Insane

Like with most of my blogs, this blog comes from having answered a particular question a few thousand times so clearly it’s a large enough issue that I can get it out there for everybody.

Today’s (and yesterday’s, and tomorrow’s) question:

Are all these “extreme” workouts such as Insanity, Tapout XT, Crossfit, etc., effective?

Answer: No.

The reasons for that are numerous and mostly have to do with bio-mechanics, physiology, and programming (or lack thereof, which is the real issue) which bores the heck out of most people.  So I’ll focus on one of the major rebuttals from people who promote these workouts when I say “No”.

Typically, the rebuttal goes something like this:  But the people who do it look great, they have low body fat, they have muscles, etc.

And I find myself saying this often:

The people doing those workouts can do them because they are in great shape.  They are not in great shape because they do those workouts.

Which is why when average John and Jane Doe, who don’t start off in great shape try things like plyometrics to exhaustion, power moves to exhaustion, or anything else that marketing geniuses (not trainers) call “extreme” or “insane”, they invariably attain chronic or acute injuries or reach a state of diminishing returns pretty quickly.

The people you see doing those “insane” workouts are generally young, and generally fit based on their structures.  They can get away with risky exercise behaviors.  The other 99.9% of us cannot.

I know there’s something in our ever transforming society that finds anything “extreme” or “insane” appealing.  When I was doing a little research for this I saw ads for “Extreme Couponing” and “Intense Dance”.

Seriously? Come on...

But that doesn’t mean because there is an appeal that it makes any sense because anything insane is…well…insane.

Does this happen to you?

Cramps or tension in the upper back and neck area?  Shoulder stiffness? Previous injuries in the shoulder area? Acute pain in the shoulder joint(s)?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions you can join the other 80% or so of people who will experience those symptoms at some point.

There are a myriad of lifestyle issues that can cause shoulder dysfunction:

• Constantly carrying items (bags, brief cases, babies) on or in front of your shoulders
• Sedentary jobs
• Improper training, exercise and rehab techniques
• Excessively repetitive and/or unilateral motion (throwing and swinging sports)
• Awkward sleeping positions

In addition to those issues, the shoulder is a complex series of joints that requires a unique combination of mobility and stability in order for you to move efficiently.  The clavicle (collar bone), glenohumeral joint (ball and socket), scapula (shoulder blades), thoracic spine (mid/upper back) among other things all combine to help you move efficiently both in and out of the gym.  If even one of those systems is a little off, your shoulders will let you know.

Because of this complex setup, many shoulder problems are actually coordination issues, not issues with the structures themselves.  Getting the brain to send many messages to many joints simultaneously and efficiently requires much coordination.  Because of this, we need to train the neuro-muscular control of the area as well as the strength and mobility of the area.

There are many ways we go about addressing this at the TR, but one of our cooler looking, more fun methods are Indian clubs.  Indian clubs force the shoulders to move in all possible directions while simultaneously improving coordination.  Most first time users don’t realize how uncoordinated they are in their shoulder complex until they try them out!

But the take home message is that whatever the shoulder issue is (tissue restriction or motor control) using Indian clubs will address it.

Check out TR super member Leigh, demonstrating one of her warm-ups with the clubs in this video:

"Wrong." What your doctor doesn't know:

3/9/13:

I was watching the news this morning and invariably the mandatory segment on a new exercise regimen had to come on.  Generally speaking, these segments are so nonsensical they’re surreal.  Apparently, people who watch the news insist on seeing something “new” with regards to exercise.  FYI: there is nothing new in exercise.

As usual, I digress…

The segment was about a modified gymnastics class that seemed to cater to older people.  Obviously, some questioned the safety of older people performing gymnastics which is a pretty sound concern to me and anyone with a frontal lobe.  Frankly, questioning the safety of ANYBODY performing gymnastics is sound logic.

I digress again…

So the reporter asked a doctor about the safety of the workouts, to which the doctor responded (I’m paraphrasing) that it would be best for the participants to improve their basic levels of strength first prior to engaging in this class.  “The best thing perhaps…” he continued “…is to work on your situps first” to strengthen the abdomen and the lower back.

Watch Jon slow boil…

I’ve had this discussion before with other fitness professionals with whom I place some trust.  I (we) just don’t understand the connection between Doctors and fitness.  More specifically, why are they asked for advice in an area in which they are obviously not experts?

There isn’t a fitness professional anywhere who’s done their homework and who has some experience training people who would have their clients flex the spine in an attempt to improve strength.  I wouldn’t do it with anyone frankly, but older people?!?  Come on…have you ever seen an older person?!? They’re already trying to keep their spines from moving into the letter “C”!  And this doctor’s advice: put your spine in the shape of a “C” over and over and over…

See Jon’s eyes roll…

You don’t need a degree in Exercise Science to understand this.  This is common sense.  Frankly, if you’re a member at the TR you know it’s a bad idea, and you’re more qualified than most doctors to discuss exercise issues.

And I’ve used the term “doctors” because this is not an isolated incident.  As my colleagues and I have noticed, the rule is a doctor being asked for exercise advice, then said doctor giving some REALLY bad advice.

Does this make doctors bad people? No.  

Does this mean doctors are dumb?  Of course not.

It means exercise IS NOT THEIR AREA OF EXPERTISE. 

If you need surgery, go to a doctor.

If you need prescription medication, go to a doctor.

If you have an illness that needs to be diagnosed, go to a doctor.

If you need exercise advice, go to someone who is knowledgeable in the area of exercise – NOT a doctor.

Situps?!? Come...on...

That’s my public service announcement for the day, thanks for listening.

(And yes, this was 1st thing in the a.m. pre-caffeination - thanks for bearing with me!)

Everyone says the same thing...

When I first meet people who have questions about getting started with an exercise program everyone uses different words and terms, but ultimately they’re all saying the same thing.

They want to be happy.  They want a higher quality of life.

Get toned.  Lose weight. Have more energy. Run faster. Climb stairs pain free.

It all means the same thing.  They just want to be happy and enjoy a higher quality of life.

Even with long standing current members, I’m constantly reminding them to keep it simple (TR tenet #2!).  Because whatever your fitness goal is, exercising smart and consistently is the answer.  With that behavioral pattern, things have a tendency to work themselves out for the better.

Along those lines, I recently read “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg.  Essentially, it’s about how everything in our lives, good and bad, is a direct result of a habit.  The key is to identify the bad habits and insert new routines and new habits in their place.

One of the take home messages in the book is that good habits have a tendency to generate other good habits in other areas of your life.  Success breeds success.

More specifically, exercising consistently is a good habit that research has shown to improve other areas of 

one’s life outside of the exercise world.

Take, for instance, studies* examining the impacts of exercise on daily routines. Typically, people who exercise regularly:

• Become more productive at work
• Smoke less 
• Show more patience in interpersonal relationships
• Use credit cards less frequently
• Feel less stresed

It’s not completely clear why.  But for many people, exercise is a keystone habit that triggers widespread change.  “Exercise spills over,” said James Prochaska, a University of Rhode Island researcher.  “There’s something about it that makes other good habits easier.”

So it’s really not a stretch to say that simply getting an effective workout on a consistent basis can improve your quality of life.  Which is why I always preach to TR members about consistency of training and to future TR members about how simply getting started on the right track can be a game changer for everything in your life.

TR tenet #1 – Time to improve.

*Numerous studies have supported these statements.  If you need to be directed to the specific studies, let me know. – JR

Why Are You Doing That?

I just wanted to take a moment to clarify a training philosophy question.  Admittedly this may be my ego speaking, but it’s a question that’s come up more than a few times so there may be more confusion than I realized.  It’s also a topic on which I want everyone to be clear.  (Well, those who actually read my stuff, anyway…)

Last year I competed in a Spartan Race – one of a few types of outdoor obstacle course races.  I’ve also signed on to do 3 more in 2013 (more on that below).  At the TR we’ve also added a Competition Training Small Group session to our schedule to specifically address the training protocols of regular, non-professional athletes like us who are now competing in ultra-marathons, triathlons, obstacle course races, mud runs, etc. 

If you’re somebody who doesn’t have the advantage of youth anymore, has a job, family, etc. training for these events poses some major challenges.  Challenges that if I may be so bold to say, require the guidance of a knowledgeable fitness professional who can accurately assess injury risk and improve performance simultaneously for this demographic.

The confusion has apparently been borne from my previous discussions (lectures? rants?) where I have made a point of saying those types of events are a bad idea for most of us.

They are.

The confusion, I believe comes not from my answers, but from two different questions.

If the question is the following: “Is endurance training such as distance running, biking, etc. healthy for you or a good way to stay fit?”

The answer is an unequivocal NO.  

Any kind of long duration training is not intense enough to force metabolic changes (which is what burns body fat) and due to the fatigue borne from such training, impossible to do in a correct bio-mechanical position.  The repetitive movement in an incorrect bio-mechanical position will lead to injury either chronic or acute.  This is not a question of “if” it will, but “when” it will.  This is something I believed several years ago and has been confirmed through my years of observing people exercise.

However, if you compete in a sport where some unhealthy occurrences are going to come up (ultra-marathons, obstacle course races, biking, etc) it MAY be necessary to have some less than optimally safe training protocols in your program.  Therefore, if you’re doing an obstacle course race or trail marathon, you may have to get outside on trails for a LONG time to acclimate yourself to the style of competition.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN IT IS HEALTHY FOR OR WILL HELP YOU LOSE BODY FAT.

When I was training for the Spartan Race last summer I actually GAINED body fat in the 6 weeks leading up to it.  And I also have a tissue restriction in my lower leg that still prevents normal movement in training – don’t get me started…

The Better Question to Ask Yourself: Why Do I Do IT?

I do it, and I speak for a friend who does ultra-marathons, because we like the challenge, we like the emotional reward, and we like competition.  We do not do it because we think it’s a healthy habit.

Following many peoples’ line of thinking, a client could come to me and say

“Jon, I want you to include punching me in the face during our training sessions.  Serioulsy, three or four times per session, maybe after our core work, just crack me square in the face. I’ve seen boxers that are in very good shape so I should be doing what they do.” 

Boxers are in shape + boxers get punched = I should get punched, right?

Wrong. They do it because it’s a necessary evil of their competition.

Ditto for any kind of endurance training.

Whenever you take up any exercise program ask yourself “Why am I doing this?”  The answer, whether it be improved health, fat loss, strength gain, athletic performance improvement, whatever – should dictate the type of training protocol you undertake.  Don’t get punched in the face just because boxers do.  Don’t run one gazillion miles just because an endurance athlete does.  All that does is increase your chance of injury with no correlative increase in chance of success. 

If you’re in a competition, you MAY be able to justify some risk in your training.

If your goal is health, fat loss, strength gain, etc.  Keep it safe.

Keep it intense, but keep it safe.

Goal Setting Secrets

I recently finished a longer, more extensive article on setting goals.  It was geared more toward fitness professionals and how we should be going about goal setting with our clients.  As I was writing though I realized that the take home lessons need to be emphasized with everybody (given it’s resolution season, and all…) who has exercise related goals.

And who among us doesn’t?

So here’s the Cliff’s Notes version of goal setting, TR style:

Goals Do Influence Behavior

The research is overwhelming that setting, breaking down, and tracking goals is more likely to get you to succeed than not having a target at which to shoot.  This is due to the development of good habits.  We all know that bad habits can wreak havoc on our health and fitness programs, but good ones have just as many positive effects if not more.  Having a clear goal keeps you on track and makes the good habits more likely to become permanent habits.

Have Only One Goal at a Time

Focus is important in goal achievement.  Having multiple goals makes it difficult to focus and actually makes it more likely you’ll be pulled in multiple directions and more likely you’ll lose focus on what’s truly important.  Having one goal makes it simple to focus, track and implement the necessary behaviors that you’ll need to reach it.  For example, if your goal is to “get strong and lose body fat”, it’s probably better if you focus on one or the other.  Once you achieve the 1^st, then you can switch your programming accordingly to reach the 2^nd.

Know the Time Frame (success breeds success)

Have and be aware of the time frame to reach your goal.  This allows you to track your progress by setting smaller goals along the way.  One of the benefits of having and reaching smaller goals is that success breeds success.  Getting to one level of your goal sets you in a positive and confident mindset to reach the next incremental level toward your goal.  As an example, if your goal is to lose 5% body fat in 5 weeks, your goal should be to lose 1% each week.  Check at the end of week one – generally that small success of 1% builds confidence like an avalanche that focuses your habits toward subsequent steps.

BE REALISTIC

I put this in bold, italicized caps because it may be the most important bullet point.  Most people don’t succeed in reaching their goals because they fail to honestly assess their personal abilities and situation -this causes them to set a goal that simply is not attainable.  For example, if you have a job that requires long days and long commutes, choosing a goal that requires 10-15 hours per week of exercise probably isn’t feasible.  If you have a history of injuries, a goal of becoming an MMA fighter probably isn’t realistic, either.

Sometimes people undershoot their abilities as well - this can be a problem too.  If a goal is simply too easy to reach, getting to it doesn’t give us that push of adrenaline and the avalanche of success breeding success mentality.  It has to be at least a little bit of a reach for you, or it isn’t really a goal that’s going to change anything.

Be honest with yourself about what you really want, and what you’re truly in a position to change.  That’s the first step in getting what you want.

“Don’t look for the big, quick improvement.  Seek the small improvement one day at a time.  That’s the only way it happens – and when it happens, it lasts.” – John Wooden

Truer words have never been spoken, Coach.

Women Can't Do Pullups My Arse

As a business owner, I understand that sometimes you have to say things in the name of marketing and generating attention.

I get it.

But a headline "Why Women Can't Do Pullups"  which recently appeared in the NY Times, does more harm than good in my mind.  As someone who's worked in the exercise business for over a decade I can tell you that women are generally treated as second class citizens in the industry and it irritates me.  Typically women are judged far more on appearance of both themselves and their outfits, rather than on their abilities.

Think about the last time you were in a commercial gym and think of the implied messages:

“Women shouldn't pick up anything heavy because they'll get big. Stay away from the weights! Instead they should go into the corner room with other women and flail their arms while stepping on and off a box.  And maybe - just maybe - use a pink dumbbell so small it can't even be seen in their hands.  Just be sure to stay away from the hard work girls!  Walking on the treadmill is OK though – as long as you’re staying in the fat burning zone.  Again, make sure you don’t actually exert any effort and/or sweat.  Leave that to the big burly men who are more capable than you are.”

Frankly the whole scene is getting on my nerves just thinking about it.

I’ll try not to be too much of an amateur psychologist, but again, I’ve been doing this a long time and have trained many women in that time and I’ve learned this: 

Women who succeed in fitness do so because they’re OK with hard work.  They're OK with working out SMART.  They’re OK with sweating. They’re OK with being strong and capable. 

They are NOT OK with being shuffled off to the side when it comes to exercise.

Along those lines, here’s Dina – TR trainer and mother of three who I’m proud to call a colleague and friend.  This is her response to the NY Times:

 And here's the silly article to which I referred.  Check it out and let me know what you think:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/why-women-cant-do-pull-ups/