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Desk Work – Dangerous to Your Health

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Desk Work = Sore Neck

 

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Who would have thought that office jobs could be hazardous to your health?  A person in a job that requires long hours of sitting in just as at risk for health problems as those individuals doing manual labor or heavy lifting in their jobs.

Some of the risks associated with desk jobs are:

  • chronic low back pain
  • weak abdominal muscles possibly leading to back problems
  • repetitive use injury such as carpal tunnel syndrome
  • weak gluteal muscles leading to low back pain, associated knee pain

Two of the best exercises you can do to help alleviate chronic neck and shoulder pain are listed below.  Upper crossed syndrome (tight chest muscles; weak back muscles) accounts for a host of symptoms from neck pain, headaches to shoulder pain and even numbness in hands and fingers.  Just by taking a few minutes throughout the day to do these two simple exercises will go a long way to restoring your posture and alleviating chronic symptoms.

Exercise #1 – Scapular Activation

 

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The scapula or shoulder blade is host to a group of muscles that help maintain overall shoulder position and health.  Shrugging shoulders and scooped neck positions cause a lot of problems with today's office workers. To perform:

Stand with arms at side; shoulders and head back.  Raise arms out in front so just above shoulder height, with hands in a fist position.  Bring elbows back keeping hands even with shoulders.  Squeeze elbows together.  “Stuff elbows into back pocket.  Relax and repeat 3 times.  Perform every couple of hours through out the day.

 

 

Exercise #2 – Cervical Alignment

 

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One problem that arises when sitting at a desk or computer for long periods of time is a forward head posture.  The chin moves forward as we look over paper work or the computer screen.  This causes problems with cervical vertebrae and will lead to neck stiffness and pain.  One way to overcome this is to restore the neck to its proper position by realigning the muscles.  To perform:

Start with hands at side.  Stand tall.  Bring arms out from side to shoulder height.  Allowing elbows to bend, bring back of hand to shoulders.  Allow arm to drop back to side.  Relax and repeat 3 times.  Perform every couple of hours throughout the day

 

Performing these two simple exercises a few times throughout your day will take 1-2 minutes but will alleviate a host of problems either already present or lurking in the background.

 

Till next time,

Narina

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Anatomy of a Lunge

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Almost every day you will see lunges being performed in the gym.  And, almost every day you will see lunges performed incorrectly resulting in knee pain and possibly knee injury.  I thought this was a great time to do a review of this very versatile exercise.  So here goes:

ANATOMY OF A LUNGE

The lunge is probably one of the most versatile exercises in our strength training tool box.  It gives you the biggest bang for your buck.  It is also the one exercise that is most often performed incorrectly.  Lunges can be an issue for knee health, especially when you lack the glute, hip and posterior chain strength to perform this movement correctly.

 

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Some of the benefits of performing lunges are:

  • strengthening the glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings
  • improves posture
  • develops core strength and stability
  • improves balance and coordination

The lunge is one of our primal patterns.  This is a movement that is stored in our brains from early development.  Unfortunately even though we are born hard wired with this movement pattern, over time we lose the ability to perform it correctly.


How to Perform a Lunge Correctly:

 

Start with an upright posture.  Think of making yourself as tall as possible.  This will engage the core muscles.  Keeping tight, take an long step out landing on your heel.  Lower yourself under control until the back knee almost touches the floor.  Once again keeping tight and tall, drive back off the heel to the starting position.  A good lunge when performed correctly should look effortless and smooth.  You should not see jerking movements through the upper body as you return to the starting position.  A longer stride in the lunge will work the glutes, hamstrings and posterior chain more.  A short stride lunge will emphasize the quadriceps.  Personally, I prefer the long stride lunge as this is also safer for the knee.

Some Common Flaws Seen in a Lunge:

Forward Lean – t

his can be caused by tight hip flexors or quads.  Or it can be a simple as being lazy and not working to keep the upper body posture strong throughout.  If you are in a hurry to complete the exercise, you may not be focused on keeping tall and this allows the body to lean.  Take your time and reset your posture before each rep.


Knees Cave In – If a person has weak glutes they are not able to stabilize adequately or decelerate the hip motion  This leads to the knees caving in That is where glute activation exercises (bridges, tube walking) come in.  You see there is a reason to be walking back and forth with those dang tubes around your feet!
Foot Caves In – This often seen along with the knees moving in.  Typically a muscle imbalance in the lower leg will cause this (tight calf muscles) and weak anterior tibilias muscles.  These are the reasons we do the calf stretching, ankle mobility work (specifically the toes up) before and after the workouts
Improper Landing – landing on your toes or pushing off from your toes is usually due to weak muscles around the hip.  If you lack the strength in the glutes and posterior chain to get you back to the starting position, then you will push off from your toes utilizing your quad muscles more.  Focus on pushing from the heel, not the toes.

Variations and Progressions of the Lunge:

 

The lunge is an exercise that can be started very basic and progressed to very complex and difficult.  Typical progressions of the lunge are:

  • static lunge (or split squat)
  • reverse lunge
  • forward lunge
  • walking lunge
  • rotating lunges

The progression for load of this exercise is:

  • bodyweight lunges
  • lunges holding dumbbells
  • lunges with barbell on your back
  • overhead lunges

I hope this gives you a better understanding of this most beneficial exercise.

 

Till next time,

Narina

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Just What is HIIT?

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There is always a lot of talk about the best method for losing body fat; the best method of doing cardio.  There continues to be old school thinking of steady state cardio or working in the fat burning zone – whatever that is.  Even though there is ample research out there, and has been for years now, that steady state cardio is not the best method of fat loss; there continues to be those advocating long boring cardio sessions.

Those that train with us at our studio know we are definitely not about long boring cardio.  Here we work hard and we work fast  Short and sweet, right?

The topic of today's newsletter came about from a question from a client and this was certainly not the first time I have been asked this.  The question was “What is HIIT and is it good for me?”

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training.

 

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It is not new; high intense interval work has been around for a while.  It just didn't have a fancy acronym to describe it.

High Intense Interval Training or sprint interval training is an exercise strategy that is intended to improve performance with short training sessions.  HIIT is a form of cardio which is beneficial to burning fat in a short and intense workout.    Source:  Wikipedia

A typical HIIT session will include a period of warm up exercises, followed by 6-10 repetitions of high intensity exercise, separated by a break.  A typical HIIT program may consist of Tabata protocols.

Just what is “Tabata”

The Tabata Protocol is a high-intensity, short interval workout that was intended as an interval routine for the Japanese Speed Skating team.  Named after the head coach, Izumi Tabata, Ph.D., who was the former researcher at Japan's National Institute of Fitness and Sports, this workout has been found to be extremely effective.

A Tabata routine involves 6-8 hard intervals that last 20 seconds each.  Alternate with 10 second rest periods.  Add in five minutes each of warm up and cool down, and you're done.  Short and sweet!

Tabata protocols and HIIT can use any form of exercise from dumbbells to kettlebells,  from ropes to treadmill work,  as well as body weight exercises.  The exercises can be combined in endless variations and stay within the parameters of the protocols.

These are demanding workouts and should only be done after a thorough conditioning base has been established  Variations of these protocols can be done or modified for beginning exercisers but the high intensity work of a full on Tabata or HIIT program should be undertaken only after a thorough background in all the exercises required has been established.

 

Till next time,

Narina

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Anabolic vs Catabolic

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Yesterday a question came up in our gym that I thought would be of interest to you.   What does the term catabolic or anabolic mean?  There are multiple complex chemical reactions taking place in our bodies at any given time, and I am afraid I would have lost you all to TV land if I attempted to pass along too much information.  I don't think it as important to understand what chemical reactions are taking place, as it is to understand there is science behind the way we train and the advice we pass along.

Okay, let's get to today's topic.  You may have heard the terms “catabolic” or “anabolic”.  These are terms that relate to chemical processes that occur in our bodies.  They are responses to not only exercise, but illness, stress, diet and even pharmaceutical causes.

Catabolic refers to the chemical reactions that take place when complex molecules are broken down into simpler ones.  For example, when muscles are strenuously trained the muscle fibers are damaged.  During this process cortisol is released which speed up the breakdown of tissues.  The key with training is to reduce the rate of catabolism.  If this is successful, anabolism is increased which results in faster recovery between exercise sessions, a better performance during a workout or event and an increase in muscle growth.

Anabolic refers to the chemical reactions that take place when different molecules combine to form more complex ones.  This results in creation of new cellular material.  This is necessary for growth, maintenance and tissue repair.  Anabolic processes refer to the building up of tissues and organs.  This could result in increased muscle mass.

Basically, these two different states refer to whether the body is building up tissue or breaking it down.  The goal is to try and keep the body in an anabolic state as opposed to catabolic.  The way you eat and train will affect the rates of these two different physiological states.

There are a few ways you can help your body remain anabolic vs catabolic.  These are:

  • Proper nutrition is paramount.  You should eat meals every 3-4 hours.  Not eating for long periods of time can cause the body to break down tissue for energy creating a catabolic state.
  • Never skip breakfast.  After sleeping for 8 hours your body is basically in a fasting state.  Provide nutrients first thing in order to create an anabolic environment.
  • At VWP, we don't do long workout sessions anyway.  But, for general fitness purposes, workouts should not be longer than 60 minutes.

Rest and recovery are as equally important as good nutrition and working out.  It is during the rest period away from the gym, that the body starts the rebuilding and healing processes that will make you stronger, faster and healthier.  That is why  your workouts need to be designed and implemented to allow adequate rest and recovery between training sessions.

Train smart, gets lots of sleep, eat well and often – your body will thank you.

 

Till next time,

Narina

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Myths Debunked!

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Today's post is all about myths.  It doesn't hurt to reiterate some facts as the same myths continue to float around.

Myth #1 – Low intensity Doesn't Work:

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If your goals are to change body composition, you need to work hard.  There is just no way around it.  The body is stubborn and change comes at a cost.  That cost to you is hard work and a high enough intensity that the body has to stand up and take notice.  Continuing to do the same workout, whether it is a weight program or cardio program, month after month with no variation is a recipe for "no change required."   Your body will only respond to the stress imposed on it.  Changing workouts is a form of stress – good stress.  So, those of you who train on your own – look at your program.  When was the last time you changed it?  For everyone – are you working out intense enough?  Last week's newsletter on HIIT – high intensity interval training – helped explain intensity and intervals.

 

Myth #2 -  Sit ups Give You a Flat Stomach:

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This continues to circulate and even some "trainers" are still doing sit ups and crunches.  If you are, stop immediately!  These exercises will not give you a flat stomach.  A flat stomach comes from the right workout combined with the right intensity combined with the right diet – period!  No amount of sit ups and crunches are going to flatten your stomach – end of story.  Well, almost end.  Sit ups and crunches are dangerous – high risk exercise for disc injuries.  Please don't ask to do crunches or sit ups; it is not our choice for core training.  Too much spinal flexion – so stop now, roll over and do some planks (isoabs) – remember your glute activation first though.

 

Myth #3 – Long Steady Cardio Will Burn the Fat:

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The only place and time for long, steady cardio (treadmill) sessions is with someone who is just starting to exercise for the first time or for recovery workouts after a high intense series of workouts or competition.  The only way to make changes to your body whether for performance or vanity is to perform high intense interval sessions.  Long, steady cardio has it's place when someone is just starting to exercise – a base must be built before high intensity work can be performed.  After that, long steady state cardio is unproductive and will not result in consistent weight loss.

 

Till next time,

Narina

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