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Thursday, December 29, 2016

Friday Food: Low Carb Tex-Mex Casserole

To keep the them of our ketogenic week going we wanted to make sure we had a ketogneic Friday Food.  JL is personally skeptical of ketogenic based diets because the worry of there being enough foods that sound good to eat and eat a lot of.  Well that is why he picked this one because it is something that sounds great and you can make a lot of it.  Enjoy this one.

4 servings

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 lbs ground beef
-1/2 can crushed tomatoes
-2 oz pickled jalapeƱos
-1/2 lb shredded cheese, for example Monterey Jack
-1 cup sour cream
-1 scallion, finely chopped
-2 tbsp butter
-Guacomole (optional)
*Recipe option below

The Game Plan:
-Preheat oven to 400degF
-Fry the ground beef in butter, and add taco seasoning and tomatoes
-Place the ground beef mix in a baking dish with jalapeƱos and cheese on top.  bake on upper rack in oven for 15-20 minutes
-Chop the chives finely and mix in with the sour cream
-Serve with sour cream, guacamole and a green salad.

Make Your Own Taco Seasoning
-2 tsp chili powder
-2 tsp paprika powder
-1 tsp cumin powder
-1-2 tsp onion or garlic powder
-1 pinch cayenne pepper
-1tsp salt (optional)

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Study Spotlight: Long-Term Effects of Ketogenic Diet in Obese Patients

By: Joel Luedke


This week we are doing a mini feature on the ketogenic diet.  We feel like it is well deserved as the research coming out around the diet is showing some very beneficial results for many different applications.  There has been good evidence showing maintained and improved performance in endurance with keto-adapated individuals and there is also the potential to have good results in individuals that are focusing on strength and power.    One of the most exciting areas of research surrounding ketogenic diets is the application to helping with cancer treatment (see our podcast of the week for more information on that).  The potential of the diet helping improve outcomes in cancer prognosis and in the treatment of it with chemotherapy is astounding.

In this Study Spotlight we are looking at how well the diet works for sustained weightless.  Check out what the researchers found out below.

What They Did:
Researchers took 83 obese patients (BMI >35 and high glucose and cholesterol levels) and put them on a ketogenic diet for 24 weeks.  The diet consisted of 30g of CHO, 1g/kg body weight or protein, 20% saturated fat, 80% polyand mono unsaturated fat.  They measured several markers included but not limited to cholesterol, a lipid panel and fasting glucose pre- and post-diet.  Parameters were adjusted   after 8, 16 and 24weeks of intervention.

What They Found: 
All markers that were measured before the start of the intervention were measured again after the 24 weeks of the ketogenic diet.  There were significant drops in the levels of body mass and therefore the BMI.  There was also decreases in cholesterol, glucose and the 'bad' fats while there was an increase in the number of 'good' fats.  Also there were no negative side effects on the participants in the study.

What It All Means: 
The bottom line with the results of this study is that it works and in the process didn't cause any harm.  Now, that begs the questions does this work just the same as any other diet and it is a fair questions.  Odds are most 'diets' can work but often come with major caloric restrictions and often they are hard to follow.  The great thing about the ketogenic diet is you're eating high amount of fat which will give you a feeling of being full and feeling satisfied.  Yep, that's right you're eating fat to get thin (great new book out by Mark Hyman on that HERE).  Also with the higher amounts of protein you will also feel full and can still enjoy your steak and chicken throughout the diet in good sized quantities.  

If you're looking for a change up where you're requirement to count your calories as close and the restrictions are minimal in terms of amount of food consumed this is something yo may want to check out.  Please send us an email at info@totalathletictherapy.com if you have any questions.

Monday, December 26, 2016

Breakdown of the Swing-Pt. III: Continuous Swings & a Workout


This is the third installment of our guest poster, Devan Weis, and her breakdown of the kettlebell swing.  This week you get to move past some of the basics and actually get to the swing portion of the movement, where the magic really starts happening.  If you've followed through on parts one and two we look forward to hearing how part three goes for you.  If you haven't seen those articles yet, check out the links below.


Part 1: The Deadlift

Part 2: Progressions


By: Devan Weis

Breakdown of the Swing
Pt. III: Continuous Swings & a Workout
If you have read the previous two articles on breaking down the kettlebell swing, youre ready to read this article on continuous swings [and reward yourself with a workout afterwards]! Yay. If you have not yet had the chance yet to read the previous two articles, please be sure to do that first- Ill wait :)

Just to recap, we have learned the following steps leading up to the fullkettlebell swing:
-    The kettlebell deadlift
-    Kettlebell hike passes
-    Dead stop kettlebell swings (or single reps)

Now, what youve been waiting for! The video Im including explains all of the steps in a bit more detail, but see below for some basic pointers on executing your best kettlebell swing:
-    Select a medium-sized weight (12-16kg for women, 20-24kg for men)
-    Stand back from your weight about 1 foot or so, placing your feet hip-width apart & slightly turning out your toes
-    Chopyour hip flexors back into your starting hinge position, then reach for the kettlebell, tilting it towards you (it is at this point that your hips should be above your knees and your shoulders above your hips along with a clearly neutral position of the spine from tail to head)
-    Take a breath in as you hikethe kettlebell back between your legs, staying firm in your stance on the ground. Your knees should track your toes, not creating any degree of valgus.
-    Quickly stand up tall, locking out your knees, flexing your quadriceps, and engaging your gluteals & abdominals as much as possible (as your hips are snapping forward, you should give a strict power breathout, allowing your abdominals to engage and your focus to shift). The kettlebell should float for a moment.
-    Let the bell begin to float back down again, allowing the hips to follow with the hinge at the last possible second before the bell hikes back between your legs again. See my slow-motion video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-pEJoQDwbs&feature=youtu.be
-    Repeat the cycle without setting the kettlebell down. This is a continuous kettlebell swing. Start by practicing just 2-5 reps at a time and work your way up to 10-15 at a time (no need for more).
The Workout: A Quick EMOM
-    Each time the kettlebell floatsis one repetition of a swing.
-    Set your timer for 15 minutes
-    Complete 8 to 12 swings at the beginning of each minute (EMOM stands for Every Minute On the Minute).
-    If youre not sure what I mean, see my video below
-    Stay tuned next week for my last segment of this series: Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them.
Happy Swinging!

-Devan

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Study Spotlight: Transference of KB Training to Strength, Power and Endurance

By: Joel Luedke

We currently have a great series being featured on the TAT blog by Devan Weis of Journey Active where she is breaking down the kettlebell swing and how to properly perform it.  With a lot of information being put out on kettlebells and their potential benefit we wanted to feature a study taking a look at how well they actually work.  In this Study Spotlight we take a look at how kettlebell training transfers when it comes to strength, power and endurance.



What They Did:
Subjects were tested pre-training with a variety of tests including 3RM bench press, 3RM clean and jerk, maximal vertical jump and repeated 45deg back extensions to volitional fatigue.  Subjects were then put into a 10-week kettlebell training program that consisted of training 2x/week.  There were 5 macrocycles of 4 days each.  The training consisted of many swing variations, cleaning and pressing and a variety of pressing movements as well.  Subjects were then retested with the same testing as they conducted previously.

What They Found:
There was significant improvements when it came to bench press performance from pre and post testing.  The performance in clean and jerk performance and back extension performance showed improvement in both cases but did not quite hit statistical significance.  There was no statistical significance (or close) when it came to vertical jump testing.

What It All Means:
As the authors stated in the paper there is a lot of information out there when it comes to kettlebell training but it hasn't been vetted deeply in the research yet.  This study does show solid support that utilizing kettlebell training can have transference of strength, power and endurance to more traditional modes of training.

Where this comes in handy is that kettlebells are usually significantly cheaper than setting up a weight room for yourself and having to buy racks, bars, plates, benches, etc.  Kettlebell also take up quite a bit less space which can be handy for the home gym or if you are on the road and need to get some workouts accomplished.  You can accomplish so many moves with one simple piece of equipment and it can be very helpful in that regard and cut down on workout time.

Long story short if you have kettlebells as your only option you're don't have to worry about there not being transference of your power and strength.

Check out the full article below:

LINK: Transference of Kettlebell Training to Strength, Power, and Endurance

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Breakdown of the Swing-Pt. 2: Progressions


This is part two of our guest poster Devan Weis breaking down the Kettlebell swing.  In part one Devan started off with getting the swing initiated with the deadlift and in case you missed it you can find that post HERE.  In this post Devan moves on to the next steps of the swing and the progressions to get it moving.  Check it out and make sure you're utilizing the videos to get your practice in.


Breakdown of the Swing Pt. II: Progressions

By: Devan Weis

“But… WHY progressions? Can’t I just hop into a swing?”

Sorry. Nope, not sorry--- You may not just hop into a swing. 

If you’ve never done a kettlebell swing before (or, if you have but have never been taught these progressions) chances are you will not do it correctly without these steps and cues to guide you. This is reality, folks.

Now, WHY is it so important to progress into a kettlebell swing and do it properly? I kid you not, I’ve been asked this before: “But, if I just ‘kind of’ do it right, won’t I still get results?”

My response: “Yes, probably. And, you’ll probably also have a slew of other things that come with those results cough, cough [back pain] cough .”

So, let me tell you the steps of progression [since I know none of us want a hurting low back]. No worries, I’m attaching a video so you can see and practice them all as well!

·        Kettlebell Deadlift: We went over this last week. Please see previous article for set up. Before you can move onto any of the steps below, you MUST master the kettlebell deadlift. If you can’t properly hinge for your deadlift, you will not properly swing. I promise.

·        Hike passes: The set up for this is slightly different than the deadlift. You’ll be a step or two back from your [much lighter] bell to start. I recommend using something “medium” (12 or 16kg for women/ 20 or 24kg for men). Here are your set-up steps for the hike pass:

o   Find your bottom hinge position first, then reach for your bell (eyes should be fixed about 3 to 4 feet in front of you at this point).

o   Tilt your bell towards you. This puts it in a position that is ready for the ‘back swing’ part of your kettlebell swing. Don’t worry, we’re getting closer!

o   Just like in the deadlift, pull down through your lats (pulling your shoulders away from your ears). This should leave your arms touching your inner thighs.

o   Without moving your backside, your legs, or anything through your spine, powerfully “hike” the kettlebell back through your legs (it should clear your knees on the back swing) and let it float back to where it started in front of you.

o   Stand up. Shake it out. Do it again (try 5 at a time to get used to the motion).


·        Dead stop swings: Since we are focusing on progressions here, you hopefully already know that this move builds on the last two (deadlift, hike pass). So, set up like you are going to perform a hike pass. That is your first step. Here are your next steps:

o   This sounds simple, so try and keep it that way: From the hike pass, immediately move to a ‘tall standing’ position. Do NOT think about the kettlebell. Your core should be fully engaged as if you were doing a plank. Be sure not to hyperextend your low back. Cough ouch cough

o   If you’ve done the ‘tall stand’ correctly, the bell should ‘float’ at the top of the swing for a split second. This is your rest with tension. (By that all I mean is you’re not lifting the bell. Your core should still be completely engaged and your glutes should be firing like mad.)

o   From here, the bell descends to the hike position. You should not release tension in your glutes and resort to your hip hinge until the last possible second (when your forearms get close to your tummy).

o    Lastly, you get to guide the kettlebell back to the starting position on the floor in front of you.

o   Do sets of 5 reps of these at a time. Again, get used to the motion. Next week, we will address continuous swings and a short little [sweaty] workout. Come ready!


Strong on! Let me know how these progressions are going for you [and even send me a video for review and feedback, if you’d like! at devan@journeyactive.com . I look forward to hearing from you!

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Mobility Monday: Is Your Bed to Firm?


Before we get to far in we know that some people prefer a firm mattress, have been sleeping on it for years and have no aches and pains and if that is the case, keep on keeping on.  We don't think this one is going to fix everyone but we think it is important to start the conversation in case most people are missing this link to their chronic aches and pains.  Often times things being to firm can throw your entire spine out of alignment and put things into unnatural positions.  You can go to soft as well but usually with less consequences.  Check this out and see what you think.


Things It Helps: 
-Low Back Pain
-Neck Pain
-Generalized Aches and Pains


Friday, December 16, 2016

Friday Food: Grilled Thai Coconut Lime Skirt Steak

Add a little spice to your steak this weekend and change it up.  The skirt steak in itself is fantastic and you can always get good benefit from coconut based products with their fat content.  Check this one out and give it a try.


Ingredients:
-1/2 cup lite coconut milk
-1/4 cup coconut sugar
-2 teaspoons lime zest
-2 tablespoons lime juice
-2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce
-2 teaspoons grated ginger root
-1 pound beef skirt steak, preferably grass fed, cut into 4-inch lengths
-1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

The Game Plan: 
1. Whisk coconut milk, coconut sugar, lime zest, lime juice, fish sauce and ginger in a small bowl. Place skirt steak in a 1 gallon resealable bag.  Pour marinade over the steak.  Press out air and seal bag shut.  Refrigerate the steak 4 to 12 hours.
2. Preheat grill to high heat.
3. Drain steak and discard marinade.  Pat steaks dry and sprinkle with salt.  Oil grill rack and immediately place steaks on the grill.  Cook 2 minutes and turn a quarter turn to create hash mark. Continue cooking 30 to 90 seconds more on first side.  Flip steaks over and continue cooking 2 1/1 to 5 minutes on the second side to desired doneness, 5 to 8 minutes total depending on thickness of the steak.
4. Let steaks rest on carving board at least 4 minutes before cutting lengthwise across the grain.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Study Spotlight: A License to Eat?

By: Andrew Jagim

A lot of people treat exercise, specifically calorie expenditure, and food (calories consumed) as an exchange program rather than mutually exclusive habits that can both offer a variety of benefits.  What I mean by this is that a lot of people will complete a workout and see that they burned ~500-700 calories during that exercise session; then later on at their next meal they may rationalize in their mind that a larger meal is okay because they "earned it" or burned "X" amount of calories during their workout.

I also see the reverse happening at times when people accidentally overindulge at a meal and then say they have to go to the gym to "work it off" and in a way use exercise as a form of punishment or negative reinforcement regarding their dietary habits.  Now a lot of this is just based upon the mental games that people play in their mind and how they may have developed inappropriate relationships with food and exercise but is there any scientific evidence to support that this actually happens?  A recent study was published that investigated the dynamics between exercise and dietary habits.

What did they do?
Researchers had 70 healthy male and female participants complete a set amount of exercise (equivalent to approximately 120 calories worth of activity) but were told by the researchers that they burned: A) 50 calories; B) 265 calories or C) Received no information about calories expended. Following the exercise bout, subjects were presented with an ad libitum test meal and were advised to eat until they felt satisfied.  Reports of calories consumed during the test meal and ratings of hunger were monitored following the exercise bout and test meal.

What did they find?
Subjects consumed significantly more calories during the test meal when they were informed that they had burned 265 calories during the exercise bout compared to the 50 calorie condition and control. 

Further, ratings of hunger were significantly lower in the 265 calorie information condition than in the 50 calorie condition following the test meal.

Take Home Message
The results of this study support the idea of a "license to eat" to situation; meaning that when individuals think they burned a lot of calories during a workout they feel as though they have a free pass to eat more food following that exercise trial and may think of the food as a "reward" of their hard efforts which unfortunately may off-set any benefit they may have received from the bout of exercise itself in terms of energy balance. 

It's important to understand the benefits of exercise outside of calorie expenditure. Treat food as a tool to accomplish your exercise and health goals rather than a reward or punishment. Understand the value of eating nutrient-dense, high quality food options (the majority of the time) while still allowing for the occasional indulgence here and there because we are humans and it's okay to enjoy life!  It's worth mentioning that it is normal to feel more hungry after strenuous exercise and/or training, particularly in more of an athletic setting and therefore sometimes increased food consumption is warranted to promote optimal recovery. In athletic populations who are training 2-4 hrs per day multiple days per week it is important for them to increase food consumption post training and throughout the day in order to prevent declines in body weight, particularly lean muscle mass and ensure proper progression through their training program.  However, for the general population who may be more focused on weight management and are intentionally striving for a daily caloric deficit to promote weight loss they must "exercise" (see what I did there?) caution when consuming meals post-exercise to that they don't overindulge and off-set their calorie expenditure.



Click Here for Article

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Breakdown of the Swing- Pt. 1: Deadlift



We have a very special series of guest posts coming from right here in La Crosse.  These series will be a complete breakdown of the kettlebell swing, one of the most highly touted movements for total body work and conditioning.  Devan Weis of Journey Active has a level 1 certification through StrongFirst (basically the authority on kettlebell work) and she breaks down how to complete this movement properly.  Check it out.


By: Devan Weis

Breakdown of the Swing Pt. I: The Deadlift



“Breakdown of the Swing Pt. I: The Deadlift … Wait, didn’t you say ‘swing’? Where is the deadlift in that?”

This thought is not uncommon, but it is essential we start with a foundation of basics before entertaining the thoughts of complex movement. The kettlebell swing is a complex, arguably full-body movement that is the pinnacle of strength, function, and a great workout. At its core, the kettlebell swing is a hinge. Guess what? So is the deadlift! Boom. You have your reasoning. You should not attempt the kettlebell swing if you don’t first meet the basic standards, progressions, and proper set up.

So, what are the basic standards? Hip mobility, a stable core, and flexible hamstrings are essential to the execution of a deadlift. The ability to move through your hips and engage your hamstrings and core appropriately allow you to get the most from your deadlift (and ultimately, your kettlebell swing). Having mobility, flexibility and stability to execute this movement will keep you safe. Injury prevention is a must! If you’re unsure if you should be doing a kettlebell deadlift or swing, ask a qualified professional. I’d be happy to help!

In this article, all I’m going to talk with you about is the kettlebell deadlift- a great tool for assessing mobility of the hips, tightness of the hamstrings, and also for introducing total body tension in a non-ballistic movement. Setting up the deadlift consists of the following steps (see video attached with this article for visual association):

·      Feet are hip-width apart, toes ‘screwed’ into the floor

·      Kettlebell (heavy weight) is positioned between the feet; the handle of the bell preferably in line with your medial arches

·      Find your bottom ‘hinge’ position by hinging at the hips until you feel a slight pull in the hamstrings. At this point, your shoulders should be higher than your hips, back should be flat, neck in a neutral position, hips higher than your knees, and knees-shins-ankles form a vertical line

·      From the bottom hinge, reach with straight arms down to touch the kettlebell. “Pull the handles apart”. This should engage your lats and set you up for a strong lift.

·      The part you’ve been waiting for: the lift. From the bottom hinge and ‘lat locked’ position, continue to push through the floor with your feet and lift with your legs, standing tall at the top of the motion.

·      From the top ‘tall’ position, slowly sit the hips back, keeping the back flat, shoulders above the hips, hips above the knees, and all the other points made in the set-up bullet.

·      You should end right back where you started- with the bell positioned between your medial arches & your hinge position flawless J

Perform a few sets of plain-old body weight “hinges” before executing a heavier-weight kettlebell deadlift. This means basically setting up what you would do with a weight, without actually picking up the weight. Focus on creating tension through the floor and your lats and, as you lift, breathing out all the way to the top ‘tall’ position. Core should be thoroughly engaged at the top.


After you have mastered the bodyweight deadlift, try a few sets (like 3x5) with a kettlebell. Move
slow. This is not a powerlifting move. Focus on your breathing, your total body tension (have I said that yet?), and your hinge positioning from bottom to top.


Strong On! Enjoy the Journey of your kettlebell deadlift. Let me know how it goes & if this was helpful by contacting me at info@journeyactive.com.



You can also find out more information about Journey Active at their site (HERE) as well as our episode with them on Clinically Pressed.  Ep. 19: Journey Active