It's holiday time... our favorite time of year! A season full of get-togethers with family and friends, deliciously rich food, and fun!
Along with this time of year comes a certain level of guilt and frustration, as well. We feel guilty for over-indulging, and to some extent, the perceived "sabotage" of our diet and fitness plan.
We have good news.... You can enjoy and indulge and stay on track with your goals! It just takes a little strategy.
The first thing to realize is, it's not totally your fault, and you're not alone. We are neurologically wired to consume more calories and more calorie dense foods than we actually need. Dr. Susan Roberts of Tufts University did some great research and reasoning, and identified 5 basic food "instincts" that drive our ultimate actions about "what, how, when, and how much" we eat.
The instinct we'll highlight today is "Availability" This instinct is very basic. "We eat food simply because it's available." Multiple studies across different cultures and populations show that, as humans, we eat more when food is available- regardless of our hunger. Our favorite study that helps show this is this study, done at Cornell University, and is probably one of the coolest studies of all time (in my opinion).
In this study, repeated 3 times, at least 60 subjects were invited to eat as many bowls of tomato soup as they wanted until they were full. They were invited back a few days later for seemingly the same task, but with a catch. The bowls had a hole in the bottom with a small hose attached that continually pumped tomato soup into the bowl, so it was an endless bowl of soup! They were instructed to consume as much as they wanted (until they felt full) over the course of 15 minutes.
The results? On average, the subjects consumed 75% more soup than they had previously when the bowl wasn't endless! 75%!! That's a lot of extra calories. Some were quoted as saying, when asked if they were full, "How can I be, I still have half a bowl of soup left!"
We eat more food when it's readily available, and when we eat mindlessly. It's inevitable!
But, knowledge is power. By simply being aware of this instinct, we have the ability to plan and set up strategies to ensure we enjoy ourselves without the guilt and poor results afterwards!
Here are some simple strategies for Surviving the Holiday Eating Season with your health and fitness goals still intact:
1. Make sure it's not available! It's ok to snack, but make it harder to over-indulge. Either buy the smaller package at the store, so you'd have to go back to get more. Or, take your serving out of the package, put it in a bowl or small plate, and then put the package away. There's a reason Pringles say "Bet you can't eat just one!" It's really hard when that can's still in your hand!
2. Portion Control! If you're in charge of making dessert or some other "sinful" dish for the get-together, alter the recipe to make it smaller. Only make enough for one serving per guest, or make the portions smaller. Don't we all complain that "I ate way too much dessert..." after dinner anyways?
3. Plan Accordingly! If you know you're on your way to over-indulging as you celebrate, plan for it! You have a few options: Eat a smaller breakfast and lunch, with no snacks that day and the day after to keep your overall calories limited... OR... Eat a little extra for breakfast and lunch, with more significant snacks in between so you're not as hungry when you get there (not a great option based on our instinct above- there'll still be plenty of calories available)... OR... Eat lots of high volume, low calorie foods like fresh veggies! Our stomach has mechanoreceptors, or "movement receptors," surrounding it as well. As we've all learned, the body craves movement, and the stomach is no exception. As we fill it with large, but calorie lacking veggies, it stretches, or "moves" the stomach and gives us a more satisfied feeling.
At Fitness Evolved, we're all about intentional practice to continually improve for lifelong optimal health and wellness. Practicing "elite eating habits," intentionally, allows us to alter our behavior and enjoy all the wonderful flavors of foods that come with the Holiday Season without getting side-tracked or set-back. We know more about the science of nutrition than we ever have in the history of our country, yet we're the most unhealthy we've ever been in the history of our country. We have the knowledge, it's the behavior and habits, or "instincts," that we need to be aware of and intentionally improve. Awareness of these instincts and behaviors is the first step to making a change towards elite health and fitness. While everyone else is complaining and feeling guilty, we can feel happy and satisfied because we planned ahead and learned how to enjoy and control ourselves. Happy eating!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Tired? Recovering Slowly? Forgetful? The Forgotten Vitamin You're Probably Not Getting Enough Of...
As I'm sure we've all heard, our food supply isn't what it used to be. More and more science and research is showing that it's almost impossible to get adequate amounts of certain vitamins through diet alone. One of the most important in this group is Vitamin D.
What does vitamin D do and why is it important? Vitamin D controls your body's ability to produce energy as well as determine how good your coordination, reaction time, strength, speed and endurance actually are. It also helps control inflammation, which controls muscle soreness and recovery time. Low vitamin D levels are linked to increased body fat as well as a weakened immune system.
New research has shown that all cells and tissue contain receptors for vitamin D, which suggests vitamin D is essential in order for every cell and tissue in your body to function properly.
How do we know if we're low on Vitamin D?
The only way to truly know is through lab testing. Some signs and symptoms of being low in Vitamin D are: fatigue, slow recovery time between workouts, decrease in coordination or "clumsiness," forgetfulness, poor sleep.
Where does Vitamin D come from?
We get some Vitamin D in our diet through drinking milk/dairy, but to get enough, we'd have to drink approximately 60 glasses per day. We also get Vitamin D from the sun. 30 minutes of full body skin exposure to the sun 3 times per week would provide adequate Vitamin D, but in the 21st Century Bay Area that doesn't seem very practical.
So what do we do about it?
First, you have to have your Vitamin D levels assessed from a lab. Remember, if you're not assessing, you're just guessing! Once you know how low, or if you're low at all, then you can determine how to supplement to return your levels to optimal.
Note: "Lab Reference Ranges" are not optimal! They are an average based on who comes in their door. Most people who are going to a lab are not in optimal health! Your Vitamin D levels should be higher than the labs' reference range if you want optimal levels.
What does vitamin D do and why is it important? Vitamin D controls your body's ability to produce energy as well as determine how good your coordination, reaction time, strength, speed and endurance actually are. It also helps control inflammation, which controls muscle soreness and recovery time. Low vitamin D levels are linked to increased body fat as well as a weakened immune system.
New research has shown that all cells and tissue contain receptors for vitamin D, which suggests vitamin D is essential in order for every cell and tissue in your body to function properly.
How do we know if we're low on Vitamin D?
The only way to truly know is through lab testing. Some signs and symptoms of being low in Vitamin D are: fatigue, slow recovery time between workouts, decrease in coordination or "clumsiness," forgetfulness, poor sleep.
Where does Vitamin D come from?
We get some Vitamin D in our diet through drinking milk/dairy, but to get enough, we'd have to drink approximately 60 glasses per day. We also get Vitamin D from the sun. 30 minutes of full body skin exposure to the sun 3 times per week would provide adequate Vitamin D, but in the 21st Century Bay Area that doesn't seem very practical.
So what do we do about it?
First, you have to have your Vitamin D levels assessed from a lab. Remember, if you're not assessing, you're just guessing! Once you know how low, or if you're low at all, then you can determine how to supplement to return your levels to optimal.
Note: "Lab Reference Ranges" are not optimal! They are an average based on who comes in their door. Most people who are going to a lab are not in optimal health! Your Vitamin D levels should be higher than the labs' reference range if you want optimal levels.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Over-Reaction? Under-Reaction? The REAL Truth on Barefoot Training
The hottest and latest trend in our ever-changing running community is the transition from maximal support shoes into the new “minimal” shoes, or even into barefoot training. Over the decades of the recreational running boom, shoe companies and professionals have been touting their footwear or technique as the only way to go to not only run faster, but also prevent any type of harm or injury that may come your way.
The shoe industry has been reacting, for better or worse, to the latest research, market trends, and injury numbers since recreational running took off in the mid-1970’s. You can find shoes ranging from 1+ inches of foam padding with a “rocker-shaped” sole to a “glove” designed to fit around your foot with a little more than a few millimeters of rubber between the foot and the ground, and everything in between. There are even those who’ve chosen to forgo being shod all together, and venture out with nothing between their foot and the ground. There are advocates and opponents of every style, with claims, and research, supporting both ends of the spectrum.
There have been overreactions and under-reactions in the running shoe industry for decades. The original over-reaction/under-reaction came in 1987, when the first maximum padded shoe with air pockets was released in response to the growing number of running-related injuries. Some cutting-edge researchers were able to measure impact forces being absorbed by the feet in the running-shoe-at-the-time, which would now be considered minimal.(1, 2) They determined that these high impact forces were the cause of injuries, not totally taking into consideration that these runners were new runners and previous “desk athletes” who hadn’t run since their youth. (Until the mid to late 70’s, typically, the only people who ran were the competitive, Olympic-level athletes.)
Over-Reaction: “The human body isn’t designed to absorb the forces of running, so we need to pad and support it as much as possible to disperse that force.”
Under-Reaction: “People should be able to just go out and run with out building up a prior-strength base, or progressing slowly and appropriately to handle these new loads. Adding more padding and support to the shoe will take care of that for them.”
Unfortunately, this well-intended “fix” didn’t help as it much as it was supposed to, and running injuries continued on. Many would argue that the occurrence of injuries increased from 1987 and on, but there aren’t any numbers to back up that claim, yet. Recreational running popularity increased incrementally from 1987 onward, and of course, with the number of participants increasing, the number of injuries will increase. The question is, did the rate of running injuries increase? The common belief is "yes," but an extensive retrospective study covering all injuries and their causes, as well as the number of reported “recreational runners” over the past 37 years would be required to get a definitive answer. That study, to date, has not been done yet, and would take years to complete, if it’s even possible. We don’t know for certain that running injuries increased with the advent and evolution of the new running shoe, but researchers are pretty certain that they didn’t decrease, either, which was the intended effect of these shoes.
The hot new "minimal" shoe that seemingly every shoe company is beginning to delve into is being touted as the new answer to the problem. There are many varieties of this new style shoe, with no clear-cut definition of what a “minimal shoe” actually is. Based on most discussions, and the various options, it seems a “minimal shoe” would be one that has less than 1 inch of rubber in the insole, is flexible, and no heel to toe drop (meaning the shoe is completely flat, no raised heel).
The proposed benefit of this new style is a more “natural” approach to running and foot biomechanics. It’s been well documented, at this point, that a heel strike in running is what produces impact forces of up to 7 times the runner’s body-weight. A forefoot strike has been shown to lessen that impact to approximately 2-3 times the runner’s body-weight, according to research done at Harvard’s barefoot running lab, and Dr. Daniel Lieberman (3). Their data shows that most runners who run in traditional running shoes have been shown to run with a heel strike vs. a forefoot strike. The absence of the foam padding in the minimal shoes is intended to allow the runner to self-correct his/her gait by making the heel strike painful, and opting to land in the mid or forefoot instead-a more “natural” gait.
Over-Reaction: “The thick foam padding between the foot and the ground is the cause of the poor running mechanics of the modern runner by ‘dampening’ the foot’s ability to sense the amount of impact going through it, allowing it to do more than it’s designed to do.”
Under-Reaction: “All or most of the padding should be removed between the foot and the ground. People should be able to put these shoes on, go out and run, and let their body adjust and self-correct by itself, naturally. It’s the shoe, not the change in gait that decreases the impact.”
Has this new approach worked? Unfortunately, this trend is too new for any reliable data to be published showing a true reduction of injuries and performance improvement. There are claims world-wide (all anecdotal, at this point) from runners who went minimal and cured all of their running injury problems. But there are almost as many claims (as well as reports from MD’s, Podiatrists, and PT’s) that the switch from maximal support to minimal caused all sorts of injury issues that weren’t existent previously or old issues re-exacerbated.
So who’s telling the truth? What’s the best option to improve your running performance and reduce your risk of injury?
The truth is, there are pros and cons to every shoe choice, and there is no clear-cut one choice that is best for everybody.
Though the extra-padded, maximal supportive shoe may have been an over-reaction, there are some pros to these shoes. Many people have deficiencies in their feet that need that extra support and cushioning to allow them to get out the door for a jog. Finding a shoe that helps shape the foot into a better “lever” for pushing off and supporting the body could prove to be beneficial for some people, and there have been many runners, from average to elite, who have succeeded in this style of shoe. In fact, world records have been recorded in this type of shoe.
The cons of this style of shoe would be the ramifications of relying on an external apparatus (the shoe) to correct and support our deficiencies. Research has shown that foot and toe musculature could actually begin to “shut off” as the demand for activation has been taken over by the shoe that’s designed to do the job for the foot. Foot integrity will continue to digress, as the “use it or lose it” principle that we apply to all of our other muscles and systems apply to the feet, as well. Muscles respond and activate with joint movement (called an “arthrokinetic reflex”). Prolonged reliance on an overly supportive shoe could lead to deteriorating foot musculature, and eventually, structure, as these shoes are designed to keep the joints of the mid-foot as stable and still as possible. Also, the impact forces from the typical heel strike in these shoes can be a detriment to the feet, knees, hips, and b ack over time.
It is possible to run with a forefoot strike in these shoes and mitigate some of the effects of the stiff mid-foot and heel strike. But, you must be willing to put in the work and time to develop this new gait and progress slowly and appropriately.
The minimal shoe, designed to be more “natural,” has pros and cons, as well, and could also be considered an over-reaction. The pros of these shoes is the proximity of the foot to the ground, and the absence of artificial “lift” in the heel that typically limits the spring of the ankle-joint from fully loading.
One term that’s being touted as a benefit from these shoes is “increased proprioception” in the feet. Proprioception is a term that’s thrown around, but never really clearly defined or explained. What is proprioception? Essentially, it’s your brain’s 3-D map of your body (4, 5), made up of a system of millions of tiny receptors that continually feed the brain information- 11-20 million signals per second! These receptors monitor everything from movement to pressure, temperature, “pain,” and many other signals. The majority of these receptors live in or around joints and also into muscles and other structures. Over 24% of the joints in the body live in the feet, and the highest density of pressure-receptors are housed in the bottom of the feet- our posture is aligned initially based off of the information the brain receives from those receptors. Having less between the ground and the feet, allowing those receptors to react and respond more quickly and accurately, is one of the major reported benefits of a minimal soled shoe. Another reported benefit of these shoes is as muscle activation increases due to heightened foot activity, foot strength and structure also improve. Given the body’s ability to adapt and continually strengthen in response to loads place on it, the potential for longevity and speed are great. This is a new era that has been previously untapped as advances in training for speed, strength, and injury-prevention are being combined with this new approach.
There are also negatives to training in this type of shoe, as well. One negative is the idea that “minimal shoe training” is the same as barefoot training. Many studies were based on comparing “shod” training to barefoot training, and the results of these studies were the basis for the design of these shoes. There are anthropological studies that have linked fewer incidences of running injuries in un-shod populations(6), but, being surrounded by asphalt and concrete, we don’t exactly live in the same environment as these people. And, for the reasons mentioned in the previous paragraph, minimal shoe training is not barefoot training. Anything between the foot and the ground slows the reaction of the receptors, dampens response, and could potentially lead to injury. Slower response with a much thinner protective barrier leaves the runner more susceptible to any sort of puncture-type injuries from landing on rocks or sharp objects. On top of reducing the protective barrier, support is dramatically reduced as well. Removing the mid-foot support and heel lift place a brand new load on the foot musculature and the Achilles tendon that previously were mitigated by the shoe, as well as new stress on the metatarsals. Achilles tendon strains and metatarsal stress fractures have been the most widely reported injuries with the transition into the minimal shoe. Again, you must be willing to progress slowly and appropriately to allow your body to adapt to reap the benefits of this type of training. Many don’t have the time or the patience to do this!
There are shoes that fall in between these two extremes, as well. The middle-of-the-road shoes that are now being referred to as “reduced” shoes combine the flexibility and lighter weight of the minimal shoe with the padding (though reduced), heel lift, and shape of the maximal shoe, giving runners the “best of both worlds.” These shoes provide the foot the opportunity to move more freely and naturally through the gait cycle, while giving the foot some padding and support to help disperse the impact as well as a protective barrier to guard against those unwanted sharp or pointy objects you may step on in your trek through the concrete jungle.
The largest over-reaction is the blame or credit placed on the shoe, and the removal of responsibility from the runner and/or coach. Runners can succeed and thrive in any environment. (In this case, the shoe would be the environment.) Expecting the shoe itself to alleviate all of our aches and pains and compensations is an under-reaction, and too easy of an answer for real life. A running step places the body under a load of anywhere from 2 to 7 times the athlete’s body-weight. A typical runner averages 1,500 steps per mile. A 150-pound runner will bear 300-1,050 lbs. per step- up to 1.575 million pounds per mile. No strength training session in a gym could ever match that, and no shoe alone can bear the brunt of that load to allow the runner to continue on without risk of injury.
The truth is, shoes can help or hurt. If you're wearing anything on your feet, you're not barefoot training like our ancestors did- minimal is not barefoot, and while close, is still not 100% natural.
What’s the best option for you? There are many factors that play into this decision. Some things to consider are: running experience, time dedicated for training, current foot and body health, what do you spend most of your time doing and wearing? Another, maybe more important, thing to consider is: What is your training goal?
Every program, be it running, strength training, athletic training, or whatever, should have a goal. If your goal is general health and fitness, you enjoy running but don’t have much time to work on your body and strength and spend most of your time in the office in dress shoes, you may want to consider a shoe with more cushion and some flexibility for comfort.
If you’re a more intense runner, are able to put in more time during the week for strength and mobility work, and are looking to progress into something more natural with potential for a high payoff in how you feel and potential performance, a more minimal shoe may work for you.
There’s one rule/principle that should drive your training, and your decision: the SAID Principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand). This means your body always adapts to exactly what it does. It’s the number one principle behind corrective, strength, and performance training. If you want to get better at something, you have to train for that thing specifically. As a society, at this point, we’ve typically spent more time in shoes than barefoot, so we’ve essentially adapted to wearing shoes. Training barefoot (or close) to improve your quality of life that mostly exists in shoes goes against this principle, and is most likely an over-reaction.
What do you want to be good at, and based on the information that’s out, what type of footwear is required and will give you the best opportunity to succeed? There’s no definite answer for everyone. We all have different backgrounds, bodies, and training goals. As in every aspect of life, there are those who fit into either of the two extremes, but at the end of the day, somewhere in the middle is where most will land and succeed.
Resources:
Clarke, T.E., Frederick, E.C., Cooper, L.B., 1983. The effects of shoe cushioning upon ground reaction forces in running. International Journal of Sports Medicine 4, 247–251.
James, S.J., Bates, B.T., Osterning, L.R., 1978. Injuries to runners. American Journal of Sports Medicine 6, 40–50
Daniel E. Lieberman, Madhusudhan Venkadesan1, William A. Werbel, Adam I. Daoud, Susan D’Andrea, Irene S. Davis, Robert Ojiambo Mang’Eni & Yannis Pitsiladis; Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot versus shod runners; Nature 463:531-5
Berlucchi, Giovanni, and Salvatore M Aglioti. "The Body in the Brain Revisited." Experimental brain research. Experimentelle Hirnforschung. Expérimentation cérébrale 200, no. 1 (2010): doi:10.1007/s00221-009-1970-7.
Fuentes, Christina T, and Amy J Bastian. "Where Is Your Arm? Variations in Proprioception Across Space and Tasks." Journal of neurophysiology 103, no. 1 (2010): doi:10.1152/jn.00494.2009.
Bramble, DM and Lieberman, DE (2004) Endurance Running and the Evolvolution of Homo. Nature 432: 345-352.
The shoe industry has been reacting, for better or worse, to the latest research, market trends, and injury numbers since recreational running took off in the mid-1970’s. You can find shoes ranging from 1+ inches of foam padding with a “rocker-shaped” sole to a “glove” designed to fit around your foot with a little more than a few millimeters of rubber between the foot and the ground, and everything in between. There are even those who’ve chosen to forgo being shod all together, and venture out with nothing between their foot and the ground. There are advocates and opponents of every style, with claims, and research, supporting both ends of the spectrum.
There have been overreactions and under-reactions in the running shoe industry for decades. The original over-reaction/under-reaction came in 1987, when the first maximum padded shoe with air pockets was released in response to the growing number of running-related injuries. Some cutting-edge researchers were able to measure impact forces being absorbed by the feet in the running-shoe-at-the-time, which would now be considered minimal.(1, 2) They determined that these high impact forces were the cause of injuries, not totally taking into consideration that these runners were new runners and previous “desk athletes” who hadn’t run since their youth. (Until the mid to late 70’s, typically, the only people who ran were the competitive, Olympic-level athletes.)
Over-Reaction: “The human body isn’t designed to absorb the forces of running, so we need to pad and support it as much as possible to disperse that force.”
Under-Reaction: “People should be able to just go out and run with out building up a prior-strength base, or progressing slowly and appropriately to handle these new loads. Adding more padding and support to the shoe will take care of that for them.”
Unfortunately, this well-intended “fix” didn’t help as it much as it was supposed to, and running injuries continued on. Many would argue that the occurrence of injuries increased from 1987 and on, but there aren’t any numbers to back up that claim, yet. Recreational running popularity increased incrementally from 1987 onward, and of course, with the number of participants increasing, the number of injuries will increase. The question is, did the rate of running injuries increase? The common belief is "yes," but an extensive retrospective study covering all injuries and their causes, as well as the number of reported “recreational runners” over the past 37 years would be required to get a definitive answer. That study, to date, has not been done yet, and would take years to complete, if it’s even possible. We don’t know for certain that running injuries increased with the advent and evolution of the new running shoe, but researchers are pretty certain that they didn’t decrease, either, which was the intended effect of these shoes.
The hot new "minimal" shoe that seemingly every shoe company is beginning to delve into is being touted as the new answer to the problem. There are many varieties of this new style shoe, with no clear-cut definition of what a “minimal shoe” actually is. Based on most discussions, and the various options, it seems a “minimal shoe” would be one that has less than 1 inch of rubber in the insole, is flexible, and no heel to toe drop (meaning the shoe is completely flat, no raised heel).
The proposed benefit of this new style is a more “natural” approach to running and foot biomechanics. It’s been well documented, at this point, that a heel strike in running is what produces impact forces of up to 7 times the runner’s body-weight. A forefoot strike has been shown to lessen that impact to approximately 2-3 times the runner’s body-weight, according to research done at Harvard’s barefoot running lab, and Dr. Daniel Lieberman (3). Their data shows that most runners who run in traditional running shoes have been shown to run with a heel strike vs. a forefoot strike. The absence of the foam padding in the minimal shoes is intended to allow the runner to self-correct his/her gait by making the heel strike painful, and opting to land in the mid or forefoot instead-a more “natural” gait.
Over-Reaction: “The thick foam padding between the foot and the ground is the cause of the poor running mechanics of the modern runner by ‘dampening’ the foot’s ability to sense the amount of impact going through it, allowing it to do more than it’s designed to do.”
Under-Reaction: “All or most of the padding should be removed between the foot and the ground. People should be able to put these shoes on, go out and run, and let their body adjust and self-correct by itself, naturally. It’s the shoe, not the change in gait that decreases the impact.”
Has this new approach worked? Unfortunately, this trend is too new for any reliable data to be published showing a true reduction of injuries and performance improvement. There are claims world-wide (all anecdotal, at this point) from runners who went minimal and cured all of their running injury problems. But there are almost as many claims (as well as reports from MD’s, Podiatrists, and PT’s) that the switch from maximal support to minimal caused all sorts of injury issues that weren’t existent previously or old issues re-exacerbated.
So who’s telling the truth? What’s the best option to improve your running performance and reduce your risk of injury?
The truth is, there are pros and cons to every shoe choice, and there is no clear-cut one choice that is best for everybody.
Though the extra-padded, maximal supportive shoe may have been an over-reaction, there are some pros to these shoes. Many people have deficiencies in their feet that need that extra support and cushioning to allow them to get out the door for a jog. Finding a shoe that helps shape the foot into a better “lever” for pushing off and supporting the body could prove to be beneficial for some people, and there have been many runners, from average to elite, who have succeeded in this style of shoe. In fact, world records have been recorded in this type of shoe.
The cons of this style of shoe would be the ramifications of relying on an external apparatus (the shoe) to correct and support our deficiencies. Research has shown that foot and toe musculature could actually begin to “shut off” as the demand for activation has been taken over by the shoe that’s designed to do the job for the foot. Foot integrity will continue to digress, as the “use it or lose it” principle that we apply to all of our other muscles and systems apply to the feet, as well. Muscles respond and activate with joint movement (called an “arthrokinetic reflex”). Prolonged reliance on an overly supportive shoe could lead to deteriorating foot musculature, and eventually, structure, as these shoes are designed to keep the joints of the mid-foot as stable and still as possible. Also, the impact forces from the typical heel strike in these shoes can be a detriment to the feet, knees, hips, and b ack over time.
It is possible to run with a forefoot strike in these shoes and mitigate some of the effects of the stiff mid-foot and heel strike. But, you must be willing to put in the work and time to develop this new gait and progress slowly and appropriately.
The minimal shoe, designed to be more “natural,” has pros and cons, as well, and could also be considered an over-reaction. The pros of these shoes is the proximity of the foot to the ground, and the absence of artificial “lift” in the heel that typically limits the spring of the ankle-joint from fully loading.
One term that’s being touted as a benefit from these shoes is “increased proprioception” in the feet. Proprioception is a term that’s thrown around, but never really clearly defined or explained. What is proprioception? Essentially, it’s your brain’s 3-D map of your body (4, 5), made up of a system of millions of tiny receptors that continually feed the brain information- 11-20 million signals per second! These receptors monitor everything from movement to pressure, temperature, “pain,” and many other signals. The majority of these receptors live in or around joints and also into muscles and other structures. Over 24% of the joints in the body live in the feet, and the highest density of pressure-receptors are housed in the bottom of the feet- our posture is aligned initially based off of the information the brain receives from those receptors. Having less between the ground and the feet, allowing those receptors to react and respond more quickly and accurately, is one of the major reported benefits of a minimal soled shoe. Another reported benefit of these shoes is as muscle activation increases due to heightened foot activity, foot strength and structure also improve. Given the body’s ability to adapt and continually strengthen in response to loads place on it, the potential for longevity and speed are great. This is a new era that has been previously untapped as advances in training for speed, strength, and injury-prevention are being combined with this new approach.
There are also negatives to training in this type of shoe, as well. One negative is the idea that “minimal shoe training” is the same as barefoot training. Many studies were based on comparing “shod” training to barefoot training, and the results of these studies were the basis for the design of these shoes. There are anthropological studies that have linked fewer incidences of running injuries in un-shod populations(6), but, being surrounded by asphalt and concrete, we don’t exactly live in the same environment as these people. And, for the reasons mentioned in the previous paragraph, minimal shoe training is not barefoot training. Anything between the foot and the ground slows the reaction of the receptors, dampens response, and could potentially lead to injury. Slower response with a much thinner protective barrier leaves the runner more susceptible to any sort of puncture-type injuries from landing on rocks or sharp objects. On top of reducing the protective barrier, support is dramatically reduced as well. Removing the mid-foot support and heel lift place a brand new load on the foot musculature and the Achilles tendon that previously were mitigated by the shoe, as well as new stress on the metatarsals. Achilles tendon strains and metatarsal stress fractures have been the most widely reported injuries with the transition into the minimal shoe. Again, you must be willing to progress slowly and appropriately to allow your body to adapt to reap the benefits of this type of training. Many don’t have the time or the patience to do this!
There are shoes that fall in between these two extremes, as well. The middle-of-the-road shoes that are now being referred to as “reduced” shoes combine the flexibility and lighter weight of the minimal shoe with the padding (though reduced), heel lift, and shape of the maximal shoe, giving runners the “best of both worlds.” These shoes provide the foot the opportunity to move more freely and naturally through the gait cycle, while giving the foot some padding and support to help disperse the impact as well as a protective barrier to guard against those unwanted sharp or pointy objects you may step on in your trek through the concrete jungle.
The largest over-reaction is the blame or credit placed on the shoe, and the removal of responsibility from the runner and/or coach. Runners can succeed and thrive in any environment. (In this case, the shoe would be the environment.) Expecting the shoe itself to alleviate all of our aches and pains and compensations is an under-reaction, and too easy of an answer for real life. A running step places the body under a load of anywhere from 2 to 7 times the athlete’s body-weight. A typical runner averages 1,500 steps per mile. A 150-pound runner will bear 300-1,050 lbs. per step- up to 1.575 million pounds per mile. No strength training session in a gym could ever match that, and no shoe alone can bear the brunt of that load to allow the runner to continue on without risk of injury.
The truth is, shoes can help or hurt. If you're wearing anything on your feet, you're not barefoot training like our ancestors did- minimal is not barefoot, and while close, is still not 100% natural.
What’s the best option for you? There are many factors that play into this decision. Some things to consider are: running experience, time dedicated for training, current foot and body health, what do you spend most of your time doing and wearing? Another, maybe more important, thing to consider is: What is your training goal?
Every program, be it running, strength training, athletic training, or whatever, should have a goal. If your goal is general health and fitness, you enjoy running but don’t have much time to work on your body and strength and spend most of your time in the office in dress shoes, you may want to consider a shoe with more cushion and some flexibility for comfort.
If you’re a more intense runner, are able to put in more time during the week for strength and mobility work, and are looking to progress into something more natural with potential for a high payoff in how you feel and potential performance, a more minimal shoe may work for you.
There’s one rule/principle that should drive your training, and your decision: the SAID Principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand). This means your body always adapts to exactly what it does. It’s the number one principle behind corrective, strength, and performance training. If you want to get better at something, you have to train for that thing specifically. As a society, at this point, we’ve typically spent more time in shoes than barefoot, so we’ve essentially adapted to wearing shoes. Training barefoot (or close) to improve your quality of life that mostly exists in shoes goes against this principle, and is most likely an over-reaction.
What do you want to be good at, and based on the information that’s out, what type of footwear is required and will give you the best opportunity to succeed? There’s no definite answer for everyone. We all have different backgrounds, bodies, and training goals. As in every aspect of life, there are those who fit into either of the two extremes, but at the end of the day, somewhere in the middle is where most will land and succeed.
Resources:
Clarke, T.E., Frederick, E.C., Cooper, L.B., 1983. The effects of shoe cushioning upon ground reaction forces in running. International Journal of Sports Medicine 4, 247–251.
James, S.J., Bates, B.T., Osterning, L.R., 1978. Injuries to runners. American Journal of Sports Medicine 6, 40–50
Daniel E. Lieberman, Madhusudhan Venkadesan1, William A. Werbel, Adam I. Daoud, Susan D’Andrea, Irene S. Davis, Robert Ojiambo Mang’Eni & Yannis Pitsiladis; Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot versus shod runners; Nature 463:531-5
Berlucchi, Giovanni, and Salvatore M Aglioti. "The Body in the Brain Revisited." Experimental brain research. Experimentelle Hirnforschung. Expérimentation cérébrale 200, no. 1 (2010): doi:10.1007/s00221-009-1970-7.
Fuentes, Christina T, and Amy J Bastian. "Where Is Your Arm? Variations in Proprioception Across Space and Tasks." Journal of neurophysiology 103, no. 1 (2010): doi:10.1152/jn.00494.2009.
Bramble, DM and Lieberman, DE (2004) Endurance Running and the Evolvolution of Homo. Nature 432: 345-352.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
How Full is Your Bank... Your Energy Bank!?
In our 21st Century American culture, a new type of athlete has emerged:
The Keyboard Athlete. Almost all of us (including your trainers!) now spend hours a day seated, looking at a computer screen, typing on a keyboard. I'll be the first to admit- it's tiring! Maintaining a seated posture all day, looking at a small screen, and focusing only 2-3 feet in front of you are all taxing to your system. Not to mention the stress and demands that come along with the work we're doing behind these keyboards. With this high amount of stress, lack of movement, and "limited view of the world" come a lot of movement inefficiencies, bad patterns and posture, and decreased adaptability. What does this mean? It takes more energy to complete tasks that typically would be easy for us if we were able to work out, run, and play all day.
As we've all experienced, to some extent, these conditions are not ideal but necessary to survive and even thrive in our culture. Think of your energy stores as a "bank account." Each day you start out with a certain "available balance." As you go through your day, you chip away at that "available balance," and, hopefully, your balance is high enough to last through the day. The less efficiently we move, the more of that balance we spend each day.
You all are working out weekly to help build that account, but that's only 2-4 hours out of 168 in a week. So, what are some quick, easy strategies to help that Bank Account stay full longer throughout the hours you aren't training? There are several, but here are a few to get you started:
1) Take time to move! Set a timer at your desk for 30 minutes. Every time the timer goes off, do some basic mobility drills or take a short walk around the office or get outside if you can.
2) Move your Eyes! If you can't get away from your desk, still set your timer. Every 15-30 minutes, look away from your computer screen and allow your eyes to move around. Intentionally move them in all directions (try a circular or "box"pattern). Also, reset your "distance vision" by looking and trying to focus on something that's further away than your computer screen.
3) Breathe. With stress and poor posture come poor breathing. The "fight or flight" response to stress tenses the shoulders, abdominals, and rib cage, only allowing us to use the upper 1/3 of the lungs: that's only 1/3 of the potential oxygen we could be taking in! When the timer goes off, sit up straight, place your hands on your belly, just below your ribs, and breathe in focusing on "pushing the air" into your hands. Hold for 2-3 seconds, and then slowly exhale. Do this for 1 minute.
These are 3 easy ideas, each only taking up to 1 minute that can go a long way in keeping your Energy Bank a little more full throughout the day. We all know the benefits of having a more full bank account, right? Pick just one of these strategies, and commit to doing it every day for one week. Note how you feel at the end of your day each day. If you note some improvement, keep doing it! If not, pick another strategy. Just a little energy saved each day seems small, but when you add it up, that's a lot of energy over the course of a lifetime! Keep building that bank account so you can continue to enjoy life to the fullest!
Thanks to Z Health Master Trainer, Jennifer Waak, for this great concept and educating us about it! Check out her new program for more info and great resources at www.keyboardathletes.com
The Keyboard Athlete. Almost all of us (including your trainers!) now spend hours a day seated, looking at a computer screen, typing on a keyboard. I'll be the first to admit- it's tiring! Maintaining a seated posture all day, looking at a small screen, and focusing only 2-3 feet in front of you are all taxing to your system. Not to mention the stress and demands that come along with the work we're doing behind these keyboards. With this high amount of stress, lack of movement, and "limited view of the world" come a lot of movement inefficiencies, bad patterns and posture, and decreased adaptability. What does this mean? It takes more energy to complete tasks that typically would be easy for us if we were able to work out, run, and play all day.
As we've all experienced, to some extent, these conditions are not ideal but necessary to survive and even thrive in our culture. Think of your energy stores as a "bank account." Each day you start out with a certain "available balance." As you go through your day, you chip away at that "available balance," and, hopefully, your balance is high enough to last through the day. The less efficiently we move, the more of that balance we spend each day.
You all are working out weekly to help build that account, but that's only 2-4 hours out of 168 in a week. So, what are some quick, easy strategies to help that Bank Account stay full longer throughout the hours you aren't training? There are several, but here are a few to get you started:
1) Take time to move! Set a timer at your desk for 30 minutes. Every time the timer goes off, do some basic mobility drills or take a short walk around the office or get outside if you can.
2) Move your Eyes! If you can't get away from your desk, still set your timer. Every 15-30 minutes, look away from your computer screen and allow your eyes to move around. Intentionally move them in all directions (try a circular or "box"pattern). Also, reset your "distance vision" by looking and trying to focus on something that's further away than your computer screen.
3) Breathe. With stress and poor posture come poor breathing. The "fight or flight" response to stress tenses the shoulders, abdominals, and rib cage, only allowing us to use the upper 1/3 of the lungs: that's only 1/3 of the potential oxygen we could be taking in! When the timer goes off, sit up straight, place your hands on your belly, just below your ribs, and breathe in focusing on "pushing the air" into your hands. Hold for 2-3 seconds, and then slowly exhale. Do this for 1 minute.
These are 3 easy ideas, each only taking up to 1 minute that can go a long way in keeping your Energy Bank a little more full throughout the day. We all know the benefits of having a more full bank account, right? Pick just one of these strategies, and commit to doing it every day for one week. Note how you feel at the end of your day each day. If you note some improvement, keep doing it! If not, pick another strategy. Just a little energy saved each day seems small, but when you add it up, that's a lot of energy over the course of a lifetime! Keep building that bank account so you can continue to enjoy life to the fullest!
Thanks to Z Health Master Trainer, Jennifer Waak, for this great concept and educating us about it! Check out her new program for more info and great resources at www.keyboardathletes.com
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Want Better Memory? Move!
A popular subject that we've been answering questions about over the past week is memory. It's been taught, and popularly believed that as we age, our memory declines and begins to "get worse." While this is true to some extent, the belief that it "just happens" and there's nothing that can be done about it is false!
The most exciting thing we've learned in neuorscience over the past decade is this: Almost everything we originally learned and thought about how the brain works up to about 1995 was wrong! Technology improved as well as our methods, and we've come to a better and deeper understanding of how the brain and nervous system actually work.
So.... gather around for a really cool story about how your memory can be improved by moving!
There are a few foundational concepts we first need to explain for this to make sense.
Concept #1: There are 2 things the brain needs to stay alive- fuel (oxygen and glucose) and activation ("Use it or Lose it!")
Concept #2: Information flows through the brain in a certain pattern- bottom to top, back to front. In other words, it enters from the spinal cord, travels up and then towards the front to the corresponding "centers" it needs to travel to (see illustration).
Thanks to new technology, we're actually able to see on MRI that when an area of the brain is "activated," you can actually see increased blood flow to that center in the brain. What's also been seen is that when one part of the brain is activated, the areas that live next to it are activated as well.
What does this mean for our movement and memory? The brain's "memory center" lives in the frontal lobe of the brain (frontal= front). And, as you see in the illustration below, the motor (movement) center of the brain is located just before the frontal lobes.
If information (or "activation") travels from bottom to top and back to front, and if activated areas of the brain activate surrounding areas of the brain, then every time you move, you're not only activating the motor area of the brain, you're also activating the frontal lobe where your memory lives.
The more (and better) you move, the more that memory center is activated. As we get better at moving (by practicing!) the more that motor area is activated, and by default, the more the memory center of the brain is activated. With more activation comes better access- those pathways are strengthened (called "myelinated") from the bottom to top and back to front. We can "get to" the memory center easier, more efficiently, and more accurately.
The main reason our memory goes bad as we age is because as we age, we progressively become less active, and we rely less on learning and remembering new things- we just practice what we already know (think career!- once we're out of school, for the most part, we're just practicing what we've already learned). As we get busy and take less time for activity as well as take less time to learn and remember new things, our movement and memory centers slowly become less active. However, this decline isn't permanent! As you begin to activate areas of the brain in new ways, those areas become "active" again. As you begin to take time to move more, the motor area and frontal lobes become more active and all functions that those areas of the brain are responsible for improve... including memory! I'm sure many of you have already experienced this to some degree since joining Fitness Evolved. Here's the cool thing: it doesn't stop! The more you practice, the better you get!
It's no longer just hype to get you to go to the gym- it's science!
The most exciting thing we've learned in neuorscience over the past decade is this: Almost everything we originally learned and thought about how the brain works up to about 1995 was wrong! Technology improved as well as our methods, and we've come to a better and deeper understanding of how the brain and nervous system actually work.
So.... gather around for a really cool story about how your memory can be improved by moving!
There are a few foundational concepts we first need to explain for this to make sense.
Concept #1: There are 2 things the brain needs to stay alive- fuel (oxygen and glucose) and activation ("Use it or Lose it!")
Concept #2: Information flows through the brain in a certain pattern- bottom to top, back to front. In other words, it enters from the spinal cord, travels up and then towards the front to the corresponding "centers" it needs to travel to (see illustration).
Thanks to new technology, we're actually able to see on MRI that when an area of the brain is "activated," you can actually see increased blood flow to that center in the brain. What's also been seen is that when one part of the brain is activated, the areas that live next to it are activated as well.
What does this mean for our movement and memory? The brain's "memory center" lives in the frontal lobe of the brain (frontal= front). And, as you see in the illustration below, the motor (movement) center of the brain is located just before the frontal lobes.
If information (or "activation") travels from bottom to top and back to front, and if activated areas of the brain activate surrounding areas of the brain, then every time you move, you're not only activating the motor area of the brain, you're also activating the frontal lobe where your memory lives.
The more (and better) you move, the more that memory center is activated. As we get better at moving (by practicing!) the more that motor area is activated, and by default, the more the memory center of the brain is activated. With more activation comes better access- those pathways are strengthened (called "myelinated") from the bottom to top and back to front. We can "get to" the memory center easier, more efficiently, and more accurately.
The main reason our memory goes bad as we age is because as we age, we progressively become less active, and we rely less on learning and remembering new things- we just practice what we already know (think career!- once we're out of school, for the most part, we're just practicing what we've already learned). As we get busy and take less time for activity as well as take less time to learn and remember new things, our movement and memory centers slowly become less active. However, this decline isn't permanent! As you begin to activate areas of the brain in new ways, those areas become "active" again. As you begin to take time to move more, the motor area and frontal lobes become more active and all functions that those areas of the brain are responsible for improve... including memory! I'm sure many of you have already experienced this to some degree since joining Fitness Evolved. Here's the cool thing: it doesn't stop! The more you practice, the better you get!
It's no longer just hype to get you to go to the gym- it's science!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
The Secret Equation to Getting the Most Out of Your Training: Rest= Downloading Results!
If you've noticed lately, during your training sessions, we are emphasizing rest and recovery between sets, and even workouts, a lot more than previously. Why are we doing this? Is it to torture you to keep you here longer? Well... maybe- we like having you around! But, there's also a science behind rest periods, be it between sets or between workouts.
The goal of every training session is to improve in form, function, and strength, and to get the best possible results in that session. If you break it down, in order to have the best possible training session, it's composed of the best possible sets, which are composed of the best possible reps. Every time you perform a repetition of an exercise or movement, you are "downloading" information into your brain and eliciting an "adaptation" to the load you're placing on it. Therefore, we only want to download the best possible information if we want to get the best possible results. The brain is capable of downloading and adapting very quickly, but one principle that's always in play is: "The greater the load, the greater the learning." This means the more we "load" a movement with weight, speed, focus on form, higher repetitions, etc., the more "learning" for the brain.
Now picture your brain as a very advanced, "super-computer." Downloading too much information at one time slows the function of the entire computer down until all of that information is downloaded. If you've downloaded good information, hopefully your computer still runs well or even better, and performs the tasks you'd like it to do. This same process is happening in your body during your workout! If you don't allow your brain "download" time, you don't function as well in your remaining sets, which means you're downloading "sloppy" information into your body. Sure, you'll get some benefit, maybe. Or, you may not if you've downloaded the wrong, or incomplete information. If you've recovered fully before beginning your next set or workout, you've given yourself the opportunity to download the best information (perfect reps) you can possibly give to allow your body to adapt and change into what you want it to be- a lean, strong, well-functioning machine! Another cool feature of our brain and body is that we always get better at what we do. This means, the more you practice recovery, you'll get better at it, recover faster, and be able to get more work done in less time!
All science aside, if you don't need to rest, did you work hard enough in that set to get a benefit? :) Work hard, and enjoy the "download time" between sets and workouts, because the completion of the download is what's truly giving you the results!
The goal of every training session is to improve in form, function, and strength, and to get the best possible results in that session. If you break it down, in order to have the best possible training session, it's composed of the best possible sets, which are composed of the best possible reps. Every time you perform a repetition of an exercise or movement, you are "downloading" information into your brain and eliciting an "adaptation" to the load you're placing on it. Therefore, we only want to download the best possible information if we want to get the best possible results. The brain is capable of downloading and adapting very quickly, but one principle that's always in play is: "The greater the load, the greater the learning." This means the more we "load" a movement with weight, speed, focus on form, higher repetitions, etc., the more "learning" for the brain.
Now picture your brain as a very advanced, "super-computer." Downloading too much information at one time slows the function of the entire computer down until all of that information is downloaded. If you've downloaded good information, hopefully your computer still runs well or even better, and performs the tasks you'd like it to do. This same process is happening in your body during your workout! If you don't allow your brain "download" time, you don't function as well in your remaining sets, which means you're downloading "sloppy" information into your body. Sure, you'll get some benefit, maybe. Or, you may not if you've downloaded the wrong, or incomplete information. If you've recovered fully before beginning your next set or workout, you've given yourself the opportunity to download the best information (perfect reps) you can possibly give to allow your body to adapt and change into what you want it to be- a lean, strong, well-functioning machine! Another cool feature of our brain and body is that we always get better at what we do. This means, the more you practice recovery, you'll get better at it, recover faster, and be able to get more work done in less time!
All science aside, if you don't need to rest, did you work hard enough in that set to get a benefit? :) Work hard, and enjoy the "download time" between sets and workouts, because the completion of the download is what's truly giving you the results!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
The Cardio Conundrum: What's Really Beneficial? (Part 2)
This is a great question that we get asked all the time. If you've noticed by now, Fitness Evolved has no "cardio machines." "If you have no machines, how am I going to get a cardio workout?" "Don't I need to do cardio if I want to lose weight/burn fat?"
This week's "Part 2" addresses the 2nd question stated above.
(Check our blog to refresh you on our definition of "cardio exercise" if you need a reminder.) As we established last post, strength training to increase heart rate, respiration rate, and muscle activation is a higher-payoff for cardiovascular training and efficiency.
So, what about fat burning? In the early 1980's, someone did some ground-breaking research (at the time) and was able to identify what macro-nutrients (fat, protein, or carbs) are being burned for energy at certain heart rates or intensities of acitivity. Thus, the "Fat-Burning Zone" was discovered. When you're working out in the "Fat-Burning Zone," you're working at a lower intensity, and burning mostly fat for energy (FYI, you're "working" in the "Fat-Burning Zone" right now while reading this email!). So, it would make sense to work out at low intensities for a long time to burn more fat, right? Wrong! We forgot to take into account how adaptable human beings are! We are always adapting and getting more efficient at what we practice. The problem with aerobic training for fat burning is that the more we do it, the better we get at it. So, after a few sessions, it will take you 40 minutes to burn the same amount of calories you burnt last session in 30 minutes. As you get fitter, you have to work longer at that "steady state" to burn the same amount of calories. So always doing an hour on the elliptical trainer at the same speed will very quickly lose it's effectiveness. Haven't we all been to the gym and seen the same people on the same machines they were on a year ago, doing the same workout, and they still look the same? They're too good at what they're doing and not getting the response they're looking for!
So how do we burn more fat? By increasing the metabolic demand of the steam engine we call the "muscular system." Other than the brain, the muscular system burns the most "fuel" every day. The more we activate and demand out of those muscles, the more fuel is burned to feed and repair them after our workout. 70% of our time is spent at rest. So, in order to increase fat burning, it's ideal to increase your resting metabolic rate to burn more calories and fat throughout the day. Healthy, active muscles are very "metabolically expensive," which is very good for our fat-burning goal!
So, again, what's the best way to get the most "bang for your buck?" Strength training at an intensity that's high enough to increase your heart rate, increase your respiration rate, and demand work and adaptation out of your muscles. Swing a kettlebell, throw a big cargo-rope, do some sprints, but most importantly, get off the cardio machines!!!
This week's "Part 2" addresses the 2nd question stated above.
(Check our blog to refresh you on our definition of "cardio exercise" if you need a reminder.) As we established last post, strength training to increase heart rate, respiration rate, and muscle activation is a higher-payoff for cardiovascular training and efficiency.
So, what about fat burning? In the early 1980's, someone did some ground-breaking research (at the time) and was able to identify what macro-nutrients (fat, protein, or carbs) are being burned for energy at certain heart rates or intensities of acitivity. Thus, the "Fat-Burning Zone" was discovered. When you're working out in the "Fat-Burning Zone," you're working at a lower intensity, and burning mostly fat for energy (FYI, you're "working" in the "Fat-Burning Zone" right now while reading this email!). So, it would make sense to work out at low intensities for a long time to burn more fat, right? Wrong! We forgot to take into account how adaptable human beings are! We are always adapting and getting more efficient at what we practice. The problem with aerobic training for fat burning is that the more we do it, the better we get at it. So, after a few sessions, it will take you 40 minutes to burn the same amount of calories you burnt last session in 30 minutes. As you get fitter, you have to work longer at that "steady state" to burn the same amount of calories. So always doing an hour on the elliptical trainer at the same speed will very quickly lose it's effectiveness. Haven't we all been to the gym and seen the same people on the same machines they were on a year ago, doing the same workout, and they still look the same? They're too good at what they're doing and not getting the response they're looking for!
So how do we burn more fat? By increasing the metabolic demand of the steam engine we call the "muscular system." Other than the brain, the muscular system burns the most "fuel" every day. The more we activate and demand out of those muscles, the more fuel is burned to feed and repair them after our workout. 70% of our time is spent at rest. So, in order to increase fat burning, it's ideal to increase your resting metabolic rate to burn more calories and fat throughout the day. Healthy, active muscles are very "metabolically expensive," which is very good for our fat-burning goal!
So, again, what's the best way to get the most "bang for your buck?" Strength training at an intensity that's high enough to increase your heart rate, increase your respiration rate, and demand work and adaptation out of your muscles. Swing a kettlebell, throw a big cargo-rope, do some sprints, but most importantly, get off the cardio machines!!!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The Cardio Conundrum: What's Really Beneficial?
This is a great question that we get asked all the time. If you've noticed by now, Fitness Evolved has no "cardio machines." "If you have no machines, how am I going to get a cardio workout?" "Don't I need to do cardio if I want to lose weight/burn fat?"
Let's tackle this in two parts. First, let's define a "cardio workout." Cardiovascular exercise is any type of exercise that elevates your heart rate and respiration rate for any period of time. If you're weight training, you should be using a heavy enough load to cause you to breathe heavy and elevate your heart rate in every set you do- usually at a higher rate than sitting on the recumbent bike "spinning" while reading a magazine, or bouncing on an elliptical talking to your neighbor about the week's events. Often times, after a good set of squats, kettlebell swings, or pullups, people are breathing too hard to accomplish these tasks (read a magazine or even talk!).
Elevating your heart-rate with a set, letting it recover, and elevating it again, repeatedly, trains your heart to beat hard and efficiently and recover quickly to enable you to do more. If your workout takes 45 minutes to an hour, you're getting a much more beneficial "cardio workout" than you would on any machine, plus you're adding strength, increased muscle activity, and movement skill to the mix! A well-designed fitness program will take all of this into account and hit all of the bases in each workout.
So, what's the best way to get the most "bang for your buck?" Strength training at an intensity that's high enough to increase your heart rate, increase your respiration rate, and demand work and adaptation out of your muscles. Swing a kettlebell, throw a big cargo-rope, do some sprints, but most importantly, get off the cardio machines!!!
Check in later for Part 2, addressing the weight loss/fat-burning dilemma.
Let's tackle this in two parts. First, let's define a "cardio workout." Cardiovascular exercise is any type of exercise that elevates your heart rate and respiration rate for any period of time. If you're weight training, you should be using a heavy enough load to cause you to breathe heavy and elevate your heart rate in every set you do- usually at a higher rate than sitting on the recumbent bike "spinning" while reading a magazine, or bouncing on an elliptical talking to your neighbor about the week's events. Often times, after a good set of squats, kettlebell swings, or pullups, people are breathing too hard to accomplish these tasks (read a magazine or even talk!).
Elevating your heart-rate with a set, letting it recover, and elevating it again, repeatedly, trains your heart to beat hard and efficiently and recover quickly to enable you to do more. If your workout takes 45 minutes to an hour, you're getting a much more beneficial "cardio workout" than you would on any machine, plus you're adding strength, increased muscle activity, and movement skill to the mix! A well-designed fitness program will take all of this into account and hit all of the bases in each workout.
So, what's the best way to get the most "bang for your buck?" Strength training at an intensity that's high enough to increase your heart rate, increase your respiration rate, and demand work and adaptation out of your muscles. Swing a kettlebell, throw a big cargo-rope, do some sprints, but most importantly, get off the cardio machines!!!
Check in later for Part 2, addressing the weight loss/fat-burning dilemma.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
There's No "Easy Button" for Good Nutrition!
Now that our crazy "2nd winter" seems to be finishing, and the sun's finally shining, I couldn't help but look up and enjoy the blue skies on my way to work this morning. As I was driving through San Francisco, the blue was interrupted by some oddly shaped and placed "clouds." I soon realized it was a message being written by a highly skilled pilot, using, I'm guessing, his highly "thick oil-enriched" fumes to advertise a new product. The message read: "Forget the Fruit. Try Tabco. www.(web address I've forgotten).com"
Sadly this seemingly cool advertising scheme turned into not only an environmental nightmare, but a message encouraging a new nutritional nightmare! Forget the fruit- take our tablets instead! This is actually a question that I get asked a lot- "If I'm taking .... supplement, do I need to actually eat the real food?" The short answer: Yes! The long: Supplements, by definition are designed to be taken in addition to your normal diet to ensure you're getting the total amount of what you need; to "supplement" what you're currently doing, not replace! There is no substitute for the real thing! While I could take a tablet with the same amount of calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, etc. that an orange has, I'm still not getting all of the benefits of the orange. It's not the vitamins and minerals themselves that benefit us completely, it's their interaction together, along with the juice, natural sugars, the nutrients from the little bit of peel left on the orange and our body's own chemistry and needs that truly make that orange beneficial for us. Yes, that tablet is helpful and can provide some benefit, but it's no substitute for the real thing! As you've all experienced with your exercise programs- cutting corners leads to less than optimal results! The same is true with our nutrition- the food we eat is the fuel we use to get us through our workouts and through our days. A phrase I like to use: "It's like putting diesel in a Ferrari!" Companies that use diesel for their advertising and mucking up our skies don't seem to have in mind what's best for the customer, best for the environment, and best for our world. They're interested in serving diesel (the lowest quality fuel) to anyone who'll pay for it so they can make a quick buck! Replacing all of our fruit with tablets would have tremendous ramifications on our health, our environment, and our economy! Think of your body as a Ferrari (or to be more eco-friendly: a Tesla!), and only serve it premium fuel!
Keep Moving!
Sadly this seemingly cool advertising scheme turned into not only an environmental nightmare, but a message encouraging a new nutritional nightmare! Forget the fruit- take our tablets instead! This is actually a question that I get asked a lot- "If I'm taking .... supplement, do I need to actually eat the real food?" The short answer: Yes! The long: Supplements, by definition are designed to be taken in addition to your normal diet to ensure you're getting the total amount of what you need; to "supplement" what you're currently doing, not replace! There is no substitute for the real thing! While I could take a tablet with the same amount of calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, etc. that an orange has, I'm still not getting all of the benefits of the orange. It's not the vitamins and minerals themselves that benefit us completely, it's their interaction together, along with the juice, natural sugars, the nutrients from the little bit of peel left on the orange and our body's own chemistry and needs that truly make that orange beneficial for us. Yes, that tablet is helpful and can provide some benefit, but it's no substitute for the real thing! As you've all experienced with your exercise programs- cutting corners leads to less than optimal results! The same is true with our nutrition- the food we eat is the fuel we use to get us through our workouts and through our days. A phrase I like to use: "It's like putting diesel in a Ferrari!" Companies that use diesel for their advertising and mucking up our skies don't seem to have in mind what's best for the customer, best for the environment, and best for our world. They're interested in serving diesel (the lowest quality fuel) to anyone who'll pay for it so they can make a quick buck! Replacing all of our fruit with tablets would have tremendous ramifications on our health, our environment, and our economy! Think of your body as a Ferrari (or to be more eco-friendly: a Tesla!), and only serve it premium fuel!
Keep Moving!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Work Hard, But.....
This week's topic: Breathing! It's the only process that occurs in our body both voluntarily and involuntarily. Involuntarily because, who wants to concentrate on taking a breath every 2-3 seconds? Voluntarily because we can control when and how much we need to breathe, and alter as necessary (think swimming- probably a good idea to alter your breathing before you go under!) Did you know that breathing also helps you move and exercise more efficiently? The faster and more shallow you breathe, the more tension creeps up in your body, ultimately making you weaker, slower, and inefficient.
During your next workout session, set the target of becoming more efficient by controlling your breathing. Pick an appropriate breathing pace to match the intensity of the drill or activity you're working on. I know, this isn't ground breaking news- everyone breathes on pace with their reps. But, here's the tip that will bump your training to the next level: Coordinate your breathing with your movements. During a movement, instead of just "exhaling with the push" like the typical trainer will tell you, think about what the movement you're about to do entails, and coordinate your breathing accordingly. During the part of the exercise where the movement requires the chest to "collapse" (such as a push, or the "away" part of a pull, or the downward movement of a squat)- exhale. During the part of the movement where the chest should naturally expand (the return from a push, the "pull" part of a pull, the upward phase of a squat)- inhale! Fitness Evolved's definition of efficiency with movement is doing the exact right thing at the exact right time with the exact amount of tension and effort required to do it- no more, and no less. So, if I'm exhaling while I'm trying to pull myself up on an inverted row, I'm collapsing my chest when the movement naturally requires my chest to expand, and in essence making that movement inefficient. Think about the movement you're getting ready to do. Think about what the entire body is about to do. And then, plan accordingly! Aim to be more efficient, and you'll be better, stronger, and faster than ever!
During your next workout session, set the target of becoming more efficient by controlling your breathing. Pick an appropriate breathing pace to match the intensity of the drill or activity you're working on. I know, this isn't ground breaking news- everyone breathes on pace with their reps. But, here's the tip that will bump your training to the next level: Coordinate your breathing with your movements. During a movement, instead of just "exhaling with the push" like the typical trainer will tell you, think about what the movement you're about to do entails, and coordinate your breathing accordingly. During the part of the exercise where the movement requires the chest to "collapse" (such as a push, or the "away" part of a pull, or the downward movement of a squat)- exhale. During the part of the movement where the chest should naturally expand (the return from a push, the "pull" part of a pull, the upward phase of a squat)- inhale! Fitness Evolved's definition of efficiency with movement is doing the exact right thing at the exact right time with the exact amount of tension and effort required to do it- no more, and no less. So, if I'm exhaling while I'm trying to pull myself up on an inverted row, I'm collapsing my chest when the movement naturally requires my chest to expand, and in essence making that movement inefficient. Think about the movement you're getting ready to do. Think about what the entire body is about to do. And then, plan accordingly! Aim to be more efficient, and you'll be better, stronger, and faster than ever!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Are Toning Shoes Really All They're Cracked Up to Be?
In today's fast paced, multi-tasking world, everyone is looking for ways to get in shape with minimal time investment and effort put in. One proposed solution: toning shoes! You've seen them around by now. Those funky looking shoes with the extra-thick soles, rounded weirdly, and the person wearing them walking like Bambi on ice. (fast forward to 1:03)
These shoes, while well intended, ultimately do the opposite of what they are designed to do. When you think about "getting in shape," the overall goal is to get stronger, function better, and be able to do things easier (ie. be more efficient). However, these shoes are designed to make the one skill we do most naturally and easily more challenging and less efficient. Mathematically speaking, walking is one of the most loaded movements we do- in other words, the forces that go through the body during each step are higher than almost any other movement we perform throughout the day. And, if we follow one of the most important principles of motor learning- "the greater the load, the greater the learning"- by wearing these shoes and making walking more work, one is actually teaching the body to move less efficiently and work harder than it should be working for "easy" every-day tasks.
Plus, look at how people walk in these shoes! We did an "undercover" video shoot over the holidays comparing a person's gait in a normal, minimal sole shoe versus the Reebok Easy-Tone. The videos are very short, since we were trying to be discreet, but just click on replay a few times in a row to get a good look. Watch and compare how the pelvis/low back area, knees, and ankles move in each video.
Video 1 is in regular, minimal soled running shoes.
Video 2 is in the Reebok Easy Tone Shoes.
As you can see in Video 2, if you watch closely, the hips/pelvis have much more vertical mobility with each step (called "shearing"), the knees and ankles collapse, and look at how tense her shoulders and neck are! Sure these shoes make you work harder, and even probably cause increased muscle activity, as they claim in their rebuttal to a study performed by the University of Wisconsin LaCrosse, but at what expense? Working harder doesn't necessarily translate into working smarter, or more importantly, working right! In fact, in neurology circles, muscle "tone" is actually considered a negative attribute. Tone is hyperactivity of a muscle, where it works in excess and maintains more tension than necessary, which ultimately leads to a weaker and less-functional muscle.
Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is! Our aim shouldn't be to work harder just to work harder and hopefully get a result. Our target is always to work hard, correctly, to allow us to do the things we'd like to do more easily and enjoy them more!
These shoes, while well intended, ultimately do the opposite of what they are designed to do. When you think about "getting in shape," the overall goal is to get stronger, function better, and be able to do things easier (ie. be more efficient). However, these shoes are designed to make the one skill we do most naturally and easily more challenging and less efficient. Mathematically speaking, walking is one of the most loaded movements we do- in other words, the forces that go through the body during each step are higher than almost any other movement we perform throughout the day. And, if we follow one of the most important principles of motor learning- "the greater the load, the greater the learning"- by wearing these shoes and making walking more work, one is actually teaching the body to move less efficiently and work harder than it should be working for "easy" every-day tasks.
Plus, look at how people walk in these shoes! We did an "undercover" video shoot over the holidays comparing a person's gait in a normal, minimal sole shoe versus the Reebok Easy-Tone. The videos are very short, since we were trying to be discreet, but just click on replay a few times in a row to get a good look. Watch and compare how the pelvis/low back area, knees, and ankles move in each video.
Video 1 is in regular, minimal soled running shoes.
Video 2 is in the Reebok Easy Tone Shoes.
As you can see in Video 2, if you watch closely, the hips/pelvis have much more vertical mobility with each step (called "shearing"), the knees and ankles collapse, and look at how tense her shoulders and neck are! Sure these shoes make you work harder, and even probably cause increased muscle activity, as they claim in their rebuttal to a study performed by the University of Wisconsin LaCrosse, but at what expense? Working harder doesn't necessarily translate into working smarter, or more importantly, working right! In fact, in neurology circles, muscle "tone" is actually considered a negative attribute. Tone is hyperactivity of a muscle, where it works in excess and maintains more tension than necessary, which ultimately leads to a weaker and less-functional muscle.
Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is! Our aim shouldn't be to work harder just to work harder and hopefully get a result. Our target is always to work hard, correctly, to allow us to do the things we'd like to do more easily and enjoy them more!
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