Victoria Wellness Professionals

In this article we are going to discuss the anterior core. Now, there are whole textbooks devoted to just core muscles, their function or dysfunction and strategies to strengthen and rehabilitate. This will just barely scratch the surface of what science knows about the “core” and every day there is more information being learned about its vital function.

However, this very brief overview will help to give you a glimpse of what the anterior core muscles are all about, why we are selective in our training of these muscles and also why we are always looking for better and safer ways to make these muscles not only stronger but more “functional”.

When I look back on the last 10 years that I have been training clients, I am amazed how my training programs have changed. As I read and learn, things change. That is what is so exciting about the field of human movement and how it relates to keeping us all healthy and strong. Even those of you that have been training at Victoria Wellness for a short time will notice changes in our training selection. And, as I continue to learn, things in the gym will continue to change. As long as there is science to support the change, I am willing to entertain it.

Now onto some core work shall we? The anterior core consists of several muscle groups. In this article we are not going to discuss hip musculature that is involved with the anterior core muscles nor are we going to discuss the “back side” of the core (the posterior chain). Just understand that no muscle or group of muscles work in isolation so there is interaction between all muscles to create movement and prevent movement, as well as control joint stability.

We are going to talk only about the rectus abdominis, internal and external obliques and the transverse abdominus.

Rectus Abdominis: this muscle originates from the pubic crest. Its fibers runs vertically and insert onto the 5th, 6th, and 7th ribs as well as to the sternum. The action of this muscle is to flex the vertebral column and tilt the pelvis posteriorily.

The rectus abdominis in conjunction with the obliques is responsible for control of trunk and pelvic rotation during movement. If this muscle becomes dominant (which can happen with doing old fashioned crunches and situps), and the obliques are not conditioned, control of the trunk and pelvis is weak. This will lead to low back pain and possibly serious injury.

When the rectus muscle is overworked with crunches and sit ups it can pull the chest down and cause a rounding of the upper back leading to kyphosis. Just one more reason that crunches and sit ups are not an exercise of choice.

External & Internal Obliques: the external obliques originate on the rib cage and insert into the pelvis and the rectus abdominis on the front abdominal wall.. The internal obliques originate on the pelvis and insert into the rib cage and the rectus abdominis. The internal oblique muscles run perpendicular to the external obliques.

The external oblique muscle controls or prevents anterior pelvic tilt and along with the internal oblique muscles control lateral pelvic tilt.

Transverse abdominus: this muscle originates on the inner surfaces of the lower six ribs, the thoracolumbar fascia (of the lower back), the iliac crest and the inguinal ligament. Its fibers run transversely and insert into the linea alba on the from abdominal wall, pubic crest and pecten pubis. In other words, these muscles run around our trunk like a belt.

The action of this muscle is to flatten the abdominal wall and compress the abdominal contents. Because of its attachment to the thoracolumbar fascia in the lower back, it contributes to the stability of the lumbar spine. You want a flat looking stomach? Then work on controlling this muscle.

This is the first muscle recruited for postural stabilization during movements of the upper or lower extremity. In other words when we start to move, this muscle engages and holds our lumbar spine stable.

The primary function of the abdominal muscles is to provide isometric support and limit the degree of rotation of the trunk. Because the lumbar spine is not intended to rotate, a large percentage of back problems occur because the abdominal muscles are not keeping a tight control over the rotation between the pelvis and the spine.

In other words, the abdominal muscles are there for support, not to flex. They are there to restrict rotation of the lumbar spine (lower back). The job is isometric in nature (without movement).

So, in closing, I hope this helps explain why we do not do crunches or situps. Please re-read the previous paragraph and it will help you to understand why the staple of our core training is planks, side planks, supermans or birddogs, roll outs and various chop motions.

Was there a time when I did sit ups and crunches? Yes, there was – hundreds and hundreds of them. But as I have learned, the exercise programming has changed. Stay tuned, I am sure there will more change to come.

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

Source: Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes, Shirley A. Sahrmann, PhD

Uncategorized core muscles, crunches, rectus abdominis, situps, Victoria Wellness, weight training, workouts

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

Uncategorized exercise, gym workouts, hamstrings, lunges, muscles, squats, strength training, stretches, weight training

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.

Uncategorized exercise, fitness, muscles, overtraining, weight training

One question that comes up quite often is how often do I change my workout? This is a great question and often a confusing area to those that workout on their own. I am sure that those of you that have spent any time in the gym have seen the person working out year after year with the same weights, doing the same exercises over and over. And, probably wondering why they don’t see any improvement.

I think this is typically an area that confuses most women when they begin an exercise program. Most men are the opposite – they will quite often increase the weights too fast resulting in injuries. But both are often seen performing the same exercises workout after workout with no variation.

The body must have a stress to respond to to improve. Exercise is a positive stressor to the body (muscles, bones, tendons, etc). In response to the exercise the body gets stronger, leaner and healthier.

The big question comes up when you have been exercising for a while and wonder when do I change exercises, weights, etc.

You should go into the gym each workout with a plan. That is #1. If you have no plan, you have no structure. No structure = no results. Once you have a plan for each gym visit, you are halfway there.
Each workout should be a review in your mind. You should be constantly striving to improve.

Vary the number of sets, reps and rest intervals frequently. Combine exercises into circuit, perform supersets or giant sets. Adjustinging your rest intervals is an excellent way of increasing the intensity within a workout without necessarily increasing the weights used.

Each workout should be a review and next workout you should see where you can make some changes, no matter how small to force more adaptation. The key is when the body has learned to adapt to one particular stress it no longer responds. No response = no results.

Program changes should be done about every 3-4 months. That means the whole program needs to be re-evaluated. New goals may need to be set. New exercises, set and rep scheme and training tempos should all be addressed.

Take a look today at your workout program. Are you still doing the same program you were doing last month? When was the last time you increased the weight of specific exercises? Have you tried adjusting your rest intervals?

If you would like a program review or questions answered, please just leave me a comment below. I would be more than happy to help you progress forward towards your goals.

Till next time,
Narina

Uncategorized exercise program, training programs, Victoria Wellness Professionals, weight lifting, weight training

Saturday morning at the gym. I have decided I have going to do a heavy sled workout today. I try to rotate sled workouts between lighter weights and sprinting; or load it up and just get down and dirty with a heavy load. Today, the down and dirty workout won out and I was using only my big push sled (not the rope pull sled).

This particular workout scheme came from an awesome group at Elite Fitness; www.Elitefts.com Here goes:

The workout consists of 10 sets. Each set is equivalent to 30 yards of sled pushing. Every second set you will add some weight. Rest periods are as needed and you will certainly not rest as long with the earllier, lighter sets. This is what my workout consisted of (after a good warmup of course).

Set #1 and 2 = 175 lbs
Set #3 and 4 = 200 lbs
Set #5 and 6 = 220 lbs
Set #7 and 8 = 241 lbs
Set #9 and 10 = 263 lbs
Set #11 and 12 = 290 lbs

Great workout. Good burn for the legs! Please feel free to leave your comments. What did your workout consist of today?

Uncategorized exercise, gym workouts, leg workout, sled workout, strength training, weight training

A recent meeting with a prospective client reminded me of why I opened a private fitness studio. I have been weight lifting for almost 30 years now. I learned about working out in the days before chrome dumbbells and fancy machines. So for all the years I trained I was very comfortable in the public realm sweating it out with all the bodybuilders and general fitness buffs.

But one of the issues that always bothered me was how many women attempted to enter the gyms to workout, only to be frustrated after a very short time and leave. There was usually a “trainer”
available to show them around, write up a quick program and then leave them on their own to figure it out. But no one really seemed to care whether they stayed or not. Nobody took an interest in
whether they were doing their exercises correctly or even at all.

A recent social outing with a friend brought to light that nothing has really changed much in the public facilities. My friend, for the first time had taken an active step toward improving her health. She was excited about embarking on a fitness program and was enthusiastic to get started. A ladies only fitness club was a 5 minute walk from home. This couldn’t be more convenient. Upon the first visit, she was greeted with enthusiasm by the owner and staff. She felt encouraged to begin her program and great care was taken to explain how the club worked. She was told they would motivate and support her, even call her at home if she missed a workout! This was exactly what she was looking for. Someone who cared and who would take the time to teach and motivate. Naturally, she signed up right away. How could she not? It all sounded so great!

So, with hope and expectation of a supportive environment she ventured into the world of strength training. The gym was comprised of a circuit of machines, all hydraulic. There was music playing and you rotated through the circuit in time with the music. She was shown briefly how each machine worked and then left on her own. Being a medical professional, she is very aware of her own
limitations due to knee injuries. This was important since the staff were not particularly concerned.

So, as the first two weeks roll by, interest starts to wane as personal attention from the staff is non existent. The owner was frequently sitting at the counter eating, while clients attempted to work out. As my friend lost interest and eventually missed workouts, the promised call to her home if she missed a workout did not occur and so the story repeats itself as it has in so many public gyms before.

That constant stream of women attempting to improve their health, only to be met with indifference from the facility staff, is what prompted me to think there must be a better way. Hence, Victoria
Wellness private fitness studio was born. I have always attempted to provide a supportive and motivating environment for all clients, both women and men. Yes, hard work is necessary and sweating does happen, but this can all be done under the watchful eyes of caring and knowledgeable trainers.

If you are thinking of starting a fitness program, first you need to decide. Which is better for you – public or private, caring or indifference? I know which I would prefer.

Narina

Uncategorized exercise, motivation, private fitness studio, public gyms, support, Victoria Wellness Professionals, weight training, workouts

If you are training are your own either at home or at a public gym, you are probably familiar with sets and reps. You hear it often referred to as 3 sets of 10 repetitions. And, as trainers we often will use the same language with our clients. We will often give instructions as to how may repetitions we are going to do. But, just what are reps and sets. What do they mean other than a bunch of numbers, and is there a purpose to changing the rep scheme? All good questions and this article will attempt to explain the science behind the jargon.

In any weight training program and any exercise program for that matter, you are looking to make changes. Maybe tone up muscles, maybe bulk up or gain muscle mass, or just the opposite and you may want to shed some pounds. For any of these to happen successfully, you must create a scenerio in which physiological changes will occur. Now, we go on for for chapters about all the physiology around muscle gain or weight loss, but for the purpose of this we are only discussing reps and their part of the puzzle. Read more…

Uncategorized concentric, eccentric, exercise, neuromuscular efficiency, repetitions, sets, weight training

Time for another quiz – this time on weight training. Let me know how you do? Enjoy,

Narina

Uncategorized exercise, strength training, weight lifting, weight training