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Thursday, January 30, 2014

Motivation




Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Going All Natural: Barefoot Running

The minimalist fad has seemed to fade into obscurity as quickly as it came sprinting into everyone’s running program.  The days of seeing ‘Five Finger’ shoes on the streets both on runners and your everyday person have seemed to pass but does the minimalist/barefoot technique of running truly hold some merit.
In an article in Men’s Health, “Barefoot Running Stumbles”, the writer presents the case well from both sides of the coin.  The foot is an unbelievably complex part of the body consisting of 26 bones, 33 articulations, 111 ligaments, and 20 plus muscles in each foot1.  If you think about the amount of motion and stability occurs over the thousands of steps taken in not only walking a mile but add the force associated with running it is truly impressive what our feet can do.

A study at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse showed that a forefoot/midfoot landing in a less heel cushioned shoe increases the load per step by 11% and that can add up to over 7000 pounds of pressure added to the Achilles per mile.  This is a significant amount of force and is typically where people new to minimalist running can get themselves in trouble and injured.  Gradual progression in the key to regulating this this increase in tension and increase in pressure on the Achilles. The suggestion is that you start at adding minimalist shoes to only 10% of your mileage to start with and progress from there1.  This is not a case of “if some is good, more is better”.

Continue on the next page: 

Friday, January 24, 2014

Medical Fitness



An article posted on Athletic Business (Article: Medical Fitness: Trainer's Adapt to Client's Conditions) talks about how there seems to be a trend of personal trainers working more with client's that have conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and even autism.

They comment on how the interaction between the personal trainer and the physician and information is exchanged such as medication lists.  This appears to be a great area to not only look for business but also do something to help a population that could benefit greatly from exercise and physical activity.

Should this be an area of medicine and fitness that requires more than just a certification and should be something regulated (such as PT, AT and other medical professions) and require a degree?  Thoughts?

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

"We've Got to Stop Icing" A Year Later

Last week I posted a video from Mobility WOD talking about the need to stop icing.  Below is the video that they created following up a year later on the video and discussing some of the responses they experience and what their thoughts are now.  Along with the video are some of my thoughts and ideas about the topic.

Video:
We've Got To Stop Icing: Year Later

The concept of icing due to the slowing or shutting down of the body's natural response to injury is definitely one to consider.  A common misconception is that ice actually reduces swelling and within the medical profession I believe very few would agree with this and instead would counter with that ice can help with the prevention of further increases in swelling.  Now, in the video this would be argued that we don't want this to occur due to stopping what our body wants to do naturally.  I do believe there is a time and place for icing in that a massive amount of swelling is detrimental to healing and sometimes icing is our best option to not prevent swelling but to control swelling in hopes of not letting it get out of hand.

More by clicking on the link

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Motivation: Forget Negative People

*I posted the wrong video previously but hoped you enjoyed it.  This is the speech that I intended to post.

I know the video is of bodybuilders but whether you agree or not about how they live their life or what they do to their body's listen more to the words.  I believe the speaker is Les Brown and he has some amazing motivational speeches but this one really hits home for people that are out there to make it happen.



Enjoy.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Sore Joints: OmegaPlex & Joint Promotion

Inevitably you're going to wake up with sore and stiff joints if you're an athlete, weekend warrior or just generally busy in your daily life.  Sore knees, back, and ankles are not what you need when you're on your feet all day or constantly on the go.  Chronic inflammation, often times inflammation that is unseen, can cause damage to your joints and be a pain in your....well you know whatever it is that hurts.  

Omega fatty acids as well as glucosamine have been shown to be beneficially in reducing this long term/chronic inflammation without the tough side effects on your liver and kidneys that anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen sodium can cause.  Along with the reduction in inflammation Omega fatty acids (the healthy fats) can help reduce cholesterol and fats that could clog arteries.  

Advocare Omega Plex (Omega Fatty acids) and Joint Promotion (glucosamine) have worked for many people and are a great formulation and dosage of both and have been found to be highly effective for both athletes and for people that have sore knees (one who used to have to get cortisone injections and hasn't now for over 8 months).  

If you struggle with runners knee, tendinitis, low back pain, or sore shoulders these supplements are worth looking into and giving a shot.  It does take some time to really take effect but when taken daily you should notice results through your first bottle.
Links:

Please contact me if you have any questions.




Note: I am a distributor of Advocare but do so because I have found no other company with the quality of products or the quality of company.  I currently use multiple Advocare Products.

Monday, January 13, 2014

"We've Got to Stop Icing"

An interesting video from the Mobilty WOD crew.  They bring up a lot of good points about why ice can actually slow down the healing process and cause more problems than it can fix.  It is worth the
watch and some discussion.  Check back later for an update video they did a year later. Feel free to comment and enjoy.

Video:

Thursday, January 9, 2014

100 Most Influential People in Health and Fitness

Taken from the "Greatist" website is their list of the top 100 most influential people in health and fitness and overall it is a very good list.  I would argue for a few more but that's for another day.  Below I have listed a couple of my favorites and ones.  To see the list and article in its entirety click the link: 100 Health and Fitness Influencers of 2013

6: Tim Ferriss, Paragon of Efficiency: Quite possibly one of my favorite authors this "life hacker" has done all the off the wall research you can think of and makes it all feasible.  A lot of his tips you will find on the TAT blog (at some point) and myself backing up his claims.  "The 4-Hour Body" is worth the read.
Referred to as the “4-Hour Man” Ferriss knows a thing or two about getting sh!t done — and fast. The superhuman has been offering up secrets to mastering efficiency and productivity for years with New York Times bestselling books including “The 4-Hour Workweek,” “The 4-Hour Body,” and "The 4-Hour Chef." His renowned blog is chock-full of lifehacking tips and tricks, though they may not be accessible to all readers (not everyone has the time, money, willpower, or connections Ferriss does). But to many, there’s something undeniably enticing about his way of life. That's why, in 2013, he became the star of his own TV show, "The Tim Ferriss Experiment," which follows the man as he attempts to master a new skill every week, from parkour to drumming in a rock band.

20. Tony Robbins, Mr. Motivation: I originally considered him a little out there but look up his TED talk.  Changes everything.
Self-help professional and motivational speaker Tony Robbins has made it his life goal to empower people to change their own lives. His programs, motivational speaking events, books, DVDs, and seminars aim to help people build strong relationships, be healthy for life, achieve professional success, find inner balance, and accomplish personal growth. His most popular seminars include titles like "Unleash the Power Within," "Ultimate Relationship," "Ultimate Edge," and "Business Mastery." Robbins also offers personal coaching services. In 2013, he released an e-book, "Re-Awaken the Giant Within," which is a follow-up to his 2007 self-help bestseller, "Awaken the Giant Within."

40. Martin Rooney, The Fitness Warrior: "Training for Warriors" is a fabulous and gives you a lot of options to work with and change up your routine or give you the feeling of training like a fighter.  Worth it to put on the book shelf.
This strength and conditioning all-star started out as a track and field athlete in college, and then a member of the U.S. Bobsled team from 1995 to 1997 and again in 2000. Since then, he’s joined the Training For Warriors Foundation, where he shares his expert skills in Mixed Martial Arts and trains professional fighters across the globe. He’s also worked as the strength and conditioning consultant to sports teams including the New York Giants, has trained numerous Olympic athletes, and developed one of the top NFL Combine training programs. Rooney, who has a Masters in Health Science, continues to keep his brain as jacked as his bod by publishing books on strength training and delivering lectures on fitness around the world. 

48. Mike Reinold, Injury Whisperer: I have referenced Mike's site on multiple occasions and other than the TAT blog (of course) his site is a great place to go for injury information and ideas of how to treat it.
The former Head Athletic Trainer and physical therapist for the Boston Red Sox, Mike Reinold now runs a private practice in Boston. His specialty is helping professional athletes recover from injury and return to peak performance, with a special focus on baseball players. When he’s not on the field, Reinold can be found in the lab or the library, doing research and editing books on health and fitness. Reinold’s eager to share his knowledge, both as a Greatist Expert and as a blogger, by writing about issues from physical therapy to rehab exercises for specific body parts.

49. Mike Boyle, Innovative Strength Builder: Like it says, innovator.  Done.
He may be the strength and conditioning consultant for the Boston Red Sox and the founder of an elite athletic facility, but Mike Boyle’s philosophy can be summed up in a single word: “KISS.” That’s “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” At Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning in Boston, he helps people achieve a range of goals related to sports performance and weight management, and trains professional athletes using somewhat unconventional equipment like multi-use turf and plyo boards.

79. Steve Kamb, The Fittest Nerd: A very interesting read for anyone who really is a nerd of fitness or just generally interested in fitness.
Steve Kamb is the leader of a revolution that enables the average Joe and Jill to learn how to be healthy. Founder of NerdFitness.com, Kamb fosters an online community of  23,000 who work together and support each other through a series of open forums and challenges. Written in language familiar to any gamer (there are at least four Hobbit and Zelda references in the introductory post alone), the central pillar of the site are six-week challenges, whereby users — kindly referred to as "rebels"  —  set goals and gain points according to their success. In January 2014, the website will launch two fitness guides, “Men’s Fitness 101” and “Women’s Fitness 101," self-paced courses that guide users to adopt healthier habits and fitness routines.

86. Kelly Starrett, Mr. Mobility: Making huge waves within the rehab and cross fit worlds.  His website has some very thought provoking material worth checking out (I like the discussion on icing personally) and his book "Becoming a Supple Leopard" is on my short list to get read and see what he has to say about mobility.
Creator of the popular blog MobilityWOD, Kelly Starrett knows his fitness facts — and even more about preventing and treating injuries. Designed to help athletes problem-solve their issues and get a jump-start on recovery, MobilityWOD provides well-researched, scientifically supported articles and videos. In addition to contributing to Inside Triathlon, Details magazine, and the Crossfit Journal, Starrett developed the Movement and Mobility Trainer Course, which teaches coaches and athletes how to predict and prevent movement-related injuries. Starret travels frequently to present his course to trainers and companies. In 2013, he published his first book, “Becoming a Supple Leopard,” a guide to maintaining the body's mobility and troubleshooting common errors


Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Can Cardio Make You Fat?

In an article on Yahoo! Health Jim Karas makes the argument that doing cardio can actually cause you to gain weight and at the same time waste the precious muscle that you have (he presents the idea that 60% of weight loss is fat (GREAT) but 40% is muscle (Not so great).  He brings up many valid points in that the true goal of weight loss is to increase your metabolism in order to constantly burn calories throughout the day (even at night).

And the most effective way to do this? Run? Nope, wrong.  Bike? Better, but wrong again. Well it can't be lifting that just makes you big and bulky.....but it doesn't have to and it is the best way to jump start your metabolism and start changing your body and losing the weight you want (not just numbers on scale).

It is true that muscle weighs more than fat and there is no denying that but it is also true that muscle is two thirds more metabolically active than fat (and it looks better).  From the article they explain that one pound of muscle burns six calories per pound per day and that one pound of fat burns only two calories a day.



Check out the rest on the next page


Ultimate Exercise: "The Kettlebell Swing"

This exercise is made for everyone and helps you accomplish whatever goal you're after.  It is the perfect exercise for any woman (or man) for that matter that wants to work their posterior chain starting at their Achilles tendon and working up the entire length to the back of their head.  For the serious lifter, adding this exercise can help develop muscles key to good posterior and help reduce the risk of injury.  See video below for instructions on how to perform the lift and also the linked article for written out instructions and further tips.  Happy Lifting.
(you can even do them in khaki pants)

Courtesy: Tim Ferriss and the Four Hour Body

More information and written instructions here: The Ultimate Exercise


If you're curious as to the cheaper alternative he was talking about, contact me and I will pass the information along.