Lift for Strength, and for a Healthier Life!

Without a doubt, everybody could use a little more strength. Strength is useful and empowering, and enables you to experience life with greater enjoyment, as well as give you an edge when it comes to tackling stress and illness. Being strong means not having to ask for help in opening that jelly jar, or perhaps being able to carry those large tubs of cat litter in the house without straining your back. Not to mention building and maintaining strength as you age leads to higher levels of independence and lowered risk of falling or accidents.

Being stronger does not necessarily mean being bigger. In fact, when starting a strength training routine, most of your gains are made because of central and peripheral nervous system adaptations, as opposed to any real increase in muscle size. And for anyone that is concerned that they'll get too "bulky" by training for strength, perhaps they should talk to Mary Jeffreys, who at the meager bodyweight of 114 pounds regularly squatted over 400 pounds. Bodybuilders who seek larger muscles tend to train differently than strength enthusiasts, performing higher repetition ranges for many sets with many different exercises. The good news is that strength training can be successfully performed with just a few exercises performed for fewer sets overall.

Training for strength is fairly simple for the most part. Lift heavy things on a consistent basis, eat well, and get plenty of rest, and you will get stronger. However, a few simple fundamentals are essential to increasing your strength capacity.

1. Use fewer repetitions per set for your "top" sets, or the sets performed with your heaviest weights. This will enable you to use more weight, as you should fatigue by the 4th to 6th repetition. Repetition ranges of 2-6 are typically optimal for strength development. Total sets for these "top" sets usually range from 2-5 depending on goals and recuperative ability.

2. Rest a little longer between each set, preferably at least 2-5 minutes. If you perform each set with enough weight, you will need it. The more weight lifted, typically the more rest needed.

3. Don't train to failure every time you lift. However, you can utilize a version of the "conjugate method" popularized by Westside Barbell and lift at or near maximal weights more frequently provided you rotate the movements about every third or fourth workout. An example would be switching from flat barbell bench press for low repetitions to incline barbell bench press or dumbbell flat bench.

4. Always use a spotter for weight that is near your maximal capacity. If you are doing a set where there is concern about completing the final repetition, use a spotter. However, do NOT let the spotter do the work for you! "Forced repetitions" are a waste of time and only feed your ego and increase your risk of injury.

5. Depending on the exercise, do 1-3 sets of decreasing repetitions with increasing weight to warmup. For example, if my goal is to bench press sets of 5 repetitions with 315 pounds, my warmup sets would be 135 x 10, 225 x 6, 275 x 4, and then my "top" sets. The number of warmup sets depends on the weight used for the "top" sets---the lower the weight, the fewer warmup sets needed.

6. Try to increase the weight you lift by about 5lbs each week or two. Some lifts you may improve faster on than others, particularly if the exercise is new, or the poundage lifted for the exercise is higher than others.

7. Although you can build strength with nearly any weight lifting exercise, quicker gains are experienced with exercises that use large muscle groups and require heavier weight to be lifted. Examples include the squat, deadlift, standing overhead press, bench press, and weighted pullups. Although power cleans, snatches, and push presses are extremely useful for building strength, these are complex movements that should be taught by a certified strength coach.

Strength training can be extremely rewarding and fun, and the benefits can be seen rapidly, often within a few weeks. Keep things simple, and maintain a log to track your results. It can be helpful to consult a qualified trainer who can assist you with your program if you have questions.

Be healthy, my friends.

http://upandrunningatl.blogspot.com/

Staying Motivated

No doubt sometimes it's tough to keep to a fitness routine. Even seasoned fitness buffs like yours truly sometimes find it easier to push the snooze button and go back to sleep for that extra half hour. But I believe I can count on the fingers of one hand the times in my life where I regretted performing a session of training. Far more often than not, I feel better, have more energy, and end up with an entirely new perspective on my day.

Staying motivated to exercise can be at its most difficult when you are a beginner. Everything is uncomfortable, the exercise is hot and tiring, and you dread that soreness that often rears its ugly head those first few sessions. For most people, getting past the first few months is what will determine whether they will stick to the program, or drop out like 90% of the rest of the world.

Here are a few of my favorite tips for staying motivated, whether you have just started, or have been training for years:

1. Try a little variety in your exercise routine. Cross train with bicycling, yoga, weight training, martial arts, ballroom dancing, even bowling. Cross training can work muscles in ways you haven't used them before, and can reduce injuries and improve your recovery. Even professional athletes often have other interests that help keep them fresh and interested.

2. If you are starting out, don't train to exhaustion. Pace yourself. If you are in a group, go at your own pace, and forget being competitive. Keep in mind that everyone else started as a beginner too, and they are likely very sympathetic to your situation. Get a good workout, but be sure you leave the session with a smile, not a grimace.

3. Train, don't strain. If you are injuring yourself, you're probably working too hard, too often. Intensity is like a spice in a recipe, a little goes a long way. Injuries are highly demotivating, and usually come when you don't listen to your body and work within your limitations and capabilities.

4. Train with a buddy. Social support can be a real boost, and makes you accountable for not missing a session.

5. Or....train alone. Sometimes having a little private time after a busy day can be something very attractive to look forward to. A session of exercise without screaming kids, a demanding boss, or irritated spouse can really help you recharge your emotional as well as physical energy.

6. Set goals for yourself. Goal setting is a HIGHLY effective motivational technique. It could be weight lost over 6 months, improvement in your squat lift, or making a certain number of classes without a miss. Be sure that your goal is specific, quantifiable, and time-based.

7. Lift weights. Strength training is one of the quickest ways to shape your body to make you look and feel stronger. And a stronger, leaner body is VERY motivating!!

8. Make sure your loved ones are aware of your goals. Don't waste your time sharing your goals with others who are going to shoot you down and sabotage your efforts. Make yourself accountable by making public your fitness goals with those who will support and encourage you.

9. Reward yourself when you meet your target. Doesn't matter what the reward is, as long as it means something to YOU. Take yourself to dinner, buy yourself that nice outfit you wanted, or treat yourself to a massage. Anyone who has ever won an award for sports, academics, work, etc, knows how

10. Realize that exercise is not always easy, and that there may be rough patches along the way. If you train long enough, you will probably injure something eventually, or certainly have a few days here and ther when you just feel plain lousy. Remember that almost everything heals with time, and that injuries are usually opportunities to learn to do things better.

Also, if you really feel that bad, sometimes it's better to just take a break and come back to training fresh later. Keep a lifelong perspective on your fitness, and realize that although consistency in training is important, one workout missed is not the end of the world.

Be healthy, my friends.

http://upandrunningatl.blogspot.com/

16 Tips to a Healthier Exercise Program That You Can Do Today!

As promised in my last blog entry, here are some tips to a healthier and more successful exercise routine. There is a tip here for everyone, from experienced fitness buffs to absolute newbies. I originally intended on 15 tips, but I always like to surpass myself, so here are 16:

1. Vary your repetitions in weight training. If you normally do 4-6 reps for your "working" sets, take a couple workouts where you do 8-10. Also, vary the weight you use. Incorporate "light" days with your "heavy" days in your weekly schedule to avoid injury and improve recovery.

2. Train in a different environment to "freshen" your perspective. If you like to swim, try training with a different club for today. If you run on a treadmill, get outside and try a road or trail run.

3. Get off the machines and try free weights. Get someone knowledgeable to show you some basic movements, and give those a shot for awhile. Free weights improve balance, coordination, and require assistance from the other muscles to help stabilize your body, thus making you stronger throughout.

4. Try the freeweight barbell squat. It's one of the most important exercises you will ever do.

5. Legs and feet sore when you run? Perhaps it's time for new shoes, a flatter running surface, or a dropback in mileage for a week or two. Don't try to run through it.

6. Pick up a jump rope and use it. Here is a great video by a renowned expert in jumping rope, Buddy Lee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG0Vgww1XhY

7. Lift weights for strength a minimum of twice per week, using compound movements that work the major muscle groups of the body. Best exercises include: squats, overhead barbell press, deadlifts, power cleans, bench press, chinups (with weight if possible--otherwise your bodyweight is the resistance).

8. Perform aerobic exercise of 30 minutes or more in duration at least three times per week. One workout should be longer and slower (up to an hour or more), one should be moderate paced and continuous (@30 minutes), and one should be an interval session consisting of 15-30 minutes of alternating higher intensity exercise periods with light "active" (means you keep moving) rest. There are exceptions to this basic format for athletes, of course, but as a minimum this works well for most average fitness buffs.

9. Never exercise on an empty stomach (low blood sugar + exercise = VERY hungry later). And never exercise on a full stomach (anything more intense than a light walk could result in cramps and stomach distress).

10. Don't do static stretching before intense exercise. Rather, do a short warmup, then perform light dynamic stretching (movement stretching). Save the "stretch and hold" stuff for afterwards.

11. Get at least an hour more sleep on the days you exercise to help boost recovery. And try not to do a higher intensity workout on days you've had little sleep, or you risk injuring yourself.

12. Variety is important in training success, but not at the expense of consistency. Changing your workout all the time doesn't give your body anything to adapt to, and thus you don't improve. But doing the same workout every time, month after month, will certainly lead to stagnation. Look at variety as the spice in a recipe: a little goes a long way.

13. Feeling depressed? Get moving. Get up right now, go out the door, and walk around the block. Then come back inside, grab a couple light dumbbells and press them over your head 15-20 times. Then go call a friend and have lunch with them. Call me if you have to. My number is 404-583-8034.

14. If you're really out of shape, 3 bouts of 10 minute exercise sessions each day will work very well for you. Do 10 minutes of any exercise in the AM, then 10 more at lunch, then ten more in the evening. For someone very unfit, accumulation of physical activity is the key, don't worry about what kind, as long as it doesn't put you at an injury risk. Set the habit to get moving now.

15. Soreness is not a sign of a great workout, it is a sign that you did too much. Training a sore bodypart can lead to tendonitis or injury, and a long layoff. Rest it, work your way up slower next time, and you will train longer and safer.

16. Burpees are a great, great exercise, and can be done anywhere with NO equipment. Stand with your hands by your side. Drop down to a squat with hands on the floor in front of you, then kick your feet back as you drop to pushup position and bring your chest to the floor. As you push back up, bring your feet back to the squatting position, and without pausing, jump straight up as high as you can reaching your hands to the sky. Try to do 5-10 to start and work your way up to 3 sets of 20. A great standard is being able to do 100 in under 10 minutes. Here is a video on how to do the burpee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxrFducMgYQ

Be healthy, my friends.

http://upandrunningatl.blogspot.com/

15 Tips to a Healthier Diet That You Can Do TODAY!

Everyone needs a long-range plan to assure success in pursuing a healthier lifestyle. But it's equally important to find things you can do today that can help you become fit and healthy. Here are 15 dietary tips that you can do before your head hits the pillow tonight:

1. Eat breakfast. You'll eat less the rest of the day and burn more of your daily caloric intake as energy.

2. Subscribe to CSPI's Nutrition Action Health Letter. Only $10 a year, and you won't find a better cutting-edge nutrition source anywhere. You'll find them at www.cspinet.org.

3. Switch from whole or 2% milk to skim milk. Or at LEAST 1%.

4. Going grocery shopping today? Eat first, and you'll make healthier choices at the market.

5. Exchange water for every soft drink or fruit juice you would consume today. Eat the whole fruit instead for fewer calories and more appetite-satisfying fiber.

6. Instead of eating white potatoes today, try sweet potatoes.

7. Mix a half cup of cauliflower or canned pumpkin into a fruit smoothie. You won't taste the cauliflower, and just a half cup of the canned pumpkin will add almost 4 grams of fiber and nearly 400% of your RDA of Vitamin A (almost all as beta-carotene) to your smoothie. And yes, the pumpkin will taste fine as well.

8. Canned beans are incredibly healthy food choices except for one thing: sodium content. You can fix this easily by rinsing the beans in water before preparing them. Beans are an amazing source of energy, protein, and fiber!

9. "Good" fats are still fats, and still possess 9 calories per fat gram, which can pack on the pounds. Use them in moderation, but don't go 100% fat free. A little fat can actually help you to eat less because you become satisfied sooner and remain so longer.

10. Switch from Cream of Wheat cereal to oatmeal. One serving of old fashioned oatmeal (not the sugar-laden instant stuff) takes less than 3 minutes to prepare in a microwave, has only 150 calories (plus the milk), and will keep you feeling satisfied for hours.

11. If you are going somewhere where you will be tempted to overeat or eat something unhealthy, eat before you go, and make it a high-fiber meal. You'll be less tempted when you arrive.

12. Going to a buffet tonight? Only go through the line once, and use the smallest plate available for your meal.

13. Use evaporated skim milk instead of cream in your soups and sauces. Each cup has 80 grams less of fat and 600 fewer calories than heavy cream.

14. Eat a cup of non-fat yogurt every day. Make sure it has "live and active cultures" in it, and has no sugar added. Plain is best with your own added fruits. You will eat less throughout the day, be sick less frequently, and have better digestion.

15. Eat fish today, and at least twice every week. The omega-3 fatty acids will reduce your heart attack and stroke risk in addition to helping you maintain a healthy diet.

Next time: 15 tips to a healthier exercise program that you can do today.

Be healthy, my friends.

http://upandrunningatl.blogspot.com/

The Importance of Small Successes

Feeling satisfaction about what we do in our lives is an essential element to happiness. Our self-esteem is often based on how effectively we overcome the challenges of life and achieve goals we have set for ourselves. Often we set goals that are quite ambitious and long-reaching, and we feel very proud when we have achieved them. All anyone has to do is to look at the wall postings on a social networking site like Facebook to know that there are a lot of people out there who feel pride in their life accomplishments.

However, long-term goal achievement isn't the only way to achieve satisfaction in life. The pursuit of the perfect job, a beautiful home and family, or even completion of a marathon or triathlon are things that can take time to accomplish, and though they are marvelous and important achievements to reach for, they don't necessarily provide short-term happiness and daily peace.

This is why I counsel my clients to look at the value of "small successes" in their daily lives. Small successes are occurrences of positive events in your day-to-day existence that may seem trivial to others on the surface, but can help you to build and maintain self-esteem and keep you on a positive track to achieve those greater goals you have set for yourself.

Examples of small successes I have had recently include: I made my wife smile because I sold that old car, I promptly read the research journal that I always procrastinate on getting to, I cooked the perfect pancake for breakfast, and I learned how to play "Silent Lucidity" on my guitar. Trivial? Sure, to others perhaps, but these seemingly minor events sure made me feel better about things.

Embrace the small successes in your life today.

Be healthy, my friends.

http://upandrunningatl.blogspot.com/

Top 10 ways to be a "home" body!!!

Anyone who knows me knows I am a big fan of low-tech, no-frills training. I haven't trained at a health club in years, and have no intention of doing so any time soon. I believe fitness should be accessible to everyone, and that money and time should never be an obstacle to achieving a fit and strong body.

Yes, it's true. You don't need to spend $3000 on a treadmill, $2000 on a home gym, and $1000's of dollars for personal training, especially during a challenging economy. Nor do you need to sit in traffic, wait for equipment, and suffer the spandex-wearing masses that crowd the local gym. So here are some of my suggestions for saying no to the health club, and becoming a successful home "body":

1. Never buy equipment new. Virtually all of the home equipment I have purchased over the years I have acquired for pennies on the dollar from Craigslist, Goodwill, or as a last resort, second-hand sporting goods stores. Even electronics such as treadmills can be purchased for very little, and with a little maintenance, can serve you for a long time.

2. Free weights beat machines every time. A decent barbell set with dumbbell handles can be bought used for under $100 or less on Craigslist. You can often get the whole package of bench, weights, and dumbbells for less than $200. These will last a LONG time.

3. A jump rope costs about $10 and is one of the best exercises for fitness. Not to mention you can take it anywhere!!

4. A power tower allows you to do dips, pullups, and leg raises, and typically costs around $125 new, or much less used. It can take up a bit of space, so if that is an issue, try the Iron Gym pullup device for doorways. It can be had used for only about $10, or $20 new.

5. Many cardiovascular machines such as bikes and treadmills can be purchased very cheaply online from previous owners. Let them pay the depreciation for you! Also, if you don't mind getting creative in your program, you can acquire some machines such as a Healthrider or stepper for virtually nothing.

6. For a great exercise device that costs very little, try the ab wheel roller, available for about $10-15 at most sporting goods stores. Start out performing the exercise on your knees, and see if you can progress to a standing rollout. It's harder than it looks, and will give you GREAT core strength!

7. Keep in mind that bodyweight exercise can be done with very little if any equipment, and can be done ANYWHERE. Google "bodyweight exercise" or email me for help.

8. Can't afford a personal trainer? Of course you can. Many personal trainers now offer half hour sessions for as little as $30 for one-on-one, and less if you train with a partner. A few sessions can give you a great idea how to get started, and an occasional tune-up session thereafter can be a nice boost.

9. Personal trainer still too much for the budget? Then try group classes such as boot camps. These programs can cost as little as $12 per session, and the camaradarie and motivational support can really help in getting you going.

10. Not enough space to train? Yes, you do. I set up my first exercise area in a 2 bedroom 1000 square foot apartment, squeezed in between my couch and the computer desk in our living room. I was able to do anything from deadlifts to overhead presses to burpees. You may have to adjust your exercises to your space available, but don't give up because you don't have 500 square feet to devote to a home gym.

These are just a few suggestions. Yes, it is possible to train at home, for almost nothing. Sure beats having to wait for equipment, be harrassed by salespeople, and have to wipe someone else's sweat off of the benches. Not to mention you save gas, time, and money!!

Be healthy, my friends.

http://upandrunningatl.blogspot.com/

Exercise as the Culprit in Obesity? I Don't Think So!

My goodness. And all this time I've been wasting my time with that silly exercising stuff, which according to John Cloud of Time.com, is going to make me fat if I don't stop:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857-1,00.html

Here is my response to the editor:

To the editor,

Re the article "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin" by John Cloud: in the future, please refrain from publishing articles from writers who clearly have little or no training in the subject of which they write about. As an exercise physiologist with a Master's in Exercise Science and 17 years of experience in the health and fitness field, I am disturbed that you would allow publication of an article so incredibly inaccurate and irresponsible.

Simply making the comment about "turning fat to muscle" was enough for me to raise a red flag, but then going on to write that exercise could possibly be making people fat is just plain wrong. If someone eats too much following a workout, then perhaps they need to eat more consistently throughout the day (preferably making lower-glycemic food choices) and get a small, healthy, immediate post-recovery snack to restore and maintain consistent blood sugar levels. Overeating will likely result if blood sugar is allowed to dip after a workout, since low blood sugar can trigger an intense hunger response.

And to say that vigorous exercise leads to weight gain, and provides no health benefit compared to moderate exercise/regular physical activity is also wrong. Higher intensity exercise, even performed once per week, has been shown in research studies to provide protective effects for the heart greater than with moderate intensity exercise. And for the comment that the obese exercise more than the rest of us? I guarantee if you were to measure total daily caloric intake vs. expenditure of obese vs. fit individuals, it wouldn't even be a close contest.

Mr. Cloud has quoted a good many sources in an effort to make his case. However, his lack of knowledge on this subject is glaring, and it disturbs me that he is allowed a forum to disseminate such misleading information. It has been shown overwhelmingly in the research literature that regular exercise is highly effective at prolonging life, reducing cancer risk, and aiding weight loss. Articles such as this are irresponsible, and perhaps even dangerous, as they may convince those who perhaps most need to exercise to forgo the pursuit. In the future, I would hope that Time would be more careful before they approve such sensationalist nonsense.

Regards,

Ken Koontz, MS, CSCS

Be healthy, my friends.

http://upandrunningatl.blogspot.com/