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Sunday, February 28, 2016

Throwback Week at TAT

We are switching things up a little bit this week and doing a throw back for the entire week.  We are going to go back through our archives and find the articles that were the most hard hitting and the most popular amongst you, our audience.

We hope you find something new and exciting or get to re-check out a post that made you think and potentially question some of the information out there in the world.  Enjoy and we will have all new original content starting up first thing next week.

-AJ & Joel

(a "throw back" logo, yes, not much has changed)

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Friday Food: Lean Beef Spinach Meatball Pasta

This might be my new favorite recipe and one I look forward to making over and over again.  Also I'm thinking these meatballs could go pretty well with about anything.  They are simple enough but simply delicious.  We hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:
For Meatballs:
-6 oz. lean ground beef
-1/2 cup shredded raw spinach
-1/4 cup diced red onion
-1 tbsp minced garlic
-1/2 tbsp cumin
-Sea salt and pepper, to taste

For Pasta:
-2 oz. wheat spinach pasta
-1/8 cup marinara (natural and low sodium)
-1 1/2 cup raw spinach
-5 cherry tomatoes
-1 tbsp low fat parmesan cheese

Cooking Directions:
1. Set oven to 405 degrees F
2. For added flavors, saute the red onions in a skillet using scary olive or coconut oil.
3. Mix together ground beef, chopped raw spinach, red onion, garlic, and spices.  Mix thoroughly using your hands until the spinach is completely mixed into the meat.
4. Form two or three meatballs of roughly the same size using your hands.  For accuracy, you can use a food scale to weigh and measure each portion.
5. Place meatballs on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
6. Cook pasta and stir in tomatoes, spinach, and cheese as desired.
7. Mix in cooked meatballs and enjoy.

The Facts:
Calories: 468
Total Fat: 6g
Total Carbs: 50g
Protein: 51g

Courtesy: Bodybuilding.com

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Study Spotlight: No Need to Fear Eggs if Worried about High Cholesterol Levels...

By: Andrew Jagim

For a long time eggs were the subject of blame for high levels of cholesterol in the blood and the subsequent risk of developing cardiovascular disease which can lead to heart attacks, stroke etc.  But have we been blaming the wrong food this whole time? It makes sense, eggs are a moderate source of cholesterol within the diet and we do know that high levels of certain cholesterol within the blood, particularly low-density lipoproteins (LDL) aka "bad" cholesterol do increase our risk of cardiovascular disease but when we consume cholesterol does it result in a direct increase in our risk of cardiovascular disease or is it just another example of correlation and not causation that gets blown out of proportion in the media?  Well, researchers designed an experiment to dive into this question...

What did they do?
The researchers investigated the associations of cholesterol intake from eggs and the risk of coronary artery disease in 1,032 middle-aged men over the course of a 5 year period.  They monitored their dietary intake over a period of 4-days and reported the incidence of coronary artery disease via assessment of their carotid artery.

What did they find?
The researchers found that egg or cholesterol intake was not associated with the risk of coronary artery disease.  As a sub-focus of the article, the authors also found no risk in those who were more genetically susceptible to cardiovascular disease.

Take Home Message?
Good news! You can go back to eating your eggs and omelets for breakfast and not have to worry about the risk of increasing cholesterol levels or developing coronary artery disease. Granted, it's probably not wise to go full-blown Rocky Balboa and chug your 6 raw eggs in the morning (for a variety of reasons) but this at least allows you to eat eggs for breakfast if you've been avoiding them because you've heard they're bad for you and may increase your risk of having a heart attack. This is just one of many studies showing that cholesterol and fat intake for that matter, (topic for another day) aren't the sole culprits in factors increasing one's risk of cardiovascular disease.

Reference:

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Training vs. Working Out


By: Joel Luedke

When you go to the gym are you going for a workout or are you training? 


What's your goal?  To get a good sweat in?  Train for your next event?

This is something I never really thought about when I would head into the weight room.  Sure I had some sort of idea of what i was going to do, maybe a set and rep scheme that I was going to do for the day or if I was really thinking ahead, maybe that week but I never really had a plan.

Nothing has become more clear to me this year working with strength and conditioning our UWL Football team as well as trying to train for my first half marathon (didn't run it but gearing up for one this summer) as the need for training, not just working out.  Now, lets start with the half marathon training.

Never ran more than a 5K in terms of a race before.  Sure I had gotten myself up to 8-9 miles (or so I told myself) but that was also on whim, never planned in a strategy.  Then for this half I was planning to run we (girlfriend and I) followed a training plan.  It didn't make it simple and easy but it definitely helped structure what i was trying to accomplish and it made a huge difference.  You can' just go out and run 13 miles, well you can but not really do it well.  You have to build and work and find way to get yourself to that volume and allow your body to take it.  Learning this was step one for me.

This idea of 'training' expanded exponentially this spring while working with (and continuing to do so) Dr. Glenn Wright of the UWL Human Performance Program.  Working with him in the development of a training program for the team in the off-season and laying out a plan not just for one or two blocks (4-8 weeks) but for the entire year.  Now, disclaimer, things change as we move along but the process was put out and a road map was set.

Why is this important?  Many people think that in order for a workout/training session to be a success you have to walk out of it exhausted and that you left it all out on the gym floor.  Every set should be to failure and if you aren't adding weight then you aren't getting anything done.  This is great if you want a great work out but your body will not hold up if this is your goal day in and day out.  Mark Rippetoe discusses this in his article on CrossFit, "CrossFit.  The Good, The Bad, The Ugly".  He outlines that most CrossFit set ups the goal is to just work hard and there is no set plan for what are trying to accomplish long term.

This is where a training plan comes in.  Building your training up and in a progressive fashion can be a huge benefit to not only your training performance but in giving your body a break when it needs one and not overloading it consistently.  In the example of football there is no reason to be your fastest or strongest in January, that is needed July/August as you're gearing up for the season.  You use these months to build your fitness, build your work capacity and set yourself up to perform as you get started into your season.

Bottom Line: Think about your goals and what you want to accomplish and then map out how you want to get there.  Smarter not harder can be key.


Friday, February 19, 2016

Friday Food: Protein Bar Banana Split w/ Protein Ice Cream

By: Joel Luedke

Everyone enjoys a cheat day (well most people do) so why not try and make it as healthy as you possibly can?  That's what we tried to help out with this weeks Friday Food.  You can obviously customize this how you want with flavors and even the fruit.  Enjoy.

Ingredients:
-7 oz. Greek Yogurt
-1/2 scoop protein (vanilla or your choice)
-1 tbsp vanilla extract
-1/2 caramel peanut protein bar (or your choice)
-1 medium/large sized banana
-Optional: 3 chopped/diced strawberries or bananas

Cooking Directions:
1. Place the protein bar in the freezer or refrigerator.
2. In a bowl, mix Greek yogurt, protein powder, and vanilla extract.  Whip until completely smooth.
3. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 1.5-2 hours or until desired firmness is reached.
4. Slice a banana in half vertically and place in a bowel.
5. Place protein bar in blender and pulse until it breaks into chunks.
6. Remove the ice cream from the freezer.  Using an ice cream scoop, dig out the ice cream and place on top of the cut banana.
7. Sprinkle with the broken chunks of the candy bar and, if desired, fresh fruit.
8. Enjoy.

The Facts: 
Calories: 493
Fat: 12g
Carbs: 49g
Protein: 47g

Courtesy of: Bodybuilding.com

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Study Spotlight: Star Excursion Test as Predictor of Lower Extremity Injury In Basketball

By: Joel Luedke

We believe in in some sort of screening or assessment (it can be whatever you think works best) when it comes to training not only your athletes but anyone.  If we don't have a baseline to base our process on then how do you know if we progressed?  Hard data is tough to argue with and can be very beneficial not only to the coach but the athlete or trainee.  Test and rest (Check out our article on screening HERE).

In this study we look at a simple test as a predictor of lower extremity injury in basketball players.

What They Did:

Researchers used the Start Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) and tested a group of high school 

basketball players.  The test consists of standing the middle of a star and having eight (8) directions to reach one of your feet while standing on the opposite.  The distance you are able to reach in each direction while maintaining your balance is recorded for analysis (Video on how it is done)

What They Found:
Overall the researchers found the the SEBT was reliable and a solid predictive measure of lower extremity injury in high school basketball players.  They found specifically that the comparing the greater anterior right/left reach distance was the best predictor of injury.

What It All Means:
The quick version is that this very simple test (easy to make and easy to implement) can be invaluable to preventing lower extremity injuries in high school basketball players.  This means you could build it into a pre-participation physical and with the findings build a movement or 'preventative' program to decrease potential injury risk.

It is very worth while to look at differences from side to side as they can alert you to potential compensations. This is useful on two fronts.  One on the side that is underworking or appears to be unable to handle the same load.  This can lead to potential for injury if that limb were to be called on and not be prepared.  It also gives you an idea that one limb might be working too hard and that could set it up for potential overuse injury (also not fun to deal with).

Overall, testing with some sort of screening tool can be extremely beneficial and should be implemented one way or another.  The SEBT is a great place to start and could be applied to any lower extremity sport.

Star excursion balance test as a predictor of lower extremity injury in high school basketball players
Phillip J. Plisky
Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Short-term Metabolic Adaptation: Why Moving More Doesn’t Help with Weight Loss.

By: Andrew Jagim

We have previously described how throughout the process of losing weight our metabolisms undergo a negative adaptation in such a way that makes it challenging to continue losing weight and/or keep it off.  This adaptation is typically referred to as metabolic adaptation or adaptive thermogenesis.  A previously published study found evidence of how this adaptive response appears to occur even within our daily energy balance continuum and again provides evidence of just how “good” the body is at maintaining homeostasis. Unfortunately we do not always perceive this as a good thing as this ability to resist change is one of the many reasons that weight loss is a fickle beast.  Also, this adaptation is just another reason why the mantra “eat less, move more” that is often shouted at individuals who pose questions on how what strategies they can utilize to help them lose weight just doesn't work; as we’ve mentioned previous times before, this overly simplified strategy is clearly not successful, particularly long-term and here is just one of many reasons why:

The researchers who conducted this study found that when activity levels increased above moderate levels, total daily energy expenditure appeared to plateau rather than continually increase in a linear fashion, which would be expected, particularly if you believe moving more is the answer to weight loss as it would theoretically mean you are burning more calories throughout the day...Guess again: 

What appears to happen is that our bodies slow down our metabolic rate, even though we may be moving more (see figure on left).  One can assume this is some sort of survival mechanism in which our bodies perceive that we are in a high energy-demanding environment and we may need to save our energy for periods of famine or continued high activity so we better preserve what fuel (aka stored as potential energy, or calorie reserves) we have left.  This is a direct quote from the article:





Constrained total energy expenditure model, in which total energy expenditure increases with physical activity at low activity levels but plateaus at higher activity levels as the body adapts to maintain total energy expenditure within a narrow range.”

Clearly one cannot simply continue to move more and expect to "burn" more. We see this at play when individuals participate in excessive sessions of slow, steady-state cardio and expect infinite improvements in body composition and weight loss.


Although purely speculative at this point in time, I would presume this is how athletes are able to maintain a relatively stable body weight throughout the rigors of a season even though they tend to severely under-eat per their recommended energy needs based on predictive models; which in their case is a good thing.

So how do we avoid this? Is it pointless to exercise and move more throughout the day? No, being active still offers a lot of positive health-related benefits, you just can't solely rely on this for daily calorie expenditure and weight loss.  Instead, focus more on different strategies to increase your resting metabolism throughout the day which makes up a large majority of your daily calorie expenditure (60-70%).  Strategies such as strength training, high-intensity interval training and increasing your protein intake can all help to further increase daily energy expenditure and avoid this daily metabolic adaptive response.

Monday, February 15, 2016

Mobility Monday: Feet Out When You Squat? Fix It


By: Joel Luedke

Squatting technique will constantly be argued.  How wide should the feet be?  How much do you turn them out?  Do you squat with your knees or your hips?  Isn't that a powerlifting stance?  Get down to parallel (or below).  This list is endless.  

We believe in taking as 'functional' of a stance as you can when you squat, feet about shoulder width maybe a little wider.  We also believe in being able to get into a deep squat.  This means butt below knees and this take a lot of range of motion.  Often times people are missing that range of motion in their hips, big time.  An easy way to compensate for that problem is to turn your feet out to keep your hips externally rotated.  This can be a trick but it still doesn't solve your lack of motion problem.  Check out below on how you can actually address it.

Things It Helps:
-Hip & knee pain with squatting
-Low back pain with squatting
-Range of Motion and torque issues



Thursday, February 11, 2016

Friday Food: Rice Salad

Not exactly our most exciting recipe but it is one that is good for you and you can make in bulk.  Also it works great to combine with your favorite protein and vegetables to help create a great meal.

Ingredients:
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1/2 sweet onion (about 3/4 cup)
-1 (16oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
-1/2 tsp ground cumin
-1/4 tsp salt
-Freshly ground black pepper
-3 cups cooked brown rice
-1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
-1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
-1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:
-Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes or until onion begins to brown.  Remove from heat, and stir in chickpeas, cumin and salt.  Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

-Combine rice, onion-chickpea mixtures, dates, mint, and parsley in a large bowl.  Toss well until thoroughly combined.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Stats:
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Calories: 380
Fat: 9g
Protein: 8g
CHO: 67g

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Study Spotlight(s): Neck Strength and Concussions

Concussions are one of the hottest topics in sports medicine right now and how they long term effects of them might be worst than we thought.  There have been lots of ideas on how to make things safer, prevention protocols, new testing and also rule changes to help protect the athletes that are at risk.  In this Study Spotlight we take a look at neck strengthening.  We changed up the format a little bit for this one so make sure you check out the entire thing.


What They Did:
1). In this study they looked at static neck strength and by training in that static/isometric state could they reduce head accelerations and in turn reduce head trauma after getting hit.  In this case it was specifically with youth hockey.

2). This article didn't train any high school athletes with neck strengthening but tested them in neck strength and size and then tracked how many concussions were sustained during their activity.


What They Found:
1). This study found that in these youth hockey players training the neck muscles in a static or isometric fashion doesn't help when controlling the severity of head impact sustained by these players.

2). What they found was significant in that neck strength and neck circumference was a predictor of concussion risk.  For every one pound increase in neck strength, odds of concussion decreased by 5%.  


What It All Means:
There is a reason we shared two different articles that seem to say the opposite thing (as this happens a lot of times during research).  One study showed that a certain type of strength training wasn't really effective in reducing concussion risk an that might lead one to believe that we should write it of and then not use it.  Seems logical.  The other study showed that just looking at neck strength and circumference was a significant predictor of concussion risk. So then we should train the neck right?  Again, logical.

This can be the hard part about scientific research, confounding answers (and these happen for all kinds of reasons).  So what is someone to do?  This is where 'clinical reasoning', 'the art of coaching/training' and any other phrase you want to come up with plays a role.  You have to look at the whole of it, decide what you believe in and then make sure it makes sense.

Now back to concussions.  Training neck strength is something that could easily be brought into your training routine and not take much time or take a huge toll on your body.  For those several minutes you spend a week to get your neck stronger and the possibility to reduce concussions start at 5% makes it seem very worth while.  I would say it is a cheap and worthwhile investment to add to your program to reduce the risks of future concussion.   Other takeaway, don't just jump into believing everything you read.


1) Does cervical muscle strength in youth ice hockey players affect head impact biomechanics
Jason P. Mihalik
Clin J Sport Med Volume 21, Number 5, Sept. 2011

2) Neck strength: a protective factor reducing risk for concussion in high school sports.
Collins, CL.
J Prim Prev. 2014 Oct; 35(5): 309-19

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

The Ultimate Change in Body Composition: Increase Muscle and Lose Body Fat....At the same time!

 By: Andrew Jagim

In gyms all across the country, Stu Phillips PhD is quickly becoming as popular as Harrison Ford aka Indiana Jones as they both seem to have successfully completed their respective Quest for the Holy Grail.  A recent article that has taken the mainstream fitness world by storm is sweeping across the nation.  Stu Phillips' lab published an article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition titled: "Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial."

The title of the article pretty much gives it away but essentially what they found is that it is in fact possible to gain muscle while losing body fat at the same.  What was once thought of as a myth or at least an extremely difficult training outcome now gives hope and at least a template to follow for lifters everywhere. If we dive into to some of the physiological mechanisms behind each one of these adaptations, it becomes evident as to why they are so difficult to achieve at the same time.  Increasing muscle mass is often referred to as an anabolic process meaning it is the "building up" or assimilation of tissues from smaller constituents or in this case building skeletal muscle protein from amino acids.  An anabolic process is one that requires a substantial amount of energy and therefore it is thought that a calorie excess (meaning you are eating more than you are burning on a daily basis) is required for this to occur.  And when people think of eating extra calories, often times they also expect an increase in body fat and often accept it as something that is more or less unavoidable.  Now, when we look at fat loss we see a different situation occurring.  Typically fat loss is referred to as a catabolic process as it consists of the breakdown of stored fat within the body which is oxidized for fuel.  In order for this particular catabolic process to occur it is thought that a caloric deficit is required meaning we are burning more calories than we are consuming so that we can lose mass, particularly fat mass.

So one can see how trying to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time is rather conflicting in nature. So how did these researchers pull it off? With a specifically targeted nutrition and strength-training plan.  Specifically they created an anabolic and catabolic environment simultaneously.  One thing we didn't mention with building muscle is the fact that not only does a calorie surplus play a role but so to does  protein availability as protein provides the building block for lean muscle accretion.  In this particular study the researchers showed that even when calorie intake was dropped 40% below recommended intake levels, the subjects were still able to gain substantial amounts of lean mass by ingesting 2. 4 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight (Carbs: 50%, Fat: 15%, Protein: 35%).  The control group on the other hand consumed 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (Carbs: 50%, Fat: 35%, Protein: 15%). The researchers also paired this with a strict exercise regimen consisting of a high-intensity interval training program combined with strength training on 6 out of 7 days each week over the course of 4 weeks.

This isn't just strictly for bros either as this type of body re-compositioning is one the strategies we recommend for individuals trying to "lose weight" when really they should be focusing more so on increasing or at least maintaining muscle mass while concomitantly decreasing body fat.  These are ideal changes for long-term weight maintenance and helping to improve an individual's overall body composition as the more fat-free mass (muscle makes up a large portion of this) you can maintain during a weight loss program the more likely you are to lose weight (most of it being body fat) and keep it off! If we go back to the study, both groups lost approximately 11-12 lbs of weight in ~4weeks however the high protein group actually gained ~3 lbs of muscle so not only did they gain muscle and lose weight, most of that weight loss was pure body fat!

In conclusion, it appears as though it is possible to lose body fat AND gain muscle at the same time as long as protein intake is increased. In addition, calories will also have to be reduced below maintenance calories to promote losses in body fat so that you can get the best of both worlds. And lastly, exercise is obviously very important as well. It appears as though a combination of strength training and high-intensity interval training is the perfect compliment to a high protein, lowered calorie diet.

Monday, February 8, 2016

Mobility Monday: Slaying the Exertional Headache Beast


By: Joel Luedke

Have headaches?  Get them when you start working out?  This is the video for you and self treating them.  There are so many soft tissues that can cause this problem and the all surround your neck and upper back, not to mention your position.


Your neck position can't change unless you change your back and shoulder position.  This allows you to stop crushing down on vertebrae in your cervical spine and putting pressure on nerves and blood vessels.  

These headaches can occur with exertion but also just with tension and the same techniques work for that.   Give this a try in coordination with massage or chiropractic but give yourself the tools to help fix yourself.

Things It Can Help:
-Headaches
-Neck Pain
-Upper Back Pain


Friday, February 5, 2016

Friday Food: Spinach Artichoke Dip via a Blender

This is one of my favorite 'party' sides as it is fairly healthy, tastes great and is very easy to make.  With Super Bowl 50 a couple days away this is what I'm brining to the party.  Best part, make it in the blender and serve it in the blender (why make more dishes to wash if you don't need to?).  Have a great Super Bowl weekend everyone.


Serves 2-3 (might need to double up)

Ingredients:
-1/2 yellow onion
-3 gloves garlic, chopped
-1/2 Tbsp olive oil
-1/2 bag baby spinach
-1 can artichoke hearts or 4 fresh artichoke hearts, cooked and quartered
-1/2 container Boursin cheese (French herb cheese) or herbed cream cheese
-1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
-Pita chips or baked tortilla chips

Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and olive oil, and cook until light brown. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Add artichoke hearts, Boursin and mozzarella; stir lightly until cheeses melt. Pour mixture into a blender and pulse until well chopped, adding a splash of water if it doesn’t blend right away. Serve immediately with pita chips or backed tortilla chips

Nutrition Facts
-274 Calories
-14 g protein
-20 g carbs
-19 g fat
-8 g fiber
-0 g sugar

-457 g sodium

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

My Exercise Program is Growing Up...

By: Andrew Jagim

For those of you who know me, by now I'm sure you've realized I'm a bit of a fitness nut as exercise has always been a major part of my life.  However, now as I enter my 30's and begin to have kids I've noticed my exercise program is growing up just as fast as my kids are. Let me start from the beginning:

My exercise and training regimen started back in my awkward middle school / high school years when I was first introduced to the weight room. It was after a 7th grade football practice and coach informed us that we would be lifting weights that day after practice.  I didn't really know what that meant so I just kind of followed the rest of the team into the weight room.  Now, I went to a small middle school and high school so everyone was forced to share all of the facilities, including the weight room.  Needless to say, this was a little intimidating.  Here I am one day bragging to my friends that I now put on deodorant and learned how to shave and the next day I get tossed into a loud, smelly weight room full of testosterone infused highscoolers that looked liked they could've doubled as professional wrestlers (well at the time at least). 

As a newbie, I got sucked into the most common mistake of trying to keep up with the biggest guy in the weight room.  It made sense at the: time "That guy looks huge so I'll just do what he does..." BIG MISTAKE. When following this approach most of the time you'll either end up hurting yourself or being so sore that you may fear the weight room forever.  Regardless, this is how it all began.  Fortunately, the more I learned the more I improved and started training with a purpose. I slowly figured out my weaknesses and areas that needed improvement and began focusing on them.  From that point on I was hooked. Depending on what sport season I was in or preparing for, I would adjust my workout accordingly.  And thus my number one priority in the weight room was training for sports.

But then I graduated and I was no longer participating in sanctioned athletics. Don't get me wrong I still played sports and loved intramural ultimate frisbee as much as the next person but I'm not sure there was a need for a specific strength training program to improve performance. During this time my training goals shifted a bit and I began exercising for the same reason every other person in college did, I wanted to look better in a swimsuit (or winter clothes since I did my undergraduate work in North Dakota) and to try and "burn off" the previous nights' alcohol-related calorie influx. As you can imagine this exercise routine was the typical "Bro-split" type of program which included lots of abdominal and arm exercises with some elliptical rides thrown into the mix trying to hit a calorie expenditure goal of 5-6 beers' worth (based on the little calorie counter on the dashboard) each ride.  Thankfully this was also the time I began learning more about exercise science & nutrition through my degree program.  This newfound understanding of proper program design resulted in immediate changes into the type of exercises I did, the frequency of training and how I pieced everything together.

From there my training goals began to focus more on strength training, particularly recreational bodybuilding as I always flirted with the idea of competing but never actually pulled the trigger. (Mostly because I liked pizza too much).  This style of training also helped me "look the part," to some extent, within the field of exercise science.  Through my positions of an exercise science faculty member, personal trainer and sports nutritionist there has been a constant pressure to visually look like I know what I'm talking about and more or less "practice what I preach. " For the most part I considered this a good thing as it continually motivated me to stay active with my training and eating plan; however over time this has also taken its toll. As I get older I find it harder and harder to recover and maintain the type of training that has always been a staple in my exercise regimen and one that I could go all-out, year round with out any issues.  Weightlifting for strictly increasing muscle mass is not always the best for functional improvements in performance or movement ability.  Over time I have developed nagging injuries, reductions in range of motion and sub-par strength development as a result.  Some of this stems from the type of training I was doing and some from a lack of proper program design, focusing on the wrong kind of goals and a lack of long-term development.  Not to mention, as I started having kids and be active with them it wasn't very conducive to my lifestyle as training 5-7 days a week while constantly be in a state of soreness was no picnic.

The idea of telling my daughter, "sorry, I can't play today hunny; daddy trained legs yesterday and now I can't move or pick you up off the floor..." just didn't seem appropriate.  So now, just as my personal and professional life has matured, so has my exercise regimen.  My training goals have now shifted to focus more on functional movement, reducing the risk of injury and improving overall quality of life. I still try to maintain a healthy body composition just not one that yields 5% body fat.  Could I probably get back down to 5% body fat? Yes. Do I want to? No. I am perfectly comfortable walking around at 13-16% body fat which is where I naturally seem to stay because it fits better with my lifestyle. It allows me to eat with my family, go out with friends occasionally and not obsess about constantly staying lean.

Is this journey I've taken the right one? Hell no.  In my defense, I'm sure it's a progression that a lot of others have followed. Maybe not the specific types of exercises & program I used but the idea of transitioning from sport-specific training to exercising just to looking visually appealing to exercising just so you can improve your quality of life is probably a fairly common one.  Would I do things differently if I could go back and do it all over again? Absolutely! Learn from my mistakes:  Once I transitioned out of sport-specific training my training goals always revolved around how I looked rather than how I felt or how I could move/perform (which can be defined in a variety of ways). Don't be afraid to ignore the scale or what your body composition is at and instead focus more so on how you can improve performance, or how strong you are getting or whether or not your pain is going away. A lot of time, when you exercise in such a way that addresses a lot of the issues I just mentioned, the body comp stuff will take care of itself (if nutrition is held in check of course).

So what does this type of exercise program look like??? A mixed bag of strength training (with a focus on functional movement AND strength-based goals), aerobic training (focusing more on higher intensity interval training), active recovery strategies (foam rolling, yoga, dynamic warmups and cool downs) and just being more active in general.  A lot of these things you can do with your family or kids and incorporate everyone into your exercise plan instead of locking yourself in a dungeon-like weight room or spending endless hours on an elliptical each week. So there you have, my personal story of how my exercise program has evolved and hopefully you can learn from my mistakes. I'm sure in 30 years I will have another update to this post, just hopefully one with less mistakes.