myfitnesshut

Traditional lower-intensity, steady-state aerobic exercise on treadmills, bikes, ellipticals, etc. are good for beginners or those who have been inactive. It will also bore you to tears! Aerobic exercise is an activity that is done continuously for more than 2 straight minutes. But, research has proven that the benefits of anaerobic exercise is superior to aerobic exercise. The progression of exercise should be low-intensity aerobics to moderate/high-intensity aerobics to high-intensity anaerobic exercise.

Middle-aged and older adults can definitely benefit from anaerobic exercise. According to research, low-intensity walking for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, is not adequate enough to delay heart disease and premature death. The research was performed using 2000 men, ages 45 to 59, over a ten year period. The men had no initial signs of heart disease. The men’s exercise was measured using low (walking and bowling), moderate (golf and dancing) and high levels (running and swimming).

The number of deaths that occured during the 10 year period was 252. Of that amount, 75% were linked to heart disease and stroke. and 25% was linked to cancer.

The conclusion of the study was this: low and moderate intensity exercise failed to reduce premature death from heart disease. Only the high-intensity anaerobic exercise lowered death rates.

Older adults may not be able to perform at the same intense exercise levels of 20 or 30 year olds, but they can certainly do high-intensity anaerobic exercise adjusted for their age.

Anaerobic exercise should be eventually added to older adults’ fitness programs. Progressing from low to high intensity will prevent injury and prepare the body for more intense exercise. A doctor’s clearance should be obtained before high-intensity anaerobic exercise begins. You can download a high-intensity anaerobic Fat Blaster circuit weight training exercise program for your iPod!

It is safe to say that the weakest link for most people’s body is the core. And, it is equally safe to say that one of the top neglected training areas for many people are the back muscles (part of the core). So, it is no surprise that 80%-90% of adults have had or do have back problems (especially low back pain or trauma).

As a personal trainer, my number one objective is NOT TO MAKE YOU LOOK “LEAN AND MEAN!” The top two fitness objectives are to improve your health and help you prevent injuries. As a result of these top two objectives, you will also look and feel your best.

The core is your center of gravity and all movement begins with the core. So, it is critical that you stabilize and strengthen your core. Review my article series about the core. Your back muscles are a critical part of your core. So, why do so many people not adequately train their back muscles? One reason is that it is more glamourous to max out on the bench press and do other arm exercises to build up your “pipes.” This leaves major muscle imbalances between your frontside and backside if you don’t train with the same vigor for your back muscles.

When talking about training your back muscles, you can’t leave out your spine. You need to warmup and strengthen your spine while training your back muscles.

There are some great exercises to warm up your spine such as:

1) Foam roll your spine lengthwise to decompress it.

2) Perform camel and cat exercises.

3) Do forward-backward and side-to-side pelvic rocks on the ball.

And, to generally strengthen your back, do these exercises:

1) Side bridges

2) Supine (on your back) bridges

3) Back extensions

4) Opposite arm opposite leg raise

In part 2 of the back muscle series, I will look at the shoulder muscles and shoulder girdle.

Core training is a huge buzzword in the fitness industry these days. It’s one thing to talk about it but yet another to really understand what’s going on with the core. Profit making companies tend to promote “building your six pack abs” when discussing the core. You need to know more and do more for your body’s core!

Your body’s core consists of the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex, thoracic spine and cervical spine. THE CORE is your body’s center of gravity. Some people have sufficient EXTREMITY STRENGTH (limbs), but few display sufficient CORE STRENGTH. A strong and stable core will maximize your EXTREMITY STRENGTH and POWER. A core strengthening program involves using many muscles in a coordinated movement. Rather than isolating specific joints as in most weight lifting exercises, core stability exercises focus on working the deep muscles of the entire torso at once. The core muscles are also very important in preventing low back pain. Stability ball exercises, bridges, planks, low back extensions, medicine ball exercises, etc. are great for strengthening core muscles.

The body’s core is so much more than your “six pack” abs! A strong core will maximize your strength and speed. Since the core is your body’s center of gravity and all movement begins with the core, it is essential to strengthen and stabilize it. A strong core will allow you to handle heavier loads as your training progresses. You will also lessen your chances of injury. About 34 muscles support your core which includes the pelvic floor. Some of the major core muscles include:

transversus abdominis - the deepest of the abdominal muscles, it lies under the obliques and wraps around your spine for protection and stability. Think of the transversus abdominis as “your internal weight belt.” It is recruited when you draw in your navel toward your spine during an exercise.

external obliques - these muscles are on the side and front of the abdomen and wrap around your waist.

internal obliques - these muscles lie under the external obliques and run in the opposite direction.

rectus abdominis - this is the “six pack” part of the abs that runs down the front of the abdomen.

erector spinae - this collection of muscles runs along your neck to your lower back.

These core muscles lie deep within the torso. They generally attach to the spine, pelvis and muscles that support the scapula. When these muscles contract, we stabilize the spine, pelvis and shoulders and create a solid base of support. We are then able to generate powerful movements of the extremities. Training the muscles of the core also corrects postural imbalances that can lead to injuries. The biggest benefit of core training is to develop functional fitness, that is, fitness that is essential to both daily living and athletic activities. A core conditioning program will decrease the likelihood of back and neck pain, incontinence, ruptured disks, muscle and ligamentous strains, all while improving posture.

Core training may not be glamourous but your body will thank you for years to come when you stabilize and strengthen your core!

By way of review, let’s look again at getting your glutes fired up! Remember, that your glutes are probably not firing properly because of inadequate neural drive from the central nervous system. In other words, it is probably not an issue of strength. First, you need to lengthen tight muscles. The stretches are listed as follows (use self myofascial release with foam roller before doing these stretches):

1. Hip Flexor Stretch
2. Quadriceps Stretch
3. Bodyweight Lateral Lunges (for adductors)

Then, you need to activate (fire up) your glutes with these exercises:

1. Glute Bridge
2. Opposite Leg Opposite Arm Raise
3. Glute Kickbacks

Lastly, exercise the fired up glutes with these exercises:

1. Bodyweight squats
2. Lateral tube walks
3. Walking Lunges

Now you’re ready for your workout! Keep in mind, this is just part of your total workout which includes upper body work. To be effective, glutes (and leg work for that matter) should be trained with cardio and strength training.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) research found that the top cardio exercises for shaping your glutes (and legs) are: lunges, walking uphill, stair climbing, jogging and running. No big surprises here and no gimmicks! Just hard work! And research has proven that high intensity interval cardio is superior to longer duration, slow cardio (interpretation: go hard for 20 minutes instead of slow for 40 minutes)! Do 5-6 days of cardio exercise.

As for strength training? You can’t leave out squats! Do your squats—bodyweight squats, dumbbell squats, barbell squats, split squats, lateral squats, one-legged squats, etc. Mix it up but do them. The benefits of the squat exercise extend beyond your legs. The same can be said for deadlifts (traditional, stiff-legged or other variations). Other top glute exercises are:

1) Step ups (front and lateral)
2) Standing cable or machine hip abductors
3) Standing, prone or floor hip extensions
4) Floor lateral thigh raises
5) Glute bridges and marching glute bridges
6) Pelvic raises and posterior pelvic tilts

If these exercises become easy for you, then increase resistance or weights.

Visit the posts for the first 3 parts of the glute series:

Glutes, Part 1

Glutes, Part 2

Glutes, Part 3

In the final part of this series, I will look at causes and prevention of injuries to the glute area.

If you want to improve your running efficiency or running speed, you must first master the basic mechanics of running. I see many people “fighting themselves” when they run because of terrible running mechanics! Bad running mechanics can also lead to injuries. Running mechanics have three main components: Posture, Arm Action and Leg Action. Listed below are some key checkpoints of proper running mechanics:

Checkpoints for proper running posture:

1. At maximum speed, the head should be held high. Also, the head should never sway from side to side and the jaws should be relaxed.

2. The head should be in line with the torso and the torso should be in line with the legs at all times.

3. There should be a slight body lean when starting and accelerating. At maximum speed, which usually takes about 4-5 seconds, the body is more straight up with tall hips.

4. The feet should be dorsiflexed (pointed up) at all times except when striking the ground. Feet should strike the ground on the balls of the feet.

Checkpoints for proper arm action:

1. Use the shoulders (and not the elbows) to pump the arms as fast as possible if you are trying to increase speed. When you are in the middle of a long distance run, good arm action can make a big difference in your performance. The hands should be relaxed in unballed fists with the front hand rising up to about nose level and the back hand passing the buttocks.

2. Move each arm as one piece with the elbow bent at 90 degrees. Arm action should be straight forward, up and down and never flailing side to side.

Checkpoints for proper leg action:

1. The faster the running speed, the higher the heel on the rear foot should kick up. When the foot leaves the ground, it should follow a path straight up to the buttocks. It should not flail from side to side.

2. The knee raises up to where the thigh is almost parallel to the ground. The foot then drops down below the knee (knee angle is about 90 degrees).

3. At top speed, the drive (pushing) leg should be fully extended to the ground.

It’s a good idea to practice good running mechanics at all times until it becomes second nature to you.

Dumbbell Chest Press

This is a great exercise to tone triceps (grandmother arms!) and to burn fat and build muscle in the chest and anterior (front) shoulder areas.
1) Sit in an upright position on the ball with a DB in each hand. (You may rest each DB on the corresponding thigh.)
2) Start position: Lie on your back and bring the DB’s to your shoulders.  Your legs should form a 90 degree angle at the knee bend.  Keep your torso straight and flat.  Press the DB’s up directly above the chest with palms facing forward.
3) Lower the DB’s keeping your forearms close to your body and your hands aligned at the nipple line.

The Pushups On The Stability Ball exercise is superior to regular pushups because you engage many more muscles, including the critical core muscles. The exercise also helps to improve your balance.

1) Get on your knees and place hands a little less than shoulder width apart onto the stability ball.

2) Align hands at the nipple line with your feet hip width apart on your toes. Extend your arms to raise your body. Your trunk and hips should be in a straight line. Don’t bow your back!

3) Lower your body 1-2 inches from the stability ball.

4) That is one repetition.

The next time you work out, try this great exercise!

When the average person thinks about flexibility and stretching, self myofascial release with foam rolls (SMFR) is not what comes to mind. Basic static stretching will probably be thought of first by most people. As was discussed in part 2 of this series, static stretching has its part in a comprehensive flexibility program. Flexibility is important in order to maintain elasticity in our muscles to help prevent injuries. SMFR should be a part of your flexibility program.

You can increase your elasticity in the muscles by improving your flexibility. This will improve your performance. SMFR is like getting a massage. The foam roller is one of the most effective techniques for releasing tension while improving mobility. Foam rolling exercises will release and organize your muscles, as well as release and align your skeletal system. Muscle injuries such as strains and tears and broken bones can be avoided with proper flexibility and skeletal alignment. You’ll immediately feel the effectiveness of SMFR and its something you can do every day at home. You will basically be your own massage therapist. Listed below is a summary of the benefits of SMFR:

1. SMFR releases tension in your muscles due to overuse, tightness and aging.
2. The SMFR process restructures and realigns your skeletal system.
3. The SMFR process improves balance and body awareness.
4. SMFR can be used in the rehabilitation process and massage therapy.
5. SMFR can be used for Pilates exercises.

Here is an example of a SMFR hamstring exercise:

1. Place hamstrings on the roll with your hips unsupported.
2. Crossed your feet to increase leverage.
3. Roll from knee toward posterior hip.
4. If a “tender point” is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%.

In part 4 of this series, I will cover rehabilitative flexibility.