Extending your running life for years

According to one study a force of up to three times body weight can be exerted on the human foot while running, and it can be much higher at times. Multiply that by each foot fall in a mile, and you have tons of weight absorbed through the joints and connective tissues. While some people are uniquely suited to do this high impact/high intensity jogging for decades of their adult life, many are not.

For those who want to extend their running life there is a solution; keep running and substitute one running day with one session of high intensity interval training (HIIT) for strength. One less day a week of pounding and you'll have stronger muscles protecting those joints. Add up all those daysover the course of years of giving your joints a break. Your joints will thank you for it.   

At Austin Strength Trainers and at New Orleans Strength Trainers our HIIT full-body workout takes about 25 minutes, and it's non-stop. We use MedX equipment. The special medical-rehab features make it easier on the joints. Anybody of any age can do it; each week you do a little bit more that you are used to handling. Muscles are worked to a deep fatigue, and it is cardiovascularly demanding – just like running. It will add years to your running life and to your life in general.

60 years of trials: Most common dieting outcome is weight regain or trivial loss

From this article, Oprah’s Investment in Weight Watchers Was Smart Because the Program Doesn’t Work, a quote:

“My lab reviewed 60 years of clinical trials of diets, and we found that people lose an average of 10 percent of their starting weight on most diets but within two to five years have gained back all but about two pounds.  So, in reality, despite the short-term effectiveness of certain diet regimes, themost common outcome of dieting itself, by a landslide, is either weight regain or trivial weight loss".

A diet is not a permanent fix. Three life style changes that are sustainable:

1. Make modest permanent changes in eating habits. For me that was no alcohol, no soda, and minimal grains and sweets.
2. Strength train for the highest marginal return – don’t waste time exercising. A full body HIT workout once a week to deep fatigue with no rest between exercises takes about 25 minutes.  A stronger body will have a higher metabolism and more energy. Mitochondria, found in most cells, is where respiration and energy production takes place. Six months of strength training partially reverses mitochondria impairments to a level consistent with a younger stage in life. It is like having a fountain of youth.
3. Do an activity you enjoy. Because of one and two you’ll be able to do activities longer with less chance of injury and more enjoyment.

Your life will profoundly change, and it does not required hours in the gym.   At Austin Strength Trainers and New Orleans Strength Trainers we have a program you can finally stick to.

Short effective training sessions, lots of things to consider

For the body to change it must either exercise longer or at a higher intensity than it is used to handling.  Higher intensity workouts by necessity will be shorter, but they are very effective.  Just some of the things to considerwhen making a high intensity training (HIT) routine that is safe and effective:

· Frequency of workouts · How often should the exercise routine be varied · Time under load · Sequence of exercises · Rate of increase of resistance between sessions · Selection of specific exercises· Range of motion · Pre-exhaustion sets · Amount of rest after completing exercises on one muscle group before starting exercise on another muscle group. · Amount of rest between each repetition · Number of repetitions of an exercise for a particular muscle group. · Alternating pushing movement followed by a pulling movement · Alternating upper followed by lower body exercises · Speed during concentric movement · Speed during eccentric movement · Compound movements versus rotary movements · How heavy the weights should be · Amount of rest between each set · Number of sets of each exercise for each muscle group
· Alternating aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise in one workout · Unilateral versus bilateral movements · Negative accentuated sets · Active recovery between workouts · Concentric only exercise · Negative only sets · Negative only workouts · Static holds · Form · Type of equipment · Level of fatigue · Length of time of the workouts · Whether to go to momentary muscular failure

An experienced HIT trainer will know all of the above and more and will adapt the workout to address the specific concerns of the client and eliminate much of the trial and error.

The advantage of HIT is that it does not require hours each week engaged in monotonous exercise, and it works for all ages. Significant strength increases will result exercising as little as once or twice a week if it is done correctly.  It helps to have equipment best suited for that purpose.  At Austin Strength Training and at New Orleans Strength Training we have conducted more than 250,000 training sessions; we have a good understanding of how to manipulate the variables so you can safely produce ongoing results and avoid injuries.

Senior golfer ready to hang up clubs, now plays 18 holes a day

After nine holes of golf Marcel was too tired to play the back nine. The next day he was too tired to go out on the course again. At 72 years of age he was nearing the age to hang up his clubs. He began strength training once a week for 30 minutes. A year later he could play 18 holes one day, and the very next day he could play 18 more. He was stronger, less prone to injury, and he had more energy. No, not just a feeling like he had more energy, he actually had more strength and energy - the science to back it up.  

Armed with those results he could play 27 more holes of golf. Those additional 27 holes contributed positively to his health as well. Marcel loved to play golf; he was doing it more, enjoying it more, and he was hitting the ball farther. It's not how much exercise you can withstand; it's how much you need to produce change. Do that exercise each week; the benefits will accumulate to the point where there is significant improvement.

Train too much, you'll get sick, injured or quit.  At our Austin Senior Personal Training facility we work with people of all ages and can help you find the right dose of the right exercise that will  produce ongoing results. We use MedX equipment; with its special medical-rehab features we can accommodate those with limiting conditions.

Exercise shown to increase fat burning hormone Irisin

“High Intensity Training (HIT) enacts a hormonal cascade that is the antithesis of the metabolic syndrome.” - From the web site, Body By Science. 

Part of that cascade is Irisin, a hormone associated with fat burning that correlates positively with muscle mass. From this article, Exercise releases hormone that helps shed, prevent fat:

"Irisin has a positive effect by turning white fat into brown fat and that it increases the body's fat-burning ability." 

And from this article, Effects of Obesity, Diabetes and Exercise on Fndc5 Gene Expression and Irisin Release in Human Skeletal Muscle and Adipose Tissue: “Irisin was positively linked to muscle mass, strength and metabolism.”

While losing fat is primarily an eating-less proposition you can help it along by increasing irisin production. To produce more irisin it helps to do exercises that will increase strength and muscle. The high intensity training (HIT) we do at New Orleans Strength Trainers and at Austin Strength Trainers will do that.

Study finds lack of exercise is more deadly than obesity

“Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life” ~ Dean Wormer. He should amend that statement to include the lack of exercise. According to this study, the lack of exercise is more deadly than obesity.

A quote from the study:

“Using the most recent data on deaths in Europe, Ekelund's team estimated that 337,000 of the 9.2 million deaths of European men and women were linked to obesity. However, twice that number of deaths could be connected to lack of exercise.”

For many, exercise can be drudgery and few stick with it. The renewal rate at health clubs is 30 percent. With monthly bank drafts health clubs can end up being collection agencies disguised as health clubs.

Here is a prescription for exercise that you can stick to: Don’t see how much exercise you can withstand; find out what is the least amount that will produce the most change in all aspects of fitness, and do that each week. Make modest changes in your eating, and engage in activities you enjoy. A year from now you will be profoundly changed.

At  Austin Strength Training  and  New Orleans Strength Training our program is designed to improve all six commonly recognized aspects of fitness. It doesn't involve hours in the gym. Exercise should free you up to engage in those activities you enjoy and not be a source of drudgery.

Increasing Capillarization and Reversing the Aging Process

As we age there is a decrease in capillarization and an increase in anabolic resistance.

If you increase the amount of capillaries of muscles (capillarization) you’ll more quickly get more blood flows, oxygen, and nutrients to those muscles. You’ll be able to engage in physical activities longer.

As we age our body down-grades its ability to synthesize protein (anabolic resistance). This protein is necessary to maintain muscle.

How can you reverse anabolic resistance and increase capillarization?

From this study, Resistance Training Increases Skeletal Muscle Capillarization in Healthy Older Men:

“Resistance-type exercise training can effectively augment skeletal muscle fiber capillarization in older men. The greater capillary supply may be an important prerequisite to reverse anabolic resistance and support muscle hypertrophy during lifestyle interventions aiming to support healthy aging.

If your goal is stronger muscles with improved skeletal muscle fiber capillarization, at Austin senior personal training and at New Orleans senior personal training we can help you get there.

The Phenomenon Of Creep In The Human Body

Creep(from Wikipedia) - In materials science, creep is the tendency of a material to move slowly or deform permanently under the influence of mechanical stresses.

Our bodies degrade similarly over time, but there is a difference. Our body is the only machine that can actually improve when stressed. When the body is exposed to more stress than it is used to handling, as a form of self-protection, the body will make a positive adaption.

The proper amount of stress is the amount that produces the most positive change, anything more than that is at best has a lower marginal return, and at worst it is damaging.

Proper strength training produces positive change.  At Strength Trainers Austin, at New Orleans Strength Training our goal is not to see how much stress you can handle, but to find the least amount that will produce the largest marginal change. Such an approach will not involve hours in the gym each week.

When properly stressed with strength training you will become stronger,increase your bone density, forestall cognitive decline, lower your blood pressure,and dissipate compromising ache and pains. You’ll revitalize impaired mitochondria which means you’ll have the energy you had years earlier. Add up all these improvements: you can forestall and even reverse the phenomenon of creep. It is like having a fountain of youth.

174% strength increase for nonagenarians after 8 weeks of high intensity training

From this study, High-intensity strength training in nonagenarians. Effects on skeletal muscle, the results for nine 90+ year old institutionalized volunteers after eight weeks of high intensity strength training:

• Strength gains averaged 174%
• mid-thigh muscle area increased 9.0%  
• gait speed improved 48%  

The study concludes that high-resistance weight training leads to significant gains in muscle strength, size, and functional mobility among frail residents of nursing homes up to 96 years of age.

At Austin Senior Fitness Trainers and New Orleans Senior Fitness Trainerswe work with people of all ages.  We use MedX equipment, with its special medical-rehab features, we can accommodate those with limiting conditions.

Our oldest client was 95, and one of our trainers has four clients in their 80s. It is never too late to start a strength training program.

The esoteric benefits of high intensity strength training

A small improvement in isolation is just that, a small improvement, but if you add up all the small improvements it can be quite significant, even life changing. There is an incredibly long list of benefits from high intensity strength training. From the website Body By Science, some of less familiar more esoteric benefits of high intensity strength training:

-Reversal of age-related gene expression

-HIT/BBS enacts a hormonal cascade that is the antithesis of the metabolic syndrome.
-Gut motility correlates with muscle mass. Risk of GI cancer inversely correlates with gut motility.
-Organ mass correlates with muscle mass. Get in an accident or severely burn yourself and the time you have in the ICU before you die is correlated with organ mass. You have more time on the clock.
-Get in a car wreck and this kind of conditioning may be the difference between 3 days of whiplash symptoms and a lifetime in a wheelchair (which will be a shortened lifetime).

-Cardiovascular benefits (see JEP article by Steele et al).
-BDNF elevations with high intensity exercise staves off/reverses age related decline and dementia.
-Enhances nitric oxide synthetase: you will have good blood pressure and will never need a little blue pill. You will not need to worry about “being healthy enough for sexual activity”.
-Bone mineral density correlates with muscle mass. Even in osteopenia, strong muscles absorb forces and prevent fractures.
-Basal metabolism and hormonal profile that fight obesity.

From our website more benefits are listed here.  At New Orleans Strength Trainers and at Austin Strength Trainers we have a long list of clients who have testified to life-altering positive change.

There is an alternative to the positive changes produced by proper exercise.  Do nothing; there will be a series of changes that will eventually result in a shorter compromised life.

The lasting effect of strength training on cognitive function

People with Mild Cognitive Impairment MCI have reduced cognitive abilities but are still able to live independently. Strength training can reverse MCI, and the effect is long lasting.  From this study, Increasing muscle strength can improve brain function, these quotes:

• "Findings from the Study of Mental and Resistance Training (SMART) trial show, for the first time, a positive causal link between muscle adaptations to progressive resistance training and the functioning of the brain among those over 55 with MCI."
•  
• "The stronger people became, the greater the benefit for their brain. The benefits persisted even 12 months after the supervised exercise sessions ended.”
•  

In a previous study MRI scans of those who took part in strength training showed an increase in the size of specific areas of the brain.  Imagine that. Add to this finding all the other benefits of strength training.   At New Orleans Strength Trainer and Austin Strength Trainer we use MedX equipment. With its special medical rehab features we can work with clients of all ages and levels of fitness.

One of our trainers has four clients in their 80s. One of our senior clients went from playing nine of holes of golf every two days to 36 holes of golf over two days. It is never too late to start a strength training program.

The same results exercising in just 1/5 the time

A study examined the effects of two different exercise protocols on health indicators such as insulin sensitivity and cardio-respiratory fitness. The two protocols: the sprint exercise protocol (SIT), three 20-second ‘all-out’ cycle sprints with two minutes of easy cycling between sprints and the moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) protocol, 45 minutes of cycling at a moderate pace. Both had warm-up and cool down periods.

A quote from this article, No time to get fit? Think again, that reported on the study:

“After 12 weeks of training, the results were remarkably similar, even though the MICT protocol involved five times as much exercise and a five-fold greater time commitment.”

And another quote:

““This is a very time-efficient workout strategy,” says Martin Gibala, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster and lead author on the study. “Brief bursts of intense exercise are remarkably effective.””

The body adapts when exposed to more than it can handle; Sprints will do that. It is not how much exercise you can withstand it is how little is necessary to produce a positive result. This is an exercise regime that will change you, and it is one you can stick to; it's one of the exercise protocols we use at New Orleans Fitness Training and at Austin TX Fitness Training.

A study: Strength training plus additional protein results in fat loss and added muscle

The body makes adaptations to survive. Don’t eat enough and the body will catabolize calorie-consuming lean body tissue to lower your metabolism. Lift weights and the body will build lean muscle and raise your metabolism. In order for that to occur sufficient protein must be consumed. To fight the resulting lower metabolism of a restrictive diet it makes sense to lift weights and consume adequate protein to keep your metabolism up.

From this study, More Protein Combined With Exercise May Lead to Weight Loss and Muscle Gain | McMaster University Research Snaps this quote:

“Weight loss regimes that involve a low-calorie diet result in a major loss in fat mass, but can also cause a loss in muscle mass.”

To avoid that loss of muscle mass the study concludes:

“A low-calorie, high-protein diet, combined with resistance training and high-intensity training, can promote fat loss and muscle gain.”

It is vital to remains strong if you are trying to lose fat. High intensity training for strength burns calories four ways. It is the type of training we do atAustin Strength Trainers and New Orleans Strength Trainers.

May the force not be with you

Working out is supposed to prevent injuries so that you can do those activities that require being fit; it should not cause injuries. Place a brick on one shoulder; have a second brick thrown at the other shoulder. Both weigh the same, but one will land you in the emergency room.  Same applies with exercise; explosive force is dangerous. From this study Slow exercise better for menopausal women: “Results showed that slower movement and fewer repetitions of exercises helped increase muscle mass in menopausal women which could aid future studies into the benefits of exercise as a treatment for menopausal symptoms. These findings will be used to design specific exercise programs for everyday use to reduce the risk of injury and thus significantly contribute to a better quality of life in old age." Google any strength training program along with the key words injury-rate, and you’ll likely see a whole lot of hits. With a program with high potential risks you might make a few steps forward barring injury, but if you are injured you will likely take many more backward. It is not the weight that injures; it is the explosive force created when attempting to move that weight. At New Orleans Strength Trainers and Austin Strength Trainers we use MedX equipment with its special medical rehab features; explosive force is not needed to move the weight.

Strength training relieves chronic neck pain

Three groups of subjects with neck pain: One group did specific strength training (SST) for the neck and shoulders, the second group did high-intensity general fitness training (GFT) on a bicycle, and the control group did nothing.

The results: The GFT group showed a small decrease in neck muscle pain only immediately after exercise; the SST group showed a marked decrease in pain with a lasting effect after the training ended. The control group had no change.

A quote from the study, Strength Training Of Neck Muscles Relieves Chronic Pain: “The reduction in pain occurred gradually in the SST group, with trapezius muscle pain gradually decreasing as muscle strength increased. Although the GFT decreased the pain only temporarily, the authors note that even minor decreases in pain may be enough motivation to overcome barriers to exercise, and the resulting increase in fitness may benefit overall long-term health.”

Pain leads to less inclination to engage in physical activity. Inactivity starts a vicious cycle of deteriorating health and fitness followed by more aches and pains. The trick to reverse that cycle is to do exercise that will not exacerbate injury and cause more pain.

To restate: "even minor decreases in pain may be enough motivation to overcome barriers to exercise". This leads to a positive cycle. It’s been our experience at Austin Strength Training  and  New Orleans Strength Training that proper exercise with the right equipment will alleviate pain. We an extensive line of MedX equipment, the most technologically advanced fitness, sports and medical/rehabilitation equipment available and experienced trainers to work with those overcoming injuries or those with limiting conditions. One of our machines you are not likely to find at most gyms - our neck exercise machine.  

The risk of diabetes from diet drinks

From this study, 2 diet drinks a day could double risk of diabetes:  a liter of diet drinks a day increases the chance of diabetes ten-fold.

A quote from the study:  “The increased risks were the same regardless of whether the drinks were sugary or artificially sweetened…The artificial sweeteners in the diet drinks may stimulate and distort appetite, they said, increasing food intake, and encouraging a sweet tooth. Such sweeteners might also affect microbes in the gut leading to glucose intolerance.”

While not conclusive - the researchers called for more studies - diet drinks might be something to cut back on. More conclusive:  high intensity interval training (HIIT) lowers blood sugar levels.  HIIT is the type training we do Austin Strength Training and New Orleans Strength Training.  One of our clients has gone from taking five insulin shots a day down to one. 

Can stretching one part of the body affect the flexibility of another part of the body?

Cross-over effects in strength training: Strength train a single leg. That leg will get stronger, and to a lesser extent, the other leg will increase in strength as well. Strength train just the quadriceps. The quads get stronger, and to a lesser extent, the hamstrings do too.

The same occurs in stretching; stretching a muscle of one leg has a "cross-over effect" that produces an increase in flexibility of the opposite leg. It is thought to be a localized change; one leg affects the other.

Will upper-body stretches affect the lower body?   From this study, Acute bouts of upper and lower body static and dynamic stretching increase non-local joint range of motion:

“There were significant shoulder range of motion (ROM) increases following lower body stretches. There was a significant hip flexor ROM increase following upper body stretches.

And this:

“Rather than a mechanical or neural drive mechanism, an enhanced stretch tolerance was likely the significant factor in the improved ROM”.

The study concludes that stretching one part of the body affects the stretch tolerance for the whole body. At Austin Strength Training and New Orleans Strength Training we have:

MedX strength/medical rehab equipment that promotes flexibility [pictured]

MedX stretch machines [pictured on left]

And at the Austin location we have weekly stretch classes open to anyone who would like to attend.

Chocolate another charmed substance?

The study: Heavy chocolate consumption may be linked to heart health  

The result: From an analysis of seven studies with 100,000 participants, five of the studies reported “a beneficial link between higher levels of chocolate consumption and the risk of cardiovascular events. They found that the ‘highest levels of chocolate consumption were associated with a 37% reductionin cardiovascular disease and a 29% reduction in stroke compared with lowest levels.’ No significant reduction was found in relation to heart failure.”

And this: 

“A number of recent studies have shown that eating chocolate has a positive influence on human health due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This includes reducing blood pressure and improving insulin sensitivity (a stage in the development of diabetes).”

Of course, everything in moderation, you can’t just gnaw on a great big chocolate bunny to achieve optimal heart health. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), the type we do at  Austin Personal Training and New Orleans Personal Training, has been shown to lower blood pressure, It is also beneficial to diabetics; one of our clients went from five insulin shots a day down to one.

Things are growing in Austin

A couple of years back the Austin area was growing at a rate of 165 residents a day. The growth continues. A quote from Get ready for new neighbors: City to nearly double in size:

“Austin is poised to grow faster than any other large U.S. city in the next 25 years, nearly doubling in population.”

This blog is primarily concerned with health and fitness. Not unrelated to health is the environment where you live and the opportunities presented.  Our first location, New Orleans Fitness Trainers, has been good for us, but a little over ten years ago we opened our second location, Austin Personal Training.  It has worked out well. We moved into our new location this year with expanded offerings – more than twice the space, massage, added equipment, and stretching classes.     

Study compares once- versus twice-a-week strength training

In a study, 65-79 year old subjects were split into two groups; one strength trained once a week, the other twice a week. The results of this study,Comparison of once‐weekly and twice‐weekly strength training in older adults:

“One set of exercises performed once weekly to muscle fatigue improved strength as well as twice a week in the older adult.”

Exercise serves as stimulus to force your body to make a self-protective adaptation. That adaptation will only occur if your body is allowed to recover and compensate for stress placed on it.

As we age are capacity to withstand and recovered from stress diminishes. Exercise too often and you’ll ruin two workouts. If you’re not recovered from the first you won’t improve on the second. It’s a waste of time and effort.  

A lot of time is spent in the gym doing the same thing - the same weights, the same reps, the same times - with little to show for it. It shouldn’t be that way; if you are fully recovered you should improve each time.

Through trial and error you can eventually figure it; some never do. At Austin TX Strength Trainers and New Orleans Strength Trainers we pay attention to recovery.  We take the guess work out of it to ensure that the improvements are ongoing.