To Foam Roll or not to Foam Roll, that 'tis the Question!

To many, the foam roller, posture ball, tiger tail or any other trigger point/myofascial tool represents a form of unrelenting torture. To others, it serves as a peaceful and relaxing way to pass the time. Whatever the reason, these tools can be very effective to help restore imbalances of the body, if used properly. Provided it’s not an injury, I believe in the former. This blog is not about listing the benefits but how to get the most out of these tools.

1) Knowing what to work on: If it’s not tight, move on. On a scale of 1-10, try to find an area that is between 6-8 in terms of discomfort. If the area is extremely sensitive, maybe try a less aggressive tool (but still work on 6 or higher). If it’s still sensitive (and it’s not an injury), my recommendation, “SUCK IT UP CUPCAKE!” But seriously, once you have found the dysfunction, work on it for 5-10 controlled diaphragmatic breaths. You are trying to improve the quality of the tissue, so it stands to reason that any change to the system might not be comfortable. If tissue quality is restricted it will effect movement and ultimately effect your training. The good news, with a little TLC it will get better.

2) Your body is a wonderland: Forgive me for the lame John Mayer reference (it was an awful song. And I apologize if I offended any John Mayer fans out there but he was just an awful artist). However, when it comes to self-myofascial work, feel free to explore the body. Our body is not two dimensional, so you can get into some nasty areas. Don’t fall in love with the same area. Sure you've worked on the popular areas like the back, quadriceps and IT Band but what about the Vastus Medialis and Lateralis (two of the four muscles making up the quadriceps) and biceps? My recommendation, don’t roll on any bone, the neck, abdominals and lower back but everything else is fair game!

3) Get in and get out: It’s like spending time with the in-laws, you don't want to be there any longer than you have to be there. You could spend all day finding tight areas (I am referring to rolling and not the tightness or pain the in-law visit is causing). Ultimately, the goal is to get the body primed for the different movements it will be performing that training day. So it makes sense to start your warm-up to loosen the body up and lubricate the joints. My recommendation, pick two areas to work on. If you spend more than 10 minutes, I’d recommend seeing a good massage therapist instead.

4) Movement inhibitions: I must admit, this becomes a gray area because when is something just tightness and when is something injured. But since most people have sedentary jobs, movement is an afterthought. The pain or discomfort you experience when you exercise, is nothing more than extreme muscle tightness. Don’t you think sitting at your computer for 8 hours with very little movement had some consequences? Imagine trying to take that same stiff and cranky body to the gym and performing back squats, (which requires the full body's cooperation to perform) do you think the hips, knees or back might revolt against the movement and weight load? My recommendation, ask a fitness professional you trust to show you some areas to roll. If it feels better, cautiously continue with the exercise program.

5) Picking the right tool: I am generalizing but usually the smaller the tool, the deeper it digs into a specific area. A foam roller is sometimes too bulky to use on a targeted area like the chest or biceps, so I suggest using a dense ball like a posture or small medicine ball.

6) Injuries: If your daily morning ritual isn’t to grab a cup of coffee to wake up but instead reach for a foam roller because you can’t move without rolling, “Houston, we have a problem!” Remember, as helpful as these tools can be, they are not duct tape. Once there is an injury or a movement dysfunction, no matter how much rolling you do, it will not fix the problem. My recommendation, if the discomfort or pain lasts more than a few days, get it checked out by a medical professional.  

Nothing will replace the skillful hands of a good massage therapist. But maybe you don’t have the time or money to schedule an appointment. You only get one body so I recommend treating it better and helping it with a little “body maintenance” of myofasicial work. Understand what these tools are and what they are not and I believe you are off to a great start to your training session. Best of luck in your training! 

Purposeful Training: Understanding and Improving the Energy Systems

“Mind over matter,” or “matter over mind?” Sometimes the mind is willing and the body isn’t or vice versa. Whatever the training, intensity is a very real variable that must always be considered. Breaking through barriers safely is not easy but a great way to chart training progress is to understand how to program toward your goal. Aerobic exercise is with oxygen (think of prolonged steady paced activities such as distance running) and anaerobic exercise is without oxygen (an activity that is brief due to its strenuous effect on the body include sprinting or heavy weight lifting). 

How do you use this information? Simple, depends on the goal.

Since aerobic and anaerobic are different energy systems, anyone can benefit from this training methodology. However, it especially holds a lot of value for athletes due to the type of energy requirements needed for their particular sport. The aerobic system will require lower intensity exercise of four minutes or more. The lactic acid energy system, a form of anaerobic exercise is less than two minutes of higher intensity training. If your sport requires performance at extreme bursts of max effort, than you will need to develop the alactic energy system, which is less than 15 seconds. With this information, you can now pick exercises that 1) fit your skill-set and 2) can be performed safely for the amount of sets, repetitions, or time needed to improve that particular energy system. Some sports require a combination of energy systems to be worked in order to improve, and this is the heart of Strength and Conditioning training. 

The Polar FT60 is easy to use

Whatever the exercise or program, you are trying to stimulate a change to the body. How the body responds to this change can be cardiovascular exercise if it produces enough stress to the body. But what is cardiovascular exercise? Cardiovascular exercise is anything that pertains to the heart and blood and vessels. In most cases, "cardio" machines are being use low levels of cardiovascular exercise and is doing very little to illicit a change. If this is the case, how do you expect to stimulate a change? A better question, since you have improved the aerobic system and worked on in this system, how adaptable are you to shorter bursts of intense training such as resistance training (lactic or alactic work)? One suggestion might be to use a heart rate monitor because it will help to ensure that using the machine is more purposeful. Remember, treadmills, rowing machines, ellipticals, etc., are no more cardiovascular tools than resistance equipment such as kettlebells, TRX Suspension and RIP Trainers, or Sleds. 

Some helpful Heart Rate Monitor features:

      1) VO2 Max Test

      2) Zone Training Intensity (60-69%, 70-79%, 80-89%)

      3) Caloric Expenditure (for weight loss or weight gain purposes)

At this time, I recommend the Polar FT60 because it incorporates these important features and it also offers more information and guidance than other similar models.

Overtraining is common and can be the cause of setbacks to achieving goals. When and how long a rest period during sets and days off is not easy to determine. If the desired goal is fat-burn and training intensity is too great for an extended amount of time, the training will be counterproductive because of the lack of sufficient rest. The body needs time to recover in order to replace the energy used because of the training intensity. If training is the yin, rest would be the yang. More is not better, it's just more. Not only that, the body more than likely, can not maintain the integrity of the movement pattern and the risk of injury is higher because of the de-emphasis on moving well. 

Exercise is a science. I like to think of the body as an ever changing chemistry set. As the body evolves, so will the training intensity. Take the guesswork out of the equation and reap the benefits of more productive, effective and efficient training results. Best of luck in your training!

Fail to Succeed: My experience learning how to Pistol Squat

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been interested in athletics. I grew up playing basketball, baseball and soccer. It’s because of this background I have developed my coordination, through practicing different skills for each sport. So whenever I am showing a pattern or skill to a client, it sometimes seems effortless. Part of it stems from my athletic background but also from my desire to always improve. However, I do have my own physical dysfunctions and limitations. A perfect example of a pattern I struggled with was the pistol squat (1 Leg Squat).

If there is a challenge or competition, there will be failure at some point. The question is, how that failed experience defines you. Does it stop you from trying or are you the type to be motivated to overcome adversity?

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why, I succeed.”

-Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls; NBA Hall of Fame)

First off, don’t be afraid to fail. I believe if you haven’t failed at something, you haven’t tried (please remember, safety comes first, so with regards to exercise use progression to gauge whether you are ready for a new skill). For me, learning to pistol squat was a lot like learning how to ride a bike. In the beginning, I fell off my bike frequently. However, through those failed experiences, I eventually learned to ride it by practicing and staying patient. I think we sometimes forget that failing is not a bad way to learn. Failure bred success and ultimately we can appreciate the accomplishment. If anyone watched me practice a pistol squat, they probably saw me fall down…a lot!

To me, the pistol squat is one of the most challenging patterns to perform because it is an impressive feat of strength, mobility and stability. Mike Perry, owner of Skill Of Strength (S.O.S) in Chelmsford, MA, assessed my ability and helped design a program. Surprisingly, I found the difficulty I experienced was learning my body. I discovered I had 3 areas I needed to improve in mobility and stability:

1) Tight right ankle

2) Counterbalance: hips and upper body position

3) Valgus collapse in the knee

Sounds like a lot of dysfunctions and an impossible goal but if it were easy, it wouldn’t be a challenge. It wasn’t all bad news, the strength portion of squatting up was the easiest part of the move for me.

It starts from the ground up, so my right ankle was the first dysfunction I needed to address. Mobility in my right ankle has always been a problem and will never be perfect due to a lot of injuries playing sports. However, whatever little gained mobility goes a long way. Next, I practiced close leg squats. My body needed to learn how to position itself. Finally, I moved to stability drills. My body got a heavy dosage of Single Leg Deadlifts, and various squats using a Cook Band.

I later realized another dysfunction I needed to address:

4) Decreasing tightness in my elevated/extended quadriceps

After sitting back and evaluating my progress, I realized the tightness in my quad could be corrected with a couple of exercises using a Cook Band: Active Straight Leg Raise and Arms Extended 1 Leg Bridges. Those two moves helped to decrease tightness and improve movement efficiency.

My goal isn’t to impress you but to impress upon you. Maybe your goal is not a pistol squat but something completely different. I’ve failed many times. It’s a part of being an athlete and human. Anything I want, I practice but when I have it, I practice to become better at it. I think it’s easy to not be good at something and just do things you’re good at. Or, once a pattern or skill is learned, it’s not nurtured to improve.  Sometimes in order to succeed, you need to take a step back, re-evaluate and start at the beginning. Fail to succeed. Best of luck in your training!

Why Fitness New Year's Resolutions Fail

It’s that time of year again, where we celebrate the New Year and by doing so, try to greet it with an improved outlook on life. One of the biggest resolutions is a commitment to exercise. If you are one of those people, congratulations, that’s great! However, this is also one of the biggest disappointments for most people. People blame everything for their failure from their body type, time commitment, lack of interest, support, etc. But if a person commits to smarter living to reach their goal, it makes exercise more enjoyable and rewarding. Here are my top reasons why New Year’s Resolutions fail:

1) Exercise is just a cog in the machine: What I mean by this is results are not solely based on exercise alone. In truth, it’s a much smaller piece than most people think. There is 24 hours in the day, think about how much time you exercise in a day. There’s 168 hours in a week, how much do you spend exercising in a week? If you focus on these other things: nutrition, rest and recovery, time management, managing stress, proper breathing, you’ll notice a drastic improvement in your quality of life. Don’t stop just at exercise, make a commitment to the entire lifestyle.

2) It’s YOU Time: Blocking out time just for you should be sacred thing. Time is a precious commodity, so looking at your daily and weekly schedule to plan your workout ahead is a step in the right direction. When the day and time comes, make NO excuses. Any excuse you try to justify goes to show you are not ready to make a commitment to your health or your goals. Being mentally prepared goes along way to a productive exercise session.

3) Rome wasn’t built in a day: Be realistic about your goals. Remember, your bad health and fitness habits developed over time.  So it stands to reason that it’ll take time to develop healthier habits. I am going to break this into two categories: A) fitness goals and B) strength goals.

A) Weight loss or gain vs. body composition. If you are a daily scale scrutinizer, (unless you are trying to make weight for an upcoming event) you just don’t get it. I am typically less interested in most weight goals (there are some exceptions, especially if health is an issue or movement is limited). This is not to say I don’t support weight loss or weight gain, just the amount. I have never heard anyone complain about their weight when they look good and feel good. Most people are confused and believe losing more weight will make them look good.  However, a person can actually be less healthy if the weight loss is largely at the expense of muscle tissue. When in doubt, you can never go wrong with losing fat and gaining lean muscle.

B) Put in the Reps: I’m borrowing this philosophy from James Clear about quantity and quality and how it affects the outcome of a strength goal. We ALL NEED to focus on getting stronger. A stronger body is a more resilient body. By putting in the reps, the more you do it, the better you get. If you play a sport, you practice specific skills to get better, then why is exercise any different? Strength is a skill much like any sport. Check out Clear’s blog, http://jamesclear.com/repetitions

4) Have a healthy workout Marriage: Just because you exercise, doesn’t mean you are entitled to results. Exercise, like marriage, has a honeymoon stage. If you lead a sedentary life, any form of movement is an improvement and will provide some beginner results. What happens after the exercise honeymoon has ended? Your body is smart and adapts to what you are doing to it. As your body evolves, you need to evolve with it. If you want a long, happy successful workout marriage, work hard to do the things you need to do, not just want to do. Don’t let lack of results lead to frustration and a workout divorce.

5) Training smarter: Smart training is following a safe program that takes into account your current skill-set. If there are asymmetries in the left or right side of the body in mobility or stability, these should be addressed first. A smart program means:

A) Doing the right exercises based on your current skill-set

B) Using weight that is representative of the repetition range for the goal

C) Challenged during the session but not over doing it or feeling pain before, during or after the session

D) Mind and body is satisfied with the training session and has a sense of accomplishment

E) Allowing the body to rest and recover for the next, “You Day!”

Exercise is not a one size fits all model. If a pattern doesn’t feel right, it probably means the body isn’t ready for it. Regardless of whether your goal is to get stronger, lose weight, tighten and tone-up or add more size and muscle mass, understand the right program is not only more efficient but safer as well. Train smarter, not longer.

In the end, succeeding in a New Year’s resolution requires a lot of planning. So before you run off to your local gym for a membership, start thinking about how to improve other aspects of your lifestyle to make your resolution a success. If you need help, find a qualified fitness professional that can help guide you on your fitness journey. If you are unsure who is qualified, please read my blog to finding the right fitness professional, http://getfittodaywithjay.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-right-personal-trainer-is-also.html. Have a happy New Year and best of luck in your fitness goals and resolution!