Day 225 - What does it mean to be "fit"?

There are more and more arguments raging in the health and fitness industry presently about what a "fit" person really is. Some studies show that overweight, or "big-boned" individuals can still be fit, and that skinny, sedentary people can likewise be not-so-fit. Both of these cases can be true under the right circumstances.

There are also those individuals that try make themselves look or seem "fit" but really aren't at all. You may see that guy down at the local gym, bench-pressing 400 pounds and think to yourself, "Wow, that guy is really fit!" Or what about that female neighbor of yours who you see out running 20 miles a day and competing in multiple triathlons, you may also think, "Holy smokes, that lady is so fit." Keep in mind, overall fitness is not determined at doing one particular thing perfectly (the bench press) but being able to do a multitude of things really well.

One thing that we can agree on, however, is the fact that the world has a growing obesity epidemic, and that means there are many, many, many un-fit people out there.

One way many professionals like to test whether a person is "fit" or not is to use the BMI scale. Many of you are probably familiar with this. You can find the equation online, where you punch in your weight and height and it will give you a very general calculation. You then take that number and look at a scale to determine what "range" you fall in, such as "healthy", "overweight", "obese", etc.

The BMI system has many flaws, one of which is the way it groups all body types into one category. For example, a muscular football player may register a BMI of overweight or obese based on the amount of muscle mass that he possesses. The BMI scale can at least be an effective starting tool for the general public to let individuals gauge where they stand, and their dire need to lose some weight, but also shouldn't be used for everyone.

Another way the BMI scale is inaccurate is for the thin, sedentary people out there. Yes, we all know those people. They are the ones that, "Can eat whatever they want and never gain a pound!" There are certain individuals out there that have the body type that does not show much body fat, and if they were to test their BMI, they would receive a false sense of being "fit" because their height and weight works well in that calculation. The truth of the matter is that those of us that do not lead a lifestyle of regular exercise and a clean diet still pack on body fat, but can be in different places, such as packed around our internal organs.

Visceral fat, which is the fat that acts as protection and insulation around our internal organs, can be extremely dangerous because it has been shown to increase the likelihood of heart disease, insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes, not to mention certain cancers. Some visceral fat is fine, but too much is problematic, so even though your BMI tells you that you are "fit", don't think for a second that pounding back a Big Mac and "litre of Cola" is good for you! Plus, more and more studies have shown that active, "fat" people have lower mortality rates than sedentary, "skinny" people. This has led to the creation of a new term in the health industry known as "skinny fat".

So, you say, if I can be "un-fit" whether I am skinny or fat, what exactly is fitness? Well, as basic as it can get, your level of fitness is your ability to perform in this world. We all lead different lives, with different goals as aspirations, but for most of us, if we can follow the guidelines listed below that determine our fitness level, we should for the most part be happier, healthier individuals!

1. Body Fat Percentage - This is the percentage of your overall weight that is composed of fat, or "adipose tissue". A number to aim for would be 10-14% for men and 14-18% for women. Anything slightly below that is super-fit, anything above that and you can afford to lose a few pounds. Being too far under also carries additional risks, so unless you are training to be in the Olympics, these numbers are pretty good for everyone!  Excess weight has been shown to play a role in a myriad of issues from hormonal problems, impotence, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc. The list goes on. Get your body fat under wraps!

2. Aerobic Performance - This is your body's way of transporting oxygen. It is the ability to perform in physical activity much more efficiently (yardwork, exercise, sex) and recover quicker from those types of activities. If you are out of shape, climbing a set of stairs can make you gasp for air, whereas a fit person could go for a nice easy run for an extended period of time and barely increase their breathing rate. A nice way of seeing how "fit" you are is by testing your resting heart rate first thing in the morning. As soon as you wake up, before you get out of bed, check your pulse and count how many beats you have in 15 seconds then multiply that by 4, that is your resting heart rate. Generally, anything below 70 is good, below 65 is excellent, and if you are in great shape, you may be wondering if you heart is beating at all! *Note, your resting heart rate will be elevated if you are fighting a cold/flu or have a cold/flu on its way*

3. Muscle - I preach this all the time. Everybody needs to do resistance training, men and women, young and old. Once you hit the age of 30 (approximately) your body starts losing more and more muscle mass every year, unless of course you do something about that! Your body needs a certain amount of muscle to survive (like fat) for things like movement, protection, and heat. Not to mention, the more muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate is. That means, that you burn more calories even when you are sitting there reading this blog. Too much muscle can be problematic too though so don't overdo it, not that any of us really have the ability to overdo it without "cheating" (steroids). The more muscle we have, the better we can move things, including ourselves. Resistance training is short bouts of intense effort which stimulates certain hormonal productions in our bodies. These hormonal productions are vital to recycling old tissue and making fresh new tissue, reversing, or at least slowing the process of aging.

4. Stretching - Everybody should do a little bit of stretching every day of their lives. You do not need to be some zen-like yoga master that can fold your body up into a suitcase, but enough stretching to open up your muscles, ligaments and tendons to increase your circulation. Exercise and our daily lives cause muscles to shorten over time so stretching allows us to stay open and less prone to injury.

5. Balance - How many times have we all seen videos on TV or the internet of that silly old uncle falling into the pool, or toppling over the birthday cake because he lost his balance? Our balance deteriorates as we age, so it is vitally important that we practice our balance on a regular basis. Balance is the ability for our brain's internal computer system and mechanisms to control our center of gravity. The less you use it, the quicker it deteriorates. By training your balance you are keeping those neural pathways open so that your body can be more efficient at activating certain muscle groups to keep you from falling over!

6. Agility - This is somewhat related to balance, it is your ability to move your body in quick, sudden directions. If you are an athlete, agility is key to you performing better than your competitors. As you age, agility is key to you avoiding something falling from the ceiling, or a car that has jumped the curb, etc. I know, those are extreme examples, but even small things such as your kids or grandkids falling down is a great motivator to stay agile!

Quote of the day:
"If you don’t make mistakes, you aren’t really trying."
~ Unknown

Check out my new Website: tylerrobbinsfitness.com

Day 212 - 10 Great Health and Fitness Tips

It seems as though people try and over analyze health and fitness. This unfortunately leads to some folks getting discouraged and giving up on a healthy lifestyle. They seem to think that they need to exercise for this much time at this time of day and eat only these things at these times, etc.

Fad diets and fad exercise regimens come and go, but at the end of the day, there are a set group of "rules" I feel everyone should live by, which are listed below.

1. Be As Active as Possible - Those of you out there that are currently living a sedentary lifestyle will like this one. Rule number 1 is not about working out, but being active (don't worry, #10 is all about working out!). There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of tips people can do every day to help them stay more active. Here are just a few examples; park at the back of the lot when going to the store, you are then forced to walk a further distance. If you have grocery bags or something to carry on the way back, even better as it will be like a mini workout. If you work on the 3rd or 4th floor of a building, take the stairs. Obviously if you work on the 98th floor you will take the elevator, but maybe only until the 94th floor and then take the stairs the rest of the way. Little things like this should be permanently embedded in your brain to make you think of "how can I stay active today?"

2. Eat More Plants - No, I do not mean buying one of those "ready to cook" dishes and popping it in the microwave. The amount of processing those veggies have gone through to get to your freezer has sucked so many nutrients out of them. I mean fresh, whole, good old fruits and vegetables. I would say 70% of the stuff in your fridge should be fresh products that will not last more than a week. That way, you will be forced to eat them before they go bad, and two, by eating all of those fruits and veggies, you will be too full to fill your belly with other junk. Also, when possible, eat your fruits and veggies as naturally as possible (raw) because cooking can remove some of the vital nutrients!

3. Resistance Training - Most women (and some men) are afraid of getting "bulky". I am going to let you in on a little secret...it is extremely hard (if not impossible) for women and also men to ever become "bulky". You see, our bodies are designed to be lean and fast. Our ancestors had to chase down food and run from predators, etc. so your body does not want to be lugging around all of that extra muscle weight (or fat for that matter). Unfortunately, your body has no other choice but to store extra calories from overeating as fat, but I am getting away from the topic here. Yes, men have a higher affinity to build muscle because they have more testosterone, which makes it virtually impossible for women to ever become "bulky". Weight training (using resistance against your muscles) has a whole slew of benefits ranging from increasing your strength in muscles and ligaments, helping prevent osteoporosis, increasing your resting metabolic rate, etc. Weight training is vital for everyone to do; male, female, young and old!

4. Circuit Train - This is resistance training...done as a circuit. Many of you may have tried this type of training. The most wonderful thing occurs when you circuit train. Even though resistance training is considered "anaerobic training" or working your body without oxygen (basically), a well-designed circuit routine also works your "aerobic" systems of your body similar to running on a treadmill. This is due to the fact that when you burn your muscles, you are causing what is known as "microtrauma" to your muscle cells, where you body has to come in a repair to make you stronger for next time. How does your body repair your muscles? Well it increases your heart rate and improves your circulation. If done correctly, circuit training that works your muscles and your circulatory system at once should be the only type of training anyone should ever need (unless you are training for an endurance event such as a marathon, etc.). Not only that, but well-designed circuit routines have been proven to burn more calories than standalone cardio ever can, plus your metabolism is kicked into high gear for hours after the workout is over (including while you sleep!).

5. Change Things Up - Also known as "periodization", this is the idea that you should not be doing the same things all the time. Even you runners out there that want to train for a race should not just run, but do other full body exercises. When you do something, your body wants to do that particular thing as efficiently and effectively as possible so it strengthens you in those areas, also known as adaptation. Once you adapt to a program, your body stops changing and you hit a plateau. This is very common for people who want to get fit so they decide to take up running. Well, they get out there and run 5km, 3 days a week and see great results the first few weeks, losing weight, etc. Then, all of a sudden as if someone hit a switch, they stop losing weight. Its because their body is used to running and is no longer changing. This is why full-body circuit routines are great, you can constantly swap out different moves and literally have an infinite number of exercise combinations to keep your body constantly guessing...and constantly changing!

6. Train With a Purpose - If you are a soccer player, you would train your legs and core and heart to be a better runner and kick the ball harder, etc. If you are a gymnast, you train your flexibility and core strength, etc. Well for average people who do not have a specific sport to train for, you should be training your body to become more functionally fit for everyday life. This includes core strength to improve posture, leg strength to climb stairs into your old age, arm strength to lift your kids and play with them. Don't just do something just because it looks cool or is the new fad, do it because it is going to improve your overall health. For example, if you are a dad who coaches your sons soccer team and wishes to be more fit and active, going to the gym three days a week and spending 45mins of every hour doing ridiculous weight on the bench press and bicep curls may make your muscles grow a bit, but you are still going to be huffing and puffing trying to keep up with the kids. Take that for example right there, kids do a little bit of everything, they run, they jump, they swing from trees, adults should take a hint...

7. Stretch - Now that you are following rule #3 and doing some resistance training, remember to stretch as well. Nothing makes someone old faster than their muscles experiencing atrophy (decay) and shortening up as they get older. You see it in your older relatives, their posture is terrible, they hunch over, etc. This is due to a lack of strength training as well as a lack of stretching. It literally is the fountain of youth. Stretching not only opens up our muscles but also helps with joint mobility, circulation and injury prevention.

8. Core Strength - I touched on this a bit in #6, but core strength is something everyone should be focused on. Your core allows you to do the things you do in every day life. I don't just mean those "six-pack abs" here either, but your entire trunk. Everything from you "nipples to knees" is your core and all the way around your body. Not only will your arms and legs function more efficiently due to a strong core (healthy trunk makes for a healthy tree) but you will also be less susceptible to injuries, especially with your back.

9. Drink Your Water - Most of us are underhydrated, probably caused by our obsession with caffeine (diuretic). A properly hydrated body just runs more efficiently including digestions, our immune system, our thinking, etc. Not only that, but if you are underhyrated, your body thinks as if you are living in a dessert so it starts to retain water which can add inches here and there. Drink your water and eat raw fruits and vegetables as they are mostly water to stay hydrated!

10. Exercise - I told you I would get back to this one. As much as we all like to think, "Oh, I did the gardening today, that is enough exercise" or "I walked the dog, that is enough exercise" you are fooling yourself into thinking you are speaking the truth. Stop lying to yourself and get some exercise. Exercise is where your heart rate gets up high (much higher than walking pace) and stays there for a decent amount of time. For those of you starting out, 20 mins of exercise will be plenty, then as you get more fit and more comfortable with your changing body, you can increase the amount of time you work out. Keep in mind though that more does not necessarily mean better. Some people go from couch potato to 2 hours at the gym their first time out and can barely walk the next day. Unless you are training for the Olympics, most people will benefit from 45-60mins a day, 5-6 days a week. Yes, I had to sneak that part in...everyone should get at least 20mins of exercise 5-6 days a week...no questions asked.

Quote of the day:

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

~ Aristotle


Check out my new Website: tylerrobbinsfitness.com



Sponsored By:

Day 22 - Stretch to Succeed

Flexibility is part of your fitness too. There are central pillars to a happy and healthy body and flexibility is certainly one of them. Many people focus majority of their time doing cardio and even resistance training, but neglect their flexibility.

As we age, our muscles become more and more prone to injury because they lose their elasticity. Remember being a kid and bending over backwards at times and not feeling a thing? I am not recommending doing that any more, but I certainly advocate adding routine stretching into your fitness regimen.

I used to have pretty chronic lower back problems, which I eventually realized, probably stemmed from very tight hamstrings. I now stretch my hamstrings every chance I get (as well as stretching the rest of my body) and I have almost completely eliminated lower back pain!

By stretching, you help to increase circulation to your muscles, by allowing your muscle fibers to open up. This helps during recovery as well as increasing range of motion. By increasing your range of motion, you not only improve your athleticism, but you decrease your risk of injury as well.

Stretching to improve your range of motion also helps make your connective tissues (tendons, ligaments, etc.) soft and supple so that they can withstand the rigors of everyday life, not to mention intense exercise.

Quote of the day:
"Success is simply a matter of luck. Ask any failure."
-Earl Wilson

The Importance of Recovery

Recovery is an important component to any health and fitness lifestyle. Not only does your body need time to repair, but time 'off' can allow you to mentally re-focus on your goals and build motivation to continually succeed.

In the past, I have written about the details of Periodization. This is a training philosophy that has been used for years to train athletes. The fortunate part about periodzation is that the principles can be applied, with great success, to average 'weekend warriors' and fitness enthusiasts alike.

The idea behind periodization is that your training cycles or phases are broken up into 'chunks' of training - usually in 3-6 week blocks - to cause continual adaptation to the body. The idea behind this is that the body will continue to grow and change to challenges its faced with up until a certain point, where it will eventually "plateau" and no longer adapt to the physical demands that are placed upon it. Lately, periodization has been couple with buzz words like "muscle confusion".

One of the key concepts and practices associated with periodization, however, is recovery. Recovery is crucial to add into any exercise program so that an individual does not continue to push themselves to adapt. Continual adaptation to the body can lead to a reverse effect that can cause either short-term or long-term maladaptations.

Whether you are a professional or amateur athlete, or just a fitness enthusiast at heart, everyone can benefit from some time off. Now, let me be clear in saying that time 'off' does not necessarily mean sitting on your rump and doing nothing. Recovery periods can include physical activity, but generally, you are encouraged to decrease intensity for days of rest.

I believe that every individual should include at least 1 day/week of recovery, as well as at least 1 full week of recovery every 3-6 weeks of training. Often times you will feel the need for some time off anyways if you are pushing yourself hard, as your body will be needing time off to rejuvenate and repair.

Often times, I see individuals who have been training hard, feel the need to skip recovery days, or weeks, as they feel it will cause them to take a 'step back' and lose some of their momentum. This is simply not the case, as the body not only needs time to recover, but also does majority of its 'growing' during down time. I can understand the feeling of momentum and that 'go, go, go' attitude, day in and day out, but please listen to me when I tell you that recovery is vital to your long-term success!

Recovery time is not all that bad, however, as it allows you to take a step back and re-evaluate your situation. Below, I have detailed a list of positive things to remember during recovery time.

Mentally Re-Focus

I personally find when I am in a training phase, I have to mentally focus and be prepared to push myself as hard as I can for every given day. By pushing ourselves to our limits, we truly feel and see remarkable changes.

The problem with this is that by being mentally focused on a specific goal for a set period of time can not only become physically exhausting, by mentally exhausting as well. I find I can push myself harder knowing that I have a day off at the end of each week, or knowing that I have a recovery week coming up that will allow me to take a step back.

Not only that, but once I reach my recovery day or week, I can spend some time to mentally re-focus on my upcoming training block. That down time allows my brain to rest and not worry about getting up every morning to hit the weights or cardio training hard. I can just focus on staying mildly active and enjoy the journey my body is taking to recover so that I can come back stronger than before!

Physically Repair

This, I find, is where many people seem to be confused. Thinking that taking 1 day off, or 1 whole week off, can turn you into a little weakling overnight is just utterly wrong. Often times, when a recovery week is used in between training phases of a properly-structured workout program, some individuals feel that their muscles are just wasting away. This is simply untrue and you should remove this from your brain immediately.

First of all, the recovery time is used for just that, so that your body can physically recover. During recovery, your body is repairing tissue that you tore apart while working out so that you can come back stronger than before.

I see many people, while doing a program like P90X say, "After I took that week off between Phase 1 and Phase 2, I came back feeling weak!" You must remember that a program like P90X is specifically designed to continually challenge you in new ways so that you create a total-body transformation in a short period of time. Because of this, you are supposed to feel weak again after a week off, because the training modalities have changed to shock your body in new ways again (see "muscle confusion" or "periodization" above).

Stretching

A few blog ago, I wrote about a research study I read that indicated how helpful stretching is. I will fully admit that I sometimes neglect to stretch as much as I should after intense workouts. Either I am just too exhausted to put the time in, or I am running short on time, I tend to neglect my stretching when I need it most.

Having said that, I really enjoy recovery days/weeks because I can take my mind off of working my biceps/chest/shoulders/legs/etc. and focus on other things like balance, coordination, and my flexibility. Not only is stretching good for recovery, but it has been shown to increase strength as well!

"Muscle Confusion"

I mentioned this above, but I would like to discuss this a bit further here. I see many individuals at the gyms these days that go to the gym and do the same things day after day after day and never change their routines. If you are comfortable with your current level of fitness, and don't feel bored to death by doing the same things every time, then this will work for you.

On the other hand, if you wish to continually adapt and change, periodization is for you. Now, to separate periodization blocks, you will want to insert a recovery week in between phases to allow the body to fully adapt from one phase before progressing onto another.

Having said all of that, the recovery week itself allows a tiny bit of "muscle confusion" as your body is automatically going to be challenged in new ways.

Summary

Recovery time does not have to be all doom and gloom. For many fitness nuts out there, taking time off feels like they are taking a step back or losing momentum when this is simply not the case. Just remember to enjoy your days off as much as you enjoy your hard working days, as they are all a part of the bigger picture. All of these days combined makes for a healthier, better feeling, injury-resistant, and happier you!

Sources:
Photo - http://worldfitnessnetwork.com/the-truth-about-muscle-recovery-time-short-version/

Stretching to Improve Performance

You may have heard of the benefits of stretching and recovery before, but I will throw even more evidence your way. A study done by the Department of Kinesiology at Louisiana State University titled, "A 10-week Stretching Program Increases Strength in the Contralateral Muscle" found a strength increase in untrained individuals simply by stretching their muscles, not using any resistance training.

To test this, 13 untrained individuals participated in a 10-week stretching program while 12 other untrained individuals served as a control group. For the experimental group, the right calf muscle was stretched 4 times for 30 seconds, with a 30-second rest between stretches, 3 d·wk for 10 weeks. Strength, determined via 1 repetition maximum (1RM) unilateral standing toe raise, and range of motion (ROM) were measured pre-post. In the treatment group, the stretched calf muscle had a significant (p < 0.05) 8% increase in ROM, whereas the nonstretched calf muscle had a significant 1% decrease in ROM. The 1 RM of the stretched calf muscle significantly increased 29%, whereas the 1RM of the nonstretched calf muscle significantly increased 11%. In the control group, neither 1RM nor ROM changed for either leg. The results indicate that 10 weeks of stretching only the right calf will significantly increase the strength of both calves. Hence, chronic stretching can also induce a crosstraining effect for strength but not for the ROM. This study also validates earlier findings suggesting that stretching can elicit strength gains in untrained individuals.

What seems to be most surprising (at least to me) is that in this study, the untrained participants did not include any resistance training (that is known) to supplement the 3-day-a-week stretching program that they followed, yet they still experienced significant strength gains. Now, I am sure most individuals would eventually reach a point, especially if they are already currently active, where stretching will no longer elicit any strength gains. This is great proof, however, that stretching does at least aid in strength gains, or to the very minimum, maintain strength from being lost.

The applications explored at the end of this article discusses the advantages to using a stretching program for injured individuals who can therefore either maintain strength in their muscles or potentially even gain strength while being relatively inactive.

I know for myself, at least, I will be aiming to continue stretching as much as possible, especially post workout, as well as including stretch and recovery routines (i.e. yoga) to my weekly workout regimens.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Stretching

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching was first developed to help rehabilitate patients by relaxing muscles with increased tone or activity. These principles can be applied to any individual, however, and although it is generally recommended to perform these techniques with a partner, using tools such as stretching bands or belts can help stretch certain body parts while still maintaining PNF stretch techniques.

PNF stretching may be superior to other stretch techniques because it facilitates muscular inhibition by using both passive and active movements (concentric and isometric) and muscle actions. The biggest downfall of these stretch techniques however, is that many body parts require a partner to help achieve PNF stretching, and they must be done with correct form and technique in order to work properly.

There are 3 main types of PNF stretches that I have detailed below. In each technique, the first phase incorporates a passive pre-stretch that lasts 10 seconds. The initial pre-stretch is then followed by a 2nd and 3rd phase which varies by technique.

Hold-Relax

Following the initial 10-second pre-stretch, a force is applied to the muscle in question while the individual being stretching "holds" the stretch isometrically. The "push" that is causing the isometric hold should be resisted against by engaging the muscle in question. The hold is held isometrically for 6 seconds and then relaxes. The last passive stretch is then held for 30 seconds and should be of greater magnitude due to the "autogenic inhibition" caused by the isometric active stretch.

Contract-Relax

Following the initial 10-second pre-stretch, and similar to the "hold-relax" technique, a force is applied in an attempt to stretch the muscle in question. In the hold-relax technique, the individual is instructed to not let the body part move and simply hold the muscle isometrically while resisting the force. In the contract-relax technique, however, the individual should actually complete range of motion, concentric contraction and then relax. A passive stretch of greater magnitude can then be performed for 30 seconds.

Hold-Relax with Agonist Contraction

This technique is performed exactly the same as the hold-relax technique in the first 2 phases, except in the 3rd phase, not only is the muscle in question being passively stretched, but there is an agonist contraction. For example, if the hamstrings were being stretched, then during phase 3, the quadriceps would contract to further accentuate the passive stretch.

-Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS