Foundation Building: The Core

 “The loftiest edifices need the deepest foundations.” George Santayana

The most important thing in all areas of life is to have a solid foundation. Just like a building that we want to last is to have a good foundation, the difference is our foundation needs to move, rotate while staying stable. Our core is our foundation, if the core is weak it leaves us open to a lot of issues.  Research has shown a decrease in low back pain when strengthening the deep abdominals, hamstrings strains relate strongly to poor glute max activation, Shoulder mobility issues and shoulder pain relate strongly to poor posterior cuff strength and scapulae stability. The good news is we can take steps to correct a weak core.  We are going to look at the core, define what it is, look at how to train it correctly. So we all have a strong foundation!

 The general accepted idea is that the core is the abs and low back, but the core goes from hips to shoulders. This means that the core involves two systems, the local stabilization system, and the global stabilization system.  The local stabilization system involves the muscles that attach to the vertebrae, they are responsible for keeping your spine stabilized. Muscles in this system are the transverse abdominus and the multfidi, the secondary muscles are internal obliques, diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles. The local muscles are made up of slow twitch fibers, active in endurance activities. They are activated at low resistance levels. The global stabilization system are superficial and are responsible for controlling for body’s movement. They are made up of the following muscles: rectus abdominus, external oblique, erector spinae, psoas major and the ilicostalis. They are made up of fast twitch fibers, used in power activities, and activated in higher resistance levels. Many people have a weak core is due to working one system without engaging the other system. So lets take a look at the how to train the core correctly.

The first thing we need to do is learn how to brace, abdominal bracing allows  for increased spinal stiffness and allow for a co-contraction via their attachment to the lumbodorsal fascia with the multifidi  How to brace: reach behind your back and press your thumbs into your lower back extensors while you bend from your hips, feel the extensor contract. Then extend into an upright posture to the point where you feel flaccid again, without moving contract the abs and feel the extensors  contract again. You have braced.

Onto the exercises to for proper core training 

Front Plank  :

Start in a push up position, move the forearms to rest on the floor. Use the core bracing technique. Pull your shoulder blades towards your low back, tighten the lats, tight the  glutes. Hold for 30 seconds and release onto your knees. Lat activation is important in all pressing and pulling movements as it stabilizes the shoulder.

Psoas Stretch  Start in a half kneeling stretch with the back leg, fell the front of the hip to  stop it from rotating. Stand in a lunge position, stretch the iliacus and hip portion of the psoas muscle. 

Janda situp Start on your back, place a stability ball under your legs. Pull your heels to your butt through the stability ball, as you sit up. The sit up is from bottom of the chest up, the whole thoracic piece comes up as one. Do not lead with the head.

Bird Dog  Get on your hands and knees, brace your abs. raise the opposite arm and leg hold for a count of 3 repeat on each side three times.

Glute Bridge  Lie on your back with your knees bent, dig your heels into the floor. Squeeze your glutes at the bottom, press your hips upwards off the floor into extension by contracting the glutes. There should be a 90 degree angle between the upper and lower leg. 

Glute March It’s the same principle as the glute bridge, you extend one leg straight out one at a time, hold for two counts, switch legs. 

Russian Twist  Sit on the floor knees bent like in a sit up position, keep the feet together and slightly above the ground. Keep your torso straight with the back at a 45 degree angle. Hold your arms together away from the body, grad a medicine ball with both hands move from side to side touching the ball to the ground on each side.

A strong core is the center axis from which all movement will take place. Imagine the body as a wheel, the core would be the hub and the limbs would be spokes. Hopefully this article has opened your eyes to the importance of the core, and how to train the core properly. On the agenda for tomorrow is the top ten stress relievers to keep that stress down for a beautiful weekend. We will back again on Sunday with another article looking at Sweeteners. Please share this blog and sign up for the mailing list.

Think he has a strong core?

Athletes Affliction: Shin Splints

“It’s very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole ideas is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit.”

Today we are looking at “shin splints: a common running injury, injuries are all to common in running. Statistics have shown the if you regularly run you have a 37-56% chance of getting injured, with a majority of the injuries coming from overuse of the musculoskeletal system. It gets worse its estimated up to 70% of injuries are likely to reoccur. Injuries are related to overuse, increases in training load, changes in training surface, as well as lower extremity alignment and increases in bodyweight and a tight achilles tendon or weak ankle. I have to thank one of my clients for requesting the article on shin splints, they kept cropping up, until we put a plan in place. Now she is running injury free and wanted me to pass along some of this knowledge on. 

Shin splints symptoms can include pain the front or the back of the leg, a dull aching sensation after you run or walk sometimes while you run or walk. They can be split into two types anterior and posterior shin splints. We will be looking at the anterior shin splints first, it involves the shock absorbers of the lower leg. The muscles we are looking at are namely the tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus and digitorum longus muscles.  The main causes for anterior shin splints are weak or overstrained muscles as well as worn out shoes with little or no shock absorption. Posterior shin splints involves the ankle stabilizer muscles they are the tibialis posterior, flexor hallucis longus and flexor digitorum longus muscles. The cause for these type of shin splints are usually overstrained due to hyperpronation, that shows up as pain and tenderness in the middle or lower portion of the posterior shins. 

The solutions for shin splints is dependent upon the type of shin splints. Generally it will be Ice, rest and anti-inflammatories, this would also be an opportune time to use ART.  ART treatments on people with shin splints can greatly reduce them coming back. The muscles tear away from the bone, in the healing process the nature of the muscles changes, becoming fibrotic. This inhibits the ability of the muscle to lengthen, ART breaks down the adhesions giving the muscle the ability to lengthen again. During this time training would be curtailed and you would continue to ice your legs.  There is a nutritional component as well mirroring the one seen in Pills, Tape and Lasers. Some of the nutrients to address swelling in the first 72 hours are Trypsin, Chromotrypsin and Bromelain. They are three proteolytic enzymes which some studies suggest that people who receive proteolytic enzymes showed reduced swelling, pain, inflammation also had faster healing and recovery rates, and must be taken in between meals. These natural anti-inflammatories are responsible for they known to decrease pain and promote healing they are Boswellia, Tumeric, Ginger, Cayenne and Quercitin. If the muscles need to be relaxed you can use Calcium, Magnesium, Lemon Balm and Valerian Root. Phase two will start around day four and last until eight weeks post injury the symptoms include continued joint or muscle pain, palpable inflammation surrounding the injury, range of motion may be compromise, and tissue repair and remodeling has begun. Our objectives are initial soft tissue support, to aid in collagen synthesis, improve joint stability, as well as control pain and inflammation. The soft tissue we will be supporting is the extra cellular matrix its the network that binds us together our tendons, ligaments, cartilage and the fascia. The tendons heal in overlapping phases inflammation, repair and remodeling. One of the strategies we use to support the health and integrity of the extra cellular matrix is to modulate expression of MMP’s or matrix metalloproteinases. They are the collagen digesting enzymes naturally produced at the time of injury if excessively released they can damage healthy tendon and cartilage tissue. If controlled it can help to remodel connective tissue. The nutrients that modulate the mmps are Berberin, Thiaa, Selenium, along with Folic acid. Now you can address collagen synthesis with Amino acids, Vitamin C, B6, B5, L-Taurine, Silica, Zinc, and Copper. The nutrients you can use to support joint stability and the connective tissues is Glucosamine and Chondroitin. Onto Phase three this is the and ongoing care phase, the objectives are to achieve optimal issue remodeling, support wellness prevention care by maintaining foundation nutrition and reducing the risk of re-injury and degeneration. Also keep up on the 5 foundation nutrition supplements which are a Multivitamin-Multimineral, Omega 3-fatty acids, Vitamin D, Probiotics and Phytonutrient supplement. You can also use compression garments as well kinesio tape and rock tape for shin splints. It is highly suggested you get fitted for proper shoes and possibly a biomechanical analysis. 

 It is to be hoped that this keeps you in the game, on the track and at the gym. We will have a few more blogs for you this week. So keep your eyes out, sign up for the mailing list and share the blog!

Kettlebells ..... From Russia with Love

"Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice" Anton Chekhov

Welcome back all of you casual readers, fitness fanatics, and folks who are looking to get in better shape. It has taken me to long to address one of my favorite subjects Kettlebells. They are old world toughness, fitness and strength and are being sold as new fangled fitness equipment. In actuality the bells are both, old world and new school, they will also kick your ass. A kettlebell or Girya is a traditional Russian iron cast weight that looks like a cannonball with a handle. As the 1986 Soviet Weightlifting Yearbook put it, “It’s hard to find a sport that has deeper roots in the history of our people than kettlebell lifting.”  They were so popular in Tsarist Russia that any strongman or weightlifter was referred to as a kettlebell man. “Not a single sport develops our muscular strength and bodies as well as kettlebell athletics.” Ludwig Chaplinsky, Russian Weightlifting, Wrestling, and Rowing Champion.  The Soviet weightlifting legends such as Vlasov, Zhabotinskiy, and Alexeyev started their weightlifting careers with kettlebells. Yuri Vlasov interrupted an interview he was doing with two western journalists to press a pair of kettlebells. He commented to them “A wonderful exercise,”  further stating “. . . It is hard to find an exercise better suited for developing strength and flexibility simultaneously. The Russian Special Forces also use the bells owing much of their strength, agility and stamina to the bells. The official Soviet armed forces strength manual states kettlebells are “one of the most effective means of strength development” representing “a new era in the development of human strength-potential.”

Today kettlebells are being used all over the world, you will see anyone from soccer moms to MMA fighters using them to get into excellent condition.  The man who brought them to the US is Pavel Tsatsouline, he is the creator of the RKC and now Strongfirst, both excellent kettllebell certifications. The kettlebell is also used by our Secret Service as a fitness test because there is  not truer test of strength, fitness, agility and flexibility. Ok you got it the bells will sharpen the physical skills and take you up some levels. But that's not it, kettlebell juggling will sharpen your focus, increase your hand eye coordination and has been known to have positive effects on balance.  

As for scientific evidence Professor Sergey  Voropayev (1983) observed two groups of subjects over a period of a few years and tested them with a standard battery of armed forces PT tests: pullups, a standing broad jump, a 100m sprint, and a 1k run. The control group followed a typical university physical education program that emphasized the above. The experimental group just lifted kettlebells. In spite of the lack of practice on the tested exercises, the kettlebell group showed better scores in every one of them! Researchers at the Lesgaft Physical Culture Institute in Leningrad (Vinogradov & Lukyanov, 1986) found a very high correlation between the results posted in a kettlebell lifting competition and a great range of dissimilar tests: strength, measured with the three powerlifts and grip strength; strength endurance, measured with pullups and parallel bar dips; general endurance, determined by a 1000 meter run; and work capacity and balance, measured with special tests!Shevtsova (1993) discovered that kettlebell training lowers the heart rate and the blood pressure. Gomonov (1998) concluded that “Exercises with kettlebells enable one to quickly build strength, endurance, achieve a balanced development of all muscle groups, fix particular deficiencies of build, and they also promote health.” Most methods that claim ‘all around fitness’ deliver no more than compromises. Accept no compromises – choose the Russian kettlebell!

The benefits we can draw from kettlebells are still the same with an added bonus for the desk jockeys of functional human movement patterns. The patterns you will not get on the smith machine or the leg curl or lateral raises. In the right hands they can be used for rehab as well as a movement assessment tool for trainers, chiropractors, physical therapists and coaches.  

Prior to beginning the use of a kettlebell you will need to be able to do a real plank. No not the same sloppy plank we are all guilty of doing time to time .Please view the  link and video a the bottom of the page for proper instruction.   

Bret Contreras The RKC Plank

Chris Collins 3 Kettlebell Classics 

Turkish Get-Up

1)  Lying on your back, bend your right knee, put the kettlebell in your right hand (extended towards the ceiling)  

2)  Using your abs, punch the kettlebell towards the ceiling and raise yourself up onto your left elbow.  

3)  Raise up onto your left hand while keeping your right hand vertical 

4)  Raise your body up so you are supporting yourself up by your left hand and right foot.  

5)  Send your left foot back behind you and rest on your knee. 

6)  Come off your left hand into a “lunge” position.  

7)  Pushing off your back foot, lunge forward and stand up. 

8)  Reverse the steps to get back to start-position. Switch hands 

Russian Kettlebell Swing  one or two-handed

Start with kettlebell centered between legs with the front of the kettlebell lined-up with the back of your heels
Driving your hips forward, swing the kettlebell to chest-level. Be sure to drive with your legs and glutes, snapping your hips at the top. The kettlebell must form an extension of the straight and loose arm(s) on the top of the swing

Instead of bringing the kettlebell back to the starting position, guide the kettlebell between your legs, staying close to the groin (like passing a football to someone behind you), and swing it back up to chest-level
 

Goblet Squat
1)  Grasping the kettlebell by the handle with both hands by your chest (approximately 6” from the chest region), squat down to a rock bottom” position (elbows should touch the inner thighs) 

2)  Drive up through your heels and push yourself back up to the starting position 

3)  Remember always to squat back, not down 

What kettlebell is right for me? 

If you are an average strength lady start with 18lbs, a strong lady 26lbs. If your an average strength gentleman 35lbs, a stronger than average gentleman 44lbs , or a very strong gentleman 53 lbs.

I am a Kettlebell instructor I am available for personal training, movement assessments, program design, group training, one on one training and kettlebell seminars. Please contact for training questions or any of the above listed services.  Sign up for the mailing list for more articles. 

He did that eating what ? My Review of "Finding Ultra"

He did that eating plants?

This is my first book review although it feels more like a book report rather than a review. This is a book I am thrilled to review. I first heard of Rich Roll on the Joe Rogan Experience, as a counterpoint to a Paleo diet expert on a previous podcast. This was my first real exposure to a vegan athlete.  What drew me in was the unrestricted conversation between Rich and Joe Rogan. Discussing food and nutrition is an emotional topic for many people, it can be attached to their identity, it can also be a coping mechanism. He was promoting his book, Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the Worlds Fittest Men and Discovering Myself, which is about life, nutrition and endurance athletes. The interview was so compelling I bought “Finding Ultra” soon after hearing the podcast.  

It is an inspirational book on a couple of different levels.The book takes you on a journey through Rich's life; detailing his ups and downs ultimately leading to Rich finding himself. Truly "Finding Ultra" shows you how he came back each time from his struggles as a better person. He finds himself almost 40 and out of shape to the point  where he is out of breath going up 8 steps. Realizing his current state of fitness would not allow him to see his daughters graduate high school or get married and he will not have any quality of life if he continues on this path. He drew a line in the sand and changed his eating habits which ultimately changed his life and the lives of those he has touched.  He accomplished this with the help of his wife, starting out with a detox. Attempting to quit food, nicotine and caffeine all at the same time- talk about a rough week. He made it through becoming a vegetarian, noticing he did not feel the energy he did  right after the detox.  He took a hard look at how he was eating, asking himself if it could be better and where he was faltering; the type of self examination skills one learns in recovery. He found the way through veganism, the change to full vegan did not happen right away, it was a process. Once he did, Rich felt vibrant, more alive than he ever felt before. The watershed moment is when he went for a run on a Saturday, not paying attention he ran the better portion of a marathon and felt incredible. He truly was Plant Powered and has been ever since. Looking for a challenge he found ironman triathlons, he did one but did not finish. Then stumbled onto Ultraman. Ultraman is a 3 day, 320 mile double Ironman distance triathlon throughout  5 of the Hawaiian islands. Inspired by the story of David Goggins, a Navy SEAL, who was doing ten endurance events for his fallen brothers and the Wounded Warrior Foundation. He identified with Dave Googins  because his mantra is “I’m no one special” he was not a born runner or triathlete. Mr. Goggins had finished Badwater, a 135 mile Ultramarathon, before Ultraman.  The problem for Rich was Ultraman is an "invitation only" event. Rich had no invite, so he started to campaign for the woman who ran the Ultraman event so he can take part in the event. Taking up the gauntlet he trained his tail off and came in eleventh with the fastest American time. Rich's performance demonstrated that he was an " Ultraman". 

Themes in the book that I found to be significant were addiction, recovery, nutrition, endurance events, the importance of family and community. It is surprising to me how many recovering addicts and alcoholics end up involved in endurance events or in Crossfit. It has been said that some people find the alone time healing; working out problems while testing yourself physically. In that alone time there is a spiritual component of endurance events and training for them.  Any type of training has a spiritual component, you just have to dig beyond yourself, beyond the pain, the doubt, and sometimes beyond our own minds. Maybe the most important lesson is no one gets there alone, without the support of his wife and family Rich would not have made it.  It is his wife that makes a fitting statement for life, “Pursue whats in your heart, and the universe will conspire to support you". Since writing the book Rich has gone on to compete in many other events, becoming an advocate for a plant based lifestyle. 

This coming week we will have a few more blog posts. I am working on changing the format and posting more. Please join the mailing list and follow the blog for more information. In the coming week we will be discussing why women should lift weights, from Russia with love Kettlebells, and some new breakthroughs in spinal health and the athlete. 

Mobility Series Finale Pills, Tape and Lasers

 

"Our life is a creation of our mind" Buddha  

We have reached the end of the mobility road. Actually the journey has just begun, I like most of you have learned from this experience. It’s in the teaching that you truly learn and see it from a different angle. This last blog was done due to suggestion from a friend, he had questions about supplementation and nutrition in reference to injuries/dysfunction. So I figured why not take the idea to the next level and address some advanced techniques that are available to us as well. The expert I spoke with was Dr. Robert Silverman, a man to whom I am in debt. He has kept me in the game through all my injuries and helped guide me to lose 80 pounds all the while becoming a friend.

 One of the things I wanted to look at were some nutritional and supplement solutions we can use post soft tissue injury. I like to break down soft tissue injuries into three different phases; phase one also known as the acute phase, phase two soft tissue injury, phase three of soft tissue injury is wellness and prevention. The acute phase symptomatology is acute muscle-joint pain, sprain-injury due to trauma or repetitive motion, palpable swelling, inflammation, spasm in surrounding tissues, and loss of function. In a case like this we want to manage pain, reduce swelling, relax the tight muscles and use strategies to restore motion. Some of the nutrients to address swelling in the first 72 hours are Trypsin, Chromotrypsin and Bromelain. They are three proteolytic enzymes which some studies suggest that people who receive proteolytic enzymes showed reduced swelling, pain, inflammation also had faster healing and recovery rates, and must be taken in between meals. These natural anti-inflammatories are responsible for they known to decrease pain and promote healing they are Boswellia, Tumeric, Ginger, Cayenne and Quercitin. If the muscles need to be relaxed you can use Calcium, Magnesium, Lemon Balm and Valerian Root. Phase two will start around day four and last until eight weeks post injury the symptoms include continued joint or muscle pain, palpable inflammation surrounding the injury, range of motion may be compromise, and tissue repair and remodeling has begun. Our objectives are initial soft tissue support, to aid in collagen synthesis, improve joint stability, as well as control pain and inflammation. The soft tissue we will be supporting is the extra cellular matrix its the network that binds us together our tendons, ligaments, cartilage and the fascia. The tendons heal in overlapping phases inflammation, repair and remodeling. One of the strategies we use to support the health and integrity of the extra cellular matrix is to modulate expression of MMP’s or matrix metalloproteinases. They are the collagen digesting enzymes naturally produced at the time of injury if excessively released they can damage healthy tendon and cartilage tissue. But if controlled it can help to remodel connective tissue. The nutrients that modulate the mmps are Berberin, Thiaa, Selenium, along with Folic acid. Now you can address collagen synthesis with Amino acids, Vitamin C, B6, B5, L-Taurine, Silica, Zinc, and Copper. The nutrients you can use to support joint stability and the connective tissues is Glucosamine and Chondroitin. Onto Phase three this is the and ongoing care phase, the objectives are to achieve optimal issue remodeling, support wellness/prevention care by maintaining foundation nutrition and reducing the risk of re-injury and degeneration. Dr. Rob’s foundation 5 for foundation nutrition are a Multivitamin-Multimineral, Omega 3-fatty acids, Vitamin D, Probiotics and Phytonutrient supplement.

 The techniques we will be looking at are A.R.T., Kinesio/Rock Tape, and Laser Therapy. They are all highly successful techniques that have been used on me at different times, I can attest to the fact that the all have worked for me. Active Release is a highly successful approach to injuries of muscles, tendons, nerves, and the surrounding soft tissues. Active Release is not massage, physiotherapy, or chiropractic care. While those procedures relieve muscle and motion dysfunction, they do not necessarily address the underlying problems caused by scar tissue formation. A.R.T. or Active release is a 25 year old soft tissue management system developed and patented by Dr. Leahy. He noticed the his patients symptoms were related changes in their soft tissue that could be felt by hand. Through experimentation with observation of how muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves responded to soft tissue work. This led to the development of the protocols currently used with ligaments, muscle and nerves in the A.R.T. system. How does A.R.T. work? The basic ideas is to shorten the tissue, apply a contact tension and lengthen the tissue or make it slide relative to the adjacent tissue. This particular technique is not simple because each session is a combination of examination and treatment. The A.R.T. provider uses his or her hands to evaluate the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements. Most A.R.T. Practitioners claim up to a 90% success rate with the use of active release.

Kinesio Taping was also developed 25 years ago to support the body's healing process to restore normal function in myofascial tissues and joints. KT uses a tape design that was developed to mimic the qualities of the epidermis. It is approximately the same thickness of the skin and can be stretched between 130-140% of its static length which matches our skins stretching ability. It involves taping over and around muscles to assist and prevent over contraction, while allowing the flow of healing nutrients for a 24 hour period. The benefits of taping are that it supports normal muscle function, specifically its effective for reconditioning abnormal muscle tension and strengthening the weakened muscles. It assists in the reduction of abnormal accumulation of fluids by directing the exudates or discharge toward the lymph ducts. KT creates more space to decrease inflammation by lifting the fascia and soft tissue above the areas of pain/inflammation, helps correct joint restriction and improve proprioception and aligns fascial tissue. It also effectively used for preventative maintenance, and pain management , while withstanding athletic activity and showering. This non-restrictive tape that allows for a full range of motion, is highly effective and has been used in the Olympics, PGA Tour, NFL, NCAA Division 1 athletes as well as with Crossfit athletes as Rock Tape. As I have said before these techniques allow you to stay in the game or getting back as quickly as possible.

 Laser Therapy is one of the techniques allows for this. Sports injury trauma causes damage to soft tissues on a cellular level. The damaged cells release chemicals that initiate a natural inflammatory response in the body, resultant in redness, swelling warmth and pain in the affected area. Persistent or recurrent inflammation can predispose the athlete to early onset arthritis or degenerative changes in their joints. The usage of laser therapy reduces both the short term inflammation and the long term risk of arthritis commonly associated with sports injuries. Low level laser therapy stimulates cellular function at many levels, including metabolism,it promotes the initiation of multiple physiological and beneficial effects in the repair and function of human cells. It is widely used in the medical and cosmetic fields due to fact it is non-destructive to the target tissues, while positively affecting many functions such as collagen formation, cellular metabolism, angiogenesis, and lymphatic flow. It treats the injury by activating biochemical energy and accelerating the healing process resulting in the resolution of inflammation and the development of normal tissue rather than scar tissue. The key here is to use a low level laser therapy that is FDA cleared for treating pain and increasing range of motion. They are used by professional sports teams and athletes with great success.

Hopefully this series has helped you. In the coming weeks and months I will have a site and a new Facebook page. Also I have some workshops and seminars that will be rolling out soon. So please sign up for the mailing list.