“Be bold. If you’re going to make an error, make a doozy, and don’t be afraid to hit the ball.”
A couple of weekends ago, I had the opportunity to attend a weekend-long seminar dedicated to the Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT) Jumpstart Program. MAT is a systematic approach for evaluating and correcting muscular imbalances that contribute to injury, impeded recovery, and compromised performance. MAT looks at muscle tightness being secondary to muscle weakness. It is a system of checks and balances that proves whether exercise is enhancing efficient motion or re-enforcing compensation.
As a class, we partnered up and performed a Range of Motion (ROM) evaluation in order to find potential muscle weakness. Next we performed a joint positional test to confirm that weakness. Thirdly, to address that weakness, we performed low-intensity isometrics to induce a response. We then retested the joint position and reevaluated the ROM. It’s a fantastic tool with a proven methodology unlike many assessments out there.
As a fitness professional, it is my job to provide my clients with an unparalleled exercise experience. If I am not able to help them, I feel as though I am doing them a disservice. I love learning and will continue to learn without feeling ashamed to ask questions or consult someone who may have more expertise. Fitness is a never-ending journey. We can at least take that journey comfortably.
“Masters focus on the basics. An unwavering foundation in the basics is the only way to fully understand and master anything advanced! Everyone is so interested in learning advanced techniques or information, but their grasp of the basics is so weak that they have nothing to build upon.”
"Advanced" is not better than "basic." Rather, advanced is built from a basic foundation. Only when the basics are mastered should one move onto advanced.
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”
There has been so much ignorant hype regarding juicing as of late. Juicing, as the trendy mainstream population calls it, is believed to be an efficient way to detox the body. I say our organs, most notably the liver and kidneys, do a pretty damn good job of that already. Plus, our immune system fights infection. There is nothing found in medical literature stating that juicing helps detoxify our bodies. By juicing, you are separating the juice from the fiber of the fruits and vegetables. Thus, you will not feel as satiated upon ingesting a “juiced meal.” Fiber is necessary to regulate blood glucose levels, cholesterol, and the GI tract. Secondly, in comparison with the amounts of fruits and vegetables needed to juice, you are consuming much more sugar than if you were to physically eat the fruits and vegetables.
So, is this juicing diet sustainable? No. You are depriving your body of necessary protein and carbohydrates. Yes, I said carbohydrates—your body’s primary source of fuel! Of course you will lose weight while juicing, but you are losing mostly water weight (i.e., 1 gram of carbs is equal to 3 grams of water), and your muscle tissue is breaking down as well (ketosis) due to not being supplied with adequate amounts of protein.
I’m not saying all modalities of juicing are bad. Just consider what you are doing first and how you are implementing the process. For short-term, immediate, necessary, cosmetic, satisfying weight loss, this will work wonders. For long term health, not the best way to go about it. Simply put: plan ahead and focus on long term benefits. Eat sensibly and live fully.
“It is historical continuity that maintains most assumptions–not repeated assessment of their validity.”
When I was in college studying exercise and sports science, and even nowadays at certain continuing education seminars, the terms primary and secondary movers are thrown around referencing muscles and their actions. I overheard a trainer the other day citing these terms with a client, so it got me thinking: it was only through the Resistance Training Specialist program, which emphasizes science, mechanics, and physical application, that I came to realize that primary vs. secondary movers is really an inaccurate description of muscles and their actions.
Primary, by definition, means first in importance, degree, or rank, while secondary means below the first in rank, or not as important. These definitions make sense, but not when they pertain to the muscles of the human body. First off, we cannot isolate a muscle. We can focus on isolating a joint position, but we cannot isolate a single muscle because there’s always going to be more than one muscle involved whether it’s trying to help or prevent motion. Muscles do one thing: they pull two attachment points together by generating force. The human body is designed for efficiency, which is why our muscles work in synergy. Whether they are helping motion or opposing it, this is still a synergistic effort around a joint axis. Because muscles work in synergy, they do not out rank one another. If you were able to take away one muscle from the effort or action you are trying to produce, you would not be able to perform that action—simple as that. Or your body would have to greatly compensate to even get close to attaining the desired outcome.
I’ve come to realize that no single muscle is more or less important than another. Our actions produce a concerted effort around the involved joints. Why do we have to put a label on everything? There are many terms and myths in the fitness industry that the general population and (unfortunately) “experts and professionals” misinterpret. But when you really stop and think about it, does it still make sense? As a fitness professional, I’ve come to the understanding that I must question and rethink everything. That’s the only way I’ll be satisfied. I will not accept something someone else tells me unless I am certain of it myself.
According to a recent NBC news report, running five minutes a day may be all you need to reduce your risk of death from heart attack or stroke by 45%. This isn’t news, really. Running is physical activity; running is exercise. Running is a form of challenge to the body, which the body must adapt to. The question is whether or not the challenge is appropriate. Not everyone should get out and run for five minutes, at least not at the beginning. If someone hasn’t run before, or hasn’t in years, or is obese or overweight, running may not be a good idea at all. Another form of exercise that challenges the body may be even more beneficial.
Each of us have a certain physical tolerance or threshold. We each have specific structural capabilities. Our current tolerance or threshold should not be exceeded and instead should be built up with proper micro-progressions over time. Because we are monitored by homeostasis, the body’s innate response/control mechanism, we will only adapt to what we’re being challenged by. The body won’t do what it doesn’t have to do (efficiency).
We need to assess our current level of fitness, make specific short-term and long-term goals for ourselves, and progress ourselves safely toward those goals. Don’t do something because everyone else is doing it. Rethink and question everything.
Exercise is a process, not a program, of stimulation and response/adaptation. It is the body challenged appropriately—an internal tug of war between muscles and resistance around bones and joints, which stimulate a muscular response. The exercise must have a specific joint position, but not necessarily a motion, depending on the goal. There must be a specific resistance, a specific time/duration, a specific effort/exertion, and a specific goal/intention.
As a Resistance Training Specialist, I’ve come to understand that there are no rules of exercise; there are only rules of the body and force. The structure of the individual will dictate her function and capabilities. If you don’t have the capacity or tolerance for details and no eye for precision, then you have no business working with the body.
You can walk into most gyms and see machines everywhere—up and down the aisles, back-to-back, side-by-side. Many times, these machines are being used incorrectly or not being used at all. There are even gyms nowadays that are not carrying machines, preferring to use their floor space for more “functional” training (a topic I won’t get into right now). Meanwhile, machines have gained a bad reputation because some people believe that they require less control and are too easy.
First of all, a goal must be established for an individual based on what would best serve her and her structure. I may not have a beginning, overweight 350 lb. client performing bodyweight exercises because they still have to contend with their own body weight. Taking into account their safety, joint structure, and capabilities, they may very well require offloading. Body weight challenge can be a great tool when utilized properly, but it should not automatically be prescribed for everyone. The idea that free weights are more neurologically challenging and require more control is also misguided. Again, it depends on the goal, the type of challenge, the intention, and the cueing from a trainer. Body weight and free weight exercises aren’t bad, and I often choose to incorporate them, but they often receive undeserved glorification from many so-called experts and fitness professionals.
Machines, when manufactured properly and hand-picked by a knowledgable exercise professional, can provide a phenomenal, unparalleled experience. Machines offer so much opportunity when coupled with a trainer who can recognize moment arms, lever arms, how much torque is being applied, where torque is being created, the resistance profile, and how it should match the individual’s strength profile, not to mention joint motion and position, time, effort, intention, and its effect on the individual’s structure. Most trainers look at a machine and write it off automatically without understanding how it works or the opportunity it provides. They see a big hunk of metal that takes up space—a useless contraption. But I see a masterpiece and endless opportunities awaiting a body ready to be built through resistance training.
“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough, we must do.”
It doesn’t matter how much we know or how smart we think we are if we cannot teach others, or if we aren’t able to succeed in getting our ideas across in a way that others might understand. As a personal trainer, I need to be able to explain ideas in more than one way, sometimes in ten different ways. Different people understand things differently. We are far from a one-size-fits-all population. The better I am at expressing myself, the better I’ll be able to reach others with my ideas and rationale.
Happy National Run Day! Get out there and jog a few blocks, or settle in with a few miles! Demonstrate your love to run, and reaffirm your commitment to fitness!
“How to Inspire the World to Fitness: Be Strong. Enjoy What You Do. Practice Patience. Stay Positive. Teach the “How” and the “Why.” Challenge Yourself. Dream Big. Love. Breathe. Lead. Change. Continue Learning. Be Kind. Show Courage. Empower Others. Lead by Example. Try Something New. Be Mindful. Never Give Up.”