From this article A big fat surprise for dietary dogma comes this quote: “Last month, in an epic climbdown, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advice Committee, whose guidelines influence millions of people, finally dropped its recommendation to restrict cholesterol. “Cholesterol is not a nutrient of concern for overconsumption,” it said. And this: "Just about everything we thought we knew about the evils of cholesterol and fats has turned out to be wrong. The doctors, the nutritionists, the dietitians, the heart societies, the experts at Health Canada, the food pyramid that hung on the wall in school – the entire health and medical establishment, in fact, have been perpetuating a big fat fraud." Strong statements. The article goes on to say the previous prevailing wisdom that grains, pasta, starchy vegetables and refined carbohydrates are better than eggs and meat turns out to be wrong. They have actually made us fatter and sicker. Another reversal occurred with butter versus margarine years ago and now researchers are rethinking the dangers of salt. It is amazing how many things we thought to be bad or unimportant turn out to be the opposite. In a similar vein in the field of exercise, the importance strength training to good health and fitness has steadily gained currency, while the importance of aerobic exercise has waned. You might want to do both. At Austin Personal Trainers and New Orleans Personal Training we recommend that clients strength train and also do something they enjoy whether it be running, swimming, or walking the dog. We feel that is prescription for sticking to a program - oh, and a good diet of course.
Strengthening lower back muscles
MedX put 90 million dollars into research to develop safe effective exercise equipment for the lower back. This equipment is often used for rehab. I first used this equipment in a doctor's office. Their Core exercise equipment was developed to strengthen the muscles of the abs and lower back. At Austin Fitness Trainers and New Orleans Personal Trainers we have all the MedX Core equipment plus full lines of MedX strength training equipment. The equipment and the protocol we use has contributed to our success working with those who have back problems.
Golfing without the aggravating back pain
MedX® manufacturer of rehabilitative exercise equipment commissioned research to see if their core exercise equipment would be helpful to golfers. The results: The golfers had more range of motion, greater club head speed, and hit the ball farther. Butch Harmon, Tiger Woods’ swing coach, used MedX equipment at his Las Vegas golf school. MedX once provided a bus that was equipped with their patented core exercise equipment. It followed the golfers from tournament to tournament on the Senior PGA tour.
You don’t have to be a professional to benefit from the program. Marcus, 72 years old, went from be limited to playing nine holes every other day to being able to play 18 holes in back-to-back outings.
More recently a new client, Mike, had back problems when he went golfing, so much so that he took Ibuprofen before teeing off and took some more on the back nine. He goes golfing about for five times a year. He would go more, but it aggravates his back. The next few days after golfing, he often finds himself stiff and sore.
Mike completed his 18th exercise session the other day. The nine hours of exercise total. He went out golfing this past weekend and played all 18 holes with no pain, none at all. The MedX core exercise equipment will strengthen the back and facilitate increased range of motion. More motion and more strength mean better circulation and better lubrication of the discs resulting in a healthier back. At Austin Fitness Trainers and New Orleans Personal Training we have full lines of MedX equipment. We have helped golfers up their game, and we have had success working with those who have back problems.
Alleviating back and neck pain
Mark was plagued by neck and back problems. He had very little range of motion, little strength, and a lot of pain. He ended up having neck surgery, went through physical therapy, and after he was finished he began training at our facility on our MedX rehabilitative exercise equipment.
One of the features of the MedX equipment is that the resistance is provided in an arc. Bow your head and then lift up and look at the ceiling. Your neck follows an arc. The same if you bend over or if you flex the lumbar region. Your body follows an arc.
All barbells and many types of equipment provide linear (straight line) resistance. The MedX low back machine provides resistance in an arc congruent with the arc created by the motion of your back. This makes for a much safer exercise. You don’t have weight bearing down on your back from above, so there is no vertebral compression.
We restrict the range of motion to a pain-free range of motion. With our equipment we are able to restrict the resistance to just a few degrees of motion if need be. Overtime that range will likely increase. It is a wonderful feeling when over time that range increases without pain. For safely we are able to make very small increases of weight as strength improves; over time you will dramatically increase your strength. More motion and more strength mean better circulation and better lubrication of the discs resulting in a healthier back.
I had once lived in constant back pain for two years. I first started the MedX equipment in a doctor’s office 25 years ago. That pain is gone now. Others report similar results. Now Mark reports greater range of motion and more strength which have enabled him to purchase a treadmill and walk at an incline daily. He has a better quality of life, and his wife, also a client, is very happy to see her husband return to "himself". At our Austin Fitness Trainers facility we have had success working with those who have back problems. Come see us.
A great alternative to treadmills and standard exercise bikes
After going on a vigorous one-hour walk the other day, my feet were sore and tender for two days. I have had neuropathy in both feet for decades. Besides the neuropathy, I have had my share of injuries and conditions I have had to live with - multiple foot operations include one for a torn Achilles, two broken bones in my back including one back operation, multiple breaks in one arm, knee surgery, and rotator cuff issues. Sports will do that to you.
If you do nothing your condition will worsen. I work around the issues, and I am not compromised in my ability to go all out and put in the effort necessary to dramatically improve my health and fitness. One of the reasons is the piece of equipment we have at New Orleans Personal Trainers and at Austin Personal Trainers shown here in this short video.
Exercise for those with shoulder injuries
This man (pictured here at this link toward the bottom) used to spend 12 hours a week in the gym. By age 24 he'd already had two rotator cuff operations. Because of his rotator cuff injuries he couldn't lift a 100 pound barbell over his head without aggravating his shoulders. He began training with us on our MedX rehabilitative exercise equipment. With the MedX overhead press he did not aggravate his rotator cuff and his strength improved; he eventually was able to lift 316 pounds smoothly and safely using the MedX overhead press. He reported that he was stronger than he'd ever been.
At New Orleans Personal Trainers and Austin Personal Trainers we use smooth controlled movement that minimize the ballistic forces that can cause injuries. We also will use medical rehab equipment that can be used by those in a delicate condition and also by those in great shape. The weights can be varied as little as two pound increments, and the weight stacks go up to 1000 pounds. The range of motion can be adjusted to as little as just a few degrees depending on the limitations of the client. Regardless of your physical state we can help you safely find out just how much exercise you need to produce positive change.
More article about the shoulder here
A Strength Training Program For Cancer Survivors Part 2
Years ago I had a woman come in who had been given the green light to exercise after suffering from cancer. I told her we would start slowly and that eventually the workouts would be hard. She told me, “John, I survived cancer. I can do your workout.” Boy was she right. She got dramatically stronger in no time. A client such as her, who starts from a weakened state, will have more upside potential for improvement.
A few years later she developed cancer again and survived. It was of great help to face this second challenge with a stronger body. I had another cancer-surviving client inform me that he believes the reason he survived his cancer is because he was strong.
When suffering illness our recovery abilities are channeled to overcome that illness. Similarly, when we exercise our recovery abilities are used to rebuild tissue after the stress of exercise. One can easily exceed those recovery abilities. It is best not to do too much exercise. How much exercise is enough? You should start from the premise of not how much exercise you can withstand but what's the least amount that will produce positive results. That way you will be less likely to exceed your body's ability to recover.
Those who have had operations to excise the cancer need to avoid jarring movements that will stress the compromised connective tissue. Many exercises are jarring - running, jumping, and thrashing about. It is best to find a type of exercise that minimized that jarring. At New Orleans Personal Trainers and Austin Personal Trainers we use smooth controlled movement that minimize the ballistic forces that can cause injuries. We also will use medical rehab equipment that can be used by those in a delicate condition and also by those in great shape. The weights can be varied as little as two pound increments, and the weight stacks go up to 1000 pounds. The range of motion can be adjusted to as little as just a few degrees depending on the limitations of the client. Regardless of your physical state we can help you safely find out just how much exercise you need to produce positive change.
Improving quality of life
Quite a few years back I got a call from Laurence, one of my clients. He informed me that he had just got out of Lake Pontchartrain after his weekly swim. I didn't even know you're allowed to swim in Lake Pontchartrain, but that's another story. He told me that his times had been trending lower, and that he had just swum his best time in years. We had another client namedMarcus who was 72 years old when he had his knee replaced. After that for the next few years he could play nine holes of golf. The next day was too washed out from the heat to play again. He was nearing the end of his golf playing days or so he thought. At age 75 he started strength training. After a year of strength training he could play 18 holes of golf, and the very next day he would play eighteen more holes. The strength training improved his fitness, so did the 27 extra holes golf he regularly played. Same goes for another client who liked to play tennis. After 22 weeks of working out he upped the amount of tennis he played. He began playing tennis three out of four days, and he played better than he had in a very long time. Those extra days of tennis contributed positively to his health along with that strength training.
Strength training enables you to do activities longer, with greater ease, with less chance of injury, and with better performance. Best of all it contributes positively to your quality-of-life.
At New Orleans Personal Trainers and Austin Personal Trainers our strength training program is designed for efficiency, to get the most out of minimal time in the gym, so you can enjoy other activities that also contribute positively to your health and well-being.
Losing belly fat by strength training
From this article The best exercise for controlling belly fat, this quote:
"Men who did regular weight-training had less gain in their waistline (-0.67 cm) over the 12-year period, compared with those who participated in moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise (-0.33 cm), or physical labor from daily life such as yard work or stair climbing (-0.16 cm)."
Losing muscle is part of the aging process. As adults we lose about 5 pounds of muscle a decade, and with that comes a lower metabolism. If you don’t cut back on the calories you will replace that muscle with fat.
If you attempt to lose weight with a severe caloric restriction your body received the message that it's not receiving enough calories to survive. The body will catabolize lean body mass to lower the body’s metabolism to compensate for the decreased caloric intake.
If you diet and also strength training the body, instead of losing muscle mass, you will maintain and even add to the muscle mass and thereby increase metabolism.
At Austin Personal Trainers and New Orleans Fitness Training we offer high intensity training (HIT) that has been show effective for weight loss. All you have do is stick with it, make modest changes in eating habits, and you will get to where you need to be.
What will your quality of life be like eight years from now? An anecdote
After reaching middle age, most people will likely see a decline in their physical abilities over an eight year span. That is not unavoidable. At Austin Personal Training and New Orleans Fitness trainers we present our clients with challenges they hopefully can achieve. If you give someone a goal that is not achievable why bother attempting it? If you have a goal that is not really challenging there will be little in the way of improvement. A good trainer will know where to set the bar.
Timothy is a one of our trainers, and Leif is one of his clients. One of the challenges Timothy gave Leif was a static hold on the chin-up. Timothy had Leif hold himself with his chin above the chin-up bar with his knees bent and held as high as possible for as long as possible. This requires tremendous effort and toward the end it requires every fiber of your being just to maintain that position. This exercise works the upper-back, chest, arms, and abdominal muscles.
Timothy had Leif perform the exercise, maybe not every work out, but intermittently he tested him on this exercise. At first Leif could only hold his chin above the bar for a few seconds before giving out, he worked his way up to 12 seconds, and eventually to a half minute. Timothy’s goal for Leif was 6o seconds. Amazingly eight years after beginning the program, Leif held the static hold for 60 seconds. Keep in mind Leif accomplished this when he was eight years older than when he started. Most people see an appreciable decline in performance over eight years. Imagine the path Leif might have taken if he has not made that life-style change. What would his quality of life be like? Would he even be alive?
When Leif started he was in bad shape. Middle aged, he has diabetes, he had had one kidney removed, and he had had a bypass heart surgery plus he was very overweight. He embarked on a change in lifestyle. He began strength training at our Austin location once a week, he made modest changes in his eating habits, and he used a rowing machine at home.
Any exercise program has to be doable in order for one to stick to it. If the program is more demanding, say three times a week for over an hour, that's a program you can stick to a few weeks or maybe a couple months. Yes, there are some that can adhere to that program for the long haul, but statistics show that most people don’t. They get burned out, sick, or injured. They end up dreading going to the gym.
Well Leif stuck with it, and slowly the pounds came off. He went from five diabetes shots a day down to one a day. He lost 60 pounds which was a great deal because Leif does not have a large body frame. Now, health-wise and physically, he's a completely different person. Timothy likes to have him pick up 60 pounds of plates and carry it around the gym just as a reminder of just how much weight he used to have to carry around.
If you ask Timothy if he likes his job he will tell you, “I don’t have a job. It is not work when you enjoy what you are doing”. It is motivating and gratifying to the see the changes our clients make. We look forward to seeing them each week, and we are fortunate and truly grateful to have them as friends and clients.
A Strength Training Program For Cancer Survivors
Several years ago I was discussing with a cancer survivor the possibility of her starting an exercise program. I told her it might be difficult. She replied, “John, I survived cancer; I can do your workout.” Boy was she right. She responded very well to exercise. All the cancer patients we worked with have responded positively to exercise - everyone, but some cancer survivors were often discouraged from exercising. A quote from this New York Times article,Balancing Painful Swelling With a Desire to Exercise:
“FOR almost 20 years, the prevailing wisdom among most doctors has been that breast cancer survivors at risk of contracting lymphedema — a debilitating, irreversible swelling of one or both arms — should avoid most upper-body exercise or lifting anything heavier than five pounds. For many women, the stern warnings meant they could not shop for groceries or even carry their children. Running and walking were safe, but anything that taxed the arms was considered dangerous. ”
And this:
“But a study at the University of Minnesota that was released this week contradicts decades of restrictions. It found that slow, progressive weight training did not increase the onset of lymphedema in breast cancer survivors who had had lymph nodes removed, nor did it worsen the symptoms of longtime sufferers.
‘While current clinical guidelines say that this type of exercise may be harmful, our research indicates that it is indeed safe,’ ”
Slow, progressive weight training is the preferred protocol at Austin Personal Training and New Orleans Fitness trainers. By minimized the acceleration with slow smooth movements we minimize the forces that cause injury. The muscles are safely fatigued. This fatigue is what signals the body to become stronger.
The protocol is performed on MedX medical rehab equipment. The protocol and the equipment have allowed us the effectively work with many people with a wide range of conditions. We can help you set up a program that will produce positive change regardless of your condition.
Winning more but training less
A few years back Laurence participated in the New York City Triathlon. He did well but didn’t win his age group. Three years later, he finished 24th overall in the New York City Triathlon overall and finished first in his age group, 45 to 49. He beat his nearest competitor by over five minutes. He attributed a large part of his success to HIIT, high intensity interval training, a strength/cardio workout taken to a deep fatigue.
He had been doing it four years along with his usual swimming, running, biking, and kayaking. His times in triathlon events came down. The strength training program enabled him to spend less time on his bike and in the pool. More time for recovery resulted in continuing improvement.
“I am stronger, recover faster and only devote 30 minutes a week to weightlifting. It is like discovering the fountain of youth. It really does work.”
The workout is based on not seeing how much exercise you can withstand, but how little intense strength training you need to produce the most results, so that you can spend more time doing other things or other forms of exercise.
At our Austin Personal Training facility you won’t spend hours exercising several times a week. Feeling run down is not a pathway to improvement. The personal training sessions are infrequent (once or twice a week) and short (20 to 30 minutes). If you are an athlete these personal training sessions enable you to spend more time on sport-specific skill training. Some of the NFL teams train this way resulting in more time of the field and less time the in the gym.
People of any age or condition can do this. Each individual exercises at an intensity level that will be appropriate for them. You improve each week if given adequate recovery time. This is a program anyone can stick to.
Strength training while undergoing radiation treatment
Stan is 71 years old and has cancer. He was slated to undergo 70 straight days of radiation treatment along with estrogen therapy. He was told by his doctor that he would lose strength if he didn't exercise, and that the strength loss would likely be permanent.
Stan began strength training. Stan's recovery abilities were already compromised from the trauma of the radiation. Strength training produces a stimulus. That stimulus is trauma to the muscles and to the entire system. As a result of the exercise, the body as a way of achieving self-preservation, makes a positive adaptation by becoming stronger. If the strength training trauma far exceeds the body's ability to recover the body can actually become weaker. We design our strength training program based not on how much exercise you can withstand but based on what is the least amount that will produce the most results – that which produces highest marginal return for time and effort in the gym. Starting from this premise you're less likely to exceed the body's ability to recover from stress. This was crucial for Stan who's trying to recover from both strength training and radiation treatment. At the end of his radiation therapy Stan's doctor was very surprised to learn that not only had Stan not gotten weaker, but he was significantly stronger. Stan worked out once a week for 30 minutes. As he became stronger the workouts became more difficult. He gradually built up his intensity to very demanding level. What is a demanding level? That depends on age, condition, and other limiting conditions such as injury. We had a 95-year-old woman exercising. She worked out at what, for her, was a high intensity level. We also have 18 year old clients where high intensity for them will be quite different. We will design the workouts with consideration for a number of factors. At Austin Personal Training and New Orleans Fitness trainers we can help you set up a program that will change you regardless of your condition. Stan has been profoundly changed. We now have another subject starting this week who has that same condition and is undergoing radiation treatment. No two bodies are the same: we will see how it goes.
Shoulder pain and referred pain finally disappears
I was sitting in the dentist chair getting my teeth cleaned, and I began to moan. Not because of a recent Achilles operation, not because of my teeth, no it was because of pain in both my shoulders. In addition to pain in my shoulders, for weeks I had been having referred pain running down my arms, and numbness in both my hands down to my fingertips. It was intolerable. Sleeping was horrible. My range of motion was increasingly becoming restricted, and the outlook looked worse if I did not do something. One shoulder was well on its way to becoming frozen.
My doctor gave me a couple Cortisone shots, and I went to physical therapy. The pain dissipated and I was discharged. I was still somewhat restricted in my use, and I could see the possibility of the pain flaring up again. I began strength training again. My trainer restricted my range of motion to a pain-free range. The range was very small at first, but it increased over time. Each week he had me lift a little more. Slowly my range of motion increased and the last remnants of pain disappeared. I did not have to get into a special position to sleep. I just slept hassle-free.
I had not been working out for some time before and long after my Achilles operation. After this recent shoulder experience, I feel I can’t afford not to work out. I feel the pain will return. It feels so good after a workout. Old injuries will come back to haunt you unless you do something to keep them at bay. For me the solution was strength training. Not any old strength training, but lifting on MedX medical rehab equipment designed for those with limiting factors and also for those with sound bodies as well.
At Austin Personal Training and New Orleans Fitness trainers we offer extensive lines of MedX strength and rehabilitative exercise equipment. One client who suffered from back pain called her improvement "a radical transformation"
Exercise Intensity
What is exercise intensity and why is it important?
In simplest terms it is how hard an exercise is at a point in time. It is the level of momentary exertion during exercise. This can be quantified by measures such as a person's heart rate expressed as percentage of one's maximum heart rate or pounds of weight lifted expressed as a perecentage of one's one-rep maximum lift. Exercise of sufficient intensity is necessary to stimulate the body to make a change. When the body is worked beyond what it is equipped to handle the body adapts as a form of self-protection. The body will make a positive adaptation only if given enough time to recover from the exercise.
How high should the level of exercise intensity be?
That depends on what you want to accomplish. The body will adapt to the nature of the demands placed on it. If one engages in lower intensity activities such as running the body adapts by increasing endurance for that activity with little or no increase in muscle strength. If one engages in higher intensity exercise such as weight lifting the body adapts by getting stronger but with less improvement in the way of endurance.
If one’s goal is to get stronger how much high intensity exercise is necessary?
The higher the intensity the less exercise you will be able to withstand, but this high intensity exercise produces a bigger stimulus for strength gains. The larger stimulus for strength gains requires a longer recovery period. For the elite athlete the required intensity level will be quite high, but for those who do little physical activity that intensity level will be lower and manageable. Whether you are 18 or 80 there will be a level that you can manage.
There is a wide range of individual differences in response to high intensity exercise and how much each person can withstand. Some will show great results and some people will be low responders. An experienced trainer will see the difference and change the workout accordingly.
Try performing squats with adequate weight such that you cannot possibly continue with good form after ninety seconds. Try doing it again the next week with more weight or for more reps. You will find that most everybody will improve, and in fact, the improvement at first will come easily as your body will be well rested. If you improve doing just one set an additional set is unnecessary and only serves to dilute intensity. By doing fewer leg exercises you will be able to devote more energy and effort for rest of the muscles of your body. If you work sufficiently hard on every exercise your workout will be less that half an hour. For those who have been inactive and not accustomed to this method one can slowly build up the intensity at their own pace.
How much time is needed to recover from high intensity exercise?
If you start from the premise of how much exercise can you withstand this will lead to drudgery, insufficient recovery, lower intensity, less results, and eventually quitting and injury. Some spend several hours a week in the gym just to maintain their present level of fitness or they claim they have hit a plateau. It does not have to be that way. If they worked out a little less often the quality of their workouts would improve and they might begin to see improvement again.
If you start from the premise of how little the amount of intense exercise you can get away with and still achieve positive results you will find you are willing to workout at a much higher level of intensity, have more time to recovery, and have better results. How often you need to workout will depend on a number of factors; most important are level of intensity, duration of exercise, and frequency of certain exercises. You can discover the right formula through trial and error. If you can find a trainer who knows how to manipulate these variables, and most importantly, knows how to do this safely you will find your continued improvement will be measured in years instead of months. With the right supervision this is a strength training program that people of any age or fitness level can stick to - a 30 minute workout, usually once or twice a week with continuing positive results.
Step away from that desk and get back into shape
Steve liked his work, but it afforded him very little free time. He worked long hours, and he was at point in his life that he had invested so much in his education and his career that he really needed to follow through with this time commitment. Add to that the commitment to family, and he had little time or inclination to set aside time for exercise. His situation was not all that uncommon.
He had a desk job, and sitting in front of a computer for hours on end, he developed a curve in his upper back. He was rail thin, and he definitely looked like he could afford to put on a few pounds.
There are three different body-type classifications - the ectomorph (slender), the endomorph (fat), and the mesomorph (muscular). Most people are a combination of these three types; Steve was definitely an ectomorph.
Steve began strength training once a week for 30 minutes. Those with a slender build do not have the same capacity for muscle as a mesomorph, but their capacity for increasing strength is often very substantial. It can be seen as an evolutionary advantage - a large increase in strength without adding a lot of calorie-consuming muscle mass. Steve became much stronger, and he has a look of vitality that he never had before. His back is straighter, his posture has improved, and he looks like a completely different person.
With a high intensity workout the goal on each exercise is to try to safely push yourself beyond what your body is capable of handling. As a form of self-protection the body will make a positive adaptation and become stronger if given enough time to recover. If you stay within the body's comfort zone the body has no cause to make an improvement. At Austin personal training our trainers can safely guide you through a high intensity workout that is right for you with attention paid to your age, your condition, and any limitations you might have.
Can trying to get one extra rep result in the set being less safe and less intense at the same time?
You got nine repetitions the last workout session. You sure would like to get that tenth rep. As a result of getting the extra rep, and as a form of self-protection, the body will make a positive adaptation (become stronger). This is a protocol that works if it's done correctly.
The trouble is, in the process, corners are often cut, and the exercise can become less safe and less intense. If the work is not of a sufficient intensity there is no reason for the body to become stronger. High-intensity work places place demands on the system that require the system to adapt positively to survive.
When there is a bias toward more reps there will be a bias away from intensity. In order to get that tenth rep the subject will often make those preceding nine reps as easy as she can possibly make them. The only way to get the tenth rep is to save yourself on the first nine.
There are many ways of saving yourself. One way is to blast off at the beginning of the rep so you can ride momentum through the sticking point. Another way is to lock out at the completion of the rep and get a short reprieve. Another way is to cut the range of the reps short to do less of the demanding work. While the preceding reps may be easier that last rep will be a bear. That should be enough to stimulate a change.
Another way of doing it is to have a bias towards intensity. Make every repetition as difficult as possible. Instead of blasting off at the beginning of the repetition such as the overhead press, lift the weight slowly with uniform speed. About halfway up on the overhead press you will experience serious difficulty. That is the sticking point. Instead of rushing through the sticking point move slowly - like walking through Hell wearing a gasoline suit.
If you do it that way you'll not likely get 10 reps. “Yeah, but I want to go fast”. Towards the end of the set much of your strength will have been dissipated and you cannot create the force necessary to cause injury, plus your muscles are very warmed up by this point. Try going fast then and you might get past that sticking point and just barely achieve another rep. The end result is a safe set and one of very high intensity through the entire set.
Doing a set in such manner you won't be able to lift quite as much weight. What's a deeper state of fatigue, if you can't budge hundred pounds or if you can't budge 150 pounds? I contend it is the former.
“Yeah, but I want to lift heavy weights”. There is another protocol called the rest pause. You might want to do a warm-up set before this. You lift a very heavy weight as intensely as you can and complete one repetition and rest and then repeat the sequence for as many reps as you can.
There are many protocols, and all can produce results if performed correctly. Whatever the protocol at Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Fitness Trainers we can help you do it safely and productively.
What happens after an extended layoff - an observation
In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina our clients began trickling back into town, and there was a return to normalcy. They began scheduling appointments again. Most had not exercised in anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks.
I expected them to be weaker. I decided to conduct an experiment. I put them through their previous workout, and I did not lighten the weights. I did not offer them any added encouragement, I did not give them a target to reach, and I told them to stop at whatever point they wanted to. It was a very interesting result.
Most all of the clients got all of their reps. Some were off a repetition, but that's about it. We were doing slow reps, so one repetition can take about 20 seconds. So in total they were off at most 20 seconds on a 90 to 120 second exercise. Within a workout or two they were totally back up to speed.
These observations comport with a study that showed a similar result. Elite bicyclists were detrained (they stopped riding their bikes) for nine weeks. Their blood was drawn each week. Their aerobic enzyme level diminished each and every week. There anaerobic enzyme level did not diminish. The body still stood ready to do the demanding anaerobic work. This is the same result I saw in my clients. It is also the same result you will get when comparing sprinters and long distance runners. If a sprinter and a long distance runner have an extended layoff it will take the sprinter far less time to get back up top speed compared to the long-distance runner.
With aerobic conditioning there is primarily a biochemical change – the body up-regulates its ability to burn sugar over an extended time. With anaerobic conditioning there is a biochemical change and there's restructuring – the muscles become stronger. Adding muscle is metabolically expensive, and the body does not undo those gains readily.
Taking off a week from strength training now and then can be a good thing. You’ll come back refreshed mentally and physically and you will not take any steps backward. It is hard to get a handle on recovery and how often to train. At Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Fitness Trainers wecan help you with that.
The trainer said, "Just one more" six times
In 34 my years in the fitness industry, I have worked at lots of health clubs and have seen a lot of things. Some things are amazing, some bizarre, and some just stick in my mind as a teachable moment for me. This is one of those memories.
The trainer said to her “Just one more" six times. By the third extra rep the client’s form was shot, and she was almost standing up in the machine. By the fourth rep she was clearly panicked. By the fifth rep she looked over at me as if to say WFT! I just shrugged my shoulders. The trainer had no idea what the client was capable of or how fatigued she was on that particular set. If he did know he would not have had to say “Just one more” six times.
He wasn't aware. A trainers should do more that set the weights, count the reps, and say “Just one more’ redundantly until the client can't move anymore.
A knowledgeable trainer very quickly will come to know exactly what you're capable of, what your weaknesses are, and how to motivate you to get safely to the next level. In order to do that the trainer has to be in the same moment as a client. By that I mean he must understand where the client is fatigue-wise and how close she is to breaking form. He will anticipate those form brakes and talk her through it.
When we exercise we are focused on achieving our goal of completed the movement, but often times we are not aware of how we often cheat to obtain that goal. We reposition our bodies to get a leverage advantage. We cut the rep short. We do dangerously explosive moves in order to get past a sticking point. We instinctively look for the easy way out. Compromised form is not as productive and can be dangerous.
A good trainer will be aware of what is happening and what is going to happen, so he can talk you though the set safely to completion. At Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Fitness Trainers we have knowledgable trainers who can help you gradually build up to a strength training program that is safe, effective, and efficient for your age and condition.
Sprint training for fat loss
From this study, High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss comes this:
Dosage: A thirty second all-out sprint of on a bike, recover at a reduced RPM, repeat four to six times. Do this three times a week for two to six weeks.
Results: 1. Increase both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. 2. Significantly lowers insulin resistance 3. Skeletal muscle adaptations that result in enhanced skeletal muscle fat oxidation 4. Improved glucose tolerance.
From other studies the reported results: 1. High Intensity Inteval Training Lowers Appetite 2. Health and Physical Function Improves with High Intensity Training 3. Blood Pressure Reduced with High Intensity Interval Training 4. High-Intensity Strength Training Beneficial to Parkinson's Patients 5. High intensity training better for coronary artery disease patients 6. Brief Bouts of High Intensity Training Improves Maximal Oxygen Uptake 7. Studys Shows That HIT Exercise Lowers Blood Pressure 8. Long distance running lowers testosterone; sprint training increases it
I have been doing this for over a year now. I can report the following additional change. At age 60 I feel the best I have felt in well over a decade. At Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Fitness Trainerswe can help you gradually build up to a high intensity strength training or an aerobic high intensity training program that is safe, effective, and efficient for your age and condition. You need not spend hours in the gym to feel better, look better, and perform better.