If you read the last Majuscule you may have got the idea how important the squat exercise is.  Well, pop quiz Utah!  What two appendages that when not respected will lead to major problems squatting leaving you as the chump on the leg press machine (see last majuscule)?  Hint, it is NOT your knees BUT when these two puppies are out of whack your knees are the next to go.  Ok, still stumped, if you failed to read the title of the newsletter and you just can’t get it look down…No, not your gut.  Your FEET!

So much of what we do in life, sports, fitness is ‘ground based’ meaning we plant, slam, bounce, and strike our feet on the ground transferring force (energy, power, etc) into our feet which sends it up through our legs, hips, core, and beyond.  Nearly EVERYTHING we do starts from the ground and our medium of force transfer is our FEET!  You can have the strongest legs in the world but hey will be left useless without proper care.  Read below on some quick ways to care for your feet!

PS. Big things coming…

Enjoy this Majuscule!

Happy  Feet

By: Dr. Gina LaMonic LaRose (Dr. Exercise!)

I’ve been giving this some considerable thought recently and I’ve decided that our feet don’t get nearly enough credit.   They’re a sweet little set of 24 bones, greater than 20 muscles, more ligaments, tendons and joints than I care to count, and (of course) that damned plantar fascia.   Think about it, we expect those little boogers to carry us everywhere!!  Imagine that responsibility.

Having said that, foot pain can really put the breaks on any exercise regimen.  I’m told (by the highly reliable internet) that there are 33 joints in the foot.  With all those little moving parts, it’s no small wonder that there might be breakdown someplace along the way.

Foot structure is as individualized as fingerprints (think CSI: Anatomy Edition), and far be it from me to deem any one of those structures as “normal”.  Probably the most obvious structural deviation is longitudinal arch height (that’s the arch running along the inside boarder of your foot).   So class, that’s where we’ll focus today’s lecture…

“Feet are like your own special finger prints”

I once generated an appalled gasp from a podiatrist by slipping off my shoe to display my collapsed arches. I wouldn’t call it my greatest source of pride; in fact, foot pain-likely a direct result of my flat feet-almost forced my running career into early retirement.  Happily, I got the hook up with an excellent pair of custom foot orthotics and my feet immediately quit their bitching.

Dr Exercise’s feet pre-podiatrist/new shoes/orthotics…duct tape DOES fix everything!

Flat feet (or as we say in the biz, ‘pes planus’) are happiest in a pair of shoes with more support and a straighter last^.  When looking for shoes, take a peek at the part of the sole where your arch will live.  Go ahead, poke at it (don’t be shy!).  If it’s stiff, particularly stiffer than the rest of the sole, this equals support.  I also like to take the shoe and give it a nice twist, like ringing out a wet rag.  If it twists as easily as that wet rag, it won’t be coming home with me.

High arches (or ‘pes cavus’ if you’d like to be fancy and snooty about it) generally require a shoe with greater cushion.  In a perfect biomechanical world, our feet have a certain amount of flexibility.  But often, high arches indicate a certain degree of structural stiffness, which needs to be cradled, particularly in the heel and mid-foot.  In addition, the shape of the shoe should match that of the foot, with a greater curve in the last^.

My best advice for choosing a shoe is to find something that works well and stick with it.  I have been a firm believer in the Asics 2100 series and have been a loyal customer since the 2110 back in Ought Six

If your feet spend any amount of time registering complaints with the rest of your body, it might be wise to invest in some orthotics.  Over-the-counter orthotics are a safe place to start, particularly because of the costs involved landing in a custom pair. Plus, even the greatest orthotist may not get things exactly right on the first try.

While I believe external support or cushion to be a vital part of foot pain management, my PT instincts obligate me to stress the importance of strength and flexibility.  Maintaining flexibility in the calf muscles reduces the stresses on the plantar fascia (a thin layer of inflexible tissue along the bottom surface of your foot).

Gastrocs stretch:

Standing = Stagger feet in a stride position and point toes straight ahead.  Keep back knee extended/straight and lean weight forward until stretch is felt in the calf muscle of the back leg. **Best to do with arch supported by shoe and/or weight shifted somewhat to the outside of foot!!**

Sitting = Extend/straighten knee (best supported by bed, couch, or floor) and wrap a towel or belt around the ball of the foot.  Pull evenly on each end of the towel or belt until stretch is felt in the calf muscle.  **ALSO best with shoes on to avoid stretching the foot itself**

Gastroc Stretch

Soleus stretch:

Standing = repeat position described above, allow back knee to bend slightly until stretch is felt in a lower area of the calf.

Sitting = repeat position above, but allow knee to bend slightly until stretch is felt in a lower area of the calf.

**As always, hold static stretch for 30 seconds, 1-2 times a day for best results**

Soleus Stretch

Also, the ‘intrinsic foot muscles’ that live inside your feet are sadly under-appreciated.  By strengthening these muscles, you’re providing internal support that far exceeds the quality of any shoe or orthotic…not to mention, the cost is free!  Two of my favorite foot muscle exercises include ‘towel crunches’ and ‘marble pick up’.

Towel crunches: Sit in a chair with foot flat on the ground, situated on top of a towel (preferably not your favorite monogrammed hand-towel). Use toes to curl around the fabric and ‘scrunch’ towel into bunches beneath your foot.  Repeat for approximately 2-3 minutes once daily. If you get particularly ambitious, set a weight on the far end of the towel and try to drag it towards you with the method described above.

Towel Crunch

Marble pick up: Seated in a chair, scatter marbles on the floor in front of you.  Curl toes around marbles one at a time, lift and drop into a cup or container.  Try to incorporate all toes and occasionally pinch one between 1^st and second toes.  Repeat for 2-3 minutes once daily.

Marble Pick Up

It is important to note that foot pain may be an indication of any number of pathologies.  We would both be fools to assume that two pages of text are sufficient treatment in place of an actual examination by a medical professional.

Cheers to the hardest working appendages in our bodies!!

Posted under Uncategorized

(continued from title, BIG run in sentence coming…)  firming and toning ALL the muscles of the lower body, the best CORE exercise, the best sports performance movement, and the best functional corrective exercise you can do to stimulate the entire body, and even make substantial changes in beneficial endocrine levels that burn fat, and build muscle.  Instead of boring you to tears with sciency jargon and my own love afair with this exercise.  I will let one of my favorite world renown strength and performance experts Charles Poliquin share his with you.  This exercise alone has single handedly changed lives in many ways from youth to geriatric to the NFL.   This is the mack daddy that you must do, and if you ‘can’t, ‘ it is a testament to how much of a wreck your physical condition currently is…Likewise, this exercise has been faulted for many false assumptions and associations by those don’t quite understand it or how to perform it correctly.  Ironically, the many pains and complaints related to this movement are inversely correlated to the true etiology.  Meaning, when done correctly can actually help and prevent the, ‘knee pain,’ and ‘back pain, that people assume are caused by it, when in fact those symptoms are merely are a result of a) weak knees/back and thus the support musculature hsould be strengthened to support those areas, and b) poor form and mobility and c) too much ego and too much weight.  If you keep in mind form first and force second…or perfecting the motion and then loading it with resistance you are off to the right start.  Hence, seek a trained professional to show you how to perform it correctly so you can get past the excuse ridden B.S. on why you can’t do it (the exercise below…).

Enjoy this Majuscule!

8 Stupid Myths about Squatting

by Charles Poliquin

A simple progression of how we teach all people to squat The Lab.  From elderly to athlete, ALL must progress and demonstrate competence at each line in the chain of progression to get from picture1, the posture hold position to the last picture, the barbell back squat.  Once you master one, progress to the next and you have ‘proven’ your ability to hold your self and use the proper mechanic under a barbell with weight…

It’s time to finally put an end to these fallacies about this great exercise.  Handling monster poundages with lower body machines make look impressive, but none of these machines are more effective than the squat.

Must be compensating for something?

We’ve all seen it. Massive iron plates loaded to the max on the 45-degree leg press – sometimes augmented with the weight of a dedicated training partner riding the sled like a cowboy at a rodeo. This obsession with monster leg presses inspired one equipment manufacturer to develop a machine that could handle 6,000 pounds of plates! But equally as impressive as the weights used are the elaborate rituals that are often associated with this exercise: knee wraps tightened to an excruciating degree, a weight belt cinched to create a waistline which looks like someone that Jessica Rabbit would admire, and the loud grunting that accompanies each slow, painful rep the trainee grinds out, finally reaching a crescendo with an ear-splitting ARGHHHHHHHH as the exhausted trainee pushes out the final half rep and allows the sled to slam down against the safety supports.

Perfect form!

The appeal of such a heavy-duty exhibition of ego is at least partially responsible for the fact that many weight trainees choose almost any leg exercise over the squat. After all, hoisting a ton on the leg press is far more impressive than a measly 300-pound deep knee bend. But anyone who has ever painstakingly inched out from a rock-bottom squat knows how much harder it is than pushing an angled sled a few inches, regardless of the poundage. The fact is, nothing is more difficult and more result producing than the squat – nothing.

If the squat is not a major component of your leg training workouts, you’re probably listening to the “myth-information” that surrounds this exercise. To set the record straight – and to get you back in the power rack – I present for your consideration the eight most common myths about the squat.

Myth #1: Squats widen the hips. The hip-widening myth originated from bodybuilding guru Vince Gironda. Even though Gironda contributed many valuable insights into weight training, there’s no scientific or empirical evidence to corroborate his belief that squats widen the hips. In fact, when the gluteus maximus (one of the prime movers in the squat) develops, it grows back, not out, because neither its insertion nor origin attachment is at the hips. If squats did widen the hips, Olympic lifters, who devote as much as 25 percent of their training volume to squats, would be built like mailboxes.

Myth #2: Squats are bad for the knees. Not only are squats notbad for the knees, every legitimate research study on this subject has shown that squats improve knee stability and therefore help reduce the risk of injuries. The National Strength and Conditioning Association has published an excellent position paper on this subject with an extensive literature review, and data from the Canadian National Alpine Ski Team suggests that regular squatting reduces not only the rate of injuries but also the time it takes to recuperate from injuries that do occur.

When I was hired to work with the Canadian National Women’s Volleyball Team, I found all of them suffered from varying degrees of an overuse injury called patellar tendinitis, or jumper’s knee. I believed the problem was partially caused by a structural imbalance in the lower quadriceps muscle called the vastus medialis oblique (the teardrop-shaped muscle that inserts at the knee). To correct it, I had these athletes perform Petersen step-ups and then gradually progress into full squats. Only one athlete still had jumper’s knee after less than three months of proper training.

Don’t believe it? Here she is with an easy 225lbs…I think this will help dispell the ‘wide hips’ complaint…

Providing you don’t relax or bounce in the bottom position of the squat, you’ve got nothing to worry about. When you relax, the knee joint opens up slightly, exposing the connective tissue to stress levels higher than their tensile strength. Does that mean you should never pause in the bottom position? No. It simply means that if you pause in the bottom position, you must keep the muscles under tension, holding the static (isometric) contraction. In other words, don’t relax at the bottom of the squat and allow your connective tissue to stretch out like a piece of saltwater taffy.

2 of the Best ‘Squatters’ in history…One trained for max poundage the other for maximum leg size and development.  On the left: squatted over 1,000lbs.  On the right once did a repeated set with 315lbs for 10 minutes straight.  I believe he repped out 450 for around 50 something reps…

Myth #3. There’s only one way to squat. Whether you switch from doing squats with the barbell on the clavicles to having it on the traps or whether you use a Zane Leg Blaster instead of a safety squat bar, you’ll force adaptation and growth.

Most bodybuilders like to squat while keeping their backs as vertical as possible, a technique that increases the forward movement of the knees; powerlifters tend to squat by bending more from the waist, so there’s minimal forward movement. And, in an effort to handle as much weight as possible, powerlifters often don’t squat as deeply as bodybuilders do. From the field of biomechanics and neurophysiology, we know that the depth of squatting, degree of leaning forward, and knee-motion patterns affect muscle recruitment patterns. We also know that the more you vary your exercises, the more motor units you can recruit.

What this means is that bodybuilders would benefit from squatting as powerlifters do because they would tap into a new motor-unit pool, and the greater the motor-unit involvement, the greater the muscle growth. Conversely, squatting deeply as the bodybuilders do would enable a powerlifter to increase the development of the vastus medialis oblique and hamstring muscles – thereby increasing knee stability. As Tom Platz, a bodybuilder who set the standard in leg development, says, “Half squat, half leg!”

There are many variations of the squat that offer variety in training.

Myth #4. You should squat till you puke. It seems there are weight trainees and coaches who believe that exercise intensity can often be measured by how much you regurgitate. This bizarre belief was discussed in Samuel Wilson Fussell’s controversial book, Muscle: Confessions of an Unlikely Bodybuilder. There is obviously no truth to this myth, and most vomiting can be prevented by proper conditioning and by choosing the rights foods before a heavy workout. For example, scallops leave the stomach much faster than fatty pork chops.

Squatting on a Smith machine places high levels of stress on the patellar ligament and the anterior cruciate ligament. Photo by Milos Sarcev.

Myth #5. Smith machine squats are safer than regular squats. This is a downright lie, and as proof I know of several lawsuits that were filed from individuals who became quadriplegics from accidents that occurred using this equipment. My experience with the Smith machine squat is that it’s very hard on the patellar ligament and the anterior cruciate ligament, both of which act as stabilizers for the knees.

ATG all the way!  From day one you are born with the ability to squat A$$ to Gra$$., nothing but a drink of wawa!

Most bodybuilders who use a Smith machine perform squats while holding their trunks vertical, a technique that minimizes the involvement of the hamstrings. Also, leaning back against the bar increases the stability of the trunk, further reducing the involvement of the hamstrings. This is not desirable, as hamstring activation is a direct antagonist to quadriceps activation at the knee, and this “co-contraction” neutralizes the harmful forces of the upper and lower leg bones.

With a Smith machine, the bar is on a track, and this increased stability decreases the requirement of the body’s neutralizer and stabilizer muscle functions. Therefore, the strength developed on such machines has minimal carryover to a three-dimensionally, unstable environment such as occurs during the freestanding squat. This is an especially important fact to those who use weight training to improve sports performance. The bottom line is that free-weight exercises should always precede machine exercises, and athletes should limit their machine training to no more than 25 percent of the total work performed.

Myth #6. Squats are bad for the back. As long as you squat with the proper form, the center mass of the barbell will not be far away from the center of gravity, and this in itself will help prevent injury. Some trainers recommend squatting with a tail-under posture, keeping the back flat or slightly rounded – a technique frequently used in aerobics classes in a misguided attempt to increase glute involvement. Lifting with this posture places excessive strain on the ligaments and other connective tissues of the back.

Root of your problems: slouching at work for hours…Your boss will love you for you new ergo designed chair you requested to work on your posture and flexibility…NO EXCUSES!

To protect the ligament structures of the back, you should squat with a slight arch. This lifting form increases the stress on the musculature to make up for not using the ligaments to support the back. This may be associated with a higher incidence of lower back muscle strain, but you should understand that the alternative is a ligament injury. When you consider that a muscle takes three to eight days to recover from a mild or grade 1 tear but a ligament sprain takes at least 21 days to heal, the decision to arch slightly becomes relatively easy.

Another important safety technique is to squat with the hands pulled in and the elbows tucked directly under the bar, which helps keep the torso upright during the lift. Also, you should try performing a few of your lighter sets of squats without a belt, as this will stimulate the development of the trunk muscles that help protect the back. Always wear a belt on your heavy sets, though!

Some beginners find squats uncomfortable on the upper back area and may try to minimize their discomfort by rolling a towel around the bar. I strongly advise against this practice. The larger diameter of the bar caused by the towel can be harmful to the neck and increases the risk of the bar rolling down the back – I’ve seen this happen on several occasions.

A better idea is to use a device called the Manta Ray. By redistributing the weight over more muscle mass, it minimizes the stress on the traps, and it does so without displacing the center of the mass of the bar. The only problem is that although the advertisements claim one size fits all, individuals with especially large traps may find the device uncomfortable. Another option is one of the various safety-squat bars with padded yolks that distribute the weight slightly differently than the traditional high-bar squat does. In time, however, most individuals will get used to the feel of the bar on the upper back. The best way to alleviate discomfort is to simply build up the traps.

Myth #7. Squats make athletes slower. Squat performance can be directly related to success in track and field sprinting events, as well as in many other sports. Great examples of the relationship between squatting and athletic performance are the successes of bobsledder Ian Danney, who has become one of the most successful strength coaches for professional football players. Danney has front squatted 418 pounds for 2 reps at a bodyweight of 185 pounds. Other impressive athletes I’ve seen are skier Kate Pace, who back squats 264 pounds for 3 reps at a bodyweight of 150 pounds; and alpine skier Michelle McKendry-Ruthven, who squatted 66 reps in 60 seconds with 70 percent of her bodyweight.

Which is better for athletes: front or back squats? Although sprinting performance has been more closely correlated to front squats than back squats, I believe these results have occurred because my sports science colleagues have varying interpretations of how the back squat should be performed. With a front squat, the weight is resting on the clavicles, and the technique is fairly standard. In contrast, there are many types of back squat techniques, some more effective than others in their carryover to sprinting performance.

Myth #8. Squats can damage the heart. Squats will temporarily raise blood pressure, but the heart adapts to the stress in a positive fashion by making the left ventricle grow larger. Interestingly, studies have shown leg press performance on a 45-degree angle will increase the blood pressure three times more than the squat will. Obviously, if you suffer from cardiovascular disease or if it runs in your family, you should consult an experienced sports medicine practitioner before engaging in a serious squat program.

While I believe the squat is the king of lifts, it is not the entire royal family. There are plenty of bodybuilders who have achieved extremely high levels of muscle mass by focusing their leg training around hack squats, lunges and leg presses. Likewise, many athletes have achieved the highest levels of performance without squatting. However, I do believe that most of these athletes would reach new physical heights if they incorporated the squat into their training.

The squat has been an unfairly maligned exercise. Whether or not you choose to include it in your program is your personal decision, but be sure you base that decision on the facts, not the myths.

This picture should put an end to all excuses: USA Olympic hopeful Zack Krych squatting with count em, 2 broken arms!  When you want it bad enough, not even 2 broken arms will stop you!

Posted under Uncategorized

These are some very exciting times for The Lab.  We hope to share some incredible news in the coming weeks…but, I can’t do that just yet.

In terms of current excitement I have to congratulate Lab Rat of the Month for July Mike O’Leary who has lost a quick 20lbs and has been absolute machine.  He is a man on a machine and I have seen in practically everyday for the past month putting his work in.  That’s what it is about, constant, focused, effort over time.  This brings results.  Look for more big things from Mike as he has the mindset of a real Lab rat champion.

A few more incredible happenings.  First Watch out for Dr Michael Evans who has just passed the 90lb weight loss barrier and will soon be our next weight loss centurion! He is at 9lbs lost and picking up steam!

ALSO, you may have heard of this guy before, Mr. Voy Andrews, his total weight loss is now at an incredible 152lbs!!! Starting at 350lbs and standing now at 198lbs Voy is now even lighter than ME!  No wonder he was co-Lab Rat of the Year in 2009!

Onto some sad news, the OTHER co-Lab Rat of the year Lisa Manfredi has just moved to Boston for job promotion and sadly leaves us behind.  She crushed it at The Lab for about a year and a half working with me 5 days per week.  She has done some of the most impressive feats of performance these 4 red walls have ever seen.  She pushed all the other members to new heights and inspired them to expect more from themselves too!  Hats off to Lisa and we will all miss her.

The year is getting hot and with so many crazy feats going on it’s going to be an interesting selection process for The Lab Rat of the year this time….so many great things going on it’s anybodies game…

Other feats this past month:

-Tom Major 11 weeks post collarbone surgery already back to setting records on the weights.

-John Sandberg bench-pressed 90lb dumbbells for 6 reps at age 62 and 185lbs.

-Celeste Vossmeyer dead lifted 155 for 5 reps (age and weight non-disclosed, she is light and beautiful)

-Dr Suggs ATG squats with 225 at 155lbs and turns 77 this month!

-Dede Catsavis-tore her meniscus in a step class at Smellbridge and working with our trainers at The Lab hasn’t missed a single day! Only pictures can describe some of the crazy stuff Shawn has had her perform so far!

-Jill Gerber 62.5kg power clean!

-Dr Jacques signed up for an Olympic triathlon!

-Dr Wilkins is getting in her workouts regardless of any pains or set backs (like amazingly obscure knee cysts)

-Kirk O’Donnell power cleaned 100kg with just weeks of training getting ready to join The SLU Hockey team

-Charlie Garavalgia breaks his wrist and gets a full workout in on the same day!

-Andy lost about 20lbs and getting stronger at the same time!

-Many, many, many more I can’t remember…

NO excuses, no barriers, if you want it bad enough, you will find a way!

You guys are all amazing and inspiring PLEASE KEEP up the great work!  Not only are you changing your lives but helping others change theirs too!

The BIG 3!

“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”
- Edmund Hillary (1919)

(WARNING: I curse 3 or 4 times in this article.  If you are offended please don’t read.  After tons of thought over whether I should edit them out, I just HAD to leave them in for dramatic effect)

Based on my diverse readership list when you read ‘The Big 3′ you might have thought one of a few things:

a)      The Squat, Bench press (or press), and Deadlift?

b)      The Snatch, Clean and Jerk, and Press?

c)      Biceps, triceps, and biceps…uhhhhh, doubtfully.

d)      Larry, Moe, and Curly?

e)      Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost?

f)        Me, myself, and I??

If you picked the last one you are right…ok, I will refrain from speaking of myself as the trinity for now however, what I am talking about is the BIG 3 REASON PEOPLE FAIL.  Or, the 3 MISSING INGREDIENTS to achieving what you want in the health and fitness world.

When I was a young naive trainer I scoffed at the idea that I was a motivator.  Hell no!  I am a diet and exercise expert!  I am not Richard Simmons!  I don’t dance around and clap and jump up and down to get people to sweat to the oldies, but maybe some classic rock?  I am a very serious student of the finer points of biomechanics, training programs, and macronutrient balances…

10 years in the field fly by and I realize that I need about 1/10^th of all the knowledge I have acquired to be successful in this field to get people to change.  I LOVE to study and acquire knowledge in this field.  However, when I learned that motivating others and eliminating barriers to action where infinitely more effective than dumping loads of knowledge on people I finally started to see massive success in my clients.

Don’t get me wrong there are LOADS of misinformation and crap out there in every magazine, news story, and even exercise/celebrity/weight loss crap competition on TV, however, most people are actually very well educated and know some basic principles of health and fitness….

What they DON’T have is what I consider the ‘Big 3′:

a)      Motivation

b)      Time

c)      Energy

(oh hell, add in DENIAL too, but The Big 4 just sounds ridiculous and I am not re-writing this).

And then there are always special personal barriers other than the top 3 just mentioned.  Which f you read on you will see are easily eliminated when the Big 3 are handled.  I  challenge you to come up with and excuse or reason that wouldn’t fall under these 3 core areas.  You may claim that you don’t know what to do or don’t know how to exercise?

Let me offer this:

Limitations in knowledge are rarely the true culprits.  You could argue that all you need to know is, ‘move more’ and ‘eat less.’  Simple right?  Well, one thing I have seen here is that most underestimate what they really eat, and OVER estimate how hard/long they actually worked out.  But, this is not the main issue at hand.

Let me share a brief story of two men I have train and helped pull off substantial weight losses.  Both lost over 100lbs in under a year, both where right at the age of 50, and neither one were frequent exercisers when we began.  However, they were drastically unique and different from each other…

My self image as a trainer (Mick): “You’re gonna eat lightening,and crap thunder!”

I would like to think that my magical incantations of exercise brilliance where the true secret weapon at hand.  However, to me it became a pretty simple formula which came down to the BIG 3.

Real conversation between Voy (lost 152lbs to date) and myself:

Voy: (walks into the gym) “Good morning”

Me: “What hurts today Voy?”

Voy: ” Lets see, my hamstrings, chest, upper back, calves, hmmmm, I guess actually everything is pretty sore today.”

Me: “Perfect, lets begin.”

Voy: (Looking at me rather strangely and confused wondering why I had even asked)

Me: “Ok, set 1, here we go…”

Voy: (performs set)

Me: “Great, again, this time harder”

Voy: (realizing he has no choice, grabs bar and continues)

Me: “Fantastic, do it again, this time more aggressive.”

Voy: (just barely catching his breath)

Me: “Perfect, you look ready, you can breath, again please.”

Voy: (looking at me as if my head was in flames)

Me: “I said please, do it. Doooo, it.”

Voy: (resumes his sets)

This process continues day in and out everyday of the week all year long.  Next thing you know presto-changeo Voy is a ripped badass at age 50.

Mike’s story is a bit different.  He likes jokes.

Mike: (walks into the gym) “Good morning”

Me: “What hurts today Mike?”

Mike: “My eyes from having to look at you so early in the morning.”

Me: “That’s cute, here is the barbell, now go, do it.”

Mike: (finishes his set) Hey, have I ever told you the one where…”

Me: (Butting in) “Again Mike. Set 2 here we go, do it.”

Mike: (finishes his set, catches breath)

Me: “Stop me if you have heard this one.  Knock, knock”

Mike: (foolishly falling for it) “Who’s there”

Me: “Again. Do it. Harder.”

This goes on 60 minutes per day 5-6 days per week every week of the year.  Mike has lost 133lbs and diabetes in record time.  Ok, my job isn’t REALLY that simple (and there is much more to a good trainer than this for God sake), but without these elements, it is futile!

And, the magic formula worked again.  Accountability to the Big 3.  THAT is what I do.

While we definitely have worked miracles of exercise science in this Lab most of them have been in the realm of human compliance.  While I definitely have my preference in what and how to do things many people in this world have been EXTREMELY successful in this arena when sufficient doses of the following are used:

1)      Motivation: Having a goal, making a plan, and sticking to it.  Focusing on it each and every day all day and not just when you want to or when it is convenient.  Ever work your tail off and look back and wonder why you are not getting what you want from your program?  Perhaps you take your eye off the ball when it ALSO counts.  For example, you may kick ass in the gym yet go home and eat like crap, have to many drinks of alcohol, or sleep only 5 hours.  ALL, can ruin your efforts.  Your behaviors of the entire day must correlate in taking you either closer or further away from the goal.  I challenge you that if you can find an emotional reason WHY you want this goal there is NOTHING that can stop you from achieving it!  We ALL have barriers and reason why we don’t get what we want but how many of us find those reason and kill them!  Whatever your motivation is rooted in, from looking better naked for your husband, winning an Olympic medal, or simply remaining independent into old age motivation begets ALL success.  With focused motivation you will have no bullshit excuses, and no bullshit arguments why you can’t.  You will say them out loud and realize how petty and easy to fix they are.  Not a broken collarbone, torn meniscus, diabetes, or cancer will stop you.  No crap genetics, financial status, or knowledge base will be an excuse.  When you know WHAT it is you want and why, you will get real honest with yourself on what it is to do, and then get BUSY eliminating every barrier in your path.

2)      Time: If you successfully found the what behind the why to your MOTIVATION you will find the TIME.  People tell me they ‘don’t have time to eat.’  Really?  This always makes me want to reach over my desk and shake them silly.  I have eaten cans of tuna in bathroom stalls in under 30 seconds in hospitals before in order to not miss a planned meal.  I have carried around protein bars in my pockets in order that I never go too long without getting a planned meal so I don’t end up ravenous by not sticking to small frequent meals.   I never go ANYWHERE without food.  And I am no saint.  Many people have done WAY worse than that to stick to their plans.  This is NOT a barrier that I personally will ever accept from someone as I have yet to meet someone with a more twisted schedule than myself and many of the successful clients I have trained.  If you want it, you will find the time.  Why spend the time and money on only part of your plan when you need the WHOLE plan to succeed?  Furthermore, what will get you there faster, just doing enough to maybe succeed with the plan, or everything you can and then some?  Whether it is a babysitter, getting up earlier, going to bed earlier, doing shorter workouts more frequently, or rearranging a few activities in your day figure it out.  If not, you’re simply the cause of your own failures, how silly.  I train surgeons who are on their feet for over 12 hours per day and on call for days on end and I see them at 9:00 pm in the gym after they awoke at 5am. It goes BACK to motivation.  If you fail to MAKE the time to do this, and I mean daily and regular time, the most PERFECT workout plan on earth will not save your ass.  P90-1-million-triple-X will only give you out what you put IN.  And as I said before if you like most people overestimating how much you put IN to that workout, you probably need twice the time you are currently doing.  Working out 3x a week trying to lose weight?  Double that to 6 and see what happens…trying to get HUGE like Arnold with 3 ‘workouts’ per week with your P90-pile-O-shit-x? Riiiiight, then you are just another sucker and maybe you should wait for the release of  the new Ultra-P90-pile-O-shit-x…seriously, in 10 minutes per day you will be ripped and huge (funny story: I just found a shake weight in the trash can by my apartment…the irony)!

3) Energy: “We are what we repeatedly do.”- Aristotle (384BC-322BC).

Read that again and again. You are what you repeatedly do.  You are a slow, lazy, lethargic bastard because you don’t workout.  You don’t have energy because you never use any, and you have no idea how to develop it.  Your baseline output is the same as a growing blade of grass.  NOTHING is easy at first, but with sufficient 1) MOTIVATION and 2) TIME put in you will have built MOMENTUM and ACQUIRE 3) ENERGY!  This is a cause and effect relationship.  A gust of ‘energy’ wind is not going to come by and stimulate you into action…YOU are the windmill that creates the energy and must turn it on.  Once you turn it on it will help sustain itself.

Nothing is going to be handed to you here.  If you are the, ‘ just give me a pill type’ then please just stop reading (don’t worry, the article is almost over).  If you are the action taking, take control of you own life and destiny type, put these 3 simple pieces in place and the answers will reveal themselves as you go.  Happy trails!

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.”
- Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

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Many times people completely misunderstand what weight training is and how it works.  The key component of weight training is that it is never static.  You don’t simply come in a perform the same routine day in and out indefinitely.  It MUST have progression worked into it whether it is more reps, a heavier weight, or a more advanced movement.  The ONLY way muscles or body fat levels will changes is if you increase the demand from your current state.  Recycling the same thing over simply maintains what you are.

Here is a lifestyle example:
Complaint: “I work on my feet and perform heavy manual labor for 8 hours per day but I am still heavy.”
Problem: It is either not as hard as you proclaim OR your diet is simply replacing all the calories you burned.
Solution: Not only is it important to work your job, but ALSO add in prescribed daily exercise and clean up the diet to cause a change.  Yes, this is ON TOP of what you are already doing.  And yes, taking the steps and parking farther away when shopping is nice too, but if THIS is your exercise plan you will forever remain frustrated and please come see me so I can slap you into reality.

Training example:
Complaint: “I workout an hour everyday by walking 3 miles and then doing 3 sets of 15 reps in a full body circuit and can’t seem to lose any weight.”
Problem: Same as above, this persons current fitness level is equal to their current body fat level, strength, and cardiovascular fitness… you ARE what you eat and you ARE what you do…don’t like it?  Try some change.

To change try pushing the walking either by: a) walking longer or b) try to run a portion of those miles (to push your fitness level and allow for new challenges in training).  Also, for your ‘full body circuit’ try doing sets of 1: 15 reps with your current weight  2) add weight and perform 10-12 reps  set 3: add more weight and perform 8-10 reps.  But, this change will only work for so long…

Below is a very great article by a strength coach I don’t always see eye to eye with, however THIS article is brilliant!  It will explain to you why you may not be getting what you want out of your fitness routine (and you can apply this to your weight training or cardiovascular exercise programs).

Enjoy this Majuscule!

Don’t Lighten Up!
By Mike Boyle

Every time someone in a social setting finds out that
I’ve worked with PGA golfers, the response is always
the same. “I guess you guys do light weightsand lots
of stretching.” It drives me nuts. One thing I hope to
do over the next few months is tell the truth about
training.

Point 1 – No one ever got better lifting light weights.

Light weight is an oxymoron. A weight should be
appropriate to the goal but, rarely, if ever, intentionally
light. The load should be based on the strength levelof
the person. The reality is if you are lifting a weight ten
times, numbers nine and ten should be difficult. If you
can lift a weight 20 times but choose to do only ten,
you are wasting your time. Period.

Point 2 – The essence of effective strength trainingis
a concept called progressive resistance exercise. This
means that that even if the resistance may be light to
begin with, it should not stay that way.

I go crazy when someone tells me about the routine
they’ve been doing with their eight-lb hand weights.
(P.S. Call them dumbbells. Calling them hand weights is
a dead giveaway that you are clueless.)

‘Pink hand weights’

My first question is this. How long have you been doing
this? Often, people respond with something like, “I’ve
done this three times a week for three months.” The
doctrine of progressive resistance says that the first two
weeks were beneficial and that 10 weeks were wasted.
It’s no wonder people stop working out.

Point 3 – Once you have passed the first three weeks of
training, you should lift a weight that is heavy but allows
perfect form. Be wary, however, of another all-too-common
mistake. When we say the load should be heavy, people
begin to cheat. We are not encouraging cheating. Strive
for perfect technique in all exercises AND progressively
increase the resistance.

‘NOT Pink hand weights’

Point 4 – Work on basic strength in basic exercises. If your
trainer has you practicing your golf swing with a dumbbell
in your hands, get a new trainer. Do not wave dumbbells
around and call it strength training. Learn to body weight
squat, learn to do a push-up. Good basic training should
strongly remind you of the calisthenics you used to do in
high school.

Here’s the truth. The secret is, there is no secret. If you
want to hit a golf ball further, you need to get stronger.
You will not get strong lifting a five-pound dumbbell.

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Hello Again,

The Diet Diva is back with more tips and advice to make a healthy lifestyle taste great!  Below is some of the best advice possible when t comes to optimize your lifestyle for HEALTH and PERFORMANCE.  Below The Diva talks about how fruits and vegetables can be your secret weapon for weight loss.  Another awesome thing about fruits and vegetables is all the amazing chemicals in them that do more than any of our science even currently understands.  You will be hearing about new findings and health benefits from fruits and vegetables until the day you die.  There is just so much packed in their we don’t know about and NO vitamin or supplement can replace these key nutrients.  In the meantime read below to see how something so simple can help you shed the pounds!

This reminds of my days in undergrad when I would eat 1lb of broccoli EVERYDAY.  Sitting in class I would get very hungry and having to keep my body weight down for competitions I would chew on broccoli like popcorn to keep me satisfied…hence, the undergrad nickname, ‘broccoli boy.’

Enjoy this Majuscule!

Eating Your Fruits and Vegetables… and Losing Weight!

By Jennifer McDaniel, MS, RD, CSSD, LD (The Diet Diva!)

Summer sees the arrival of all sorts of delicious fruits and vegetables! Most of us know that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber that are good for our health.  Increasing your diet with fruits and vegetables can also be used as a strategy to lose weight.  Fruits and vegetables are categorized as low-energy dense foods. Low-energy dense foods can be eaten in larger portions; however, don’t add up to a large amount of calories.  High-energy dense foods would be foods such as bacon, cookies, and butter.

High Energy Dense Foods: 4-9 calories per gram (cookies, crackers, bacon, butter)

Medium Energy Dense Foods:1.5-4 calories per gram (bagels, dried fruit, hummus, skim cheese)

Low Energy Dense Foods: 0-1.5 calories per gram

(most fresh fruits and vegetables, fat-free yogurt, broth-based soups)

Sticking to low-calorie diets can be difficult, especially if you don’t feel full or satisfied after eating. Research shows one of the most important factors to helping one feel full is the volume or amount of food we eat. Lower dense foods such as fruits and vegetables allow us to eat more, feel full, and feel full on a lower amount of calories.  The secret behind low-energy dense foods is the higher amount of fiber and water these foods contain. Weight-loss related research studies show that individuals with high fiber diets lose the most weight.

The key, however, is SUBSTITIUION. Fruits and vegetables do have calories, so if you simply add them on top of what you are already eating, you will not lose weight. BUT, if you substitute an 80 calorie apple for a 200 bag of chips, or 2 cups of diced strawberries at 100 calories for 1 cup of regular ice cream at 300, you will definitely lose weight!

Here are some additional tips for making fruits and vegetables part of your weight maintenance or weight loss plan.

-      Choose whole fruit over juice. Fruit juice does not contain the fiber that whole fruits do. Plus, juice is higher in calories.  For example, you could choose an 8-ounce cup of grape juice OR 3 cups of grapes for 170 calories.  For most individuals, eating 3 cups of grapes would be more satisfying. (Try freezing your grapes for a sweet snack on a hot afternoon.)

-       Eat fruits and vegetables the way nature intended. Try steaming your vegetables and adding herbs and spices to them. Overcooking produce will decrease the amount of nutrients. Some vegetables, such as sugar snap peas, are great eaten raw, especially in the summer.

-       Frozen fruits and vegetables can be just as healthy as fresh.  Frozen fruits and vegetables are usually packaged shortly after harvest.  The quick packaging process retains more vitamins and minerals.

-       Buy more than you need and freeze your favorite summer produce for the winter months.

–       I like to clean fresh blueberries and throw them into the freezer to add to morning cereal (keeps the milk extra cold) or microwave them with light maple syrup to top whole-wheat pancakes (allows you to use less syrup).

-       Get creative. Try thinking of ways you can substitute more veggies and fruits into your typical meals.

-        For example, right before you drain your pasta, throw in cut up vegetables to the boiling water.  Blanch the veggies for a couple more minutes, drain, and add sauce.  This gives you more volume to your pasta dish, as well as less calories.

-        For a summer entertainment idea, use a blender, combine watermelon and fresh mint, and pour into ice trays and freeze.  Add the tasty cubes to spark up a summer drink.

Enjoy your summer fruits and veggies!

If you follow these guidelines your everyday foods will be much improved!

Posted under Uncategorized

Hello Again,

I have been doing this for a LONG time now and I am always surprised about how fearful people are of weight training or a simple exercise program.  It also never ceases to amaze me how mental this truly is.  People work up monsters in their heads about how bad or difficult something is or is going to be…all built up FEAR (you know, false emotions appearing real).

Anyway, an interesting quote to consider: people over estimate what the can do in a year, but under estimate what they can do in a decade.  Likewise, consider you or someone you know who thinsg the ycan fix or erase a lifetime of an unhealthy lifestyle in just 30-90 days.  While that is enough to get your started that is merely the first step in this lifetime journey.  But, back to what I said earlier,dont let that journey seem to daunting.  It all begins with one step.  And not All will be forward steps there are and will be set backs, what is important is you keep taking steps.   Finally, don’t wait for the perfect time to start your journey, there is NO perfect time for anything.  If you are waiting until you ‘feel good’ your are fooling yourself!  You wont feel good until after you put a little work in…next thing you know you will be looking back at all the little steps you took and see that they actually have added up…Below you will see why it is NEVER to late to take these steps.  I have heard every excuse in the book and one of them that pisses me off more than any is, ” I am to old for this,” or ” it just gets harder when your old.”  If you ain’t dead, you are still L-I-V-I-N!  I will be wiping my own butt in the next 50 years thank you very much.  This stuff is never ‘easy.’  If it is then please cancel your membership at Smellbridge and swing by The Lab and we can fix that for you by setting you up on a progressive program that will deliver real world results.

Enjoy this Majuscule!

Weight Training Boosts Satellite Receptor Growth in Older People…and That is Good.

Dr. Donald Suggs Deadlifting 225 for the 10th rep at age 76 and 155lb body weight.  Substantially stronger than when he STARTED weight training 3 years ago.  He has since squatted and deadlifted 225 for 15 reps, performed 80 pushups, and leg pressed over 600lbs.  He did not START there.  He built himself up over a 3 year period with progressive resistance training.

Did you know that most people lose about 20 percent of their muscle mass between the ages of 40 and 60.  By age 70, more than two-thirds of people cannot lift 10lbs overhead.  Loss of muscle with age is a serious health issue that significantly impacts the quality of life.  Not only are you more likely to fall or become injured with low muscle mass but research has also shown that having a higher BMI late in life can improve your outcomes when suffering from a chronic disease (BMI is a measure of height and weight that is increased from lean mass weight, which is highly desirable tissue when suffering from chronic disease, not necessarily fat tissue).

Danish scientists reported that loss of satellite cells might account for some of the muscle deterioration that occurs with aging.  During hypertrophy (muscle development from weight training), the muscles create satellite cells (muscle cells consisting of just a nucleus).  Muscle growth factors can cause the satellite cells to combine with muscle cells that when stressed or damaged during weight training can assist in cell repair and adaptation (yesss, adaptation!: that is why this is hard at FIRST, but you ADAPT if you are NOT a yo-yo exerciser.  And why we will never keep your training in the same place or plan forever. If you did that you would never change from what you currently are and are maintaining your current state…you must push it to the next level-ALWAYS, unless you are completely content with what you are).

Satellite cell formation is important because it maintains a balance between the number of nuclei and cell mass.  Cell nuclei are the centers for protein synthesis and muscle tissue formation.  The Danish study showed that 12 weeks of weight training increased satellite cell formation in older adults.  SEE!  YOU ARE NEVER TO OLD!  YOU CAN ALWAYS ADAPT AND IMPROVE AT ANY AGE!!!  That is amazing information!

Dr. Suggs pushups with 25lbs on his back (age 76)

With training and progressive resistance old muscles will respond positively too and can become stronger.  Likewise, an individual with no prior weight training could arguably become stronger and more fit than they ever have in their ENTIRE LIVES AT ANY AGE!  In fact we have a handful of clients just like that.

Yes it’s true your sex hormones decrease at a relatively younger age, however weight training can actually simulate them to higher levels.  And yes, your metabolisim drops every decade, however weight training INCREASES your metabolism (not to mention appropriate diet and cardiovascular exercise = excuses gone).  Likewise, if that is your excuse consider this.  If your testosterone begins to peak and drop off between ages 25-30 and you live to the average 67.2 years old (current world average) you have over half your life still left to live!  So why hang up the hat so soon when research has proven you can do something about it?  Or, will you be one of those blaming your age for the fact that EXERCISE IS DIFFICULT?!  Remember, its called WORK-out for a reason!

Weight training might be the most important type of exercise for older people because it improves the quality of life, by keeping you strong, functional, mobile, independent, and can even improve your sex hormone levels. I will drink to that!

(Scandanavian Journal of Medicine Science Sports, 17:34-42, 2007)

Dr. Suggs doing bench dips with 90 extra pounds on his lap (age 76)

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Hello again!  Hope your 4th of July was fun!  I had the pleasure of taking a bit of time off from work and resting from my preparation for the the 2010 National Weightlifting Championships at which I took 2nd place:

USAW National Championships highlights

It was very nice to take the time off and refresh a bit.  Sometimes I like to travel to other gyms and see what other places are like when I have the time and see what else is out there.  I thought I was in for a real treat, however boy was I unpleasantly surprised with my experience and found myself damn thankful I ever opened up this little piece of heaven on earth called The Lab.  I will never understand why some gyms exist and what their purpose is other than socializing.  It’s amazing people even break a sweat in these places…oh well. All I know is I don’t mix business with pleasure or weightlifting.  What I mean is if I was going to a place to simply socialize it certainly wouldn’t be a gym.  Don’t get me wrong some of my closest friends and family on earth I know through gyms but when we are at the gym we are here for a communal purpose…and that’s not socializing.  So if anyone would like to go grab a beer and socialize any place else I am all for it.  Maybe ‘Smellbridge’ wouldn’t mind if I brought my own Budweiser next time?  I mean there isn’t anything else productive I can do there;)

Congrats to Voy Andrews who has no lost 145lbs!

Congrats to Dr Dave Jaques and his wife Annie who have just completed a triathlon !

Congrats to Dr Michael Evans who has lost over 85lbs!

Congrats to DeDee Catsavis and Tom Major for NEVER quitting no matter what they may have broken, tore, or shattered…we can always work around it if we can’t work through it!

Congrats to Penney Kols for losing over 20lbs!

Look out for Do-Do below!

Enjoy this Majuscule!

Did you know that you have an unlimited ability to store triglycerides as fat cells ON and IN your body?  This explains the 600lb virgin or recently the 1000lb man I saw on TV.  While we have a limited warehouse to store carbohydrate in the muscles, liver, and blood stream fat cells can expand literally forever if we let them.  If you really think about it this explains why certain diets do what they do and why an athlete can eat a certain way that would make a couch potato overwhelmingly jealous…more on that in a later issue.

We all know body fat increases by enlarging existing fat cells, also known as fat cell hypertrophy. Fat cells may also take up space on that 600lb virgin body of yours by increasing the number of fat cells fat cells, also called fat cell hyperplasia.  Until recently, scientists thought that the number of fat cells was fixed in adults, but could be influenced by exercise and diet during childhood.

Perfect example of calorie balance and why rabbit diets and caloric diet restriction SUCKS!  If you remember interviews about his diet, the “Eat whatever I want as long as it equals 12,000calories diet.”

Now, scientists are realizing that things are not that simple…hmmm, surprise, surprise the scientists missed something again!?  Excuse the sarcasm, however, many times science can cause some severe limitations on constructive and rational thought, as if we lived in a black and white vacuum world.  And the paralyzed by the ‘show me your evidence’ crowd remains stuck in no progress land stuck behind their glasses and expanding waste lines while never stepping into the field making anything REAL happen.  Go ahead, run along and play with your mice.  Don’t get me wrong, I love science and even Scientists but at The Lab we combine a mixture of 80% evidence based rationale with a healthy dose of 20% common sense real world now how that the other ‘Labs’ will never be able to prove in their controlled settings…END OF RANT.

About as practical as the info from many ‘experts/scientists’

Soooo, where were we? Scientists have discovered that overeating combined with decreased physical activity can trigger increased fat cell production (must have been Einstein).  This makes people more prone to obesity, because they have more places to store fat.    Scientists have long known that yo-yo dieting (repeated weight loss followed by overeating) increases the risk of obesity.  Yo-yo exercising (periods of exercise followed by weeks of no physical inactivity) has the same effect (also, why you shouldn’t put all of your eggs in one basket…diet and exercise are BOTH crucial pieces of your plan.). Overwhelming one side of this too much will lead to fallout and increase likelihood of failure.  The best strategy for weight control is to maintain a long term, sensible diet and exercise plan that you can do for a lifetime! So, scratch off the quick fixes of liposuction, and yes even bariatric surgery (of course there are exceptions, but these methods do not change long term BEHAVIOR or healthy HABITS, and based on the above you now know that weight maintenance or loss is simply a measure of your LONG term diet and exercise BEHAVIOR/HABITS…when utilizing these methods no behavior is changed and soon the weight is regained, wasting thousands of dollars!), likewise the same can be said about crash diets or pathetic exercise programs (my new fav: the 500 calorie HCG diet…sounds like fun, please shoot me, life is not worth living on 500 calories per day).

Your inconsistency and flakiness are not only ineffective at reaching your goals but creating an even bigger problem for yourself.  Your cells are expanding and replicating…stick to the plan!

This research reinforces exactly what the Lab has been preaching to you about SHOWING up, getting in your 6 days of exercise religiously no matter what.  Even on the hard days when you don’t feel like it (and trust me, for most people, there will be more days you don’t want to do it, then do-do it…I said do do!).  Especially at FIRST, as with anything, this gets easier with time, and much more fun! Then turns into a normal lifestyle habit.  And that is today’s take home message, you don’t simply do this for 30 days or 3 months even, you commit yourself to a lifestyle of  appropriate diet and exercise that achieves and maintains your goals.  And once you achieve it, the game isn’t over, it has to be maintained or this program was no better than the above crash approaches. This is for life.

Do Do or Doo Doo?

You don’t have to hit a home run every time, but you must show up to bat!  If you don’t show up to bat you are always out.  You just have to ask yourself what is better, a half ass workout because you don’t feel great or NO workout because you decided NOT TO SHOW UP.  Those half ass workouts will do more for you in the long run then you could ever realize (but don’t get me wrong., ONLY half ass workouts will only give you half ass results!).  It’s official: that is the record for the usage of the word ‘ass’ in any of the Majuscules.  No asses were hurt in producing this newsletter and I hope it wasn’t a pain in yours.  Now get off your ass and get moving before you yo-yo yourself into the next fad!

(Journal of Applied Pysiology, 102:1308-1309, 2007)

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The Diet Diva is Here!

I am very happy to welcome aboard the ‘Diet Diva’!  Also known as Jennifer McDaniel, dietitian extraordinaire.  You may have seen her on several news stations, the radio, or maybe even took one of her course at Saint Louis University.  Jennifer served as my adviser, teacher, and all around role model in my many years spent at Saint Louis University.  She is the best dietitian I know and is also one heck of an athlete from running, biking, and weightlifting.  She talks the talk and walks the walk (or lifts the lift, runs the run, and kicks the butt???).  Anyway, she’s good!  Below, Jennifer touches on some very important grilling tips and share one heck of a Kebab recipe.

As you know we are all about service at The Lab.  We are not simply a gym that demonstrates exercises, however we deliver results.  There are many trainers in this world but what sets them apart is not only what certification or degree they have but their ability to deliver a service that changes your life.  This is a multifaceted skill set that ranges from scientific knowledge, motivation, enthusiasm, and if they work for me one hell of a set of organizational skills!  My trainers are not merely demonstrators of exercise or rep counters but LIFE CHANGERS!

You get more than just diet and exercise at The Lab and in order to deliver such a product we go through great lengths to train our employees.  Not only are we one of the few gyms that have weekly staff meetings 2hrs every week) but we have a rigorous 90 day employee training protocol that not all make it through if we don’t see them as Lab material).  But, it doesn’t end there, our staff is constantly pushed to deliver better service and continue to learn more so we can keep our reputation as, The most unique gym around, and the best trainers in town!

So, we need your help.  Evey so often when we bring in a new candidate as a Lab trainer we need to give them substantial practice to learn our systems and philosophy.  In order to do this we have something called, ‘Continuing Education and Research Personal Training Hours,’or C.E.R.P.T.s.  This allows our trainers to take clients through all of our diverse training programs and take their current knowledge, skill, and abilities and refine them to our standards.  This is a very rare opportunity and does not come around often, so I would like to extend this offer to everyone now and we will keep your information on file for when an opportunity comes up.

What you get are sessions for only $10/pc!!! Which normally go from anywhere between $40-100/ per session.  Some gyms just let trainers walk in the door and charge whatever they want. Not here, we are guaranteeing our quality and this is one of the ways we do it.  So, if you would like to be considered for this rare opportunity and save HUNDREDS of dollars please reply to this email and I will send you more info (or email at: thelabgym@gmail.com).  There are MANY factors considered when choosing the right C.E.R.P.T. client for a new trainer.  Likewise, situations are very diverse so reply now so we can get you on file and contact you if/when an opportunity arises.

Finally, the USA Weightlifting Nationals are this weekend and my training and preparation are going very well.  I will be lifting Saturday night at 7pm.  You can find a link for the live webcast at: www.usaweightlifting.org (check later in the week).

Enjoy this Majuscule!

By: Jennifer McDaniel, MS, RD, CSSD

Summer is here, which is even more reason to avoid heating up the house, and fire up the grill.  Grilling can be a healthy and delicious cooking method for virtually anything from non-traditional foods like figs and flatbreads to staples like hamburgers and chicken.

Unfortunately, that charred taste some of us love, might be putting us at risk.  Recent attention has focused on the link between grilling and cancer, in particular, stomach, colorectal, lung, and breast cancer.  The culprits are cancer causing agents called heterocyclic amines (HCA) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). These chemical substances are formed when fat is heated to high temperatures.

Going to need some sauce…

So now what? Cut back on grilling? Absolutely not. There are several tips you can follow to relieve your grilling woes, and it can all start with a tasty marinade. A recent study from Kansas State University marinated the same cut of meat in 3 different marinades.  The various marinades reduced these “bad” chemicals anywhere from 57-88%.  The largest reduction (88%) was seen in the “Caribbean Marinade” (see a similar marinade recipe below).

Here are some additional steps for a healthy grill out.

- Avoid placing meats in contact with high flames or extreme heat through grilling, broiling, barbecuing, or frying.

- Grill foods such as vegetables, veggie burgers, quesadillas, or even pizza. These foods contain little fat and can be a fun new food to introduce to the grill.

- Choose lean and trimmed meats. They have less fat to drip into flames and cause flare-ups.

- Briefly cook meats and poultry in the microwave before placing on the grill, this will remove some of the drippings that could cause flare-ups.

- Place meat on aluminum foil instead of directly on the grill to avoid juices into the fire or flames touching the meat.  Not only does this help prevent charring, but it also makes for easy clean-up.

- Keep your grill clean.

- Keep a spray bottle on hand to tame flames.

- Remove charred portions of meat before eating.

Some Info adapted from WebMD and the American Institute for Cancer Research

Jamaican Jerk Beef Kebabs

1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 habanero or serrano peppers, seeded
1 1/2 pounds boneless sirloin, trimmed and cut into 30 cubes
1 red bell pepper, cut into 18 pieces
2 black-ripe plantains (banana-like fruit), peeled, and each cut into 9 pieces (use pineapple if you can’t find plantains)
Cooking spray
Diagonally cut green onions (optional)
Lime wedges (optional)

Directions:

Prepare grill.

Combine first 9 ingredients in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Place onion mixture, beef, and bell pepper pieces in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes.

Remove beef and bell pepper pieces from bag; discard marinade. Place beef, bell pepper pieces, and plantain pieces in a large bowl; toss well to coat.

Thread 5 beef cubes, 3 red pepper pieces, and 3 plantain pieces alternately onto each of 6 (12-inch) skewers. Lightly coat kebabs with cooking spray. Place kebabs on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Cook 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare or until desired degree of doneness. Garnish with green onion pieces and serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: 1 kebab)

CALORIES 260 (25% from fat); FAT 7.1g (sat 2.7g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.3g); IRON 3.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 76mg; CALCIUM 20mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21.3g; SODIUM 358mg; PROTEIN 26.9g; FIBER 2.4g

Cooking Light, AUGUST 2001

If you follow these guidelines your everyday foods will be much improved!  For more information regarding eating healthy and other nutrition topics, please contact:

Call The Lab 256-1411 or email at: thelabgym@gmail.com to set up an appointment or direct at:

Jennifer McDaniel, MS, RD, CSSD @

jennifer.ebelhar@gmail.com

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Semper Fi!

Embarrassingly I didn’t know exactly what that meant until looking it up in Wikipedia.  I Always thought it sounded cool but if I am going to start screaming it like everyone else, a good scream can be fun, I thought I should at least know what it meant.  ‘Always faithful,’ sounds good to me.  I thin k I get it now.  When a task may seem daunting, overwhelming, impossible, SEMPER FI!  When you are tired and want to give up, SEMPER FI!  When it seems easier to just take a day off, SEMPER FI!

This faith is required when undertaking a lifestyle of health and fitness and likewise setting high goals for yourself.  It is never, ‘easy.’  BUT, with unwavering belief in yourself, in the plan, in knowing no matter what, you are going to find a way to your goal.  It’s about not giving up even when you fail.  Stand up, shake youself off, stand up and fight again.  A sub par plan well executed with belief is better than the perfect plan with doubts and limiting beliefs any day.

I was speaking with a client this morning about how another client came back and nailed a very difficult lift after getting humiliated by the same weight just seconds before.  He laughed and said he had a short term memory.  Maybe like those fish that have a 3 second memory.  It sounded good to me.  SEMPER FI, he grabbed the bar and nailed the next lift as if the failure 5 seconds before never even happened.  It didn’t set him back or stop him from trying again.  Nice job Mr.White. SEMPER FI!

I may have the TRUE meaning of SEMPER FI off by a bit, but for me this gives me a glimpse of what it might be to be on the battle field and fighting for a cause.  In my small world that battle field is the gym or taking control of your own health.  But, to the men and women who have given their lives so that I may pursue my dreams I am sure this has a meaning all of it’s own.  And excuse me for my naive understanding, but let me just say THANK YOU!  This Majuscule is dedicated to you!

CHEERS!!!

P.S.: We like to play “War” at The Lab sometimes…we call it BOOTCAMP!   These guys definitely have a little of their own SEMPER FI and will basically do anything;)  Below Dr Exercise is back for more describing good vs bad pain…you will need a little SEMPER FI to handle and get through both…but, know the difference!

Enjoy this Majuscule!

NOT ‘GOOD’ PAIN

Make it Hurt!?

By Dr Gina LaMonica

Justin: “How is everyone doing?”

Boot-campers: (half dazed and panting) “Make it hurt!”

But wait!  Justin’s not actually trying to HURT us, right??  I mean, he may put on his hard-ass pants every now and then, but surly injury is not a part of his agenda.

Identifying the difference between ‘good hurt’ and ‘bad hurt’ is an important tool for all of us to toss into our brain-bags.  This goes for the novice gym go-er, the sweat-a-holics, and even the casual treadmill user.

“GOOD HURT”

Allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite terms: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.  We can call it ‘DOMS’ for short. DOMS is that stiff and sore feeling in our muscles often experienced 24-48 hours after getting our butts kicked. As a boot camp junkie and occasional marathoner, DOMS is my old pal and even my badge of courage.  A groan as I stand from the couch or climb up a step reminds me of what a bad-ass I am.

What causes DOMS?

In short, no one knows for sure ß  annoying, right?  Often, we blame lactic acid (or ‘lactate’) as the culprit.  Lactic acid is a byproduct of ‘anaerobic’ exercise — happens when our oxygen intake can’t keep up with energy demands.  But is it indeed the evil genius behind DOMS?

Evidence says ‘no’.¹

So allow me to attempt to clear its tarnished name:  Lactic acid levels do increase following a vigorous workout, but will return to normal after 30-60 minutes.¹ Therefore, it couldn’t logically be blamed for symptoms felt hours later, thus clearing it of all charges.

(You’re welcome, lactic acid!!)

Our best guess is that DOMS is actually the little bugger resulting from reinforcement process of muscle hypertrophy. (Word of the day: Hypertrophy = rebuilding of bigger, stronger muscles after the abuse we cause with weight training)

ALSO, NOT ‘GOOD’ PAIN

(This is my first weightlifting coach ever, Derrick Crass 2 time Olympian-Justin)

Ok, so what do I do about it?

Good news everyone, in this case there may be implications for pill-popping.  Assuming that DOMS has an inflammatory element, anti-inflammatory medications would be indicated.² Therefore, NSAIDS (Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Naproxen) would be justifiable.  Don’t get too excited though.  Because the causes of DOMS are debatable, we can’t be sure that inflammation-reducing drugs are the way to roll.  It has even been implicated that NSAIDS may slow the ability of muscles to repair the workout-induced damage.³ So, use your medicine cabinet with caution.

Literature also shows that stretching sore muscles has only limited success in DOMS elimination.⁴ (Damn you, research!)  Still, maintaining appropriate muscle length is an important fitness element and will help prevent other injuries.  Plus, it just feels nice, if only for a moment. Let us not neglect our all-important stretching! Incorporating a 5-10 minute ‘cool down’ may also help kick the DOMS before it kicks you.³

Should I train through it?

Training with DOMS would not be considered a comfortable experience.  If it is severe enough, it will put your normal movement patterns at risk.  Thus, posing potential injury of those muscles or ligaments not normally stressed but picking up the slack.² Still, evidence suggests that “active recovery” may be your best friend after a good sweat-fest.  This may be anything from an immediate cool down – as mentioned above – or even a light workout (walking, etc) in days that follow.^5,6 Generally speaking, resistance training should allow for a day or two of recovery time to allow for our little muscles to scramble together and make monster muscles.

VERY GOOD, ‘BAD’ PAIN

“BAD HURT”

As a physical therapist, I spend my days with the ‘bad hurts.’ In fact, pain is my arch-enemy.  I have vowed to systematically destroy my nemesis, one patient at a time.  Unfortunately, it is a hopeless battle.  Every day, I collide with osteoarthritis, torn tendons and ligaments, and wage war on bulging discs and nerve pain.

Pain is our built-in alarm system.  It is our body’s way of flagging a problem and demanding a solution.

So, what separates the good pain (discussed above) from the evil I have vowed to eliminate?  How convenient that you asked! The following list highlights some of the elements of ‘bad pain’:

1)      Pain is intractable. You reach into your bag of pain-relieving tricks — changing positions, rest, ice, heat, massage, etc.– and nothing seems to work in a significant way.

2)      Pain occurs suddenly and with a vengeance.  Example: pivoting on a fixed foot, resulting in immediate and severe pain (and often any number of expletives).

3)      Pain may be described by any of the following adjectives: stabbing, shooting, pins and needles, numbness, throbbing, or popping or clicking ßassociated with pain.

4)      Pain is accompanied with local swelling, tenderness, heat, or discoloration.

5)      Movement is impaired in a significant way.

6)      Pain does not improve over time (especially if lasting for more than the usual 48 hours expected by DOMS).

7)      Comparative weakness.  If one limb or joint is suddenly notably weaker than the opposing limb or joint, consider this to be your body waving a red flag in your face.

8)      Pain prevents participation in desired activities: assuming that your desired activity is within reason (climbing a mountain, lifting 300 lbs, or running a marathon without proper preparation or training would be considered unreasonable and -frankly – worthy of injury.).

CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, STILL ‘BAD’ PAIN

If you are experiencing or do someday experience any of these elements listed above, seeking medical attention would be a wise move.   If any symptoms are felt during an element of your workout (i.e. squats result in knee pain), consider checking in on your form or reducing your resistance.  As noted before, pain is a vital part of our physiology.  If we ignore our natural defense mechanisms we’re likely to pay for it at some point down the road.

Now that you’ve been schooled in good pain verses bad pain…go forth and be awesome.

Make.  It.  Hurt.  (But in a good way!)

Pain is temporary, pride is forever ….

DOMS will fade, but stress fractures are no joke.

Don’t be a pussy, but stress fractures are no joke!

References

1. Gabriel M, Herber RD. Effects of stretching before and after exercising on muscle soreness and risk of injury: systematic review. BMJ 2002;325:468-470.

2  Anderson JC.  Delayed onset muscle soreness: treatment strategies and performance factors. Sports Med. 2003;33(2):145-64.

3. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-does-lactic-acid-buil&page=2

4. Cheung K, Hume P, Maxwell L. Physical Therapy in Sport. 2004: Vol 5:1:26-32.

5.  http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52151

6.  http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/tipsandtricks/a/activerecovery.htm

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It’s been way to long and I know how you have been waiting anxiously by your inbox  for the latest Majuscule.  Well, it was WORTH the wait!  We have been busier than ever at The Lab and we have so much exciting news coming up that I have not been able to keep up with it all (we have been working night and day trying to expand our continuously shrinking walls and are getting closer to that reality).

Last time we spoke (because I know you talk out loud back to me when you read this), I mentioned we would be on Channel 2 for an interview.  See link below.  WELL, that was in mid March.  At that point Voy had lost 117 lbs!!! As of today he is at 140lbs!!! 23 lbs lost since that interview alone.  He is amazing.  But just like everyone else he had to start with one step at a time.  Matter of fact he couldn’t stay on the elliptical for more than 30 seconds on day 1.  13 months later he is a total rockstar and can out perform some of the best in the gym.  What is his strength? Showing up with the right attitude day in and out…and coming back for more no matter what.  He doesn’t miss days.  THAT IS IT.  No magic formula other than daily exercise, a sensible diet, and consistency.  he has bad days ALL the time, but he never gives up!  Unlike those, ” I have tried everything’s,” who may try something for 1 week before calling it quits and then onto the next flashy fad.  When you hear him speak in the interview he reveals his secret (“Just getting started”).

Channel 2 Interview
Next, I have to give a shout out to little Lisa Manfredi who JUST dead lifted 225lbs for 3 reps.  That was after doing snatches, clean and jerks, back squats…and then finish off the workout with 100lbs over bodyweight for 3 reps.  AMAZING.  And she could hardly walk a year ago!

The article below speaks to a glimpse of The Lab philosophy.  Which is, we believe in NO GIMMICKS. We use allot of cool sexy tricks but at the end of the day we are not here to be flashy and cute.  We are here to produce results, and that is why we select the exercises that we do from athlete to senior citizen.  Read below to see why you might be wasting your time on gimmicky tricks that are may seem cutting edge but in fact are slowing your results.

By the way, it is great outside..come try BOOTCAMP!

Enjoy this Majuscule!

Stability Suicide

Training on unstable surfaces is like shooting a gun after a few drinks of alcohol…not smart or safe.  I would even argue the later to be more dangerous and the former to be more productive;) Most people can not perform the basic moves correctly on a STABLE surface from poor body awareness, flexibility, muscle imbalances, poor strength, and simple fear of the exercises.  So why on earth do many people feel the need to add such a silly wrench to the situation?  My guess a) to avoid having to do the real work which is hard and uncomfortable (using perfect form, adding weight or reps, and working on basic biomechanical issues which isn’t always fun).  b) boredom of their trainer or self.  c) They are in physical therapy.

None of the above solutions are consistent with result producing WORK unless you are rehabbing to get BACK to WORK).

.  Consider the squat or lunge for example.  Two basic and essential motions for the body yet 9 out of 10 people that walk in my door (even WITH years of exercise experience) do them wrong.  So why would these people even consider adding a challenge such as instability when they are to unstable or weak to do the basic move correctly?

This is also why we focus on strength at all times.  We are not making the average Joe a powerlifter or weightlifter , however being able to perform the basics with increasing loads is merely a testament to how good their form and STABILITY truly is!

Think of stability as STRENGTH.  If you are weak you cant hold all of your bodies positions in place under little stress (on stable flat environments) OR unstable environments for Gad sakes.  Master the basics and then challenge yourself with a heavier weight and you WILL improve BOTH strength, balance, AND posture when performed correctly (considering you are holding your form perfectly at ALL times).  More bang for your buck and less risk of falling of the damn bosu ball!

In review the ability to lift a heavy weight with good form is a the best sign of how good your form, stability, and posture is.  Performing on an unstable surface (outside of rehab or physical therapy) is merely training you for the circus.  Unless your job is to walk the high wire or robbing banks with  infra red laser alarms than can the instability junk, have some vodka, and pick up a barbell…ok, skip the vodka.

Notice the terrible spine position;)

No don’t get me wrong.  MOBILITY is a good thing. But that is much different and only safe if you have equal parts stability (strength) to control your mobility and why so many people get hurt doing Yoga and yoga only, I mean you can only stretch and relax a weak muscle so much).  Otherwise, you are an accident waiting to happen.  Excessive mobility is how you get hurt.  Likewise excessive mobility (low back) is what lead to your injury when you bent down and picked up that french fry off the ground and leaned over to grab it.

“Hey look, a french fry!”  But (or should I say BUTT),  at least she bent her knees a little! Believe it or not she is exposing her spine (and her crack) to injury evening bending like this.

The January 2010 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research reported some research that we have proven in our Lab ages ago (yeah, that’s The Lab Gym, check it out, it’s pretty sweet).  The article starts off with, “If you think  that weight training on an unstable surface such as an exercise ball always activates more muscles, think again,”  according to research at California State University.

Researchers tested 30 resistance trained subjects performing shoulder presses using 3 sets of 3 repetitions using barbells and dumbbells seated on a bench and on an exercise ball (at The Lab we eventually we get you to do them standing= An even better way, when your ready for it).

Based on surface electromyograpahy readings for 8 muscles  (anterior deltoid, middle deltoid, trapezius, triceps brachii, rectus abdominus, external obliques, and upper and lower ercetor spinae).  The researchers found that as instability of exercise increased, activation of most muscle groups increased.

You (accident waiting to happen): with inadequate stability/strength with your excessive mobility. But hey, looks like a great way to do some shoulder presses!  Lets give you a barbell and see what happens!

Take home message: Don’t get blind sided by THE FUNCTIONAL FITNESS BUZZ (We like to call it foo foo functional).  Your tried and true weightlifting basics well give you more bang for your exercise buck (or as we like to say, a higher R.O.P., ‘Return On Pain.’).

Stick to the ‘basics’ of squats, deadlifts, lunges, pushes and pulls (Upper push and pull: chest and shoulder presses, pulldowns, pullups, dips, etc).  After you prioritize them suuuure go ahead, No one is looking you can do a few isolation exercises bicep curls, shoulder raises, etc).

A few of the ‘basics’ blended together for total body mastery: a) Core stability b) flexibility in shoulders, lumbar spine, hips, ankles. c) Ladies see how skinny this man is.  Let this be a lesson to heavy weights/low reps do DOES NOT = big muscles.  This is one of the strongest 136 lb men in the world, yet rail thin. Hmmmm, ‘toning’ anyone?

And that of course assumes you are doing them right. I see people in the gym everyday who do these wrong, experience some sort of the ‘wrong’ pain and falsely attribute it to the exercise as a bad one.  When in fact they either a) in correctly executed the exercise or b) let their ego get involved and used to much weight c) “oh my God what is that pain?”Sir, that is called muscle fatigue (know the good vs. the bad pain!  Yet, this isn’t supposed to feel like a massage.).

Finally, learning the basics such as the squat takes a skilled professional to help teach you the correct positions and ‘feel’ to make sure the exercise is building you up and not breaking you down.  Nor is using pictures from trendy magazines, online images/websites, or using the local gym rat meat head  as technique or form reference going to cut it(unless they are a Lab rat) , because I would bet the farm (gym) that they are doing them wrong. Heck, I have been lifting for 19 years and competing for over 15 and I did them wrong for the first 8-10 years.

Now go hit the basics do them right and don’t look for the next flashy thing to distract yourself from what truly matters.  Throw your ‘fitness’ magazines away and stop distracting yourself from putting some good honest WORK in.  Dedication, consistent HARD work, and FOCUS!  Otherwise you will be the next person complaining to me that, ” you tried everything, but nothing worked for you.”  When sure, you may have tried a few things but stopped each one when they may have actually become hard or required you to put in more effort than you planned to.  Its called a WORKout for a reason;)

Nearly ANYTHING will work if you hit it hard enough, long enough, an consistently enough!

Closing Points:  Focusing on silly distractions, foo foo functional moves, and many and most gimmicks for that matter will result in:

1. You will burn less calories. You won’t be able to use nearly as much weight on a bosu ball (or flashy foo foo move) as you would on a stable surface performing the same exercise. Burning calories and toning/building muscle is all about progressive resistance/overload (stressing the body). When you are more worried about face planting you are not focused on the correct things.

2. You will make yourself weaker. Gaining strength (strength is a good thing and should be a goal for everyone, and ladies you wont get muscle bound, if your still worried, then don’t take steroids;) is all about force production (ie: being able to transfer force from the ground up). By training on an unstable surface, you’re severely limiting the amount of force you can generate in any given exercise.

3. Core Strength: Please don’t be THAT person who claims that unstable surface training is great for training the core. Try the basics correctly, push yourself, and see how your core engages (see overhead squat position in pic above).

I could go on and on, but I’m hungry and need to go eat…

CORE STABILITY TRAINING 101:

Posture hold position: chest up, shoulders back and down, butt back, knees soft, weight in the heels (toes curled up), eyes forward..and squeeze.  You should be able to take a punch, jump, shoot a basket, squat, bend over, and more from this position.

In the above position your are aligning the vertebrae in the correct alignment to take on stress and movement (stable).  Deviating any of this is when you introduce risk.

This is the standing or squatting
spinal position. When bending over how should it look?

Bentover: Nothing has changed in the vertebra’s distance from each other no flexing forward, etc).  In order to do this the hips must move correctly with your spine and slightly unlocking your knees.  Spine, still safe, straight, and stable!

For example: bending over or deadlifting

And another: Squatting, picking up fries…

Or, how about some normal activities of daily living???

The better it is the more functional and ‘core stability’ you will be.  For example, carrying your groceries.  Above, I am carrying 250 lbs in each hand worth of ‘groceries’ with the posture hold position intact.  Core/spine = safe.

Or, picking heavy things from off the ground.  Like the remote control.  Here, my knees are bent and back is locked into the ‘posture hold position’ and I am safely lifting 600 lbs worth of remote controls 10 times in under 50 seconds (fastest time of all 200lb men at the Strongman Nationals;).

Or, packing you luggage in the overhead bin in the airplane. Here is 242 lbs of luggage safely ‘stowed’ away.  Posture hold position in tact.

Or lifting a car over your head.  What?  It happens.

So when you do, posture hold!

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