Deeper Strength

The Mind Behind the Muscle

I’m not sure what the meditative term is for it but these days I’m sort lingering over, examining, and re-learning the details of strength training that I thought I learned a long time ago. Picking up heavy objects in a lot of ways is very simple stuff. But similar to sitting quietly and focusing on the breath, lifting those heavy objects can provide an opportunity for deep thought and detailed examination of many things.

From a neurological perspective, lifting weights is no different from dancing, painting, learning to juggle or singing. We think then we act on our environment and we create something. Initially we may struggle with the basics of these activities. We must think hard in order to perform the task at hand. We are learning a brand new skill–just like learning to walk or ride a bike. With repetition the neuronal connections between the brain and our limbs strengthen and we can perform our task with relative ease. If we choose, we can perform our task in a sort of autopilot mode: not thinking too deeply; mostly going through the motions.

We have another option. We can dig deeper into our task and explore it. If we continue to concentrate deeply we can develop an amazing connection to what we’re doing and have a rich, vibrant, and meaningful experience in the process. This is where I am in my weightlifting.

Visualization

Our connection to the strength process can and should occur even when we’re not touching a barbell. I’m talking about visualization, and it’s a technique where we create a vivid mental image of our performing a task. Interestingly, our brain doesn’t know the difference between imagining the task and actually doing the task. Our nervous system lights up as if we’re doing said task and if done correctly, the result may be a new personal record. An athlete–an Olympic weightlifter for example–using this technique will sit quietly and imagine himself effortlessly lifting a tremendous weight. Every detail is imagined: the fit of the clothing, the feel of the floor under his feet, the lights, the grip of the bar, everything. Eastern European athletes have used this technique for decades to great success.

Perfect Execution of the Perfect Set

Now, going into the lift, we should be focused on the task like an animal on the hunt. Now’s not the time to be thinking about groceries, our job, Christmas shopping, or the guy next to you admiring his biceps while he does silly little machine half-curls. The proper mindset has us in a hyper-alert state with an electric-type charge running to every cell in the body. This is a rapturous, invincible feeling. And it is a blissful state of mind. The set has been rehearsed during visualization and there’s no doubt about moving the poundage. The only thing left is to do it.

Re-Examining the Basics

I learned how to squat, bench press, deadlift, press overhead, row dumbbells, etc. a long time ago. I thought I knew everything about these traditional lifts. Over recent months I’ve returned to these lifts with much greater concentration. Part of this comes from my experience with Z-Health where we emphasize the learning of the very basic joint-by-joint foundational movements that make up our larger movements such as running, pulling, pushing, etc. Plus I’ve been reading work from some strength training greats: Pavel Tsatsouline, Marty Gallagher, and most recently, Mark Rippetoe. These men have decades of strength coaching experience under their belts. Their books, Power to the People, Purposeful Primitive, and Starting Strength have provided me with details and insights I could have never imagined on my own. So I’m returning to these basic exercises with very new eyes and a fascination I’ve never felt before.

Back from DC, Rested & Ready

I had a great time in the DC/NoVA area this past week. (Though the traffic there was bad enough to cause a desperate sort of insanity that simply doesn’t exist here–unless you’re caught up coming back from the slopes I suppose.) I laid off the weights but got in a couple of runs including an excellent track workout with a former client. We went 2×800, 3×200, and 2×100. Running at sea level was nice and wearing the Vibrams on a track was incredible. Can’t wait for further track workouts in those things.

New Eating Pattern

I also finished Marty Gallagher’s Purposeful Primitive and it’s given me some good ideas to play with. I’m going to take some ideas from the Warrior Diet and change up my eating just a bit. I’ll focus my eating on one large main meal in the evening, instead of consuming several small equal-sized meals throughout the day. I may have some fruit in the morning, a salad with protein for lunch, then post-workout I’ll consume a protein/carb drink, and for dinner, it’ll be a massive bunch of clean food: raw vegetables, more fruit, protein and plenty of healthy fats. I want to get stronger and get lean, so I don’t plan on cutting calories, but I’ll consume them in a different pattern. This is similar to changing up a workout. This method of eating is actually ideally suited to holiday feasting. I won’t go into all the hows and whys of the Warrior Diet but I’ll just say it’s an interesting concept and I’m curious to see what happens. I’m not following the Warrior Diet to the T but I’m adapting the general ideas.

New Workout

I’m on a quest to deadlift 500 lbs. at some point in the next few months. I also want to be fully prepared to ski and I want to keep some portion of a running base in place for more spring running. I’m doing a 4-week block. I’ll build in intensity for three weeks then back off the fourth week. I’ll lift three days and probably run twice. Sprint work on the track will be my main running workout. One day of skiing may replace a run day or lifting. It should look something like this:

Day 1: 3 working sets of 3-6 reps; add weight each week
- barbell clean & jerkbarbell high pulls
- barbell deadlift or kettlebell swings
- Romanian deadlift
- one-arm dumbbell row
Day 2: mid-distance run or rest
Day 3: Sprints in the morning then lift later in the day
- Sprints: I’ll start with 1x800m, 2x400m, 2x200m, 4x100m
- Lifting: 4 working sets of 3-6 reps; add weight once I complete 4×6 sets; execute lifts in different order each workout
  - bench press
  - back squat
  - pull-ups
  - hanging knee ups
Day 4: off
Day 5: 5-8 working sets or 1-3 reps
- Deadlift HEAVY: I’ll work up to heavy single sets using 90% or more of my max
- Hanging knee ups

I may need to play around with the sprint day. I want to be fresh and soreness free for sprints. I won’t run them all out. I’ll treat the sprints like my lifts in that I won’t max out every workout but I’ll still work at a high intensity.

Other Info

Post-workout nutrition will be vital. I’ll drink a big protein drink made with organic whole milk and I’ll probably eat an orange or banana. We’ll see what happens. I’m also using creatine daily. Z-Health joint mobility and nerve glides are indispensable daily tools for feeling and moving my best. My old running injuries are 99% gone. Finally, I’ve been making use of my health club’s hot tub after workouts and I’m loving it!

Recovery Strategies, Heat Acclimation Training for Cyclists, Healthy Lifestyle vs. Genetics

We’ve got three useful articles to point out. One deals with recovery strategies for runners, specifically why damage is a good thing. (I imagine this information will apply to other types of athletes–cyclists, swimmers, weightlifters/bodybuilders for instance). Another article discusses research into how training in the heat can increase cycling performance in both hot and cool conditions. Finally, research suggests a healthy lifestyle can affect cardiovascular health more than genetics.

When Damage Is A Good Thing

Steve Magness is a Washington, D.C. area runner and exercise scientist who writes a blog called the Science of Running. Recently he’s written a piece for Running Times called When Damage is a Good Thing. Magness does a good job of explaining the training adaptation cycle:

“We improve from training by putting our body through stress that it normally does not encounter. When the body encounters these stressors, whether it is a decrease in oxygen, increase in lactate or low glycogen stores, it responds by increasing our ability to deal with the stressors, thereby improving our running performance. The stress, recover and adapt cycle is the foundation of training.”

Most important to the article though is the discussion of how recovery methods such as anti-inflammatories, ice baths, and antioxidants may impede the adaptations we’re looking for. Magness states:

“All of this scientific theory and research sounds good, but what does it mean practically? It doesn’t mean that antioxidants, ice baths, Advil or taking a Gatorade while running is necessarily bad. It means using those items at the wrong time or after the wrong workout could negate some of those hard-earned training adaptations. The key is to understand when it’s beneficial to use those methods and when to avoid them.”

Read the whole article to understand the strategy Magness recommends. It’s certainly an issue worth pondering if you’re a serious athlete–endurance athlete or otherwise.

Heat Conditioning for Cyclists

Science Daily gives us an article titled Exercising in the Heat May Improve Athletic Performance in Cool and Hot Conditions. Researchers at the University of Oregon studied two groups of cyclists: one group underwent heat acclimation while training and the other group worked out in a cool environment. What did the researchers learn?

The study found performance increases of approximately 7 percent after 10 heat acclimation exposures. “In terms of competitive cycling, 7 percent is a really big increase and could mean that cyclists could use this approach to improve their performance in cooler weather conditions,” said researcher Santiago Lorenzo.

Healthy Lifestyle Wins Out Over Genetics

The final article, Healthy Lifestyle Has Bigger Impact on Cardiovascular Health Than Genetics, also comes from Science Daily. There are two big points from this article which discusses two studies.

To stay healthy in older age, five key healthy behaviors should be adopted while young. Those behaviors are: not smoking, low or no alcohol intake, weight control, physical activity and a healthy diet.
One of the studies states, “only a small proportion of cardiovascular health is passed from parent to child; instead, it appears that the majority of cardiovascular health is due to lifestyle and healthy behaviors.” Thus we see that poor genetics is sort of a straw man when it comes to determining our health. It’s our own behavior that’s far more important.

News: Food Addiction, Exercise and Colds, Rocker Shoes

Here are a few of the points on the scale that are used to determine if you have a food addiction. Does any of this sound familiar? If it does, you may be an “industrial food addict.”

Food Addiction

We’ve got several interesting fitness-related things in the news recently. First, from the Huffington Post comes Food Addiction: Could it Explain Why 79 Percent of Americans Are Obese? Here the food industry and its products are compared to the tobacco industry and their products. Turns out our junk food is skillfully crafted and manipulated by the food industry to make it highly palatable possibly to the point of being addictive. Key to the discussion is the following information from the article:

Researchers from Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity validated a “food addiction” scale.(i) Here are a few of the points on the scale that are used to determine if you have a food addiction. Does any of this sound familiar? If it does, you may be an “industrial food addict.”

I find that when I start eating certain foods, I end up eating much more than I had planned. Not eating certain types of food or cutting down on certain types of food is something I worry about.

I spend a lot of time feeling sluggish or lethargic from overeating.
There have been times when I consumed certain foods so often or in such large quantities that I spent time dealing with negative feelings from overeating instead of working, spending time with my family or friends, or engaging in other important activities or recreational activities that I enjoy.
I kept consuming the same types of food or the same amount of food even though I was having emotional and/or physical problems.
Over time, I have found that I need to eat more and more to get the feeling I want, such as reduced negative emotions or increased pleasure.
I have had withdrawal symptoms when I cut down or stopped eating certain foods, including physical symptoms, agitation, or anxiety. (Please do not include withdrawal symptoms caused by cutting down on caffeinated beverages such as soda pop, coffee, tea, energy drinks, etc.)
My behavior with respect to food and eating causes significant distress.
I experience significant problems in my ability to function effectively (daily routine, job/school, social activities, family activities, health difficulties) because of food and eating.

Based on these criteria and others, many of us, including most obese children, are “addicted” to industrial food.

Here are some of the scientific findings confirming that food can, indeed, be addictive(ii):

Sugar stimulates the brain’s reward centers through the neurotransmitter dopamine, exactly like other addictive drugs.
Brain imagining (PET scans) shows that high-sugar and high-fat foods work just like heroin, opium, or morphine in the brain.(iii)Brain imaging (PET scans) shows that obese people and drug addicts have lower numbers of dopamine receptors, making them more likely to crave things that boost dopamine.
Foods high in fat and sweets stimulate the release of the body’s own opioids (chemicals like morphine) in the brain.
Drugs we use to block the brain’s receptors for heroin and morphine (naltrexone) also reduce the consumption and preference for sweet, high-fat foods in both normal weight and obese binge eaters.
People (and rats) develop a tolerance to sugar — they need more and more of the substance to satisfy themselves — just like they do for drugs of abuse like alcohol or heroin.
Obese individuals continue to eat large amounts of unhealthy foods despite severe social and personal negative consequences, just like addicts or alcoholics.
Animals and humans experience “withdrawal” when suddenly cut off from sugar, just like addicts detoxifying from drugs.
Just like drugs, after an initial period of “enjoyment” of the food, the user no longer consumes them to get high but to feel normal.

Exercise & the Common Cold

“The most powerful weapon someone has during cold season “is to go out on a near-daily basis, and put in at least a 30-minute brisk walk.”
– Dr. David Nieman, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State University in North Carolina,

It’s always nice to see research that backs up something that we think is true. In this case, researchers at Appalachian St. University have evidence that exercise is possibly the best way to avoid colds. Read more in Regular Workouts Ward Off the Common Cold from MSNBC. The results of this study are in line with other studies discussed in the article.

There are all sorts of products out there such as Airborne, echinacea and zinc losenges that claim to shorten or prevent colds. The evidence on that stuff is spotty. The evidence on exercise and its preventative powers is far more solid. Exercise!

Rocker Shoes

An article from MSNBC, Do those funky shoes really promote fitness? discusses rocker or toning shoes, the increasingly popular shoes with a curved bottom. The claim by these shoe manufactures (Sketchers, Reebok, MBT) is that wearers will burn more calories when they walk around in these things.

A study by the American Council on Exercise suggests that these shoes do nothing of the sort. (Hard to believe? A magic shoe actually doesn’t lead to weight loss??) Participants walked all of five minutes on a treadmill while researchers monitored their heart rate, oxygen consumption and muscle usage (abdominals, butt, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves). (I don’t know that five minutes is an adequate amount of time in these things. Seems like participants should be monitored over the course of days or weeks). The article goes on to discuss the possible injurious effects of wearing these weird shoes as well as a a lawsuit brought by a woman who didn’t lose any weight wearing them. On the topic of the biomechanics and rocker shoes, this article by Denver-area chiropractor and gait specialist Dr. Ivo Waerlop, goes into deep detail as to why these shoes are a bad idea.

I see these shoes as the latest fitness fad pushed on people who are hoping and praying for a fitness magic bullet. (I love the fact that people are looking at their shoes and thinking about their calories! How about looking at your food???) This type of thing comes up frequently and the results of such stuff rarely lives up to the hype. I’ll be interested to see what happens to medium- and long-term wearers of these shoes. I think they’ll a) be disappointed in the weight they don’t lose and, b) possibly beset by chronic pain. If nothing else, they’ll be embarrassed that they ever put on those big clunky Frankenstein clodhoppers.

Thoughts on Getting Stronger

Get Strong!

I’m reading Marty Gallagher’s Purposeful Primitive right now and it’s fascinating. If you’re a fitness professional or someone who’s dedicated to exercise, then I suggest you check it out. It’s all real-life stories of Marty’s time in the trenches of big-time weightlifting. He profiles various elite strong men such as Paul Anderson and Ed Coan, bodybuilders such as Bill Pearl and Dorian Yates, and other freakishly strong individuals. Most interesting to me are their methods to getting stronger–and it’s all fairly simple: Lift Heavy & Use Perfect Technique. Barbells and dumbbells are the tools for the job. Lifting more is the task, not exhausting the muscle with 10-15 reps.

Go pick up something heavy!

Similar to Pavel Tsatsouline’s advice, lifting heavy for a very few reps–five and under–is the ideal way to get genuinely strong. There should be one very high quality “top set.” That is, there should be a few warm-up sets performed on the way to one all-out maximal effort set. Stop a rep or two before failure. The technique must be perfect. Lifting heavy can be dangerous. Going to out-and-out exhaustion is a good way to get injured.

This concept is in contrast to many of the popular gym classes in which participants lift very light weights for an endless number of reps. This won’t make anyone stronger. It may not necessarily be bad but it’s probably not the best use of your time if your goal is a) getting stronger or b) looking stronger. Now, this strategy can turn bad if you lift to the point of utter fatigue and your technique fails. From what I’ve seen of some of the “sculpting” classes and such, technique is not a prime concern of many instructors. “A few more reps!” does seem to be the primary concern though. But guess what, “a few more reps” won’t work any miracles for your physique, but if you’ve hit the failure point then those extra reps may well push you to the point of pain and possible injury. That may mean no exercise for you for a while.

Very few exercises are needed to create more strength. Squats, bench press, deadlift, overhead pressing, and various rows are essential. Complicated pulley machines are useless except to sell gym memberships. Plastic inflatable objects like BOSUs and Dyna Disks are junk that have more in common with kids pool toys than strength and muscle building implements.

Typical Gym Mindset

Whether we admit it or not, the main reason we’re in the gym is to look good–to look strong. Physique building developed from the old-fashioned strongmen–those guys with the funny bathing suits, handlebar mustaches, and who could hoist hundreds of pounds overhead with one hand. These guys were strong number one. The impressive physiques were a nice byproduct of their ability to perform. But most gym goers aren’t actually interested in being strong. The cart has become far more important than the horse it seems.

It’s quite funny to observe our modern fitness center environment. I often see people working really hard doing easy exercises! Popular ineffective waste-of-time exercises include partial range pec deck flyes, hunched over triceps extensions, and the always famous 50 reps of 1/4 inch wiggle cruncheson an odd, overly technical crunch machine.

These complex machines actually make exercise easier. Balance and precise control is eliminated from the process. Most of these popular machine exercises are done while seated or lying down. Sounds comfy right? But why come to the gym for easy exercise?? These machines allow for half-hearted effort disguised as hard work. Further, machine exercises tend to promote poor posture: forward head, hunched shoulders, tight hip flexors. This is the opposite of tall and strong. This is no way to achieve a strong physique!

Getting Strong is Fun.

My reading has caused me to rethink not only how I train myself but also how I train my clients. For a while now I’ve scaled back on the number of exercises I’m using and I’m focusing on training in that strength zone of 3-5 reps–maybe up to 8 reps–and avoiding failure at the end. Turns out lifting heavy objects does some cool stuff. First, it’s quite safe. Using perfect technique and working only to exertion but not exhaustion is the ideal way to avoid pain. Ending the workout just when fatigue begins to set in means we avoid aggravating the nervous system. Plus, knowing that you could’ve done just a few more reps means you’ll be raring to go at the next workout.

Further, picking up heavy objects does good things for our brain. Again, whether we really want to admit it out loud, some part of what drives us into the gym is self-image and/or self-esteem. We want to like ourselves more. Be it through physique change or performance goals, we exercise to make ourselves proud. So lifting heavy is a great way to feel a sense of accomplishment. As the weeks go by and the poundage goes up, you can’t help but get excited! And somewhere along the line you might accidentally create a better looking you. What more can you ask for?

Trainer? Therapist? What Do We Call Ourselves & What’s Our Role? Part II

Post Therapy

What comes after physical therapy? By various standards and regulations, personal trainers can’t claim to offer injury rehabilitation. That’s for physical therapists. Physical therapists are licensed by states where as the term “personal trainer” is very loosely regulated. But what happens when someone is finished with physical therapy?

Simply finishing physical therapy may not mean someone is ready to return to sport or vigorous exercise. As I discussed in this post, the damaged structure may be repaired, but the nervous system may still be on guard. Thus pain and tightness may persist in someone who has been technically cleared to exercise. He or she still needs the proper guidance in their return to physical activity. Are personal trainers prepared to handle this challenge?

“Personal trainer” has a negative connotation in some circles. According to some, trainers are undereducated, sloppy, and use unsafe methods to get clients in shape. From what I’ve seen, this opinion is often spot on. Many trainers are totally unequipped to work with anyone with movement dysfunction and/or pain. Most trainers are still caught up in machine weight training, bicep curls and simply making their clients work harder and not smarter.

What’s Needed

Seems like we need some other grade of exercise professional. We should have higher standards than the typical personal trainer. We should be in conversation with physical therapists, surgeons, chiropractors–even mental health professionals. The education requirements must be higher than what we see with the typical trainer certification. For good or ill, some sort of state licensure may be necessary if for no other reason to convey to our clients that we’ve reached a certain status.

The bottom line is a sizable portion of our population and potential clientele need help overcoming pain and poor movement. Many of these folks have gone through physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, acupuncture–all sorts of treatment and they may still be looking for pain relief. (The frustrating thing is, in my experience a good number of these therapists are also unprepared to address the cause of pain and dysfunction. Again, this is just my experience but in my quest to address my own pain, most of them never recognized that the site of my pain was not where my problems were rooted.) These people aren’t ready for the typical commercial “kick your butt” sort of workout. There is a clear opportunity here if we’re willing to step into the role of…. what? I’m calling myself a Movement Re-education Specialist.

Trainer? Therapist? What Do We Call Ourselves & What’s Our Role? Part I

A recent article in the Wall St. Journal titled Getting Fit Without the Pain got me thinking about a few things. What, for instance does it mean to be a “personal trainer?” How is that job viewed by the public and medical professionals like surgeons and physical therapists? Should some of us take on a different title? Further, do our experiences in the fitness setting match our job definition?

Physical therapists are charged with rehabilitating injuries and post-surgical patients. By various standards and regulations, personal trainers can’t claim to offer injury rehabilitation. Personal trainers help people exercise and get “in shape.” Personal trainers, by most definitions, are allowed only to work with people who are injury-free and completely healthy.

The Journal article states, “… fitness trainers shouldn’t attempt to treat, and certainly shouldn’t ignore, sports injuries, says Diane Buchta, spokeswoman for IDEA, a trainer organization. ‘We must refer those clients to a physician,’ she adds.

Injured vs. 100% Healthy

I’ll tell you as a practicing personal trainer/fitness professional/movement specialist–whatever my title is–that there is a significant gap or gray area between physical therapists and personal trainers. I don’t think I’ve met a gym goer over the age of 25 (including myself) who doesn’t have some sort of strange ache or pain. The vast majority of these people don’t quite fall into the “injured” category. They’re still active and their pain isn’t so severe that they’re prevented from coming to the gym and exercising. I think most personal trainers have similar clientele. If we were to turn away these folks we’d have no business whatsoever.

Still other clients I’ve worked with have pain that has proven resistant to physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, drugs… X-Rays, MRIs, neurological exams and blood work may all be normal. These folks assumed they were injured and sought what we might call the appropriate care–but they’re still hurting. Are these people injured? It’s difficult to say. Again I think I’m seeing a gray area, this time between “injured” and “healthy.” Maybe we need to consider the issue of pain vs. injury.

Injury, Re-injury & the Brain

Many of us have experienced recurring injuries. From Achilles tendon pain, low-back pain and whatever else-type of pain, we often feel great only to have the maddening issue return–often for no clear reason. Anyone who’s experienced this pattern knows how crushingly disheartening it can be when after a layoff, you feel good and with great joy you’re able to return to your chosen activity… only to fall back into the same injury pattern as before. It’s more than just physical pain. It’s a highly emotional and psychologically challenging obstacle to overcome.

To this point, the Peak Performance newsletter features an excellent article called Once Injured, Twice Fearful. (Peak Performance is an great resource. You can register for free and access many well-researched and well-written fitness and performance-related articles. For a fee you can access more of Peak Performance.) The main issue is how our brain is affected by an injury. We may reach a point where our tissues are healed yet mentally we aren’t yet prepared to return to our sport.

Most interesting to me is the discussion on the pain neuromatrix. What is the pain neuromatrix? Well, there is no easy answer. This is a theoretical construct that sort of consists of our perception of a threat and whether or not the brain decides that the threat is sufficient to create pain. For instance, we sprain an ankle. The damaged ankle is literally a potential threat to our survival (Not so much in 2010 but for most of human existence a sprained ankle may indeed have led to our starvation or death from the elements or predators.) The nerves in the ankle send a status update to the brain, the brain then interprets this information as damage and thus gives us pain. Why? Pain gets our attention. Pain will cause us to alter our activity so that we don’t further damage that ankle, thus we should survive longer. (In contrast, if we sprain an ankle while we’re running away from an erupting volcano, the brain may say “That volcano is a far bigger threat, so no pain for you–KEEP RUNNING!!!“) This is a fairly complex thing. Here’s a brief explanation. For further information, read Ronald Melzak’s paper on the topic.

Once injured, our brain pays particularly close attention to the damaged area. The neuromatrix keeps close watch so that we don’t re-injure ourselves. If all goes well, the tissue heals, we start moving normally and pain free, the neuromatrix senses no threat and the pain is gone. However, this close scrutiny by the neuromatrix may sort of get stuck in the “on” position. The tissue may heal but the athlete may still feel pain and anxiety at the prospect of re-injury. This often results in poor performance because the brain is focused on monitoring the area of injury and thus can’t devote full attention to sport skills.

So what’s the solution? First, simply explaining this psychological model to the athlete can be quite helpful in calming anxiety. His or her knowing that pain doesn’t necessarily equal injury can be very reassuring.

Next, we must modulate the threat as it’s perceived by the neuromatrix. If for instance a soccer player sustained a major injury on the field, simply returning to the field in soccer cleats may be perceived as a threat and pain and/or anxiety may be the result. Certainly then running, cutting, dribbling, etc.–playing soccer in other words–may be a huge threat.

(A more overt example of this type of situation can be seen in war vets suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Though the person may be safe and the actual threat long gone, any number of minor events may trigger extreme reactions such as panic attacks or violent behavior. The sound of a book dropped on the floor or trash bag in a yard may cause the sufferer to react in a way that’s vastly inappropriate relative to the actual threat posed by the event or object.)

The player must be gradually re-introduced to the movements and environment of soccer. Brief, easy jogging on the field; simple ball handling drills, and slow- to moderate-speed agility drills may be introduced as a way to ease the player back into the sport. Variables may be added as the player feels more confident. Speed, duration and predictability of drills may be adjusted. Opponents may be introduced. Playing surfaces may be changed.

A key part of this process is movement reeducation. An injury doesn’t only include tissue damage. The connection between the brain and the injured region (let’s say it’s the ankle) is also disrupted. Such a disruption means the ankle tissue may heal but control of the ankle may remain deficient. This sort of thing may cause pain–but it may not be ankle pain! A poorly moving ankle may cause pain at the knee, hip, back, anywhere along the spine, shoulder, even the jaw. Such is the nature of this highly interconnected system we live in called the body.

The Z-Health system has by far helped me more than anything in addressing my own pain as well as my clients’ pain. R-Phase is the introduction to Z-Health. With R-Phase we start to relearn the ABCs of movement. We reestablish control over every joint in the body: feet, ankles, knees, hips, spine, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, jaws and even the eyes. Through methodical, mindful movements we can very effectively reduce pain and increase performance very quickly. Here we recreate and reinforce the foundation for all our more complex movements such as running, stair climbing, shooting baskets, swinging a golf club, etc. We can then safely reintroduce our favorite sporting movements and activities. It’s a very powerful and exciting system.

Zone-based training is a key component for competitive cyclists looking to perform better. Determining the proper zones typically requires lab tests such as lactate threshold testing. A graduate student at the University of New Hampshire has developed an inexpensive way of determining

“Power is a very unbiased way of measuring your exercise ability, compared to speed, heart rate, or perceived exertion,”

The Bad News on Fruits & Vegetables

It may not be a huge surprise that most of us in this country don’t eat a healthy diet. Now the data is in and according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009, 67.5 percent of adults ate fruit less than two times daily and 73.7 percent ate vegetables less than three times per day. This information comes from an article in Business Week.

These numbers are in contrast to the goals of Healthy People 2010, a comprehensive set of health objectives set by the government. The goals of Healthy People 2010 were for 75 percent of people to eat at least two servings of fruit and 50 percent to eat at least three servings of vegetables every day. Despite these noble efforts, over the past decade there has been a two percent decrease in fruit consumption and no change in the vegetable consumption, researchers found. This program is failing. Why?

It’s hard to imagine that ignorance is driving our avoidance of produce. Who among us doesn’t know that fruits and vegetables are good for us? One issue is that low-income Americans are less likely to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables at affordable prices compared to affluent Americans. (For more on this issue, read about food deserts.)

Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at Washington University in St Louis discusses the affordability of fresh produce:

“Another factor that seems to impact purchasing fresh produce that is not clear in this report is the cost of fresh produce,” Diekman said. “With economic changes the last several years, the slight differences in consumption based on household income might be an important factor for health-care providers to address.”

(I find it tragically laughable that fresh produce–food that’s plucked right off a tree or a vine; or pulled right out of the ground–can cost more per calorie than a highly complex, laboratory engineered food such as a Twinkie, frozen pizza, or a sugary soda. This is what our farm subsidies are doing to us.)

Most interesting to me are the neurological factors behind what we eat, and why even though we know what’s healthy and unhealthy we still make unhealthy choices. Samantha Heller, a dietitian, nutritionist, exercise physiologist and clinical nutrition coordinator at the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Connecticut says the following:

“It is easy to fill up on fast food, junk foods, sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages. In addition, by eating these highly palatable foods — those high in fat, sugar and sodium — we alter our taste and mental expectations about how a food is ‘supposed’ to taste.”

“We end up craving these foods and the healthier fare is ignored. Thus, a sweet ripe peach does not taste very sweet to someone who just chugged a 20-ounce soda or ate a bowl of ice cream. The same with vegetables. The delicious taste of many vegetable pales in comparison with high-fat, high-sodium cheese burgers and french fries.”

This is a tremendous uphill battle we face as a nation. It’s this very issue that’s at the heart and core of our health care system. We’ve had heated debate on what form of health care we’ll have and how to fund the system. Yet we avoid the most significant factor in our health care, that is what we chose to eat or not eat. It’s too tough an issue for politicians to discuss as pointing out our failings at personal responsibility tend to anger voters. (In contrast, Michelle Obama has done a very admirable job of bringing attention to the issue of nutrition and obesity.) No number of doctors, drugs, or high-tech medical devices can offset our personal habits. I’m not sure that there’s a light at the end of this tunnel.

Denver Fitness Journal

All Things Health and Fitness by Kyle Norman, MS, CSCS, FMS, RRCA Running Coach