The CULTure of Yoga

Like so many facets of our society, yoga seems to have gone from something that only tree-hugging hippies did to a mainstream answer to all of life’s problems. Where yoga studios used to be one per city, now they line the streets in every shape and size from industrial buildings to apartment flats. We've seen this in other current issues such as alternative energy sources, local and organic food, and fuel efficient cars. Those hippies were onto something weren't they?

Now, obviously yoga didn't get its roots from North American hippies, but that is what we associate it with. Yoga can be traced back to ancient Indian texts, the Vedas, written in Sanskrit to describe both the technique and literature of yoga. Patanjali, the Indian sage, has been referenced in many texts as describing yogic philosophy some 2000 years ago in his work, The Yoga Sutras (Carrico, 1997; Farhi, 2000).

Whenever I do something new, I always try to look at its roots to figure out why something was developed in the first place. Whether its weight lifting, music, or yoga, I try to look back at some of the true pioneers to understand what it was that made them create this new form or genre. All yoga texts will define it differently, but essentially to me yoga is a practice merging the physical asanas, or postures, with the mindfulness, awareness, and internalization of meditation. In fact, I see yoga as one form of meditation. Now, everyone has their motivations and reasons for practicing, or more appropriately now, doing yoga, but from what I have read and heard, the asanas are just a small part of yoga. As Donna Farhi writes, “Form is what the Western mind could understand, and so it was the forms of the yoga that were emphasized. In an effort to popularize yoga the more essential spiritual message of the practice has been pared away and oftentimes completely eliminated”.

Thus, the issue I have with yoga is not the traditional practice and philosophy, but its cultish popularity and one-stop-shop from everything from back pain to depression. Yoga, as we know it today, is a fad. The question is, is this a bad thing? Well, it depends on how you look at it. It is hard to argue with something that has taken a sedentary and terrifyingly overweight society and got them moving. After all, just the act of getting people to make less of an ass groove in the sofa deserves credit. However, when you start something new you have to ask yourself, “why am I doing this”. And, it seems to me that more of us are taking up yoga for the wrong reasons.

I’ll admit that I didn’t exactly start doing yoga for the reasons I do it today: To quiet my mind, release stress, and become more spiritual. I started because I was stiff. Now, as a strength coach, I do apply a lot of mobility work that mirrors yoga and was probably borrowed from yoga. But still, I thought that something that I could attend regularly and didn't have to think about too much would help me maintain some joint mobility.

The concerns that I have with the resurgence of yoga is that with popularity has come a combination of poorly applied information and the mentality that yoga is for everyone... all the time. In fact, from talking to physiotherapists and chiropractors, the people they see most often in their clinics are not the beginner yogi, but the person who goes to yoga everyday and is labelled “good” at yoga. You know the one – they can wrap both legs around their head while arching their back into a shape resembling an archery bow. These “uber-mobile” yoginis (mainly female) are being told that they should push further and further into the “ideal” yoga asana. The problem is they have no stability and far too often over-stretch. So, although they appear to be in great physical shape, they are actually putting themselves at risk of injury. The body needs a combination of mobility and stability and it is entirely dependent upon body type, musculo-skeletal restrictions, tissue tolerances and the specific activities that you do on a daily basis as to how much mobility/stability is needed. Each muscle has an ideal force vs. length curve; basically meaning that each muscle has an ideal length that it can function optimally at. If we continue to overstretch and “lengthen” the body without developing the strength and stability needed withstand the forces of both life and sport, injury is most definitely lurking in the yoga studio background.

As you’ve heard me say before, it depends on the practitioner. Like any practice, I've seen yoga teachers who know the body inside and out, realizing everyone has limits and not trying to force them beyond these limits. Unfortunately, I've also seen many yoga instructors who are in my mind, under-qualified and do not have enough knowledge of the human body to be prescribing certain postures to everyone. So, if you are someone who resembles the description that I gave above, understand that you need to balance a lot of the mobility work that you are doing in yoga class with strength and stability in order to have a strong, healthy body. Yoga is a great practice when applied properly. Understand its limitations and see it as one piece of your very important health puzzle.

References

Carrico, M. (1997). Yoga Journal’s Basics: The essential beginners guide to yoga for a lifetime of health and fitness. Holt Paperbacks.

Farhi, D. (2000). Yoga mind, body, and spirit: A return to wholeness. Owl Books.

Guest Blog from Neghar Fonooni.

This week, I am honoured to have a guest blog from Neghar Fonooni, an RKC level 2 from Baltimore, Maryland. There has always been an assumption that women need to lift light weights in order to "tone" their muscles. Neghar has written a great blog that shows that strong women are sexy, and that to get strong and lean, you must lift heavy weights.

Neghar's article can be found on her blog page (www.neghar@blogspot.com) but I've also copied it below. Enjoy!

Strong is Sexy

Recently a very good friend of mine decided she might pick up kettlebell training to

battle the onset of body fat that she has finally chosen to face. She asked me for

advice on how to begin, because I am an RKC II and a Performance Training

Specialist-and I just plain like to lift heavy things. "What size kettlebell should I

start with?", she asked. The choice was between 7 pounds or 10 pounds. Bless her

heart, but I had to chuckle. My four year old son could train with a 7 pound kettlebell!

It's not her fault though-she'd always been told to "lift light".

This is yet another example of the common misconceptions of strength training as

it relates to females. We are under the impression that we should lift tiny pink weights

in order to get "toned" or we shouldn't lift weights at all and we should stick to yoga or

pilates for "long, lean muscles". Don't get me wrong, yoga is GREAT for so many reasons,

but it won't get you the body you want and it won't get you crazy strong. Unfortunately

though, an alarmingly large percentage of women think if they lift heavy weights they

will get "big" or "bulky".

I'm here to tell you that is complete BS. I am extremely passionate on the subject of

women and strength training because once upon time I was a girl with a lot of these

common misconceptions, training inefficiently and nowhere near maximizing my athletic

or aesthetic potential. Now, not only do I maintain 13-14% body fat and an athletic

physique, but I have accomplished things with my body that I never even imagined.

Such as: deadlifting 250 pounds, strict pullups witha 16kg kettlebell, pistols with a 24kg

kettlebell, single leg deadlifting 135 pounds and snatching a 60 pound dumbbell-all at

123 pounds body weight. Those examples are not intended to brag or boast by any means,

but rather to drive home the point that ANYTHING is possible. If I can do it-anyone can.

Lifting heavy (heavy is relative) and training intelligently hard, as well as maintaining a

strict nutritional lifestyle is what gave me the body I have today. When I used selectorized

machines, practiced yoga 3-4 times per week, attended "cardio kickboxing" classes, or

went for 2-5 mile runs I DID NOT have this body. Nor did I have the sense of accomplishment

and intrinsic strength that I have today. I gained 50 pounds when I was pregnant with my

son, and didn't understand why considering I was "working out" on the elliptical machine

and doing leg presses. I haven't touched an elliptical machine in years, and I have NEVER

been happier with my body. Did I mention I was passionate about this?

So why is the notion that women need to lift light to get "toned" and avoid "getting big"

complete BS? Well, allow me to enlighten you.

First of all, testosterone is the key factor in the growth of muscle mass. Women simply

don't have enough testosterone to get huge, unless they ingest it purposely. Do you take

testosterone? Chances are you don't (I hope). So I don't want to hear any hogwash about

getting big or bulky (and yes, I just said "hogwash"). If you train hard and eat to fuel

your body, you will gain lean mass and lose body fat. You will look like you workout.

Your muscles will "show" and you will appear strong and fit. You will not look like a man

because you are not a man. Furthermore, strong is the new skinny-haven't you heard?

Strong women are sexy, not just because their bodies look amazing, but because they

exude confidence.

Secondly, there is no such thing as "toned". This is a fluff term created by the media

to sell misleading fitness magazines. Actual "muscle tone" is something completely

different all together and has nothing to do with the appearance of the muscle. You

are either strong or you are weak, fit or unfit, lean or fat. Again, if you train hard and

eat to fuel your body you will gain lean mass and lose body fat. Did you see the word

"toned" in there anywhere? No, because it's not real. Change your mindset to train for

strength and power and you will get your "toned" muscles. Train for "toned" muscles

and you will end up with a smaller version of your previous fat self.

Train with purpose and intent and not only will you gain a better body but you will

gain a stronger, more secure sense of self. That's worth more than any SELF or SHAPE

magazine could ever offer.

Thirdly, the only way to get stronger is by progressively increased resistance or demand.

When you lift tiny pink dumbbells, swing around child-sized kettlebells or spend hours

taking "Zumba", you don't progressively increase resistance or the demand placed on

the body. You waste time, and we all know time is at a premium. When you lift weights

that challenge you, and gradually increase that load, you get stronger. Getting stronger

is the key to a better body. AGAIN: More lean mass=increased metabolism. Increased

metabolism+proper nutrition=less body fat.

To add to this point, why would you ever lift a 5 pound dumbbell? What good could that

possibly do for you? Think about it, when have you ever needed help lifting something

5 pounds or less? My four year old son weighs 40 pounds! How am I supposed to lift him

comfortably and safely by training with little to no resistance? How can I insure I won't

injure my back moving heavy furniture if I can't even deadlift my body weight? Listen,

ladies, it's not your fault. The media has lied to you. They've told you that you need only

lift soup cans or wiggle your hips around to get the body you have always desired-both

inside and out. They've encouraged you to walk and "spin" as a means for burning body

fat and to do Pilates to "lengthen" your muscles. They lied. They will always lie, because

it's what people need to do to make money. People with no integrity, or people who

simply don't know better. So, of course, it's not your fault-you were deceptively

misinformed. But, you have an opportunity now to see the light. Please don't let me

rant in vain! :-)

Lastly and possibly most importantly, gaining physical strength directly translates to

gaining mental and emotional strength, confidence and self esteem. You don't need

to be a card carrying psychologist to surmise that women could use a little more self

worth and security, and a lot more positivity when it comes to our body image. And

strong feels good.

For the sake of females world wide, put down the tiny dumbbells, step away from

the SHAPE magazine, and pick up something that you can't lift more than 10 times

with perfect form. Pick up a copy of "Core Performance Women" by Mark Verstegen,

or "The Female Body Breakthrough" by Rachel Cosgrove. Even better yet, look up

your local RKC (Russian Kettlebell Certified Instructor), and find out what you're

really capable of. Because you're stronger than you think, and your lean, athletic

body is waiting to meet you.

Don't believe me? The following ladies are all proud members of the RKC instructor

cadre. Notice what we all have in common? Bangin' bodies. Know what we do? Lift

heavy stuff. And most of us are moms. 'Nuff said.

Myself and my friend and long time client, Jamie

Yoana Snideman, RKC TL of Revolution Fitness

Karen Smith, RKC II of Kettlebell Elite

Betsy Collie, RKC TL of Rapid Results Fitness

Delaine Ross, RKC TL of Gym Condition

Lauren Brooks, RKC TL of On the Edge Fitness

Groin Injury for Skating Re-post

Hi Everyone,

We are well into the swing of things in the Great White North with hockey, cross-country skiing, and speed skating into their competitive seasons, so I thought it would be a great time to re-post an article I wrote last year for Can-Fit Pro Magazine.

One thing that I didn't talk about in the article was the importance of multi-directional sprinting for hockey players. Kevin Neeld (www.endeavorfit.com), a hockey strength & conditioning coach in New Jersey refers to "transitional speed" as being crucial in the development of hockey players. He will often incorporate change in direction sprinting, where the athlete will come from a side-to-side shuffle right into a full sprint in the forward direction. I love this both as a tool for transitional speed and as a way to develop healthy, strong, groins.

So, without further adieu...enjoy!

Skating Strong : A New Approach to Groin Injury Prevention

Well, it’s that time of year again – the physiotherapists start to lick their chops in anticipation of the start of fall and winter sporting events. The excitement is obvious as the rather laid back summer activities get traded in for skates, skies, and of course – injuries. More specifically, skating sports such as hockey, speed skating, and cross-country skate skiing, see a very high incidence in groin injuries (Quinn et al., 2003; Tyler et al., 2001). Although there are many injuries that occur at the origin point of the groin muscles (stress fractures, avulsion fractures, osteitis pubis, sports hernia, etc.), adductor strains are the most common (Maffey & Emery, 2007). The groin muscles include the adductor brevis, longus, and magnus, the gracilis, and the pectineus which together flex, adduct, and medially rotate the thigh. The vast majority of these groin injuries are caused by the adductor muscles being put under a high eccentric load before having to decelerate (or accelerate in the opposite direction) and quickly shorten in an explosive concentric manner (Lynch & Renstrom, 1999). This can be seen when watching Cindy Classen drive her skate into the ice (abduction/extension) before quickly pulling (adduction/flexion) the femur back and ready for the next stride. Similarly, every time Roberto Luongo recovers from a butterfly, he has to drive his outside skate into the ice so that he can push across his crease in time for the next shot.

Some of these injuries are bad luck – the result of pushing off with the skate or ski, only to have it slip and not dig in. Because of the speed of the movement, the brain “thinks” or “assumes” that the skate will dig in, creating a nice surface to drive off of. However, when the slip occurs, the abductor group continues accelerating while the smaller adductor muscles go through a very powerful eccentric force, sometimes too large for this group to handle. Quite often however, groin injuries can be chronic injuries that seem to resurface time and time again during a competitive career.

Risk Factors

There are many risk factors that have been identified in the research that increase the likelihood of sustaining a groin strain in skating sports. These include previous injury, increased age (or number of years played), strength imbalances in both legs, increased abductor to adductor strength ratio, poor core stabilization, lack of sport-specific adaptation training, and poor adductor eccentric strength (Maffey & Emery 2007). Notice that adductor length has not been included in the list of risk factors. There has been some support for opposing muscle (hip abductors and quadriceps) length as a risk factor (Gabbe et al, 2005), indicating that hip flexibility should focus more on these muscles groups rather than the hip adductors.

As a strength coach, you need to address these risk factors, each weighted based on importance.Previous injury is usually something you have no control over. However, you can still learn from this information, and target the individual as “at risk” for future lower extremity injuries. Age or sport experience is again something out of your control but note that the older the athlete gets, the more detail and effort must go into implementing their training program.

Strength imbalances between legs should be recognized in the initial assessment of the athlete and addressed immediately in training. Unilateral strength training involving slow, controlled lifts will help to equalize the two limbs and improve movement economy. Similarly, although the need for abductor hip strength/power is crucial for success in skating sports, the opposing adductor group must not be far behind in order to reduce the risk of injury (Tyler et al 2001; Tyler et al, 2002).

Core stability, eccentric training, and dexterity training are three methods to help decrease some of the more controllable risk factors such as non-sport-specific adaptations, a large abductor:adductor ratio, and poor core stabilization.

Core Stability

Every athlete can benefit from proper core stabilization training. Most of the research that has been done on core stabilization and groin injuries has focused on implementing programs based on unstable surface training (BOSU, stability balls, balance boards, etc.). Although research has shown an increase in core muscle activation in a relatively static state, this does not cross-over to dynamic stabilization of movement (Cressey et al., 2007). Moreover, for the most part, skating sports occur on flat surfaces with the ankle joint fairly fixed in a boot; with unstable surface training, the foot is often placed in an awkward position, leading to an increased risk of injury.

Core stability has been shown to decrease injury in most sports, but specific to skating, it is proposed that a fair amount of groin pain results from the inability to transfer load properly from legs/torso to the hips (Ekberg et al., 1988; Meyers et al., 2000; Williams et al., 2000). As a strength coach you need to integrate core stabilization into primal movements and patterns specific to skating. It is one thing for a speed skater to be able to hold a front or side plank for 3 minutes, but it is another to decelerate quickly into a lateral lunge and power back while fatigued. The athlete must be able to brace under load to produce safe, powerful movements or else all that mat-based core work will go to waste.

Eccentric Strength

Eccentric strength training addresses a number of different risk factors: strength imbalances between legs, increased abductor to adductor strength ratio, lack of sport-specific adaptation training, and poor adductor eccentric strength. Previous research in hamstring injuries has indicated the importance in eccentric hamstring strength for avoiding hamstring strains and ACL injuries (Proske et al, 2004). This increase in hamstring eccentric strength increases their optimal length (force vs. length curve) resulting in the muscle group generating a greater force at a greater length – which means less incidence of hamstring strain.

So, why can’t we do this for hip adductors as well?

There hasn’t been a lot of attention given to eccentric training of hip adductors when it comes to addressing strength in the groin. Most of the protocols that have come from research have focussed on concentric strength. Plyometrics is one of the most effective training protocols in developing specific eccentric strength and rate of force development. In addition to weighted eccentric work, plyometric training allows the muscle (group) to undergo a very rapid stretch (eccentric), before transitioning (regaining potential energy) to a very explosive shortening (concentric) of the muscle. Lateral bounds, zig zags, angled lateral jumps, and cutting drills are great examples of plyometric exercises for the hip. Focus must be on making each jump as powerful as possible.

Weighted eccentric exercises are a little more complicated when it comes to the groin. Bands are often used as a training tool for eccentric training, however, as the groin is stretched (eccentric portion), the band gets shorter and thus provides less and less resistance (Emery, 2008). With eccentric training, the load needs to be significant and consistent to have the desired effect. One way to attempt this is using the cable pulley system. Attach the cable to the inside ankle and walk away (so the side of you faces the stack). Have a qualified strength coach holding your leg in neutral. As the coach lets go of your leg, your goal is to slow it down as it is being pulled back to the stack. To have a true eccentric effect, the weight should be heavy enough so that you cannot concentrically pull the leg back to the middle (coach returns the leg).

Sumo squats and deadlifts are a nice adjunct to plyometrics as they provide a wider stance in order to put the adductors on stretch. In addition, you are still getting the benefit of posterior chain strength – a necessity in skating sports. Weighted lateral lunges are also great for deceleration training, however, they focus more on the abductors; make sure you balance out the adductor strength with the above lifts to improve that abductor:adductor ratio.

Dexterity training

Now before you start doing finger push-ups, think again. Dexterity training as it applies to strength & conditioning is developing “a motor solution to a motor problem” (Bernstein, 1996).Because motor problems within sport are usually quite unpredictable as in hockey, we as strength coaches need to develop techniques and pre-habilitation programs that attend to as many contexts as possible (Moreno, 2008).

Oh great, so let’s get out the agility ladders right? Well, not exactly. Traditional coordination and agility training involves predetermined conditions to be performed as quickly as possible. With dexterity training, you want to create an unpredictable or chaotic environment. This can be done in conjunction with your plyometric training. For example, while your athlete is in mid-air during a vertical jump, point to a spot in which they must cut to upon landing. The objective is for the athlete to land, plant, and cut as quickly as possible while not having the luxury of a pre-planned movement pattern. This can also be done during on-ice sessions for goaltenders in hockey. Have the goalie perform continuous lateral pushes from a butterfly position. Tap your stick once to change direction, and twice to pop up into a stance. Although this will not eliminate situations such as losing an edge, it will better prepare your nervous system for the sporting environment.

So, whether you’re training a hockey player, skier, speed skater or other type of skater, keep in mind the importance of keeping healthy groin musculature.

References

Bernstein, N.A. (1996). On dexterity and its development. In Latash, M.L. and Turvey, M.T. (Eds), Dexterity and its Development. New Jersey, Lawrence Eribaum Associates.

Cressey, E. M., West, C. A., Tiberio, D. P., Kraemer, W. J., & Maresh, C. M. (2007). The effects of ten weeks of lower-body unstable surface training on markers of athletic performance. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 21(2), 561-567.

Ekberg, O., Persson, H. H., Abrahamsson, P. A., Westlin, N. E., & Lilja, B. (1988). Longstanding groin pain in athletes. A multidisciplinary approach. / douleur persistante a l ' aine chez des athletes: Approche multidisciplinaire. Sports Medicine, 6(1), 56-61.

Emery, J. (2008). Groin pulls in hockey: An intervention to lower the risk. Human Motion: The Performance Advocate. Retrieved from www.humanmotion.ca

Gabbe, B. J., Finch, C. F., Bennell, K. L., Wajswelner, H., & Orchard, J. W. (2005). RISK FACTORS FOR HAMSTRING INJURIES IN AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL. (abstract). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 39(6), 385-385.

Lynch, S. A., & Renström, P. A. F. H. (1999). Groin injuries in sport: Treatment strategies. Sports Medicine, 28(2), 137-144.

Maffey, L., & Emery, C. (2007). What are the risk factors for groin strain injury in sport? Sports Medicine, 37(10), 881-894.

Meyers, W. C., Foley, D. P., Garrett, W. E., Lohnes, J. H., & Mandlebaum, B. R. (2000). Management of severe lower abdominal or inguinal pain in high-performance athletes. / diagnostic et traitement d'une douleur severe dans le bas du ventre ou inguinale chez des athletes de haut niveau. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 28(1), 2-8.

Proske, U., Morgan, D., Brockett, C., & Percival, P. (2004). Identifying athletes at risk of hamstring strains and how to protect them. Clinical & Experimental Pharmacology & Physiology, 31(8), 546-550.

Quinn, A., Lun, V., McCall, J., & Overend, T. (2003). Injuries in short track speed skating. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 31(4), 507-510.

Tyler, T. F., Nicholas, S. J., Campbell, R. J., Donellan, S., & McHugh, M. P. (2002). The effectiveness of a preseason exercise program to prevent adductor muscle strains in professional ice hockey players. / fiabilite d ' un programme d ' exercices de pre-saison pour prevenir les lesions musculaires aux adducteurs chez des joueurs de hockey sur glace professionnels. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 30(5), 680-683.

Tyler, T. F., Nicholas, S. J., Campbell, R. J., & McHugh, M. P. (2001). The association of hip strength and flexibility with the incidence of adductor muscle strains in professional ice hockey players. / L'association de la force et de la flexibilite de la hanche joue-t-elle un role dans l'incidence d'une elongation du muscle adducteur chez des joueurs professionnels de hockey sur glace? American Journal of Sports Medicine, 29(2), 124-128.

Williams, P. R., Thomas, D. P., & Downes, E. M. (2000). Osteitis pubis and instability of the pubic symphysis: When nonoperative measures fail. / osteite du pubis et instabilite de la symphyse pubienne: Lorsque les mesures non-operatoires ne fonctionnent pas. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 28(3), 350-355.

Why are we doing this?

Recently, my partner Leah and I went on a three month vacation to South East Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. The trip was truly amazing and I was very blessed to have been able to see such beauty. One of the things that happens on a trip like that is that you have a lot of time to think about things. Once you get out of work mode, you begin to reflect on things you've done in the past, you think about your line of work and if it is right for you, and you wonder why things are a certain way.

These are things I thought about on this trip. Specifically, I started to wonder why we view strength and conditioning as such an important aspect in our lives. Why do I care so much about teaching others how to get strong and push them to their physiological and psychological limits? It didn't take me long before I could confirm why we do these things. Leah and I did a lot of hiking during our travels and although we did a lot of moderate 1-2 hour hikes, we also did a fair amount of difficult hikes. We ventured on a four day trek through the mountains in Sapa, Vietnam, an eight hour hike through the Tongariro Crossing in New Zealand and a two hour treacherous climb in Ang Thong National Park in Thailand. Now, I'm not saying that everyone that took part in these hikes was in great shape. It was actually quite the contrary with many people who I would classify as overweight and even obese attempting these journeys. And, good on them for challenging themselves by taking on these daunting tasks. But what I noticed most is that on all of these hikes, Leah and I would consistently be among the small few who would make it the farthest, and more importantly take routes that would take us to some of the most amazing views you could ever imagine. I'm talking about those "on top of the world" feelings that most people would never dream of trying. For most, the difficult terrain was too much, and generally it could be narrowed down to a general lack of strength and stamina.

So, I started thinking to myself, "can you imagine not being able to achieve something so gratifying because of fitness?" And that is when I realized that why I train myself and others this way and how much of my strength and fitness I have taken for granted. Moreover, Leah and I were probably in the worst shape that we had been in for quite sometime since we decided that we weren't going to try and go out of our way to get to a gym while we traveled and instead just enjoyed our trip. The baseline strength and endurance that we had built up prior to our trip was enough to carry us through anything we wanted to do for the next three months. Now, I'm not saying that everyone needs to go on extreme adventures, but you should ask yourself if strength, health, fitness, or state of mind is holding you back from a certain challenge that would feel so good to accomplish. We do this so that we can enjoy all the natural wonders that this world has to offer...and believe me, they are endless!

Hemsworth Strength & Wellness moves to Thunder Bay, Ontario!

Hi Everyone,

It's been a hectic little while but there have been some big changes at Hemsworth Strength & Wellness (including the name!). After calling Vancouver, BC home for the last few years, we have moved to Thunder Bay, Ontario. I want to personally thank our amazing clients on the west coast. You will be missed deeply but I know that you will all continue to grow.

More details on a facility, rates, and upcoming events will be posted soon, so be patient! In the meantime, if you or your team is interested in training, please call (807)-777-1717.

Lastly, just thought I would send you off with a health tip. Beginners are always asking me what the best way to get started in the gym is.

"Do you have a bootcamp I should join?"

"Can you set me up with a program?"

What you need to understand is the importance of learning how to move properly BEFORE you jump right into an intense training program or course. You have to look at health/fitness/strength the way you would look at a long term investment - which is exactly what it is. Results are not going to occur if you don't take care of the foundation first, just as you wouldn't throw all your money into an investment that you didn't take the time to learn about.

This is exactly why I will not hand out programs to people before I assess and evaluate them, and usually not before having gone through at least a month of training first. I guarantee that if you put the time in initially to learn primal movement patterns safely, you will get stronger, fitter, healthier or whatever your goal is, while also reducing your risk for training-specific injuries. And really, staying on the field, having less sick days, and being able to play with your kids is really why we train the way we do!

Thanks for reading!

Paul

Re-Post from JKConditioning

Hi Everyone,

Here is post from a good friend and colleague Jon-Erik Kawamoto from JKConditioning.com on fat-loss. It has a special focus on females and dispels some of the myths regarding how females should train.

http://www.jkconditioning.com/2010/02/truth-about-curves.html

Running Room Talk

I had a great time talking shop with the running group from the Running Room Tuesday evening. Here are the slides of the presentation. Check out http://www.humanmotion.com/ for upcoming March classes!

Are Machines Safer than Free Weights?

This is a question that I've asked many colleagues and although there are only two different answers, I get an array of explanations. Afterall, it is a complex question and thus deserves a complex answer. And like any good debate, the best answer, and usually most annoying is...it depends.

The reason this question is so complicated is because I could point out 5 people training on machines and 5 people using free weights per day and all 10 are unsafe. Again, for the most part, it's not the exercises, it's the application of exercises that matters. However, the issue that I have when I hear that people are "starting out" on machines, is that they assume this is ultimately the safest option. First off, for the most part, anything that puts you in a seated posture already increases the compressive and shearing forces on your spine from that of standing (McGill, 2002). Most machines are poorly designed and already have you seated in a posterior pelvic rotation that we know will consistently contribute to disc bulging and future low back problems.

And that's just the spine. Most upper body machines are still going to allow for a ton of scapular instability, and in fact, if you haven't been trained properly you'll probably default into protraction of the scapulae. When this happens, you are again putting the shoulder at risk of one of many injuries: A-C joint stress, impingement, rotator cuff strains, labral tears, etc.

I hope the "staff" aren't teaching the members how to do a lat pulldown.

I guess the better question is, if both methods are equally safe, what is going to be the best choice for your health, strength and fitness? For 99.9% of the population, this is going to be the use of free weights while standing on the ground...the flat ground! I heard a great quote this weekend from Ori Hofmekler, whose seminar on "Surviving" I attended this past weekend: "All of our ancestors were athletes." In other words, we should be training like athletes: multi-joint, lifting, flexing, extending, twisting, etc. Can you imagine the cavemen sitting on a bench doing a concentration curl or sitting on a leg extension machine working on their vastus medialis?

Cliff Harvey performing a clean grip overhead squat.

So, we as trainer's MUST be able to take a brand new client and begin to teach them the fundamental movement patterns to get them started on a path to a strong, healthy, and fit life. If you cannot squat, deadlift, clean, swing, pull, push, or lunge, then learn from someone who can, go and practice for 20+hours and then teach your clients. But do this NOW...not tomorrow, because in the meantime, your client is teaching herself how to do a prone hamstring curl - possibly the most useless exercise for an otherwise healthy individual.

Training with free weights allows the individual to develop adaptations that will apply and transfer to many other lifts, athletic scenarios, and lifestyle patterns: Resisting extreme spine positions, fighting gravity, neutral and stable scapulae, core integration, rooting of energy into the floor, rotational power, etc. I'm waiting for a machine that can do this. As Stu McGill (2002) says regarding machines, "Training in a proprioceptively starved environment does not challenge the system needed to ensure that no single tissue experiences damaging overload."

Jim Talo performing a single arm kettlebell swing - another great multi-joint lift.

If you are a beginner, seek out a professional - but make sure you do your homework and don't just look up a trainer in some fitness magazine index. Find out their credentials, ask them why they do certain things, and challenge their knowledge. A good strength coach should not have to start you on a machine if you are just starting out!

References

McGill, S (2006). Ultimate Back Fitness & Performance, 3rd edition, Backfitpro Inc.

Talk at the Running Room

I will be giving a talk on the importance of core stability and integration in running for the Running Room's Running Clinic. The talk will take place on Feb. 2nd at 6:30-7pm at the Running Room on Broadway and Granville (between Granville and Fir). If you are in the group, I encourage you to come out and take part in this interactive talk that will address certain myths of core training, the importance and proper integration of core stability, and outline a few key exercises that can get you started immediately to improve performance.

If you'd like to book me in for a talk or workshop, please feel free to contact me at paul.hemsworth83@gmail.com. You can also check out humanmotion.ca for upcoming workshops and courses.

Mike Boyle put's your body into perspective

This week I decided to post a blog from strength and conditioning coach Mike Boyle from functionalstrengthcoach3.com. It is funny how we like to say that health is a major priority in life, yet we don't tend to treat it like a major priority. So, here's Mike's post, hopefully it will put things into perspective for you - enjoy!

Imagine you are sixteen years old and your parents give you your first car. They also give you simple instructions. There is one small hitch, you only get one car, you can never get another. Never. No trade-ins, no trade-ups. Nothing

Ask yourself how would you maintain that car? My guess is you would be meticulous. Frequent oil changes, proper fuel, etc. Now imagine if your parents also told you that none of the replacement parts for this car would ever work as well as the original parts. Not only that, the replacement parts would be expensive to install and cause you to have decreased use of your car for the rest of the cars useful life? In other words, the car would continue to run but, not at the same speed and with the efficiency you were used to.

Wow, now would we ever put a lot of time and effort into maintenance if that were the case.

After reading the above example ask yourself another question. Why is the human body different? Why do we act as if we don’t care about the one body we were given. Same deal. You only get one body. No returns or trade-ins. Sure, we can replace parts but boy it’s a lot of work and it hurts. Besides, the stuff they put in never works as well as the original “factory” parts. The replacement knee or hip doesn’t give you the same feel and performance as the original part.

Think about it. One body. You determine the mileage? You set the maintenance plan?

No refunds, no warranties, no do-overs?

How about this perspective? One of my clients is a very successful businessman. He often is asked to speak to various groups. One thing he tells every group is that you are going to spend time and money on your health. The truth is the process can be a proactive one or a reactive one. Money spent on your health can take the form of a personal trainer, massage therapist and a gym membership or, it can be money spent on cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and plastic surgeons. Either way, you will spend money.

Same goes for time. You can go to the gym or, to the doctors office. It’s up to you. Either way, you will spend time. Some people say things like “I hate to work out”. Try sitting in the emergency room for a few hours and then get back to me. Working out may not seem so bad. Much like a car, a little preventative maintenance can go a long way. However, in so many ways the body is better than a car. With some good hard work you can turn back the odometer on the body. I wrote an article a while back ( Strength Training- The Fountain of Youth) that discussed a study done by McMaster University which showed that muscle tissue of older subjects actually changed at the cellular level and looked more like the younger control subjects after strength training.

Do me a favor, spend some time on preventative maintenance, it beats the heck out of the alternative. Just remember, you will spend both time and money.

Mike Boyle
http://www.FunctionalStrengthCoach3.com