Unstable v. Stable Surface

Many trainers beleive that working on an unstable surface (balance pad, disc, Bosu) increase activation of the "core" muscles. But a recent study completed at Eastern Illinois University looked at that question.  Using 12 trained men for the study.  The subjects were asked to do deadlift, back squat, curl and overhead press on both stable and unstable surfaces.  Two intensities were used as well, 50% of 1-RM and 75% of 1-RM.  Using EMG techniques to determine the amount of activation of the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis/internal oblique, external oblique and the erector spinae.

There was no difference between the 50% stable or unstable regardless of the lift.  Resceachers did find significant difference in activation of the rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis/internal obliques when comparing the 75% stable to the 50% unstable results.

The study concluded that there is no benefit to training on an unstable surface when attempting to increase "core" muscle activation.  So keep your feet on the floor.

More on this study go to the NSCA Performance Training Journal (Vol 8, Issue 5)

Recovery

One of the most overlooked aspects of training is recovery.  I believe it may be the most important aspect of all training.  Consider that chronic adaptions occur at rest.  Second, recovery is the time when your body refuels, flushes toxins and waste products as well as repairs damaged muscle.  So take it seriously.

Here are some of the ways I encourage athletes to recover from a workout. 

Warm down.  Spend some time getting your heart rate back to the heart rate you started the workout.  When I finish I walk or cycle until my HR is about 100 bpm.  The key is to keep moving as you bring down your HR.  I also begin to rehydrate at this time.  So sip some water as you bring your body to rest.

Next stretch/stick.  While your muscles are warm pratice some myofasial release using a "stick" or foam roller.  I travel with a "stick" in my bag, they are easy to transport because they take up little room in my bag.  Stretch each muscle group and spend a little more time an problem or tight areas.  Your body won't work to it potential if you are tight.  Flexibility will also help you avoid injury and be more competitive.

Eat and drink.  There are a number of studies that list the recovery window for food at 15-60 minutes after a workout.  The biggest reason for this is the muscles are full of blood and very accepting of protein and carbs.  The protein will  help repair the damaged muscle and the carbs will be stored for the next workout.  If you think it has to be an extravagant post-workout drink it doesn't, try low-fat chocolate milk, that should do the trick.  Getting water into your body is easy if you pay attention.  The simple formula for re-hydrating is 16-20 ounces of water for every pound lost during a workout.  If you don't know how much weight you have lost drink (over the next four hours) until your urine is pale yellow. 

If you have access to an ice bath take one.  Yes, and ice bath of 5-30 minutes will help reduce inflammation.  If you don't have a tub to immerse your body use ice packs on muscles and joints.  Think about a baseball pitcher after a game the first thing the trainer does is pack his arm/shoulder in ice. 


Compression tights.  These are great for increasing blood flow to the muscles.  I use "Skins" they are a little pricy but I can tell the difference.  I did find one study that showed evidence compression tights work for all athletes except that it did not have a significant effect on elite athletes.  The authors indicated that professional or elite athletes my be so well trained and cared for that the tights didn't have the same effect they did on lessor athletes.  Even so after some tough days I have slept in them and felt great in the morning.


Put your feet up.  If you can elevate your feet above your heart.  This will keep the blood from pooling in your legs and help flush waste products from your body.

Massage get regular massage from a MT.  Not only does massage increase blood flow and reduce muscle soreness a good therapist will find a trouble spot before the become an injury.  Best to get them after a tough workout (not before) because your body need some time to recover from the massage.

Get enough sleep.  Your body need seven to nine hours of sleep to recover from a hard workout.  Generally this is an area that we don't seem to complete.  Many seem to get less sleep than we need but getting enough is a key to both physical and mental health.  If you can't sleep at night try napping during the day.

Energy Requirements of a Strength/Power Athlete Part 3

Fats are not a bad thing! In fact for strength/power athletes can allow about 30% of their total Kcal intake as fats. This would limit saturated fats to 10% of total Kcal ingested per day. Strength/power athletes need fats for many of the same reasons normal population does, they must maintain a positive energy balance, they need to maintain triglyceride stores and support hormone production. Fat as is essential in digestion an absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, K, D and E.

High fat diets have been found to support higher circulating testosterone concentrations than low fat diets. This is important for muscle building both mass and strength. It also helps to combat the suppression of testosterone in athletes who overtrain.

Breaking downs fats in our diet focuses on mono- and polyunsaturated fats. About 10-15% of our total Kcal per day should be monounsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats should be 10-15% of total Kcal per day as well. These fats help to increase HDL cholesterol in the blood, lower total cholesterol and triglycerides. Omega-3 fatty acids (a polyunsaturated fat) also helps prevent inflammatory related diseases and cardiovascular disease. Omega-3 has also been linked to prevention of some cancers and bone loss during inactivity.

Good monounsaturated fats are nuts, avocados and olive, canola and peanut oils. Polyunsaturated choices include nuts, seeds, corn and safflower oils as well as soy. The best source of Omega-3 is cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines. Omega-3 can also be found in walnuts and flaxseed.

Lastly, an athlete should avoid trans fat as much as possible. Trans fats are found in processed foods, cookies, crackers, chips, fried fast food and margarine just to name a few. The key is to read the list of ingredients for anything hydrogenated. If a food has a hydrogenated ingredient avoid it!

Energy Requirements of a Strength/Power Athlete: Part 2

Like other nutrients we need to consider what type of carbohydrates (carbs) a strength/power athlete needs to consume. For example high vs. low glycemic index foods. The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbs based on the blood-glucose response after ingestion. Some nutritionists suggest that an athlete manipulate both high and low GI to enhance carbohydrate availability.

In most cases low GI carbs are the best choice prior to exercise or training. Foods such as vegetables, whole grains or fruit normally fit into this category. Carbs with a moderate to high GI are best post-workout as in recovery meal.

Strength/power athletes should ingest approximately 55-60% of carbohydrate in their total Kcal intake per day. The majority of these should be moderate to low GI rated carbs. The exception being post-training ingestion of carbs.

Energy Requirements of Strength/Power Athletes: Part 1

Daily energy requirements are divided into three areas; Basal metabolic rate (BMR), activity and thermal effect of food. Of the three BMR uses the most, approximately 60-70% of the total calories used each day. BMR accounts for calories (Kcal) used for the function of the organs, tissues such as the heart, lungs, skin or brain as well as muscle mass. BMR is determined by age, gender, body size and composition. The daily activity accounts for walking, work related activity as well as training or exercise. The Thermal Effect of food is the energy the body uses to digest and absorb food.

There is no better place to start talking about nutrition and strength/power athletes than protein. Numerous studies indicate numerous findings regarding protein timing, quality, source, amino acid uptake, you name it there’s a study. The best information is still a strength/power athlete needs about 1.5-2 grams of protein per kilogram (2.2 pounds=1 Kilo) of weight per day. That works out to about 12-15% of the total Kcal intake per day.

The last word on protein is to include some form both pre- and post-workout for lean muscle mass gain.

Are You Training Too Many Different Target Areas?

Just what are you trying to achieve with your training? Power, strength, endurance, there are many target areas athletes train to improve their performance.  The problem with many is the try to do too much in one micro- or mesocycle.  A microcycle lasts about one week of a four to six week mesocycle. 

There is no reason to try to target more than two or three areas per cycle. Think about some of the areas people work to train, power, maximum strength, endurance strength, speed, aerobic capacity and sport skill just to name a few. However, when you ask some people what they are trying to accomplish their answer is often all over the place, unsure or frustrated and in need of some help.

The problem with training too much at one time is performance gains decrease if several targets are trained simultaneously. Elite athletes have found the most success when they train two areas per cycle. They will train different targets over a number of micro- or mesocycles. Elite athletes train approximately 70-80% of the targeted area during a specific cycle. Some athletes struggle to plan out a year.  They may scrape a plan due to impatience, the latest fad or giving in to doing too much too soon.  Professional trainers or coaches clearly understand how to work the areas of performance that need time during different cycles of the year (macrocycle).  They understand periodization, how to deal with endurance versus power athletes and know the value of recovery. Consider most athletes train for a single competition season each year that gives a quality trainer a great deal of time to prepare an athlete to compete at their peak.

Lastly, an athlete may believe that he or she needs to play their sport year round to reach to improve performance.  Consider elite athletes do not play year round. But they do train year round (including some rest/active rest time). If the only thing you train is sport skill the chance of you getting stronger or faster is lessened. The key is to become the best athlete as well as the best player. That means training like an athlete.

Strength Science: Are You Using the Pyramid System?

Over the last fifty or so years the average number of set performed by elite weight lifters has been 32-45. Some it is as high as 50-52 sets. The change has occurred in the time or duration of each workout. In 1955-56 the total workout time was 2-2.5 hours, by 1963-64 workout took 3-3.5 hours. Since 1970 elite athletes divided the time into two sessions (some taking as long as six hours total workout time).

The biggest change has been in the study of chronic adaptations (or long term) and recovery time. Today an athlete will take as long as four to five minutes between sets on heavy days (some as long as 15 minutes). Why so long on heavy or intense days, recovery is the most important factor. The rest allows the body to recover ATP as well as reduce fatigue prior to the next set. This leaves the athlete "fresher" and able to produce greater adaptions.

Strength training studies show that the greatest adoptions occur when an athlete is not tired. Now we’re not talking about endurance strength we are talking about maximum strength. If you think about it why do sport coaches have a light practice the day before a game? Rest, recovery, bottom line is if the athlete is fatigued he or she will not perform to their maximum.

So here is a question. If fatigue is such a factor in performance why do coaches still us a pyramid-training model? That is a training philosophy that was used years ago. The philosophy used sets in ascending order (increasing weight) followed by a descending order of sets (lowering weight). Remember fatigue, well the ascending order led to premature fatigue while the descending portion was not effective since it was performed in a fatigued state. The fatigue led athletes to reduce the load they lifted leading to decreased performance as well as poor lifting technique. Elite lifters have not used this method since 1964.

Bottom line is strength training the best performance is when the athlete is fresh. Think less is more.

My kid is better than yours. No he's not, mine is!

I write about this a lot because I see, hear about and get questions about it more than anything else regarding kids. Kids and overtraining. Parents in their rush to a scholarship or the next great fill in the blank are part of the problem. So are schools, coaches and the guy who calls me to ask about it his 11 year old is ready for the stuff they do at the major university.

First after over 20 years in college athletics I know MOST kids will not earn an athletic scholarship. Among those who compete in college that played in high school, fewer will get significant minutes, start and earn any honor (like they did in HS). Of those, even fewer will ever make a living in professional sport. Any sport. I was asked once by a high school sophomore "how does an average player make it in the NFL," my answer, "they don't." The kid looked at me and said "but I work hard."

Yes hard work, talent, skill, discipline, confidence, maturity and genetics all play a role in successful athletics. The higher the level of competition the fewer the pool of qualified participants. That's the key, qualified. The moral is, it's more important that your kid have fun than now than wonder if he will ever be as good as that other kid.

Now what about overtraining. Overtraining happens when an athletes does too much too soon. He or she doesn't get enough rest (due to multiple reasons) in order to recover from the training. Now lets look at that 11 year old. The kid may be involved in multiple sports or teams or both all at the same time. He or she my have family commitments, school and homework, social pressure (yes kids are different than they were 20 years ago). So if the key to improved performance is rest, when? Between practices of the same sport. Maybe the kid will improve if you let'em get some rest because Kids are also growing at this time this is happening. Oh yea. Michelle We grew 10 inches in 3 years (age 14-16) and no one could figure out why he golf was suffering. Well Duh!

So let your kid get some rest. He or she doesn't need to play that many games in that many leagues, blah, blah, blah. Kids are not miniature adults! If you start to notice your child performance dropping off (the thing parents get on their kid about the most), has chronic muscle soreness or joint pain, personality change or a lost desire to practice your kid is showing signs of overtraining. So get him or her some rest or all the money you spent on that great club coach just went down the tubes.

Strength Training

There are many strength training systems and all fit a someones training schedule and goal. Circuit, single set, super set or compound set just to name a few systems.

Ultimately it all comes down to three factors for every athlete. First factor is your goal. Is it strength, hypertrophy, sport specific what ever the goal it is always the first factor. If you want to gain strength you're not going to spend a bunch of sets at 15 reps it will not help you achieve your goal (unless you're an untrained or novice athlete).

If you know what you want to accomplish then it comes down to how many days a week and the hours or minutes you have to get in your training. This is often the hard part. If you are recreational lifter it's not that big a deal. But if you are training for a specific event it is a factor. As an athlete you just can't miss sessions.

Many of the athletes I work with have jobs, kids, a spouse as well as other commitments. So often times we have 30 to 40 minutes to get in the work. If it's a power day we spend our time there, but on strength days I like to compound set everything (depending on time we have to work). Compound set allow muscle groups to get more recovery time between lifts while doing more total body work. For example I'll have the athlete for 4 different widths on the bench and compound it with bent over row using different grips and width on the bar. This allows us to work chest and back at different angles with less total recovery time. So we can do more work in less minutes.

For more information contact Dennis DiCamillo MS, CSCS*D, NSCA-CPT*D at 909-560-5230

Hey Golfers

To be the best golfer you can be requires that you have a excellent pillar strength. Pillar strength is described as between the shoulders and hips. Some trainers call this "core" strength but I believe that the anatomical region is better described as pillar. After all a pillar will hold something upright, much like the human body.

Here is a way to test if you have the pillar strength necessary to stabilize your hips and spine as you swing a club.

Sit flat backed against the wall. Slide down the wall so that your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Keep your feet and knees together. Be sure that you back, shoulders and head are touching the wall (look froward).

Lift your right knee (and foot) to test for wobble (how well do you stabilize yourself). Do the same with the left knee and foot. Repeat 3-4 times consecutively. Does your low back loss contact with the wall? Do you wobble or lean from side to side? Do you need to lean forward in order to lift your knee of the ground.

Want more fitness for better golf contact Dennis DiCamillo MS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT at
909-560-5230

From NSCA

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Hamstring Stretching: Comparison of Four Techniques

This study compared the efficacy of 4 different hamstring-stretching techniques. Flexibility can be achieved by a variety of stretching techniques, yet little research has been performed on the most effective method. The 2 basic types include active stretching, in which range of motion is increased through voluntary contraction, and passive stretching, in which range of motion is increased through external assistance. The 2 types of active stretching include neuromobilization and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF). This recent study aims to determine which type of stretching technique is most effective in improving hamstring length. One hundred subjects between the ages of 21 and 57 were enrolled in the study. Intrarater reliability of hamstring length measurement was performed using 10 subjects. All 100 subjects were included in a randomized controlled trial of 5 different groups comparing different hamstring-stretching techniques. Outcome measures, including hamstring length and perceived level of hamstring tightness, were recorded on all subjects initially, at 4 weeks, and at 8 weeks. After 4 weeks of stretching, there was a statistically significant improvement in hamstring length (p <>
Fasen, JM, O'Connor, AM, Schwartz, SL, Watson, JO, Plastaras, CT, Garvan, CW, Bulcao, C, Johnson, SC, and Akuthota, V. A randomized controlled trial of hamstring stretching: comparison of four techniques. J Strength Cond Res 23(2): 660-667, 2009.

The new "New thing."

ß-Alanine Supplementation does not Improve Performance of Body Composition After 10-weeks of Supplementation and Resistance Training.

Carnosine is a di-peptide which is synthesized in muscle and central nervous system tissue from histidine and ß-alanine. ß-alanine supplementation and/or resistance training has recently been linked to increases in muscle carnosine concentrations. It has been postulated that increases in carnosine improved buffering capacity which corresponds to improvements in anaerobic and aerobic exercise performance. Very few studies have examined the effects of ß-alanine supplementation coupled with resistance training on muscle carnosine concentration and performance. Therefore the aim of the present study was to examine a 10-week resistance training program coupled with the consumption of 6.4 g/day of ß-alanine. Twenty six physical education students were randomly divided into a ß-alanine and a placebo supplementation group. All subjects resistance trained four days per week for 10 weeks and took 6.4 g ß-alanine or placebo per day. Biopsies, performance, and body composition were assessed prior to and after the 10 week intervention. There were no significant increases in whole body strength between the ß-alanine(+19.67%) and the placebo treatments (+17.46). Additionally, no differences in isokinetic strength were noted between the ß-alanine (+12.1%) and the placebo (+12.6%). When body composition and body mass were examined there were no differences between the two treatments. The ß-alanine supplemented group did express higher muscle carnosine concentrations after the 10 weeks of supplementation when compared to the placebo treatment. Based upon these results it was concluded that supplementing the diet and training with Beta Alanine doesn't result in an ergogenic effect as indicated by muscle markers of muscle strength and changes in body composition.

Kendrick, IP, Harris, RC, Kim, HJ, Kim, CK, Dang, VH, Lam, TQ, Bui, TT, Smith, M, and Wise, JA. Amino Acids 34:547 – 554. 2008.

Weight Loss Products: Warning Expands

FDA Warns About 72 Tainted Weight Loss Products By Miranda Hitti

March 20, 2009 -- The FDA today expanded its list of tainted weight loss products that consumers shouldn't buy or use.

In December the FDA warned about more than 25 weight loss products that contain undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients that may be risky.

Now, that warning list includes 72 illegal weight loss products that the FDA wants consumers to avoid. Those products contain any of the following undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients:

• fenproporex -- a controlled substance not approved for marketing in the U.S.
• fluoxetine -- an antidepressant available by prescription only
• bumetanide -- a potent diuretic available by prescription only
• furosemide -- a potent diuretic available by prescription only
• rimonabant -- a drug not approved for marketing in the U.S.
• cetilistat -- an experimental obesity drug not approved for marketing in the U.S.
• phenytoin -- an anti-seizure medication available by prescription only
• phenolphthalein -- a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer-causing agent that is not approved for marketing in the U.S.

The health risks posed by these products can be very serious and include high blood pressure, seizures, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), palpitations, heart attack, and stroke.

Sibutram, a controlled substance, was found in many of these products at levels much higher than the maximum daily dosage for Meridia, the only FDA-approved drug product containing sibutramine. These higher levels of sibutramine can increase the incidence and severity of these health risks.

Fenproporex, another controlled substance, can cause arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) and possible sudden death.

For the FDA's full list of all 72 tainted weight loss products: www.agapefitness.com/articles_news.php

Is A Kcal a Kcal or is it Balance of the Macro Nutrients

Everyday read a new study about nutrition and is either saying a Kcal is just that or is states that you should be high protein or low fat or something else. One study says that it's important to have a low calorie diet the next says not to worry about calories just limit your carbs or fats. Whatever!

If you say that a calorie is a calorie than what is keeping from ingesting nothing but fats. That's right, all of your calories are fats! If you take in 2400 Kcal a day why not take in all fats. Probably not really that healthy. OK, how about all protein. That's great until you want to produce hormones or be sure you are getting your omega 3's. Then it must be all carbs. Maybe not because we need some protein as well as some fats.

Bottom line is we need to control our calorie intake or the extra Kcal's will be stored as fat justifying that too many Kcals is a bad thing. We also need to be sure we are getting carbs, fats and protein in our diets justifying that a Kcal is and is not a Kcal, we just don't need more that we need.

So we all are different. There is no simple solution for diet. Some of us will use more protein or carbs or fats than others. The only thing I'm sure of is I need to eat a well balance diet, but what I eat may not work for anyone but me.

2009 NSCA Personal Trainer Conference

I have just returned from this years NSCA PT Conference.  Lots of good information to digest.  You can look here for for info from many of the presentations.

The only thing I didn't like was the host city. 

FRS Low Cal Peach Mango

Here is a little on a product that I find beneficial.

What's in it? In no particular order.

Quercetin.  Quercetin appears to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities.  Found in green tea, apples, onion (red) and red wine.  It is a flavinoid and is marketed as a cancer fighter.

Some studies suggest the Quercetin has antihistamine properties and is promoted to help control allergies and asthma.  According to the American Cancer Society, a balanced diet may be the best source of Quercetin (duh) until more research is done.  You can find more at www.acs.org

B vitamins.  B1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 are found in FRS.  B1 and 2 help the body produce energy and affect enzymes that influence the muscles, nerves and heart.  B3 also effects energy production as well as maintaining health of skin, nervous and digestive systems.  B6 helps the body break down protein, helps maintain red blood cells, the nervous and immune systems.  B12 Aids with the production of red blood cells and the functions of the nervous system.  It also helps with how the body uses carbs.

Natural lemon, peach and mango flavor.  No such thing.  If it was natural it would be lemon or peach or mango juice (duh).

Locust Bean Gum. AKA carob gum and used most often as a thickening agent in food technology.  It is also a polysacaride made of galatose and mannose (sugars).

Vitamin E.  A cancer fighter and some believe aids in prevention of heart disease.  It has antioxidant properties.

Insulin.  Insulin is a hormone, a protein that helps body regulate blood sugar

Green Tea Extract.  The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that GTE resulted in a significant increase in energy expenditure and fat oxidation.  www.nutrition.org

Caffeine.  CAF is a psychoactive stimulant (acts on the CNS).  Nuff said.

Sucralose.  An artificial sweetener, the only artificial sweetener ranked as "safe" by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).  www.cspinet.org

Water.  Water is the first ingredient listed on the can (11.5 fl oz).

Bottom line, even though research doesn't indicate that the claims being made about FRS ingredients are absolute I still believe that FRS is a good product.  After all studies contradict each other all the time and find any organization that says that no more research is needed. That's how many get their money.

I like the stuff before a workout.  It's got a slight pick up when I drink it 1 hour prior.  It is not like Monster or some other "energy" drinks.  I've had one Monster drink, I thought my heart would beat out of my chest.  Then I read the ingredients.

FRS spokesperson is Lance Armstrong (pro cyclist) and is named for Free Radical Systems (FRS).

This is not an endorsement of this product or an ingredient in the product.  Before adding any supplement to your diet you should contact a medical doctor or RD.  

Next Product Review, Honey Stingers.

Endurance and Strength Part I

Every time I open up a book that focuses on strength training for endurance athletes I crack up. It's always about sets of 15 to 20 reps of different strength training exercises.  Often the reps are at less than body weight.  If an athlete weighs 165 lbs (75k) and does sets of squats at 150 lbs (68k) how does that help. If that's the case it's why not just cycle or run or swim a little longer, at least the reps would be at body weight.  Agree or disagree take the poll.

Kids and Overuse Injuries

Ever heard "that kid is going to be the next," fill in a name. Today, kids are more at risk of injury than ever before. They play different than many older kids did "back in the day." Today kids spend less time in parks, climbing trees, jumping fences or riding a bike. They play more games than have practices. Most youth practice is spent on plays rather than developing proper movement patterns. Kids are also spending more time looking at a screen than has been done in the past and for some that is exercise.

So why are they getting hurt more often. The term "soccer mom" didn't come from a mom walking her kid to the game. It comes from the mom with a van who can load up six kids and drive them a few miles to practice. Back in the day mom's said ride your bike. Thus, kids today get less regular exercise. That leads to less conditioning and muscle development.

Child growth is the major factor that separates young athletes from older athletes. There are changes in body weight, height, and muscle mass occurring with every moment. Growth cartilage is an important difference between the growing and the immature skeleton. Growth cartilage is present at the growth plate as well as at the musculotendinous insertion points. Growth cartilage is particularly vulnerable to the stress of repeated movements. Both Little League elbow and shoulder are overuse injuries to the epiphyseal growth cartilage. Growth for all tissues is not linear. For example the muscle tendon may develop faster than the bone where it inserts causing the growth cartilage to be inflamed. Osgood-Schlatter of the knee is an example of this type of overuse injury.

How about Physical Education in school. It's usually one of the first things cut back. So kids spend less time at school learning proper movement patterns. That means improper movement patterns are often being developed. That leads to injury. Don't think so ask a cyclist why their bike fit is so important (ankles, knees, back, shoulders, neck).

So finally, how about all those games. Too many competitions! Depending on the coach and parent, sport can be a fun or not so fun experience. With every game the expectations of winning go up. After all when you play a game you should be better the next one right. Not when you don't practice. Think about putting your daughter in a game without any skills and then have her pass the ball (perfectly, and then get better). Imagine if your math teacher gave you a test everyday without any prep, repetition or teaching progression. Then imagine being a kid and wondering why is math (coach) teacher's face was sooooo red. Duh, no skills or proper movement patterns or strength or conditioning, that's why kids get hurt more often today.

Now you can say it just like Al, "just win, baby" emphasis on baby.

Trying to lose some Weight

So many of us work hard to stay in shape, but sometimes we put on a few pounds just because we do. We get older, we lose muscle tissue, kids, jobs, travel you name it get in the way and we gain some unwanted weight.

Here are a couple things to try to help get your weight back where it should be.

1. Brush your teeth after every meal. Your dentist will like this idea, but think about putting food in your mouth after it's minty fresh.

2. Change that bad habit. Think about the place you do your mindless eating and drinking. For some it's late while you watch TV or in the kitchen while you prepare dinner. Be honest, you know when your doing it (include that wine while you cook).

3. Stop having seconds! Wait, drink some water while you finish your dinner conversation, but stay away from seconds.

4. Reduce your screen time. It used to be just TV but now it's the TV, computer, gameboy, even your phone. Try a book at least you'll turn a page after a while.

5. Fire the gardener, OK, maybe not fire him but do something active around the house. I'll bet your dog would love to go for a walk (again).

6. Eat breakfast. You name it but a lot of bad stuff has been linked to not eating breakfast, including weight gain.

7. Perhaps the most important is to chart what you eat (yes write it down).

I use www.my-calorie-counter.com/ a free online service.

Nuff said, good luck and God bless.
http://www.agapefitness.com/

From J of Strength & Conditioning Research (NSCA)

Effect of Compression Stockings on Running Performance in Men Runners
Kemmler, et al Jan 2009

Subjects were recruited from local running clubs randomly (n21) who had at least 4 years of running history (16 years mean) and ran between 25 and 70k a week (avg week 40.1k mean). The range in age was 25-60 years (39.3 mean).

The compression stocking was made of 85% polyamid and 15% lycra. The pressure was comparable to a class 2 compression in the medical field.

The study showed that the stockings improved running performance in time, work, (kJ), and max speed. Vo2 max was not significantly improved.

Thus the use of compression stockings improves running exercise at max and sub max efforts.

Effect of Caffeine on Sport-Specific Endurance Performance: A Systemic Review
Ganio, Et al Jan 2009

The group researched articles and book chapters published from 1985 thru 2007 (n65) identified useing proQuest, SportDiscus and MEDLINE.

Caffeine (CAF) is used for its ergogenic effect. The purpose was to critically examine the effects of CAF.

Some findings from the research indicated that the effect of CAF was similar regardless of the delivery system. The bioavailability of CAF via the gastrointestinal system is relatively quick (detected in blood within 30 minutes), but the other compounds may or may not slow down appearance in the blood. Exercise is improved when the CAF is ingested 1 hour prior to exercise. Exercise is shows slightly greater performance when CAF is ingested both prior and during exercise. Lastly performance will show the greatest effect when CAF is ingested after a 7 day abstinence from it (CAF).

For the complete studies go to the NSCA website http://www.nsca-lift.org/

Before beginning any exercise program or using any supplements ask your doctor if it is right for you.

Welcome

You've found us. We are here to provide information, skills, training programs and ways to improve your physical performance. No matter if you are an athlete looking for serious training or a couch potato trying to get off it we're here to help. So come along and get started with us and our new blog.