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.