Fitness Workshop in Fairfax Set for 4/20

Fitness Workshop 

with David Cohen

1 pm • 

April 20

City of Fairfax Regional Library, 

10360 North Street, Fairfax, Va.

703-293-6227

No matter how long you've been exercising, there's always something new to learn.

Spend some time with this personal trainer and fitness expert for a talk on fitness, health, weight loss tips, weightlifting and body composition at this workshop.

Here are a few topics I'll discuss at the workshop:

• fitness
• weightlifting 
• food and calories
• BMI
• body fat composition

Hope to see you there!

(By the way, if you have questions but you're unable to make it to the workshop, drop me a line. You may inspire a blog article!)

Fitness Friday: How to Deadlift Correctly

The folks at Fitsugar have excellent instructions on how to deadlift:

• Hold the barbell (or two dumbbells at your sides) close to your legs, almost touching them.
• Keep your arms straight and knees slightly bent.
• Slowly bend at your hip joint -- not your waist -- and lower the weights as far as possible without rounding your back. 
• Keep your back straight; a good way to do that is to look forward, rather than at the ground. Keep your spine neutral with a natural low-back arch, shoulders down. 
• Squeeze your glutes to pull yourself up at a quicker pace than it took to bend down (Fitsugar recommends four seconds to bend down and two seconds to pull up). Don't use your back. Do not round your spine.
• Using a weight that allows you to do three sets of 12-15 reps, keeping your form strong and correct through to the end.

Be sure to read the article, and not just because it concurs with what I have told clients for years: deadlifts are great for your core, glutes, posture... pretty much every muscle group.

More Muscle Groups, Higher Dividends

Boy, was I glad when I read the article below in the July-August 2012 issue of IDEA Fitness Journal. The article states that using multiple large-muscle groups creates a larger after-burn with your muscles. 

By expending more energy (which translates to calories), your burn more calories. This leads to more effective muscle-sculpting and weight loss.

As I have said repeatedly, keeping the body off-balance gives us better results, and we need to learn — and apply — new techniques and practices in our workouts. It also reinforced the message I bestow on my clients: Don't be afraid to try something new in your workouts. More often than not, it will pay off.

What's your favorite multi-muscle workout? 

Energy Expenditure During 1-Set and 3-Set Training Protocol

by Ryan Halvorson

 IDEA Fitness Journal

Many fitness professionals incorporate strength training routines into clients’ programs in part to incite postworkout elevated energy expenditure. But how many repetitions and sets are enough to generate extended periods of afterburn? Probably many fewer than you think.

A small study of eight young overweight males pitted the traditional 3-set strength training protocol against a 1-set program. Participants completed 1 set of 10 exercises, at 10-repetition maximum (RM), targeting all major muscle groups. During a separate intervention, they completed 3 sets of the same exercises, also at 10-RM. Exercises included leg press, leg curl, calf raise, bench press, lat pull-down, shoulder press, biceps curl, triceps extension, abdominal crunch and back extension. 

Movements were divided into three circuits, with 4 minutes’ rest between them. Energy expenditure was then tested 24, 48 and 72 hours after the exercise session.

The researchers discovered that the 3-set protocol resulted in significantly more energy expenditure during the workout than the 1-set protocol. “However, within protocols, both the one-set and three-set protocols were significantly elevated for resting energy expenditure expressed in absolute amounts at 24 hours post, 48 hours post, and 72 hours post, compared with baseline,” said the authors. “The results of this investigation support the current American College of Sports Medicine recommendation for resistance training, which is one set of eight to 10 exercises focusing on the major muscle groups. 

Although this recommendation is most often cited for overall muscular fitness, the fact that a single set can elevate resting energy expenditure for 72 hours may be an important modality for weight management.”

The study appeared in the European Journal of Applied Physiology (2011; 111 [3], 477–84).

Why We Should Not Arch the Back During Weightlifting

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Anyone who has taken a Pilates or Yoga class has heard the term neutral spine.

Neutral spine is when the spine is in its most natural position:

• Slight Lordotic (inward curve) at the cervical spine (neck);
• Kyphotic curve at the top of the thoracic( upper back/chest); 
• Lordotic curve at the lumbar spine. (lower back); and, finally 
• Kyphotic curve at the sacral spine (hips).

The spine is designed this way to help distribute weight and stress throughout the body.

This means that by arching my back when lifting weights, I am taking away the optimal positioning for my natural support system and adding stress by using extra weight.

The spine may be strong enough to handle some of this extra burden, but as we go up in weight or compensate by arching our backs even further, we increase the chance of injury.

So, the next time you are bench pressing and your back arches off the bench, put the weights down,  rethink your technique — and lower the weight. Your back will thank me later.

Gain More: Slow Down Your Reps

Looking for better gains? Try going slow.

Slowing your reps down is a great training technique for those exercises that are otherwise difficult to isolate the proper muscles.

Slowing down allows you to squeeze the muscle better at the top of the contraction, which works the desired muscle a bit harder.

Slowing down also recruits more muscle fibers. In the long run, this will make you stronger, so you will be able to lift a bit more.

Slowing down aids in avoiding injuries. If you are not throwing the weights, you won't have to worry about pulling or tearing muscles.

Next time in the gym try slowing down your reps to a 7-second count(3 seconds on the concentric contraction and four seconds on the eccentric).  I think you'll agree you will get a more thorough work out.  If you are already using this count and you still need more gains, try 10 second reps: 10 seconds up and 10 seconds down.

This makes for a very challenging workout, but here is a hint: use a a slightly lighter weight when lifting this slow. Chances are, you will not be able to lift the same weight at slower speeds.

Total Body Workout vs. Splits

This is a great topic for debate, and a question I am asked quite often:

What is more effective: total body workout three or four times a week or training different body parts on different days of the week?

I am not sure if one is necessarily better than the other.... but they are different.

I am a huge fan of the overall body workout when I am hard-pressed for time. This also is great for weight loss and is a great way to train for overall fitness. When done at a good pace with no rest between sets, it really elevates the heart rate.

Where this type of workout falls short, however, is when people stick to one set of exercises per muscle group. For muscle hypertrophy (muscle enlargement), lifters need to overload their muscles. I personally feel that true gains in muscle mass come from different types of exercise for any given muscle group.

The more exercises we do, the better the neuromuscular response and the more muscle fibers are activated. Once we do that, we become stronger. When that occurs, we can lift more weight. Lifting more weight makes us bigger.

This being said, I prefer body splits for size because it allows lifters to be more thorough with each body part.

This does not mean you can't get bigger on a whole body workout. However, personally, I find it less effective.

Both workouts have their place. Just be mindful of what you are trying to accomplish so you can get the results you want.

Form: An Important Part of Any Workout

Dave's number one rule of weightlifting: if something hurts other than what is being trained, stop and check your form.

Someone asked me today why their forearm hurt when doing preacher curls. Unfortunately for him I was with a client, so he did not really get my full attention. (That's another blog entirely.)

Had I been able to focus on this lifter, I would have watched him to make sure he did not leave his wrists flexed when doing preacher curls. Flexing makes the grip more strenuous, which in turn causes fatigue in the forearms. If your form is strong, use a narrower bar to lessen the strain of the grip. Conversely, if your forearms need work, go to a thicker bar or dumbbell.

Another question I get on preacher curls is about shoulder pain during the movement.
If this happens, check your shoulders. Do not lean over the preacher bench. Sit squarely in the seat and let your arms do the work.

Earlier in the day I happened to spot a person doing side bends with a 45-pound plate. As he tipped to the side, his torso also bent forward and engaged his abs (and possibly his lower back). He sacrificed good oblique isolation for bad form. There also was a possibility of low back strain.

That brings us to Dave's number two rule of lifting: never give up good form for more weight.

Another issue I saw was kind of interesting and new to me: a client said he was unable to do squats because of knee pain during the motion. When he demonstrated his technique (with very little weight on the bar), I watched his left knee float in and out of position during his squat. When he corrected his stance — which truly was off by less than an inch — he was able to squat a good amount of weight with no knee pain.

These are just a few examples of technique checks I make every day with clients and weightlifters on the floor.

Remember: when trying to do something good for yourself and your body, don't suffer an injury that could have been avoided simply by checking your form. Get what you can out of a training session — and don't miss any because of injury due to carelessness or misunderstanding.

Breaking Those Lifting Plateaus

No matter if you are lifting for size or general fitness, there is going to come a time when you stop seeing results.

If you don't have enough exercises in your repertoire, or you have been doing the same exercises for to long a time, try some of these for mad gains.

• Super Sets: There are many types of super sets. One of the most popular is to do one set with a manageable weight for as many reps as you can. Then, decrease the weight slightly, and repeat the exercise for as many reps as possible. After four or five sets of dropping weight and high reps, your muscles will know they got an intense workout.
• Super Slow Reps: When doing slow reps, decrease the weight you normally use. Count to 10 on the concentric contraction, then count to 10 on the eccentric contraction (or negative). This will help in making you stronger so you can lift more down the road.
  
• More Weight, Fewer Reps: If you have been told that three sets, and 10-12 reps is the correct way to lift, then you need to go for the gusto. Add an extra 10-15 percent of weight, then do five to six sets of six to eight reps. This will help to break up the routine a bit.
• High Intensity Training. This is for the experienced lifter who also trains with a partner. As you lift, have your partner hold the weight and add his/her own resistance on the concentric contraction for the first set. Do this for 10 reps. Next, have your partner give their resistance on the eccentric contraction for 10 reps. Finally, have your partner give resistance on both, the concentric and the eccentric contractions. (Note of caution here: this can be very intense. The person aiding in the resistance needs to watch the person lifting for overall effort. We want to make it difficult, but let's be safe.)
• Pre-exhaust. Take a relatively easy exercise and do three sets to fatigue, then do your lifting. For example: on arm day, I like to do three sets of push-ups to failure, then do my arm workout. Starting your lifting when the muscles are already tired is a great technique for increasing muscular endurance.
  

These should jump-start your body to give you better results faster.

Try a Personal Trainer First

All too often, I have clients tell me they need to lose weight or tone up their bodies. These are very worthwhile goals, but the truth of the matter is that a personal trainer can aid in many other ways you may not have realized — like in reducing your need for a chiropractor.

There are many cases where proper training of muscular imbalances of the legs and hips can relieve back pain — and keep you out of the doctor's office.

The doctor realigns your spine to release the pressure that is making you uncomfortable.

If back pain is not injury-induced, chances are good that it could be caused by a muscle imbalance.

Sometimes, a muscle imbalance is caused by your posture — or, more precisely, the way you carry yourself through the course of your day. In most cases, a good personal trainer can pick up on these imbalances and correct them, thus correcting your posture and taking away the discomfort.

While some imbalances may be organic, others could be due to our own actions.

We can train ourselves into imbalances. My favorite example of this is illustrated by the hunchback weightlifters. You've seen them: the guys in the gym with the biggest arms and chests — and rounded shoulders. This is the result of heavily training the chest (shoulders and trapezius) without training the rear deltiod. Eventually, gravity can cause enough imbalance to create back pain.

Rounded shoulders also can be due to repeatedly hunching forward (such as at the desk or steering wheel), making shoulders lean slightly forward of the torso. Gravity then pulls the shoulders toward the ground instead of centered over our torso and hips. This makes walking difficult because balance is off-centered.

Remember: in addition to getting you and keeping you fit, trainers also can teach you how to be symmetric and balanced in training. Being fit is more than being able to lift weights or having good cardio -- it's also having good, pain- free range of motion in all joints.

Protein Shakes, Part Two

Fourth in a series.

On our last blog, we talked about the criteria for the use of protein shakes. We discussed protein requirements based on our training.

I need to add one more point to this before we move on: remember, along with the contents of the shake itself, you also are consuming more calories. Depending on serving size and what you mix it with (milk or water), you can take in anywhere from 150 to as much as 300+ calories.

If you are trying to lose weight, my recommendation is to stay away from protein shakes.

Here is my experience with protein shakes as a 48 year old male who is 6 feet tall, weighs 205 pounds and works out almost everyday. I have experimented with shakes on three separate occasions. The shakes I used did have more to offer than just protein, but there is not enough space on this blog to list all ingredients, benefits and side effects.

I was lifting almost every day and doing 30-60 minutes of cardio three or days a week. I was consuming shakes after weightlifting sessions that I knew to be hours before my next main meal. Despite the fact that I continued to watch my calorie intake, I put on weight — and it was not muscle because I got bigger around my middle.

The second time I used shakes, I was taking them before my workouts because I figured the carbs would help fuel my workout and the BCAAs (amino acids) would help to preserve muscle mass while I lifted. Also, ideally, we should consume our biggest meal of the day 30-90 minutes before a workout. My results were the same: I put weight on across my middle.

The last time I used protein shakes, I was only taking them when I felt I just did not get enough calories through the course of my day. Guess what? Same results: weight across my middle.

This does not mean I definitely don't recommend using protein shakes. However, I do recommend taking a careful look at the label. Before purchasing or consuming any supplements — and protein shakes are supplements — go online and research the supplement in which you are interested. Look up all ingredients on the shake label, weigh the benefits versus the side effects (if any), then decide if that protein shake is right for you.

Here is my final thought: if your metabolism is naturally fast and calories are not a concern, you may want to try a shake in order to put on some extra muscle.

If that does not work for you, remember: there are other excellent sources for protein "supplements." Back in the day before shakes, weightlifters ate cottage cheese to fulfill their protein requirements.

Next Creatine

Protein Shakes, Part One

Third in a series

And now the moment you have been waiting for: part three on supplements. Today we talk about protein shakes.

Because there are so many people improperly using shakes and other supplements, I thought — actually, Chris thought — this should be two blogs. The first part will be, "Is a protein shake for you?"

Serious weight lifters, or people who lift weight seriously, need enough protein in their diets in order to repair the physiological damage caused by weightlifting.

Lifting weights creates tiny tears in our muscle fibers. Proteins in our bodies fill in these tears and repair the muscle — but with a little more thickness in order to avoid future tears. Without enough protein in our system, these repairs cannot take place.

I usually recommend my clients eat a light carbohydrate protein meal an hour before working out and eat protein after a workout. (More on carbohydrates later.)

Now you are probably thinking: Okay, I lift weights on a regular basis and you are telling me I need extra protein. So, how much do I need and where do I get it?

This is where we try to figure out if a protein shake is for you.

According to Dr. Douglas Anderson at ChiroWeb.com — the Chiropractic News Source, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is:

• for the average person: 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight
• for athletes: 1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight
• for power lifters: 1.4-1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight

To figure out how much you need, take your body weight and divide it by 2.2, then multiply that by 0.8. For example, I weigh 200 pounds:

(200/2.2) x .8= 292 grams of protein a day

Keep a daily food diary to see if you are getting enough protein. If you are not getting enough protein in your diet, take a look at the content of a variety of protein shakes to determine which one will suit your needs.

Only supplement what you are short in your daily needs. Remember, more does not always mean better.

Next: protein shakes, part 2

Working Through a Plateau

Three months ago, I trained a gentleman for three sessions. When I ran into him recently, he wanted to know why he was not yet seeing a difference in his muscularity.

I asked him what he had been doing since our sessions. He said he was doing the same workout as the one I originally showed him with only one variation: he added a little weight to each exercise.

For him — and for those of you reaching a plateau — here is one way to break through.

After three months, the exercises become easy because of muscle memory, which is ease of movement through practice and repetitions as well as getting new muscle fibers involved in your practice of weight training.

Now we're ready for the second step in bodybuilding: add enough weight where you can reach only six repetitions. Do four sets of each exercise. When you work your way back to 12-15 repetitions, add more weight. The most important factor is that the last couple of repetitions in each set should be very difficult. But be careful — be sure to maintain form and, if the weight feels at all clumsy, drop down a little bit in weight. Safety always comes first.

This should help you work through your lulls. Happy lifting!

General Lifting Rules

Jessie asked good questions about lifting. How do we know how many sets, how many reps per set and how much weight should we use for toning?

Okay, so it's been a few years since you lifted. No biggie. Here are a few pointers:

• Start light. Let your muscles remember the movements.
• For general toning, do three sets for each exercise.
• Do 10-12 reps per set.
• The proper weight is when you struggle to get to the 12th rep. If you can't reach 12, you are using too much weight. If you blow through 12 reps, there is not enough weight.

Machines are good, but don't shy away from free weights, especially dumbbells. They allow you to use muscles independently, thus causing fewer imbalances.

As far as stretching goes, check out Sport Stretch: 311 Stretches for 41 Sports by Michael J. Alter. This great book details how to stretch and explains sets and duration of each stretch.

I hope this helps. Let me know, Jessie!