How to Build Smart Muscle

Unusual perspective on how to build muscle without sacrificing lifestyle…

by Dr. Kareem F. Samhouri

Muscle building exercise theories vary from emphasizing only one muscle group per day or per workout, all the way to doing Turkish Get-Ups as your entire program. I’ve heard it all, and there’s merit in ‘almost’ all of it. The fact is, stress your muscles and they will grow; ‘stressing’ them means that you are taking them just past their failure point, and gaining either:

1. Muscular endurance or
2. Muscular strength

More muscle is your natural adaptation response when you take muscle just past it’s physiological threshold. The question is between muscular endurance (slow twitch muscle fibers) and muscular strength (medium and fast twitch muscle fibers.)

Generally speaking, if you perform greater than 8 reps of an exercise, you’re in the muscular endurance zone. There are plenty of exceptions to this when it comes to burnout sets, synergistic sets, and a bunch of other things that sound complicated but really are not. We’ll talk more about those in a moment…

When you want to build muscular strength, you’ll need to keep your repetitions low (8 or less), and keep your rest breaks long (2-5 minutes before repeating this muscle group.) By forcing your muscle to quickly and fully exert itself a few times until it is exhausted, your body identifies that you were attempting to lift something too heavy, and it grows bigger muscles to help you get it the next time. In other words, it pulls the quickest energy source, sugar, and demands energy from it right away. When it runs out, your body builds more sugar-consuming muscle fibers so that you can lift more weight the next time.

On the other hand, by repeatedly being able to do something, but running out of gas after 25 or 30 repetitions, your body identifies that it needs to get better at ‘pacing’ itself, so it builds more muscle fibers that thrive on oxygen; this way, your body can stop your muscle from ‘getting out of breath’ for awhile longer.

• Muscular endurance is great for running marathons.
  • These are slow-twitch muscle fibers.
• Muscular strength is great for ‘building muscle.’
  • These are fast-twitch muscle fibers.

Converting Muscle Fiber Type:

So, if the goal is to pack on some extra muscle, you’re going to need to either work with the muscle fibers you’ve got, or convert as many of them over to medium twitch as possible. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do about the number of fast-twitch muscle fibers you have, although you may want to pick your parents better next time 

Slow muscle fibers (endurance) can be converted to medium (consumes both energy sources, oxygen and sugar), and fast twitch (sugar consumers) can also be converted to medium.

Converting fast-twitch muscle fibers to medium twitch is never a good idea if your goal is to get lean or build muscle.
It’s very hard to switch back.

As a result, you’ll want to always incorporate some fast-paced strength training as a part of your workout program, independent of the periodization phase you are following. Even part of a workout every 2 weeks is enough to maintain muscle fiber type.

Conversely, once you change muscle fiber type over from slow-twitch to medium-twitch, do your best to preserve this metamorphosis.
Continue this form of training for at least six weeks to stabilize the switch.

Preservation of Muscle Fiber Type:

This is where things can really take off and start to accelerate your results. Instead of looking at ‘burnout’ sets as an opportunity to burn everything ‘left’ in your muscle, look at them as an opportunity to preserve fast and medium-twitch muscle fibers. So, sprint through these reps, cleanly keeping form, and stop when you slow down.

Pretty simple, huh?

Exceptions, Muscle Building Secrets, & Set Variety:

The rules listed above are correct, but with any good science, we learn of new and innovative ways to produce results. Then, we do our best to explain them with new areas of research. As a clinical Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), it’s my job to observe what’s happening clinically, read any studies that support this, or convey my findings for others to start performing the studies. Furthermore, I believe it’s my job to discover new methods.

In my opinion, research is lacking in most of the exceptions listed below, or it could at least be done much better to offer scientific proof. Many of these techniques I’ve borrowed from others’ ideas, and some of them I’ve created on my own. From the training floor, we know these work:

1. Reciprocal Inhibition Supersets & Giant Sets
   
   Reciprocal Inhibition is the concept that suggests when you use one muscle group, the neurological signal to the opposite muscle group is turned off, temporarily. So, in the case of wanting to exert as much effort as possible through a muscle contraction, it stands to argue that following every ‘strength’ exercise, you can use the opposite muscle group to ‘turn-off’ the signal to the muscle you have just worked. Thereby, you’ll get more from each of the following sets.
   Superset Example: Biceps Curls (strength set) x 6 reps, followed by Assisted Dips x 25 reps as your rest period, then repeating Biceps Curls.
2. Angular Supersets & Giant Sets
   
   Angular supersets (2 exercises back to back) and Giant Sets (3-5 exercises in a row, without rest) are extremely useful for muscle groups that have multiple actions or a large variety of muscle fiber direction. For example, your pecs have three muscle actions: internally rotate shoulder/arm, aDduct your shoulder/arm, and extend your shoulder/arm behind you.
   Each muscle action has corresponding muscle fibers that are directionally-oriented such that when they shorten, the muscle action is performed. So, there are certain positions that work well to get almost every muscle fiber, but they often miss others at the same time.
   Likewise, other exercises are really only meant for one section of one action of a muscle, like Bench Press. This is really only doing a good job of getting the middle and outside regions of your pec, but not necessarily the upper, lower, or inner.
   Angular supersets and giant sets can be used to get the ‘missing’ sections of the muscle from an exercise, thereby increasing the number of reps you’re doing, but not necessarily for the ‘missing’ muscle areas.
3. Synergistic Supersets & Giant Sets
   
   Synergistic muscle groups are muscle groups that work together to perform a common movement. An easy example to envision would be your lats (on your back) and biceps. In order to perform a pull up, you have to use your lats to pull yourself up, but your elbows are bending at the same time, so that’s your biceps. These muscles are working together, or synergistically.
   Since it’s very difficult to do a strength-based pull up set without getting your biceps involved, anyway, it makes sense to finish off the work you’ve been doing. So, biceps, and related muscles, are next in line, and without a rest break. Cumulatively, this adds up to more than 8 reps for your biceps (say 6 pull ups + 6 biceps curls = 12 reps for your biceps.)
   On other days, you’ll want to work your biceps first, even though you’ll sacrifice pull up strength. This way, you can hit a lower number of overall reps and cause faster muscle growth to take place.
   This type of set is important and relative for all closed-chain exercises, or exercises that look like squats, push ups, pull ups, and lunges; exercises where your hands or feet are fixed and your body is moving towards them.
4. Pyramid and Reverse Pyramid Sets
   
   This is where you start with a single rep of an exercise or movement, and then you do two reps, then three, etc. Often times, the rest breaks are minimal, or you are doing 2 or 3 exercises in a row before proceeding to the next rep range.
   Naturally, you are doing many more cumulative reps than 3 sets of 8 reps, or what have you, but you are allowing short rest breaks in between. This requires both endurance and strength, so it’s beneficial for medium-twitch muscle fibers more than anything else.
5. “Twitch” Sets
   
   “Twitch” Sets are used for purposeful selection of movement speed for the targeting a particular muscle fiber type. In other words, this is another form of muscle balancing, in that you are specifically targeting all muscle fibers your ‘strength’ program might be missing. So you’re taking time out to work on the ‘rest’ of your muscle by working muscular endurance back into the picture, but only for a portion of your workout.
   Here, you are generally using these 3 speeds:
   1. Superslow Method – 10 seconds, both directions
   2. Normal Speed – 2 seconds concentric, 1 second isometric, 4 seconds eccentric
   3. Sprint Sets – as fast as you can go, cleanly and with good form
6. Power-based Movements
   
   Power-based movements are incredible for building strength, especially functional strength that requires the use of your core to succeed with the movement. By slowly loading your muscle (eccentrically) and then exploding against gravity (concentrically), you are teaching your muscle how to generate massive amounts of work in a very short period of time.
   This is great for building muscle, but it comes with some inherent risk. If you are not an athlete and you’re not doing this for sport, it’s generally better to stay in the higher rep range and decrease your weight significantly. Aim for 12-15 reps, and sacrifice a bit of speed in muscle development for safety. You are already biasing your fastest-twitch fibers, so you’re good to go.
   Likewise, certain muscles in your body aren’t meant to get huge. For example, movements that require back stability are often, at least in part, endurance-based movements. For example, power-based pull ups are functional to do at a higher rep range, as this is pulling your bodyweight quickly. Think about this functionally — do you really ever have to pull more than your bodyweight quickly? If you do, you should train lower reps, but if you don’t, you have your answer.
7. Plyometrics for the Non-Athlete
   
   Plyometrics are bodyweight exercises that work on reaction speed and muscle timing. Muscle timing, in this sense, is the ability to fire opposite muscle phases, back and forth, as quickly as possible. For example, as you load your quads eccentrically when you land from a jump, how quickly can you get back off the ground, or use your quads concentrically?
   The faster you can change the phase of muscle contraction, the more you are biasing the fastest-twitch muscle fibers that you have. The goal in plyometrics is to run out of steam quickly, in just a few reps, so you are only utilizing one muscle fiber type when you selectively recruit them.
   This is amazing for power and athletic development, but there’s another hidden benefit here: Joint Stability.
   Joint stability increases as you train plyometrically, as there are many moments when your muscles are just a tad late, and your ligaments and capsules take a small, but repeated stretch. In time, they respond by strengthening, and being able to withstand more. The end result is improved joint stability.
   In the non-athlete, there’s no reason to risk injury by going absolutely as fast as you can, which would lower the number of repetitions you’d do. So, I usually recommend that you aim for 8-12 reps if you are not taking on this risk for increased performance for sport. Athletes are very well accustomed to taking on a controlled amount of risk for their sport, and they are also well adept at getting injured. If you’re just looking to build muscle or get lean, there’s no point in getting hurt…
8. Tonic Muscle Groups
   
   Your ‘true core’ is comprised of a different type of muscle tissue than other muscles in your body. These muscles have the job of stabilizing your spine and pelvis, so they need to be able to work at all times, instead of turning on and off, depending upon the action you need to perform.
   ‘Tonic’ muscles are postural, or ‘core’ muscles, while ‘Phasic’ muscles are reach and grab type muscles, that turn on and off repeatedly, and do so well, but they cannot sustain a maximal contraction for more than 10 seconds.
   Your tonic muscles are:
   1. Internal Oblique
   2. External Oblique
   3. Transversus Abdominus
   4. Multifidus
   5. Psoas
   6. …and depending on the source you read, Quadratus Lumborum
   These muscles should be trained with all phases of muscle contractions, and at all numbers of repetitions. In the case of isometrics (like a plank), work on building as much time as you can without losing form. This is the most functional way to train your ‘tonic’ musculature.
9. Postural Phasic Muscles
   
   As mentioned above, ‘Phasic’ muscles are your reach and grab muscles, as they do a great of turning on and off. Examples here might include your delts, biceps, triceps, quads, etc.
   However, what about muscles like your lats, pecs, erector spinae, rotator cuff, etc.?
   In these cases, your muscles are used throughout the day, but they don’t have the characteristic of tonic muscles that allow them to contract nonstop. Instead, they need to have incredible levels of muscular endurance in order to perform in real life. Simultaneously, because they are so important in daily life, they require adequate strength to perform.
   Postural Phasic Muscles should be trained both high repetitions and low repetitions, but low always comes first (8 or less). You can alternate days, or you can choose to always superset with high rep based, multiple speed-based exercises.
10. Functionally-Based Exercises
    
    At the end of the day, we’re talking about exceptions that have been tested and implemented to adapt to functional demands of daily living. This includes movements that require power, alternating motions, quick muscle recovery, or prolonged holding of posture or position. There are all sorts of functions of muscles that take place outside of the gym.
    If you can think of an activity that you currently do as a part of your daily living, albeit your career or at home, and there isn’t an exercise in your routine that specifically addresses this issue, you need to add that movement to your program and train it for muscular endurance. Equally important is to add any strength-based movements to your routine that simulate activities that require you to have strength.
    For example, an endurance-based daily activity you may perform:
    Cleaning the cabinets – overhead position, prolonged time period holding core in this position without arching spine, simultaneously lifting moderately-weighted objects from above.

A strength-based example might be:

Landscaping. Jumping into and out of the truck to grab supplies, up to 12 times per day. In this case, that sort of propulsion-based movement that requires coordination between your upper and lower body for jumping into the truck would belong in your exercise program, but for reps, and with specific form cues. You’d do less reps of this, because you only really need to be able to do it 1-3x every time its asked of you.

How do I engage my core?

Many of my clients ask me what is my "core" or "pelvic floor" and how do I engage it. Here is some information I found useful after a recent fitness conference. The presenter Rick Kaselj is a physiotherapist in Delta.

What IS the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is a sling of muscles connecting the pubis to the ischial tuberosities that act to support the internal organs and maintain the alignment of the pelvis. These muscles are the levator ani (iliococcygeus and pubococcygeus) and the coccygeus muscles. Pelvic floor dysfunction is defined as excessive tightness or weakness of these muscles and is often associated with problems in the SI joint, coccyx, hip or low back. As was mentioned in a previous post, a common cause of pelvic floor dysfunction is pregnancy and childbirth, regardless of whether birth was vaginal or via C-section.  Conditions related to the dysfunction include urinary or fecal incontinence and possibly pelvic organ prolapse, among others.

Why do we need to worry about it?

Not only can pelvic floor dysfunction lead to urinary or fecal incontinence and possibly pelvic organ prolapse (to name a few conditions), the muscles of your pelvic floor are also part of the core’s inner unit.  In addition to their function in supporting the pelvic organs, these muscles work in concert with the transverse abdominus, multifidus and diaphragm in stabilizing the spine during movement.

How do we activate it?

To activate the pelvic floor muscles, inhale deeply, as you exhale use your diaphragm to push some more air out. Try it again and this time, imagine you are trying to push the air out all the way from your pubic region. Another way to achieve this is to try and stop the flow of urine when you have to ‘go’.  A way for men to figure out how to activate is for them to picture themselves wading into very cold water. There will be an elevation of the perineum and testicles to prevent them from touching the water.

Once you can activate your pelvic floor muscles, you can do a variety of exercises:

• Squeeze ‘ems – rapid contractions of the pelvic floor muscles
• Elevators – imagine going up an elevator to the 10th floor, stopping at every floor for a moment. Start with a small contraction and increase the intensity at each ‘floor’
• Long slow hold – can be done in time with a long, deep inhale and exhale. Tighten on the inhalation and relax on the exhalation.
• Stoplights – when you are driving, tighten and hold the contraction while the light is red. When the light turns green, slowly release the contraction as you do your traffic check before pressing on the gas.

To isolate portions of your pelvic floor muscles, think of them as being a baseball diamond. Home plate is right around the vaginal area, second base is opposite home plate – the muscles surrounding the anus, first base is on the left side of the pelvic floor and third base is on the right side. Try to activate these areas individually by ‘running the bases.’ Start by pulling up on home plate, relax them and pull up on first base, relax and pull up on second base, etc. Then try and run them in the opposite direction. It is harder than it sounds and is really difficult for pregnant women or other people who are ‘disconnected’ from their pelvic floor muscles.

But how do we deal with a tight pelvic floor?

It seems counter-productive to activate a tight pelvic floor and, to some extent, it is. Part of learning to relax these muscles, though, is to recognize when they are tight. Using the ‘long slow hold’ exercise mentioned previously, focus more on the relaxation portion. Lengthen the exhalation such that the pelvic floor slowly and almost completely relaxes. This becomes very important for women in the final stage of labour when they are trying to push a baby through a vagina surrounded by tight pelvic floor muscles!

Take home message

The pelvic floor muscles are not obvious to you or your client. In the absence of a pelvic ultrasound, you won’t truly know their condition unless your client experiences pain and dysfunction so it is important to practice prevention. In my practice and classes I get many prenatal women who are unable to ‘connect’ with their pelvic floor. This is pretty common due to the baby and uterus pressing down on the entire floor. It is still important for these mothers-to-be to continue to find the ‘connection’.

More info

• Chiarelli, Pauline. Postpartum stress incontinence: Prevention and rehabilitation. ISMJ. (2003); 4(6): 1-10.
• Herschorn, Sender, MD, FRCSC. Female pelvic floor anatomy: The pelvic floor, supporting structures, and pelvic organs. Rev Urol. 2004; 6(suppl 5): S2-S10.
• Price, Natalie; Dawood, Rehana; Jackson, Simon. Pelvic floor exercise for urinary incontinence: A systematic review. Maturitas (2010); 67: 309-315.
• Salvesen, K & Morkved, S. Randomised controlled trial of pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy. BMJ (2004); 329: 378-80.

5 Foods you MUST east Now!

 5 foods that are beneficial to your health, and you might not even know it.

Food #1 Swiss Chard

Aging can create many different problems for people.  Wrinkles, lack of balance, and our eyesight can worsen, and are just some of the different things that happen with the aging process.  Swiss chard is considered a super food because of some of the amazing caroteniods that can be found in this leafy green vegetable.  Swiss chard contains high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin that have been shown to help with good eyesight.   These two caroteniods have been shown to build up in the eyes, which help with the way light rays enter our eyes and are absorbed.

Food #2 Pepper, Especially Capsaicin

So most of you are probably asking why pepper is on the list.  Pepper is a zero-calories food that can add a lot of flavor to your foods.  Not only does it pack a great punch to your foods, but capsaicin has been shown to have tremendous anti-inflammatory properties.  It has also been shown to be helpful in fighting some cancers because of its anti-cancer effects.

Food #3 Wheatgrass
There are plenty of juices out there that contain Wheatgrass which is chock full of vitamins and minerals that will keep you healthy.   Loaded with Vitamins, B, C, and E, this food can help to clean out your system and fight infections.   Not only does this food contain essential vitamins and minerals, but it also is a complete protein.  This food is full of the essential amino acids that our bodies require for building muscle.   The high concentration of vitamins helps protect the body from stress that our bodies are under daily.


Food #4 Tahini

Tahini is now found in most grocery stores as an excellent source of all the B vitamins as well as calcium.  B vitamins are essential in development of healthy cells in the body, especially red blood cells.   B vitamins can also help in raising metabolism, and help our immune system become stronger.  Tahini also holds a surprising amount of calcium, zinc, and copper.  The high levels of calcium can help keep bones strong and healthy, and might be responsible in fighting some cancers. Tahini also holds an abundance of fiber, specifically sesamin and sesomolin, which can have positive effects in lowering cholesterol.

Food #5 Avocado

This amazing fruit helps reduce inflammation through some of the carotenoids found in the green, fleshy part of the avocado. This vegetable also has a tremendous amount of fat, but the good fats that are beneficial to the body. The main source of fat is Oliec acid, which helps with fat absorption and also helps tolower the risk for developing heart disease. Avocados also have phytosterols, which keep inflammation in the body under control.

Top 6 Tips for Running in the Autumn

Here is a great post I saw on the Girl Get Strong Fitness website that I thought I would share. Top 6 Tips for Running in the Autumn Many runners will say that their favorite time of year to hit the pavement is fall, and I’m no different. There’s just something about that cool (yet, not cold) crisp air that makes you just want to get out there and, well, run! However, just like any time of year, there are a few quirks to running in the fall that you may not have thought of. Read on for six tips to make your next autumn run great whether you’re a seasoned jogger or new to the running game! 1. Dress in layers. I like to think of dressing for an autumn run like packing for a trip to San Fransisco — you can never have too many layers! This time of year the temperature can really vary from hour to hour and from in the shade to in the sun, so when in doubt, dress for colder weather with layers that you can shed as you warm up. One great tool for reference is Runner’s World’s What to Wear feature. 2. Pay attention to the time. The daylight hours are quickly dwindling, so don’t be surprised when your usual 7 p.m. summer run goes from bright sunshine to sunset. The same goes for the morning, as your usual sunrise run is now pitch black. While it’s always safer to run during the day, if you do choose to run in the dark, be sure to dress appropriately with bright colors and reflective gear. 3. Watch where you step. Sure the leaves falling around you are gorgeous, but unless you’re running on a flat track, those pretty leaves can cover up potholes on the roads, cracks on the sidewalks and other hazards that can cause tripping or, worse, face planting. (Been there, done that!) Wet leaves can also be slippery to run on, and it may even start to ice over or snow, so if you’re running during or after rain, be very careful out there. 4. Protect your eyes and skin. Now that the temperatures are cooler, you’ve probably pushed the sunscreen back to the depths of your bathroom closet, but don’t! The sun’s rays are less direct this time of year, but they are still plenty strong to cause damage or sunburn. Protect your eyes with proper sunglasses and all exposed skin with at SPF of at least 30. 5. Try a new route. There is no better time to switch up your running route than in the fall. Instead of running on a track or around your neighborhood, try trail running or a jog on a paved trail at a park with a lot of trees. Get out there and explore. 6. Enjoy the scenery. This is probably the easiest tip of all to follow — enjoy the natural beauty! Lace up those shoes and get outside somewhere new. The benefits of exercising outdoors are endless! What’s your favorite season to run in

Fat loss Workout Tip & Challenge

We all like to think we give 100% when we workout 

but the truth is that many of us (myself included) tend to slack of from time to time which means less fat burning and trouble staying at 

our desired weight, body fat, and fitness levels.

 

My job is to make sure you're working out as hard as you think you are ;-) 

With that said, why not try an outdoor challenge or a race 

like the Rubber Duckie Race here in Burnaby on Oct 16th.

Are you looking for a challenge 
or may be a qualitative test to see how strong and far you have progressed since joining bootcamp - THIS IS IT!

CardioCore will be at this race providing the warm up, water station and post stretch tent so come bye and say "hi!"

Need a bunny pacer? I would be happy to run a long side you to keep you company!
Give your CardioCore Conditioning Coach a call. They would be happy to help provide you will the tools to complete this race successfully!

The Rubber Duckie Race is 3 weeks away. More than enough time to train for the 5km (you run at least a quarter of that amount at bootcamp!)


For those who have attended a TRYevent before you can attest to the fun and scenic challenges TRYevents offers.

Can't make it to this race? They have a series of races all over the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island --> check it out here


Receive a $10 Gift Certificate when you REGISTER ONLINE WITH THE RUNNING ROOM.

 

Half Marathon, Half Marathon two-person Relay, 7 Miler, 5K & Kids Run

Race Course Description
This beautiful 21.1K & 7 Mile course circles Burnaby lake, giving you the opportunity to enjoy fresh air, exercise and more chances to view birds and animals in this wilderness environment. Join other walkers & runners on this scenic course throughout the trails of Burnaby Lake.  Located in the middle of the city, Burnaby Lake Regional Park is a stunning wildlife sanctuary. The lake was created by a glacier 12,000 years ago and its shores were home to sawmills in the late 1800's.

Event Name	Until Aug 1	Until Sept 6	Until Oct 11
Half Marathon	$50	$55	$60	Register Now!
7 Miler	$45	$50	$55	Register Now!
5K	$45	$50	$55	Register Now!
Half Relay (Teams of Two)	$80	$85	$90	Register Now!
Online registration closes on October 11th, 11:59 pm. You can still register during race kit pickup.

Receive a $10 Gift Certificate when you REGISTER ONLINE WITH THE RUNNING ROOM.


2011 Shirt, Clour, Design and Medal
TRY EVENTS is excited to pass on the news that our ROCK 10K Brooks woman & men sizing shirts were a huge sucess and we will be using them again for our 2011 Rubber Ducky Half race! Please register early to secure your shirt!

Shirt $25 value

Our new souvenir Brooks Workout Hoody $50
 

This is an extra option event souviner item that has a value by itself before the custom event screening of $60
We are able to offer you this with the custom event screening for $50. It is 100% Polyester and is crafted from moisture wicking yarns designed to ensure cool and comfortable performance like the shirts. These are unisex sizing and will have the event logo on the front and TRY EVENTS Follow the Leader on the back. (no names on the back like past events)

Parking

Finishing medals & Pancake Breakfast included!

How to do a Squat properly

Squats

This exercise targets your quadriceps, activate your core and just about every other muscle of your lower body including your glutes, hamstrings, and calves.

How to Squat

1) Stand as tall as you can with feet spread shoulder-width apart. Your lower back should be naturally arched. Hold your arms straight out in front of your body at shoulder level. Brace your core and hold it that way throughout the entire exercise.
2) Lower your body as far as you can by pushing your hips back and bending your knees. Pause and slowly push yourself back to the starting position. Your torso should stay upright and your arms should stay in the same position from start to finish. The tops of your thighs should be parallel to the floor or lower.

• keep your core tight and don’t let your lower back round.
• Keep your weight on your heels, not your toes throughout the entire exercises. You should be able to wiggle your toes at any given moment during your squat.
• Knees should always follow the direction of your toes.

If you are a visual learner, here is a good video to watch:

How to treat a hip flexor strain

Your hip flexors serve an important purpose in regard to daily functions. They allow you to bend at the waist and lift your knees. Motions such as kicking, running and jumping are made possible by these tendons. Once diagnosed with a pulled hip flexor, there are steps that can be taken to help treat the injury and get you back to sports and other daily activities.

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Ice
• Elastic bandage
• Anti-inflammatory medications

1. • 1
     Get plenty of rest. Rest will allow the tendon to heal and prevent further injury. Not allowing for a proper recovery time can further injure the tendon and may result in a tear. Typical recovery time for a hip flexor pull is anywhere from five days to several months, depending on severity.
   • 2
     Use ice to help reduce swelling and keep pain at bay. You should ice the area for 15 minutes at a time up to five times a day. Make sure not to apply ice to unprotected skin as this may cause irritation.
   • 3
     Consider using an elastic bandage to compress the area. This will further help to reduce swelling and help to stabilize the injured area. Keep the bandage tight enough to compress, but do not make it so tight that circulation is compromised.
   • 4
     Keep the area elevated. You can use pillows to accomplish this. This will help to keep fluids from pooling in the injured area and reduce swelling.
   • 5
     Take anti-inflammatory and pain medications as directed by your doctor. If the pain persists or gets worse your doctor should be contacted, so a new evaluation can occur.

Read more: How to run with a hip flexor strain http://www.ehow.com/how_8041346_run-hip-flexor-injury.html

What is a Hip Flexor Strain?

Hip Flexor Strain is a muscle (psoas) strain felt in the front part of the hip. It is often associated with speed training or compensating for another injury, especially Achilles tendonitis or plantar fasciitis. A ‘hip flexor strain’ or a ‘pulled hip flexor’ is an over-stretching or tear in the hip flexor muscle. The hip flexor muscle is actually made up of ‘two main’ muscles – the ilicus and psoas muscles. These muscles run from the back of the lower spine to the front of the thigh. The difference between a strain and a sprain - is that a sprain is an injury to a ligament, while a strain is an injury to a tendon or muscle.

Strains of the hip flexor muscle, like strains of the quadriceps, usually occur during sprinting or kicking, often as a result of an overload of the muscles, or trying to move the muscles too fast (as when kicking forcefully playing soccer or football or anytime sudden changes of direction are involved). 

Like all muscle strains, they maybe graded as mild (grade 1) moderate (grade 2) or severe, complete tears (grade 3).




What are the symptoms of a hip flexor strain?


 
The symptoms of a hip flexor injury can be graded 1, 2 or 3 depending on severity. 

• A grade 1 injury could consist of a ‘stretch’ of the muscle or a small micro tear in the muscle. 
• A grade 2 injury could be a partial tear in the muscle and,
• A grade 3 injury is usually a severe, complete rupture of the muscle. 

The player feels a grade 2 or grade 3 injury as a sudden pain the hip region during an activity requiring explosive muscle contraction (for example sprinting or kicking in soccer). There is local pain and tenderness and, if the strain is severe, swelling and bruising 

Grade 1: What are the symptoms?
The player may have tightness and pain in the front and very top of their thigh during a game but will still be able to walk properly. The player will usually notice the injury after cooling down or the following day. The player probably won’t have much swelling, but will have trouble or some mild pain when sprinting, kicking a football or changing direction quickly. Often the player may be able to finish the game.

Grade 2: What are the symptoms?
During training or a game, the player may notice a ‘sharp pull’ or ‘cramp’ in the front and very top of their thigh. The player may feel they have ‘strained their groin’. The player will probably be unable to walk properly and will not be able to sprint or kick a football effectively.

Grade 3: What are the symptoms?
The player will often feel a severe pain in the front and very top of their thigh while kicking or sprinting, which will almost always stop the player from playing. A static contraction of the muscle will be painful and might produce a bulge in the muscle. A player will be in severe pain and will notice swelling. However, complete tears of the hip flexor muscle are uncommon. In the long-term, they heal well with physiotherapy.

What can you do?

To see if you have strained your hip flexor muscle try the following maneuver: while standing, flex your hip such that your knee comes up towards the chest, then have a friend apply moderate pressure to pull the knee down while you resist. This test should result in pain similar to your symptoms.

If this is a grade 1 or 2 strain: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (RICE), as well as some gentle stretching exercises

You may be able to run just fine at slower speeds and shorter distances, but as the distance or speed increases; watch out - it can bite. Be sure to fully recover before resuming progressive training.

If you suspect this a grade 3 strain, see a sports injury professional (a physiotherapist or sports doctor) - who can advise on the correct rehabilitation and guide them back to training.

Killer Leg Combo

Weighted lunge. 
Place a barbell behind your back on your shoulders or use dumbbells resting on your shoulders or to the side for added resistance, then step forward into a lunge. The key thing is to make sure your knee does not go past your toe on your front foot. Step back to your original position and repeat with the other leg. This move is great for shaping your quads, hamstrings and butt (glutes).

Plie squat. 
Stand with your feet apart, at a 45-degree angle, holding a dumbbell in your hands. Just like a regular squat, lower your body and try to get your thighs parallel to the ground. This exercise is great for working the inner thighs, in addition to your glutes.

Weighted bridge. 
Lie on your back and dumbbell or weight plate on your stomach, then push through your heels to drive your pelvis up. Lower your pelvis and repeat the motion.

Prisoner jump squat. 
Put your hands behind your head, with elbows out of your perifial vision, squeeze your shoulder blades together, then squat down and explode at the top into a jump. When you land go right into your next squat to absorb the impact before jumping up again. This will get your heart rate up get your calves involved, in addition to working your glutes, legs and core.

For a Killer leg workout do these exercises back to back with a break in between sets. Aim for 3-4 sets. Reps with depend on your fitness level, anywhere between 10-20 reps. Let your body guide you - do as many as you can without compromising your form.

Breakfast that keeps you FULL

Vegetarian Egg Bake
Ingredients

• 10 egg whites, beaten
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat (2%) organic milk
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cups tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup salsa

Preparation
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine egg whites, milk, and pepper in a large bowl and set aside.
Spray a large, heavy skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 5 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and spinach and sauté another 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Transfer vegetables to egg mixture and combine thoroughly. Pour into a lightly oiled glass pie plate and bake 15 minutes or until eggs are set. Do not overcook.
Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature with salsa.
Makes 4 servings.
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Nutrition Facts
Number of Servings: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 96
Total Fat: 1 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 1 mg
Sodium: 315 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 11 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 11 g

Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas

If you are looking for meal ideas you MUST check out Jen-fits Playground!
She has a ton of free recipes and even more for members.

I love this recipe simply because it is super tasty, fast and inexpensive to make. Try it and let me know if you love this as much as I do :-D

*DON'T THROW AWAY THE CARCASS* Throw it in a crock pot and simmer for a few hours to make a useful stock fir future recipes or add veggies and quinoa to make a yummy soup.

Makes 5 servings (2 stuffed tortillas each)
Ingredients:

• 1 cup fat-free refried beans
• 2 cups green enchilada sauce
• 10 oz Rotisserie Chicken (Costco $4.99!)
• 1/4 cup fat-free cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped Cilantro
• 1/2 cup nonfat Greek Yogurt (VOSKOS is my favorite)
• 1/2 red or white onion thinly sliced and sauteed
• Cumin spice
• 10 low-fat, low-calorie corn tortillas

Directions:
Remove chicken breast from Rotisserie Chicken and shred. Distribute chicken evenly among tortillas.
Grease (spray) a small casserole dish.

Saute sliced onion for 3-5 minutes until softened. Add enchilada sauce and heat through. Pour a little sauce in each tortilla. Add a tablespoon or so of refried beans to each tortilla. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and Cumin spice. Roll tortillas and place (seam down) tightly in casserole dish.

Top with remaining enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with fat-free cheddar cheese.

Bake in oven at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated through (chicken is already cooked, so it shouldn’t take too long).

Serve with fat-free sour cream or with nonfat Greek Yogurt. We used Greek Yogurt to help increase protein.

Nutrition:
Calories 326
Calories from Fat 63.6
Total Fat 7.07g
Saturated Fat 1.67g
Cholesterol 38.16mg
Sodium 1160mg
Total Carbohydrate 40.23g
Dietary Fiber 4.42g
Sugars 2.73g
Protein 22.28g

10 Reasons you NEED to Start Stretching NOW!

 
Every body type, age, gender, size, race, religion needs to stretch.  
So this means YOU!

1.) Prevent injury
2.) Increase muscle-tendon flexibility
3.) Enhance performance
4.) Improve range of motion
5.) Increase sleep
6.) Alleviate muscle soreness
7.) Enhance well-being
8.) Decrease low-back pain
9.) Improve circulation
10.) Post-exercise cool-down


How does stretching work? 
Muscles get sore when their fibers remain partly contracted, from either overuse (such as too many rounds of racquetball) or underuse (too much time in the car). Tight muscles also trigger the body's stress response, which prompts them to tighten even more. By systematically lengthening those fibers, stretching helps ease muscles out of this semicontracted state. That makes it a great way to "cool down" after exercise. And the act of stretching itself builds body awareness: In slowing down to focus on each movement, you become less apt to use your muscles in harmful or inefficient ways.
 

When Is The Best Time To Stretch?
The best time to stretch is when the muscles are warm. Either after exercise or after a warm-up activity. This gives the muscles a chance to heat up and become more flexible. Injuries usually occur when people stretch muscles when they are cold or not warmed up. Stretches should be held for approximately 20 seconds. Think of your muscles as a piece of taffy, cold taffy seems to break when you try and stretch it while warm taffy stretches very easily.

How often should I stretch?
Frequency: Try to stretch every day; start doing each stretch once and build up to doing each stretch 3 times

Intensity: Light pressure, about 30-40% of max

Duration: Hold each stretch between 10 to 60 seconds depending on your current flexibility, conditioning, and time. Start slow and gradually build up the time you hold a static stretch.

If you are unable to stretch on a daily basis, a post-workout stretch is necessary. Or, as I advice my clients, incorporate stretches DURING your workouts . Typically, that means stretching the bodypart that has just been exercised. For example, if you just did a set of bicep curls, follow it up with a bicep stretch. Or, if you're doing multiple sets, stretch the bicep after the first set. This is a very time efficient way to incorporate stretching and to ensure you're getting maximum benefit.

NOTE: Don't bounce as you stretch; that only tightens the muscle you're trying to extend. And try not to stretch "cold": Wait until you've taken a warm shower or moved around a bit.

Fun Summer Family Fitness Ideas

As an active mother, to an active family, I am always looking for fun and exciting ways to keep the kids entertained during the long summer days or on a rainy day.

I found this list and a cute kid-friend workout video by Natalie Heckert 

Who says fitness can’t be fun! 

It’s a great time to get together with your children to stay in shape. 

Here are some fun summer family fitness ideas so get up, get outside, and have fun!

1. Go to a local school track so that everyone in your family can walk and/or run at their own pace, and still be within 200 meters of each other. Make a game of it: map out a bunch of tracks in your area and try to go to all of them this summer. 

2. Find a safe place to ride and go for family bike rides. Rails-to-trails paths are awesome, safe, and pretty flat.

3. Go on family hikes at local state parks. Hit as many different trails and parks as you can. Save the maps so that at the end of the summer you can see all that you’ve done.

4. Go on walks together in your neighborhood, and then if you get bored with that, drive to other neighborhoods and walk around there. You’ll probably meet a bunch of new people and get some new landscaping ideas for your house (this may or may not be a good thing).

5. Go to your favorite swimming pool/lake/ocean and actually swim. Even flopping around in the water is good exercise, and it sure beats just lying there baking in the sun.

6. Sign your kids up for summer programs. The YMCA, city recreation centers, fitness centers, racquet clubs, sport facilities and schools have various day camps, classes and workshops that provide a variety of activities. They include sport like soccer and basketball to more nontraditional activities such as martial arts, gymnastics or table tennis. 

7. As a family, enter some local 5K run/walk events. Most events are put on for raising money for a particular charity or cause, and it’s a great way to hang out with other like-minded people.

8. Play Capture the Flag with your kids. They’ll absolutely love it! Kids love to have their parents play
with them and to see them act like kids again.

9. Do some simple exercise (push-ups, sit-ups, stretching) with your kids every commercial.

10. Rent canoes or kayaks and go out to enjoy some calm (or rough) water. Most rental kayaks are very stable and are made with inexperienced kayakers in mind. 

11. At home ideas: Keep a variety of games and sports equipment on hand. They don't have to be expensive an assortment of balls (soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, and playground), hula-hoops, and jump ropes can keep a child busy for hours.

12. Walking the dog to simply playing with it provide an opportunity for activity. The Internet has lots of sites that offer exercise, zumba, dance, kickboxing, pilates and yoga videos for kids to learn on their own. 

13. Local parks: You'll find basketball courts, tennis courts, football fields, baseball fields and soccer fields at area parks. Some offer more unique activities like Frisbee golf, croquet fields, horseshoe pits, miniature golf courses, and skateboarding areas. 

14. Other ideas: Bowling, laser tag, ice skating, roller skating, golf, in-line skating, canoeing, gardening, swimming, cycling or simply taking a walk are a few more simple ideas to keep your student active this summer.

Get up, get moving, and have some family fitness fun this summer!

 

Benefits of Balance Training

The Many Benefits of Balance Training
By Ryan Krane

In order to improve your balance, and a little thing called proprioception (which I'll explain in a moment), in comes BALANCE TRAINING. But what is proprioception, you ask? It's just a big word for the body's ability to use information about your body and joints are in space.

So what can balance training do for you exactly?
There are numerous benefits, actually! Through balance training, your agility is much increased. Furthermore, your risk of falling over is lessened, due to your improvement in being able to properly balance yourself and better proprioception. Your overall coordination, posture, and balance are all boosted through the proper training. Thus, you'll get injured less, become stronger, and your stability will increase, even as you grow older.

Now that you know more about balance training and how it can help you, how about trying out some exercises to get the ball rolling? Try using a balance/exercise ball, and exercises that require standing on one foot. Yoga and Pilates are two great ways to improve your balance, but try that if you're willing to work on something more challenging!

Here are some visual examples of how we train our proprioception at bootcamp:

Using a stability ball

Using a Bosu

Using your own body weight