This Just In.....

Men's Health just posted their always fun "20 Worst Foods in America" story. Very interesting. It looks like 2010 was a record-breaking year in the bad-for-you food industry, with The Cheescake Factory leading the way! Here's the link:
http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/20-worst-foods-america?cm_mmc=Yahoo-_-ETNT-_-The_Truth_Your_Weight_Gain-_-20_Worst_Foods

Yesterday's Future Is Today!

This clever line from the TV show South Park (yes, it caught my attention one day as I was flipping channels) though intended as a joke, does give me something to think about. Dr. Eric Cobb of Z Health has a saying: "The body you currently have is the body you've earned by the way you move."

What this means is, because our body is constantly adapting and changing with each movement to accommodate what we are trying to do, our current body has been shaped by all of the movements and activities we've participated in throughout our life- both good and bad. When we were young and developing, most of us learned to move and exist in the world with efficient and good patterns and habits. As we grow, life happens- we have injuries that alter the way we move, we participate in activities (ie. sports, running, dancing, etc) that build and improve our movement skills, we get a job that requires hours of sitting at a desk behind a computer or behind the wheel of a car and "forget" some of our movement skills and alter the way we move again to work around those "forgotten movements," more injuries happen and pain comes along. Today most certainly is yesterday's future.

We've resigned ourselves to the fact that we're getting older and pain is just a part of the aging process as well as diminishing strength and movement skills, but that's not the end of the story. We're missing the silver lining, or the "Golden Ticket!" Tomorrow is today's future!

This adapting and learning never shuts off (contrary to popular belief). The condition we are in now is not a "permanent condition." You're never "too old," or "too broken." We can always improve, provided we choose to put in the work to do so. It takes some discipline, determination, and some proper guidance, but you are never too old or too broken to make a change and make an improvement. We spend our time and energy working hard to make money and save for our future. Why not make the same investment in your body? Investing in your body today will not only give you almost immediate improvement today, but will prepare your body for a healthier, more active future! Today's future is tomorrow- start investing in yourself today!

Fitness for Food

On Friday, November 26, Fitness Evolved will be partnering with the Alameda County Food Bank for our first ever charitable fitness event! Join us for a Free Group Circuit Training Workout at 12:00PM on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. All you need to bring is yourself, a friend, and a non-perishable food item to donate.

After a day of eating, watching parades, eating again, and relaxing, kick the holiday season off right with a fun, energetic 50 minute workout that's guaranteed to energize you, rev your metabolism up, and burn away those Thanksgiving calories! Don't wait until the holidays are over to "get back in shape." This year, join us in our "Holiday Hold-Out" campaign to stay healthy and fit throughout the holiday season. All fitness levels are welcome- we can adjust the exercises to make it appropriate for anyone.

This is a chance to do something great for yourself, and to help others during this difficult time. According to the Alameda County Food Bank, the 2010 Holiday Season will be the highest demand period in the Food Bank's 25 year history! One of our core values at Fitness Evolved is to always strive to do what's good and what's right for ourselves and our community. Join us in doing something good for yourself and the community around you!

What: Fitness Evolved Fitness for Food
When: Friday, November 26, 2010 12:00PM- 1:00PM
Where: Equilibrio Wellness Studio
1729 Telegraph Ave #2
Oakland, CA 94612
Cost: Free! Just bring a friend, and a non-perishable food item!

Please feel free to forward this to everyone you know! Gift certificates will be given, and a raffle will be held that will include free training sessions and a free month's membership!

We hope to see you there! Happy Holidays!

An Apple A Day...

Here's a great quote by motivational speaker and entrepreneur Jim Rohn:
"We've all heard it said 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away.' Well, I've got a question for you: What if it's true? Wouldn't that be easy to do- to eat an apple a day? Here's the problem: It's also easy not to do."

Every day, most of us wake up and start our day on "autopilot." I wake up, grind the coffee beans and start brewing the coffee, shower, get dressed, eat breakfast and read, grab my coffee mug and head out the door to catch the train. All of this is done without much conscious thought- who wants to think that early in the morning?

This is how we're wired- to get good at the things we do often so that we don't have to consciously think about everything we are doing. How much would we get done if we consciously had to think about every step we take every day?

But, what if we're trying to change something? Whether you're trying to improve your diet to lose weight, or spending valuable time and money working with a trainer to improve the way you move, look,and feel- existing in autopilot in those hours you're away from the gym may be inhibiting you from getting the results you're looking for and working so hard for!

One of my favorite blogs to read is by Lou McGovern, a trainer (and sometimes philosopher!) from San Diego. In post written about "Freedom," he describes freedom as using the conscious mind to drive unconscious activity. In other words, how did you develop the habits and routines that you have? Did you develop them intentionally, or did they just happen? Any habit, good or bad, can be explored and either improved or changed.

We can use the analogy of a "map" for habits. Every habit has a map in your brain to allow you to perform that habit repeatedly and more easily every time. If you didn't choose to develop that habit, or movement, you probably didn't get to choose the quality of that habit, or how well that map was "drawn." Re-explore it and make it better- make your map more clear! If it's a bad habit- whether it's a movement, posture, or dietary choice- that map can be redrawn and directed to where you want to go.

It takes conscious thought and action. Like Mr. Rohn said- an apple a day would be easy to do, but it's also easy not to do. Practice with the intention of getting better in your training sessions, and then carry that with you when you leave the gym. Sharpen your map, or redefine it. The more you control your maps, the more freedom you'll have to live the life you desire!

Here Come the Holidays... Don't Blow Your Tires!

It's already holiday season, and we all know what that means... We just finished Halloween, so all of the left over candies are on sale in the stores- very tempting! And, it's time for all of the family gatherings and great food! You know those meals where you're eating all kinds of foods that aren't part of your diet plan. And then you go back for seconds, and then your aunt is pushing you to try her "famous dessert," and you can't say no... Keeping with the car analogy from a previous post, we'll call this "Blowing a Tire."
What happens when you're driving your car and you blow a tire? Do you just keep going until you blow another, and another, until all of your tires are blown? Probably not (at least I hope not!) You stop, and it's not the end of the world. The situation is manageable. You change the tire (or call someone to help), and you get back on the road!
"Blown tires" happen- it's part of life. They may blow a little more frequently around the holiday season, but it's not the end of the world! Tomorrow's a new day, and an opportunity to get back on the road headed towards your destination- a healthy and fit body. One blown tire is minimal damage compared to blowing all 4 tires! You can always recover from either scenario. The most important step is to realize that all is not lost and to get back on the road!

"That's Just The Way I Am...."

I can't even begin to count the number of times I've heard this line from clients when describing they're nagging low back pain, their "weak core," their painful feet that are so structurally weak that they can't exist without their orthotics and $150 ultra-supportive shoes, etc., etc. For the longest time, that's been standard thought and what we have been told by our doctors, and other medical "experts." We get old. And as we get older, our bodies "wear out" and we start to have pain because that's just how it is.
If this is the case, we have been wasting our time for decades by exercising, and training, and working hard to get "fit." With this logic, wouldn't those people who are using their bodies the most be the ones in the most pain, the most "worn out," and in worse shape than those who have "conserved energy," and minimized the wear and tear? Not to say that some of those people aren't in pain, or worn out. But that would be due more to improper training than the training itself (another topic for another day). Don't we look those "ultra-healthy" people and realize that they're doing something good and think we should or wish we could be that way too? And you would if your back didn't hurt, or your feet were better, or your knees weren't bad....
And those people are "super-human" and are just made differently, right? Wrong! I'm pretty sure all of those people have the same number of muscles, and bones, and heart, and lungs, and joints as everyone else. They've just chosen to do something with them!
So what can you do? The first step is to realize that the current condition you are in is not permanent! We all have starting points, and this is yours- you can only go up from here!
So what about that pain you've had for years that's not allowed you to do what you want to do? That's not permanent, either! There's exciting news out, written by one of the world leaders in pain research, Dr. Lorimer Moseley, about the actual physiology of pain and what it means. If you want to read the actual scientific explanation and research, it's very fascinating. Here's the link: "Reconceptualising Pain According to Modern Pain Science"
What this article says, in a nutshell, is that pain is actually a signal sent to and processed by the brain. The brain then interprets the signal, and decides whether or not that tissue is perceived to be "under threat." If there is perceived "threat" to the tissue, the brain will allow you to feel pain in that area as a warning sign that something is wrong, and needs to be addressed. Pain is an action signal, not always red light!
What does all of this mean? It means, if you address and reduce the threat, the pain will subside! The majority of pain receptors in our body exist in our joints, and for a good reason. If our joints aren't healthy or aren't protected, we lose our ability to move. So those pain receptors exist in the joints to make sure they stay protected. But, we also have receptors, called mechanoreceptors, that exist in our joints as well. Mechanoreceptors are movement sensors. When a joint moves, they are stimulated and send a signal to the brain as well. These movement signals travel approximately 200 mph, while pain signals travel approximately 50 mph (example: when we step on something sharp, it takes almost a whole second before we say "ouch!"). So, when a joint moves appropriately, mechanoreceptor signals flood the brain, speed past the pain signals, and override them. If the movement is good, and safe for the joint, the "good" signals (movement- because, as we know, joints were designed to move) override the "bad" (pain) signals, the brain no longer perceives a threat to that area, and won't allow us to feel that pain. If the movement is dangerous or not appropriate, the opposite will occur. Injuries do occur, and do cause pain. But, it is well documented that tissue injuries heal within 4-6 weeks. The residual pain that is left after that time is your brain's remaining perceived threat to that area, and is still protecting it from another injury because proper movement hasn't been totally restored.
What this is telling us to do is move! Move well, and move appropriately, and your pain will gradually subside as your movement improves. If this is a new concept for you, or you've tried doing some sort of movement program before without success, find an expert who can help you and progress you appropriately. Nobody is too old or too "broken" to improve. As humans, we have the amazing ability to always adapt to any stress that's placed on our body. That's how we've survived and evolved over centuries. So, appropriate training, with the appropriate focus will allow you to improve from any starting point.

"From Seed to Table"

I watched a great documentary on PBS last night called "Nourish." A great theme that kept coming up (and a great reminder for us as we are at the store selecting our meals for the week) is the idea of "knowing the story of your food from seed to table." We all have stories. And, if you think about it, the food we eat has a story as well. Where did it come from? Did the workers who grew/raised it get paid fairly? Were they exposed to any harmful chemicals or pesticides? Was our food exposed to any chemicals or pesticides? How far did it travel to get into your hand now? The answers to all of these questions have large implications. These answers affect our health, they affect our community, they affect our environment, and ultimately affect our world. Making one positive decision, such as paying an extra 39 cents/pound for organic tomatoes vs. conventional, has a ripple effect that starts internally in our body spreads further than we are able to see. Know the story of your food and, more importantly, be sure you like that story! If you like the story, you'll most likely enjoy the food more. Your body will thank you for it, and so will the thousands of farmers who worked hard to bring it to you!

I Will Survive!

Are human beings really wired for performance, or are we wired for survival? Based on the fact that such a small percentage of the population would be considered high-level performers, I'd suggest we're more wired for survival (not my own observation- there are others who'd agree). We have primitive reflexes that are driven towards protecting ourselves. Think of what happens when something scares us, or an object is careening towards us. The chin drops to our chest and shoulders elevate towards the ears to protect the neck. The chest collapses and arms flex around the chest and head to protect the heart, lungs, and head. The abdominals tighten to protect the internal organs. If we're seated,the legs will flex up to also protect the mid-section. All of this happens as a split second reflex. We don't train ourselves for that, "just in case."

Taking this concept further, wouldn't we be able to get more out of our training if we took this approach- making our bodies more injury resistant by restoring mobility, improving movement patterns and coordination, and strengthening our bodies in functional positions and ranges that we exist in throughout the day? The brain is the ultimate governor, and will only allow us enough access to our bodies to protect ourselves but not enough to cause injury.

For example, if one doesn't have very good balance and agility, would you think that person would be able to run very fast down the street? Chances are, probably not. We might say- "That's because that person is not in shape or not athletic." And we'd be correct- partially. But, could it also be that because that person is not in a survival situation, that person's brain wouldn't allow him/her to go faster than he/she has the ability to stop from? If you think about how most true injuries occur (not just pain- that may or may not be an injury- more on that in a later post!), it's usually caused by an external force or a movement that occurred so quickly, the brain didn't have time to stop you from doing it.

Confusing and deep? I agree. It's a very different paradigm shift from our typical performance-driven training. Could it be that "releasing the brakes" would give us the most benefit and better results than trying to improve a higher level skill that we don't yet have the ability to master?

Radiolab (by NPR)recently published an interesting pod cast series on limits of the body, brain, and science. The first, "Limits of the Body" is very interesting. It contains stories of various endurance athletes who pushed their bodies to the limit. All show the power the brain has over the body, how much the body is actually capable of, and how strong the survival instinct truly is. If you have 30 minutes, it's definitely worth listening to!

It Starts From the Ground Up.... Continued

After reading studies and articles and debates on this issue over the past 6 months or so, I decided that just reading isn't enough. After all, most research studies and experiments conducted in labs are very controlled, which is, in my opinion, quite the opposite of real life. I attended a cutting edge training seminar from Z Health called Essentials of Elite Performance and learned even more about how the body works and how important the joints in our feet actually are. Over 1/3 of the joints in our body are located in our feet. What is the main function of joints?- movement! For some reason, our shoe industry and training community have decided that this is a "faulty design" and decided to start designing shoes and orthotics to keep those joints stiff and not allow them to move. Understandably so, as most of our population spends most of our time seated and don't have the foot strength and mobility to support the impact of running. Running shoes allow those people to get out and run more comfortably. Noble intention, but very misguided. Designing something to support an inefficiency instead of actually getting to and correcting the root of the problem is what we've trended towards over the past few decades. We forget how adept our body is to changing and healing itself! So, I entered into my own "lab." I bought a pair of the Vibram Five Fingers shoes and proceeded to train for a half marathon over 3 months.

My first run was very interesting. I started out small (or so I thought), only running 3 miles (at that point I had an easy 8 mile base in Nike Frees or other running shoes). The first 1/2 mile to mile felt a little strange, and my feet felt a little stiff. Then, all of the sudden, my feet loosened up, spread out, and I took off. My stride shortened into a land and push, my feet opened up at impact, and my toes gripped the the ground. I've never felt more sure-footed! I cruised through the remaining 2 miles- feeling disappointed that I was home already, wanting to do more but knowing my body wouldn't like me if I did much more. As it was, my run felt great, but my calves punished me for the next few days. I realized that I'd tapped into a whole new way of running that my body is going to love... eventually. In retrospect, 3 miles was a little aggressive for my first time.

Lesson learned, I slowly increased my distances over the next few months. My gait changed into an efficient, smooth short stride with a springy push off. I learned to run easy and smooth, which in turn made me fast! I had 6 mile and 8.5 mile training runs that ended up being PR's! I completed the 1/2 marathon with little problems. I didn't set any records, but it wasn't my slowest half, either. I ran smoothly and easily the entire race, but didn't quite have enough kick to push faster and hit my PR goal. I can feel this style of running gait is more natural and efficient, and I'm excited about where it (and my legs) will take me in the future!

And, as a bonus, my body's never felt better. The occasional achiness in the knees and ankles I used to get after the long runs is gone. My hip mobility has never been better. In truth, this shouldn't be a bonus, this is what should happen as a result of our training. We train to get stronger and feel better, not the other way around. Too often, we tend to try to feel better so we can train some more. If our training is breaking us down and making us worse, why are we doing it?!

I can't attribute this totally to just running barefoot. Religiously practicing the Z Health R Phase Dynamic Joint Mobility Drills has also played a large part in how I feel and move as well.

All this to say, I'm a 100% believer that the closer we are to barefoot, or "natural," the better our body is going to respond to our training and improve. The more "connection" our brain has with each of our hundreds of joints, the clearer our proprioceptive "map" will be and we will move more efficiently. Not only is there science to back it up, I have first hand experience as well- which in my mind carries a lot more water!

Questions about shoes, running gait, or this new Z Health Training? Post a comment,or email info.fitnessevolved@gmail.com

Easy Tips For Eating Healthy and Responsibly!

It's been a while! This is a fantastic article that includes easy tips to eating healthy and responsibly, as well as explaining the why and dispelling the common myth that "a calorie is just a calorie!"

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/loveyourbody/why-you-cant-lose-those-last-10-pounds-1964849/

It Starts From the Ground Up....

The latest debate in the running/training community over the past year or so has been about footwear. Christopher McDougall's book, Born to Run, has caused quite a stir challenging the past few decades of shoe companies marketing their "specialty shoes" for all types of feet and runners. McDougall argues that the "modern running shoes let people run with their foot in front of their hips, picking up two feet of stride. You can't do that with the naked foot- it hurts." He says that people are told they that they're supposed go to a specialty store, have them tell you if you're doing something wrong, and then tell you that you need to buy something to fix it.

It's hard to argue with his reasoning. Many of us would rather go buy a nice pair of shoes or some sort of fancy equipment that will fix something for us, rather than putting in the hard work of fixing the actual root or cause of the problem. It's the biggest flaw in the fitness industry as a whole today. Everyone is looking for, and advertising, the one workout or workout item that will "change your life," and give you the "body you've always dreamed of" without putting in all of the time-consuming hard work it takes to get there. We are a quick-fix, instant results society. We've become spoiled!

But when you think about it, how many of us are actually satisfied with any of these quick fixes? How many of us have six-packs now after buying the "ab rocker," or have cut strokes off of their score after buying the perfect golf club, or are now completely pain free and running faster than ever after placing a "custom orthotic" in their shoe or buying the $180 pair of running shoes because "they're the best." Our quick fixes are just that- temporary quick solutions that help, but don't get to the root of the problem. And sadly, over and over again, we settle for that as "good enough."

The modern running shoe, with up to one inch of foam padding, dampens the impact of the heel strike, allowing us to run faster and with bigger strides than our body actually has the stability to do. A recent study published by Daniel Lieberman et. al. of Harvard compares the ground forces at impact with running in running shoes vs. barefoot or minimal footwear: http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/2FootStrikes&RunningShoes.html It shoes that there is actually greater dispersement of forces with running barefoot or in minimal shoes than in the fancy, highly supportive running shoes.
Many orthotics being placed in people's shoes, even the "custom orthotics" are supportive orthotics and not corrective. What's the difference? A supportive orthotic is one in which your foot is either scanned by a fancy machine, or you stand on some squishy foam and leave an imprint. The orthotic is then shaped to fit your foot as it already is while you are weight bearing- standing. In other words, it supports your weak foot or poor allignment, and tries not to let it get any worse. A corrective orthotic is one in which the imprint or casting is taken while you are non-weight bearing, and your foot is placed in a proper, neutral position. These orthotics will actually put your feet into the right allignment while you are standing on them, instead of just supporting them where they are. Corrective orthotics, while much more beneficial, may not be necessary for most of the population. Usually developing overall foot strength corrects most incidences of "flat feet" and "over-pronation."

All of this is to say that maybe we've had it wrong for all of these years, or at least not quite right. In my years of training, I'm finding more and more how important the contact of the foot with the ground truly is. It's the initial "receptor site" for where your body is in space. Where force or body weight is placed on your foot is the triggering point for how muscles fire to support and move your body, starting from the foot all the way to the head. Try this simple experiment. Stand up, and slowly shift your weight backwards onto your heels, and feel what happens. You should almost immediately feel your calves, then glutes, then abdominals, all the way up to your neck muscles tighten up. Shift back over your arches, and you'll immediately feel muscles relax, and your posture will be more tall and upright.

Now, think about how important that quick response would be if you are running (a series of repeated single leg jumps, thousands at a time), or if you are trying to lift a heavy bar off the ground to perform a deadlift. If we place an inch of foam padding (our nice, comfy shoes) and another thin layer of orthotic between our foot and the ground, wouldn't one think that that would slow that response down? Aren't we looking for the fastest, most efficient possible response from our musculo-skeletal system?

The jury is still out, as their still isn't quite enough research to totally support running barefoot vs. "shod," but it's definitely something to consider. I have a feeling if we all started running barefoot, we'd be running a lot slower and with shorter strides than we would be with our nice cushiony shoes- a hard pill to swallow. None of us want to run slower- we all want to get faster, right? But who knows, maybe in the long run it could be better, allow us to be healthier, and reduce the wear and tear on our body. One thing is for certain, the invention of running shoes hasn't decreased the number of running related injuries. In the meantime, what would it hurt to do your other workouts with minimal foot wear? Your foot strength will increase, and muscle response time should improve as well, allowing for even better results from all of your hard work.

You Only Have One Body....

Strength coach Mike Boyle sent out a great email this morning with a great analogy about how we treat our bodies. Here it is:

"Imagine you are sixteen years old and your parents give you your first car. They also give you simple instructions. There is one small hitch, you only get one car, you can never get another. Never. No trade-ins, no trade-ups. Nothing

Ask yourself how would you maintain that car? My guess is you would be meticulous. Frequent oil changes, proper fuel, etc. Now imagine if your parents also told you that none of the replacement parts for this car would ever work as well as the original parts. Not only that, the replacement parts would be expensive to install and cause you to have decreased use of your car for the rest of the cars useful life? In other words, the car would continue to run but, not at the same speed and with the efficiency you were used to.

Wow, now would we ever put a lot of time and effort into maintenance if that were the case.

After reading the above example ask yourself another question. Why is the human body different? Why do we act as if we don’t care about the one body we were given. Same deal. You only get one body. No returns or trade-ins. Sure, we can replace parts but boy it’s a lot of work and it hurts. Besides, the stuff they put in never works as well as the original “factory” parts. The replacement knee or hip doesn’t give you the same feel and performance as the original part.

Think about it. One body. You determine the mileage? You set the maintenance plan?

No refunds, no warranties, no do-overs?

How about this perspective? One of my clients is a very successful businessman. He often is asked to speak to various groups. One thing he tells every group is that you are going to spend time and money on your health. The truth is the process can be a proactive one or a reactive one. Money spent on your health can take the form of a personal trainer, massage therapist and a gym membership or, it can be money spent on cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and plastic surgeons. Either way, you will spend money.

Same goes for time. You can go to the gym or, to the doctors office. It’s up to you. Either way, you will spend time. Some people say things like “I hate to work out”. Try sitting in the emergency room for a few hours and then get back to me. Working out may not seem so bad. Much like a car, a little preventative maintenance can go a long way. However, in so many ways the body is better than a car. With some good hard work you can turn back the odometer on the body. I wrote an article a while back ( Strength Training- The Fountain of Youth) that discussed a study done by McMaster University which showed that muscle tissue of older subjects actually changed at the cellular level and looked more like the younger control subjects after strength training.

Do me a favor, spend some time on preventative maintenance, it beats the heck out of the alternative. Just remember, you will spend both time and money."
www.strengthcoach.com

Great perspective, and something to think about in this new year!