it is within our control to decrease muscle wasting with age. The reason most people believe that muscle turns to fat once they stop exercising is that they will become fatter. This is not because the muscle has turned into fat, but because the muscle has shrunk from disuse and without activity to burn calories, most people will become fatter. If the calories are not used, your body will store them as fat!

Go ahead, move those weights…..

Till next time,
Narina

Here is a little quiz to try. Let me know how you did and if you enjoyed it ok? I have a series to these, so stay tuned for more quizzes to come.

Narina