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Monday, November 30, 2015

Mobility Monday: The Batman Hip Opener


Most of us can't do the splits (this guy can't) and even when we were younger it was tough.  Who

needs to do the splits you say?  Well it isn't always functional for everyone to need to be able to do the splits but having the range of motion in your hips to be able to do the splits can help you solve a lot of other problems.  

Having the ability to move how you want to and need to in your hips can take a tremendous amount of stress and strain off your lower back and keep it from getting the brunt of pressure that isn't meant to be there.  This video shows a really interesting option to work on your splits and some of the other tight areas you might encounter.  It also allows you to do this while remaining upright in your chest and keeping you in an uncompromised position.



Sunday, November 22, 2015

Mobility Monday: Fix Shoulder and Hip ROM in 4 Minutes or Less

It sounds like your typical sales pitch and maybe it is but the results are undeniable and for the amount of time it takes to do this on yourself is worth the try.  The process is based around letting your body do what you body wants to do and working the good side to help the bad side or in this case just moving slower so the body can tolerate it.  We are so concerned with getting fixed quick and getting things moving faster than the body is ready that we should take a step back and work through some slow range of motion that doesn't cause pain and wait for the improvement.

The four minutes or less may throw you but it is also 4 minutes or less of your life that might lead to pain relief.  Check it out.



Thursday, November 19, 2015

Friday Food: Pumpkin Pie Protein Cheesecake

This is one from Macro-Chef, the 16 year old whiz kid with all kinds of nutrition options.  His website it worth checking out for everything but this was a great holiday options for a recipe.

PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
 
Rich and creamy pumpkin pie protein cheesecake with cinnamon crust. This healthy cheesecake is so warm and decadent you wouldn't think it is healthy.
Author: 
Serves: 8 slices
INGREDIENTS
Crust
  • 3 cups (85g) toasted oat cereal (Cheerios)
  • 5 tbsp. (70g) natural applesauce
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ cup granulated stevia
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
  • 1 brick (226g) reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1½ cups (340g) vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 1 and ¼ cups (305g) pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1½ scoops (50g) cinnamon whey protein powder (or vanilla)
  • ¼ cup granulated stevia or erythritol
  • ½ package (16g) sugar free cheesecake pudding mix
  • 1½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 300F. Spray a 8 inch spring form pan with nonstick spray.
  2. Add all crust ingredients into a food processor. Blend until cereal is all broken up and it makes a crumbly crust texture. Press crust into a 8 inch spring form pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
  3. Clean out food processor. Add cream cheese, Greek yogurt, pumpkin, and eggs. Blend until smooth. Add protein powder, stevia, pudding mix, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Blend again until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides a few times throughout the blending process.
  4. Pour batter on top of cooled crust. Smack bottom of pan against the counter a couple times gently to get out air bubbles.
  5. Fill a large baking dish with about ½-1 inch of water. Set cheesecake inside and bake for 50 minutes. Cover with foil and bake for another 20 minutes. Cheesecake will still seem soft and undercooked in the middle, but it will setup once cooled.
  6. Let completely cool then chill in the fried for 4-5 hours or overnight. Cut into 8 slices and enjoy!
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Serving size: 1 slice Calories: 200 Fat: 8 Carbohydrates: 21 Sugar: 6 Fiber: 4Protein: 14

Monday, November 16, 2015

Little Tweaks that Create Big Differences

By: Joel Luedke

There are many amazing programs out there these days and they can all yield you great results.  There are different workout options, i.e. CrossFit that do a great job getting you conditioned both in strength but also metabolically, but even the best programs out there can still be lacking with out extreme attention being paid to the finer details. 

You look at most CrossFit athletes and you see someone who you think is the epitome of fit.  They have strong and athletic looking bodies but under a watchful eye of a highly skilled coach there may be things still lacking.  That is where a coach like Julian Pineau of Strong Fit comes in.  He is a strong believer in making sure that everything is working how it should be and that you have the find the "Key Log".

He uses this definition of the "Key Log" as finding the one thing that is off and lacking in your body that can fix multiple things instead of going one by one and not actually getting anywhere.  We often hear that adage that "I'm stronger there" and he doesn't believe that exists and that it is all a compensation for another area you are lacking that needs to be fixed before you break.

Here are some of his big Take Aways:

  • Change Grips: Never stay in a pronated (hands down) grip all the time (explained below).  Switch up to neutral and supinated.
  • If you squat plateaus: You either don't know how to squat or your posterior chain is weak.
  • Train your hammies: And don't expect them to be explosive, they stabilize
So what does that all mean.  We will break it down a little more.

The first one about rotating grips is huge.  If you continue to stay in a pronated grip (palms down) you maintain that rotation through your forearms and up to the elbow.  Continually being stuck in this position can then go up to your shoulder and start causing problems in your shoulder by internally rotating it and adding to any rounded shoulder posture you may have.  This puts tension all through the shoulder that doesn't need to be there and can still be a problem even if you are doing rows.  Switch your grips.

When you squat you are meant to use your posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, etc) and most of us don't and become knee squatters.  Meaning our knees bend or "break" before we push the hips back and we load the knees and quads way more than needed.  You are robbing yourself of some major strength gains by not engaging your glutes early in the process and using all that mass and power on your back side.  (Great article by Elitefts on how to get external rotation HERE).

Your hamstring is a great stabilizing muscle when it comes to weightlifting and shouldn't be ignored. It is the connection from the glute to the foot and if you have underdeveloped hamstrings then your calves and feet must work harder and this can lead you to Achilles issues.  Tearing your Achilles later down the line by jumping is how you tore it not why you tore it.  Address it early.

Here is a link to the Barbell Podcast with Julian Pineau (well worth the watch) and make sure you pay attention to detail as it can make or break you. 


Mobility Monday: Un-Impinge Yourself From Mental Slavery


Shoulder pain is right up there as one of those most common places to have aches and pains (back pain easily being the highest).  A lot of people don't even realize they have shoulder pain until they want to get out there and do something athletic and their shoulder immediately shuts them down.  All these shoulder problems don't have to come from someone who is a competitive athlete or Olympic lifts.  These problems can easily come from poor position both in standing and sitting.


This video shows how you can reset your shoulder into its natural and correct position.  The great thing about all of this is that you can do a lot of this by just consciously thinking about relocating your shoulder in its correct position and getting into that spot throughout the day.  

Things This Helps:
-Full flexion for overhead movements
-Anterior shoulder pain
-Shoulder impingement
-Tightness in posterior shoulder
-Winging Scapula



Thursday, November 12, 2015

Friday Food: Creamy Fettuccine w/ Brussel Sprouts & Mushrooms

Great base recipe to add any of your favorite protein to.  Check it out from EatWell.

Makes: 6 servings

Active Time: 30 Minutes

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:
-12 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine
-1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
-4 cups sliced mixed mushrooms
-1 tablespoon minced garlic
-1/2 cup dry sherry, or 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
-2 cups low-fat milk
-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
-1 cup finely shredded Asiago cheese

Preparation:
1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain, return to the pot and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add  mushrooms and Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring often, until the mushroom release their liquid, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add sherry (or vinegar), scraping up any brown bits; bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until almost evaporated, 10 seconds (if using vinegar) or about 1 minute (if using sherry).

3. Whisk milk and flour in a bowl; add to the skillet with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 2 minutes.  Stir in Asiago until melted.  Add the sauce to the pasta; gently toss.  Serve with more cheese, if desired.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Study Spotlight: Breaking Down Knee Injury Rate Per Sport



What They Did:
Researchers went back and did a large review of the injury rates for knee injuries in high school athletes.  They broke down the injury rates, injury rates per exposure and what were the most prevalent sports for these injuries to occur.

What They Found:
Researchers found overall that males suffer more knee injuries and these occur in the high risk sports of soccer, football, basketball, lacrosse, etc.  They also found that girls have a much higher injury rate per exposure (overall less injury but they occur more frequently).  These injuries were highest in soccer, basketball and lacrosse.

What It All Means:
This isn't ground breaking news to anyone in the sports medicine world or anyone that follows some of the sports medicine news in general but we thought it was important to share a couple important points.  While not all of these ACL injuries would be preventable (hard to stop someone pushing you or falling into your leg) but a majority of them might be.

"If its not pathologic or traumatic, it's preventable."- Kelly Starrett


We believe in this quote and think posture/position are the key to helping prevent your body from suffering this injury.  Training these positions and how to react in them is a huge key to prevent not only significant knee injury but also from the general aches and pains.  There are plenty of programs out there that you could spend significant money on to do ACL prevention.  We believe that good training and working on squat techniques, landing mechanics and training to keep your hips strong in external rotation is all the ACL prevention needed.



We also wanted to do into a little bit how keeping your hips strong in external rotation can help prevent your ACL from tearing.


The picture to the left shows the ACL/PCL bundle (on the right leg).  In order to illustrate how this bundle works do the following: To mimic this cross your middle finger over your index finger.  If you were to internally rotate your arm (i.e. leg) but turning your hands in your fingers come apart.  This is what happens when you land in valgus/adduction.  Now, reset and externally rotate by rotating your hand outwards and your fingers lock down tighter.  This is what our goal is when you squat, jump, land and everything else athletic.  It's that simple yet that important.





Source: Sport-Specific Yearly Risk and Incidence of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears in High School Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

How Many Calories are You Burning?

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the energy required to maintain the systems of the body and to regulate body temperature at rest.  RMR accounts for approximately 60-80% of total daily energy expenditure and therefore play a major role in energy balance and overall weight management.  The remaining 20-40% of calories burned throughout the day depends on your activity level (which includes basic occupational activities as well as exercise and sport activities).  It's important to know and understand what your RMR is so that you can set goals for yourself in regards to calories in vs. calories out.  Below is a list of factors that influence RMR in addition to a way to identify this value for yourself:

Factors that influence RMR:

Factor
Effect on RMR
Age
↓ 1-2% per decade
Weight
↑ RMR with ↑ weight
Fat Free Mass
↑ RMR with ↑ FFM (the more muscle the higher your RMR is)
Fat Mass
↑ RMR with ↑ Fat Mass (slight)
Sex
Typically higher in Males when compared to females
Body Temp
12% ↑RMR with each 1 degree C increase
Severe Dieting
↓ RMR
Overeating
↑RMR
Menstrual Cycle
↑ RMR slightly (especially during luteal phase)
Growth/Pregnancy
↑ RMR
Acute Exercise
↑ RMR (depends on intensity and duration of exercise)
Thyroid Levels
↑RMR w/ higher levels and ↓ RMR when levels are low
Adrenaline
↑ RMR
Alcohol
↑ RMR (acutely)
Smoking (Acute)
↑ RMR
Caffeine
200-400 mg can ↑ RMR 5-15%

A quick and easy estimation of your resting metabolic rate can be found below:
Males:
10.2 x (weight in lbs) + 879
Females:
7.18 x (weight in lbs) + 795
The number above will tell you roughly how many calories you would burn if you were to lay in bed all day long.  This number will obviously increase if you are active whether it be occupational, training, or exercise and therefore you can use activity factors to try and estimate your total calorie expenditure for the day (See below):
  • If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2

  • If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375

  • If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55

  • If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725

  • If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9


This number will be the number of calories you should consume if you are trying to maintain your current weight. If you are trying to lose or gain weight you simply reduce/increase daily calories by ~300-600 calories, respectively.  Keep in mind these numbers/values are just educated guestimations and not everyone responds in the same way. These are ballpark figures to start with and help guide you along the way but it will need to be tailored to your individual needs and differences.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Mobility Monday: Use Compensation to Fix Your Shoulder Pain


We comes back to Total Motion Release and the ideas of doing things a little bit differently to fix your pain.  This one goes even a little further into the weird in order to fix your shoulder pain.  It goes against the general ideas you should do when fixing a shoulder problem but maybe in the end that is a good thing.


The basic premise is use whatever motion your shoulder will allow you to, pain free, to get your motion back in the shoulder.  He does a great job demonstrating and it is an easy one to try at home.

Things It Helps:
-Rotator Cuff Injury
-Labrum Tear
-Shoulder Impingement
-Frozen Shoulder


Thursday, November 5, 2015

Friday Food: Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower


A fantastically simple recipe that is filled with all the nutrition that comes along with eating cauliflower.  Make a huge batch and have it for the week.

Makes: 4 Servings
Serving Size: About 1 Cup
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
-8 cups, 1 inch thick slices cauliflower florets (about 1 large head)
-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
-1 teaspoon dried marjoram
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-Fresh ground pepper to taste
-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
-1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION


  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. Toss cauliflower, oil, marjoram, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until starting to soften and brown on the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Toss the cauliflower with vinegar and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven and roast until the cheese is melted and any moisture has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Study Spotlight: Vision Testing an Effective Tool for Detecting Concussion on the Sidelines

The King-Devick Test is a simple yet highly effective way to assess a concussion.  It works by testing each athlete at the beginning of the year to establish their baseline.  The participant reads a string of numbers as fast as they can and it is timed and recorded.  Studies have shown that people not suffering from concussion actually improve their score throughout the year on average by 1.9 seconds.  People that do suffer a concussion on average slow down in their performance on the test by 4.8 seconds.

What They Did: 
This was a review of multiple studies looking at the use of a vision test in the assessment of a concussion.  They reviewed 1420 people in which 112 had suffered a concussion and looked at how accurate using just a vision test can be in assessing a concussion.

What They Found:  
They found that utilizing just the King-Devick Test by itself correctly identified 86% of concussions (as confirmed later by medical examination).  Along with this they found that when standards SCAT/SAC concussion testing and balance testing were included in the examination that 100% of concussions were properly assessed.

What It All Means:
86% of concussions assessed correctly sounds either really good or not great because we are still missing some assessments and obviously that brings about concern. That doesn't mean the King-Devick test is not a useful tool.  While the everyday person shouldn't be out assessing concussions and utilizing a lot of the concussion assessment tools, the King-Device is simple and now shown to be effective as an initial screening for athletes.  This could be extremely useful for younger sports leagues where medical personnel aren't readily available.  This is a simple and effective test could be done by parents and coaches to help identify concussions in younger athletes and do so at a very effective rate.

King-Device Test

Vision Testing for Detecting Concussion

Monday, November 2, 2015

Mobility Monday: Rehab/Post Surgery Template

We believe a lot of what you do on your own can fix problems and prevent them from occurring in the first place but every once in awhile injuries do happen and you need to get looked at and get help getting started.  For medical related issues you should be seen to make sure that you aren't missing something but it is important to have a basic understanding of what the rehab process looks like.  Even after minor injuries you may not go in for (sore knees, minor ankle sprain, etc) it is good to know the generals about getting yourself rehabbed back to health.

How This Helps:
-Understand what movements are safe to start with.
-Understand progression of movements.
-Get the basics of the rehab process.