Archive for weight training

7 Lessons Learned from the Bodybuilding Stage

By I.A.R.T. Writer/ Contributer
Friday, June 7th, 2013

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Mike Lipowski

When I started my career as a personal trainer at the ripe young age of twenty-two (I really can’t believe I’ll be thirty-six this month.  Look ma’ I made it! J) one of the very first actions I took was to enter myself into a natural bodybuilding contest.  I had wanted to bodybuild ever since I watched Lou Ferrigno as the Incredible Hulk in the mid-eighties television series.  Then of course there were the professional wrestlers in the WWF like Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior who became another source of motivation before I started “investing” what little money I earned at thirteen years old on muscle magazines. But I digress.

My reasoning for entering the contest was two-fold.  First, I always wanted to look like a bodybuilder so it only made sense to do what bodybuilders do…compete.  Second, and the stronger of the two reasons, was to gain experience and knowledge.  I reasoned that if people were going to come to me with the expectation of achieving six-pack abs, defined muscles, or to simply get lean and muscular, then I better know and understand all that goes into the process.

After 14 years of competing it is impossible for me to place a value on the lessons I’ve learned from getting up on stage. What I have gained through those experiences cannot be learned in a book or in a classroom. The lessons can be categorized two ways; physique development and self-development.  While my initial interest was regarding physique development I quickly learned that self-development works in tandem with physique development—sometime preceding it, sometimes resulting from it, and sometimes working side by side with it.

Here are my top 7 lessons learned from the bodybuilding stage:

  1. Fat loss takes time but needs to be approached with a sense of urgency.  While losing weight slowly is necessary for maintaining a healthy metabolism and ensuring that the weight you shed is fat and not muscle, don’t use this as a reason to get complacent or justify poor decisions about eating or exercise. With few exceptions the metabolism is very slow to get started, often taking 4 or more weeks just to build enough momentum result in consistent weekly fat loss. And that’s if you’re doing everything right!
  2. Track everything.  As the old adage goes, you can’t know where  you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been.  While keeping a food log and keeping track of your calories, carbs, protein and fats might seem like a royal pain in the ass, it is the only way to figure out exactly how much you can or can’t eat without disrupting your fat loss efforts.  Don’t try to guess…it doesn’t work.Journal
  3. Until you change your mind you cannot change your body.  The body has a funny way of following what your subconscious believes to be true which is why I can’t stress enough the importance of developing self-belief and having a positive self-image.  I have never had a competition season in which I didn’t improve upon my condition from the previous season.  I attribute this to first seeing myself better than I once was the previous season and then taking actions on achieving it.
  4. Have a strong “why”.  It’s easy to stay the course and do whatever is necessary to achieve your goal when you have a clear-cut reason for doing so.  Getting up in front of a bunch of strangers with less fabric covering you than what you would wear to the beach was, and continues to be, a very big reason “why” I’m so intent on not screwing up my diet or missing workouts.  Just wanting to “look better” or “get a little leaner” is not incentive, it’s a wish.  Attach it to something bigger that will keep you doing the not so fun stuff and now you have a why.
  5. This s#%t is hard!  Make no mistake about it, you have to work your butt off and be disciplined to make even minimal gains.  Showing up is not half the battle it’s about 1/10th of it.  You need to constantly outwork yourself in order to make forward progress. Accepting this reality will help minimize frustration when you’re not achieving results at the rate you think you should.
  6. You are always IN-season.  One of the most common traits amongst top competitors is that they focus just as hard on their diet and training in the off-season as they do 3 months before stepping on stage.  By living the lifestyle year round it makes getting into competition shape much easier and faster and makes the damage done by an occasional night out on the town or going out to eat almost World's 2012 (125)non-existent.
  7. Support systems are a necessity.  As stated in lesson #5 this stuff is hard, but it can made much easier, and your likelihood of success is greatly increased by having one or more people working towards similar goals alongside you.  Conversely nothing can thwart your efforts faster than resistance or ridicule from family members or friends.  Be sure that the people surrounding you understand how important your fitness goals are to you and to respect your decisions about the way you eat and how you spend your time.
Categories : Exercise, Nutrition, Personal Training, Sports Psychology
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Fitness Trends vs. Fitness Truth: P90X

By I.A.R.T. Writer/ Contributer
Tuesday, April 9th, 2013

It’s all about muscle confusion right?  Just keep doing different sixty minute workouts six times a week and your fat-loss, muscle building, fitness prayers will be answered.  At least that what the developer of the P90X series, Tony Horton, would have you believe.  As discussed in the first Fitness Trends vs. Fitness Truth blog the major mistake made among trendsetting workout programs, and the ultimate reason for their demise is ignorance of the 7 Principles of Exercise (intensity, volume, frequency, overload, specificity, diminishing returns, and individualism) and how they interrelate.   You might be able to fool people but you can’t cheat science.

Don’t get me wrong, not everything taught in P90X is wrong per se though I disagree with their overall approach to exercise and Mr. Horton does have a tendency to make many false or misleading statements such as “Do low reps if you’re looking for mass and high reps if you’re looking for lean [muscle].”  The concept of performing exercise with high intensity is one positive component to the P90X program as is adding variety to your routine so you don’t become accustomed to your routine which under certain conditions will result in plateaus.  When put into practice however, P90X takes valid concepts and misapplies them.

I will not go so far as to say that the program doesn’t work, it does…under certain conditions and to varying degrees.  However, nearly every exercise program “works” to some extent or has “some” effect.  That does not necessarily make it ideal or the most effective approach to exercise, especially in light of its risk/reward ratio and long term effects.  Keep in mind that what is tolerable over the short term might not (and rarely is) sustainable over the long term.  This is a major hang up for many people.  Because a program yielded good results over a period they begin to believe that their results will continue in the same direction or can be sustained on said program.

For a thorough examination of the pros, cons, and misapplication of P90X let’s look at how the program stacks up against the 7 Principles of Exercise.

Fitness Truth vs. P90X

At the core of every exercise program is the Principle of Individualism.  This principle states that exercise must be prescribed in accordance with the needs, goals, abilities, limitations, and preferences of the individual.  Whenever a program is created before you know anything about the individual who is about to partake in it you are already in violation of this principle.  P90X violates this principle on many levels as you’ll see in our examination of the other six principles.  That said I’ll be the first to admit that most people who are new to exercise or that have not exercised for a number of years will see results relatively fast doing almost any type of training program.  This is a very big factor in the success for those featured as P90X success stories.

Let’s be honest most of the people who undertake the P90X program are those that are under or untrained and looking for a way to get some direction and avoid going to a gym.  For the advanced trainee who has years of solid weight training under his/her belt P90X is unlikely to move the results meter unless it so happens—by sheer luck—to fall in line with their specific needs.

Be Intense…But Not Too Intense

Intensity is the possible percentage of momentary muscular and volitional effort exerted. The measure of how hard a person is working at any given moment during exercise.  P90X encourage its participants to exercise with a high level of effort which is great but they clearly misunderstand the principle.  If a person is truly training with their highest level of effort then they would be limited in the amount of exercise they could perform but the quality and effectiveness of that exercise in stimulating gains in muscular strength and size would be high.

Throughout P90X the trainee is prompted to not push themselves to fatigue; to be able to complete every repetition of every set.  Why?  Because if they actually pushed some of their exercises to momentary muscular fatigue (failure) they would not make it through the entire workout—in effect they would not need to perform as much exercise as is suggested.   It is at this point it becomes obvious that this is an endurance program and not for anyone who wants to develop muscle or strength.  (Note: while exercise will burn calories and can have a positive effect on the metabolism the success of P90X in burning fat is a function of participants following a calorie restricting diet and NOT the exercise program itself).

Since intensity is a function of a person’s mental capability to push themselves and work through discomfort the degree of intensity experienced from these workouts can be sufficient for those who are newbies or that lack the ability to push themselves to the level suggested by P90X.  For the experienced lifter or those accustomed to hard training already the intensity of this workout will be a step back.

If Some Is Good, More Is Better

Volume is the amount of exercise performed in a workout.  It refers to the number of repetitions, time under tension, and the number of sets performed.  Exercise volume is determined largely by an individual’s muscle fiber type, rate-of-fatigue, tolerance to exercise stress, and objectives (improved endurance, muscle hypertrophy, increased strength, etc.).  It is not farfetched to say that the overwhelming majority—if not everybody—who does P90X does not know their muscle fiber type, rate of fatigue, or tolerance to exercise stress because if they did they wouldn’t need P90X.  The only thing they may be clear on is that they want to be in better shape when they finish than when they start.

Why performing the appropriate volume of exercise is important is best explained by looking at it in conjunction with training frequency.  Frequency is how often exercise occurs.  P90X has trainees exercising 6 days a week.  Is this frequency of exercise really necessary?  Hardly.  Can and will it become counterproductive over time?  Absolutely.

As with volume, frequency should be a byproduct of individual’s muscle make up and goals.  The only thing the high volume, high frequency approach promoted through this program accomplishes is the burning of calories on a daily basis.  For those not adhering to a proper diet in which calories are at or below maintenance levels this extra activity may help in burning body fat but is unnecessary if in a caloric deficit.   Over the long run this frequency and volume of exercise has the potential to negatively affect recovery and will result in Diminishing Returns.

On a side note: there is absolutely no need for individual abdominal/core routines like that in P90X which involve 300 movements and last 16 minutes.  This is not only redundant but ineffective in furthering Ab development.  Plenty has been written on this subject so we’ll forgo going into detail.  The only points needing to be understood are that the Abs are  engaged in most every exercise (especially squats, deadlifts, pulldowns, and pullovers) and that achievement of the sacred six-pack is more a function of low body-fat than muscle development.

This Can’t Work Forever?

The Principle of Diminishing Returns explains that exercise that exceeds the minimum necessary to produce a (potentially) optimum response is pointless as it relates to the best interests of the individual.  Because the volume and frequency of P90X is fixed the chances of the program resulting in a lack of progress after (or before) the ninety days are completed is very high.

When you fail to regulate training demands (i.e. intensity, volume, frequency) according to your needs what do you think happens?  You stop getting results.

When you fail to regulate training demands what else could happen?  You could regress.

It needs to be understood that exercising an hour each day, six days a week is not a recipe for success for everyone based on the principle of individualism and for most people will result in diminishing returns if adhered to for too long, as validated by the science of stress physiology —and serve as a waste of your valuable time.

Confusion over “Muscle Confusion”

Muscle confusion is touted as the secret sauce of P90X.  The theory is as stated on the Beach Body website (the producers of P90X) is that “P90X uses targeted training phases so your body keeps adapting and growing. You’ll never “plateau”—which means your body will never get used to the routines, making improvements slow down or even stop.”

Sounds great…in theory.  Muscle confusion is nothing more than a gimmicky way of expressing the benefit of variation in an exercise.  It is true that variation can help break through plateaus and avoid boredom but one needs to be careful in how much and how often variation is applied.  This is best explained by examining the S.A.I.D. Principle.

The S.A.I.D. (specific adaptation to imposed demands) Principle states that the nature of the exercise program will place specific demands on the body that leads to a specific result.  This is why someone who wants to build muscle for the purpose of being stronger lifts weights instead of doing water aerobics.  It’s why someone who is training for a marathon runs does long distance runs each day instead of sprints.  What you do determines what you get.

So what do you get from P90X?  You get a lot of endurance training in the form of rep pumping high volume weight training, calisthenics which they attempt to pass off as “plyometrics”, and cardio kickboxing.  You get a workout that over time will help you get good at, or at least accustomed to, doing a lot of exercise.  You are likely to become more physically fit but only up until a certain point (which is true of any exercise program) and in a specific way (i.e. improved endurance).  There’s nothing inherently wrong with this but make no mistake, although you are lifting weights in some of these workouts you are not going build much muscle if that is what you are looking for.  If you are looking to improve your strength you are not going build much of that either unless you are completely new to lifting weights.   These workouts are all about endurance.  Even if you’re focus is on fat-loss these workouts as with any other will do little to burn body fat unless it puts you in a caloric deficit as already mentioned earlier.

The S.A.I.D. Principle not only relates to the nature of the workout program but the exercises themselves.  For the beginner and intermediate trainee it is important to perform the same exercises, and workouts, for a period of 4-8 weeks in order to make neuromuscular adaptations.  Simply stated you must become skilled at performing an exercise so that you can adequately stimulate the target muscles.  Until the skill is learned you will engage unrelated and outlying muscles minimizing stimulation to intended muscle group.  In getting it wrong P90X actually got it right in this instance.  Meaning their focus is on variation but it’s only in the type of workout being performed (i.e. weight training vs. calisthenics vs. cardio kickboxing vs. yoga).  When performing the weight training workouts as well as the others the trainee is repeating the same movements over and over again.  In this way they are getting the opportunity to learn the exercises and make the necessary neuromuscular adaptations…just hope it’s the right ones.

The most fundamental way to stimulate gains in muscular size and strength is through overload.  Overload is the application of progressively greater demands through regular progression.  In a traditional weight training program overload is achieved through an increase in the amount of weight lifted, repetitions performed or time under tension.  P90X does encourage its trainees to up the ante and make the exercises heavier which is definitely one bright spot.  They also suggest at times adding more volume to this already high volume routine but ignore how this impacts the program on a whole and more importantly the person following it.

And Technique?

A major drawback of P90X is the poor weight lifting technique that a newbie could easily establish from the onset.  (Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of people who have decades of weight training experience that also have exceptionally poor technique—much of which they developed in their first year of training.)  The demonstrated performance of weight training exercises in these videos are best described as “rep pumping”.  Meaning there is no real emphasis or focus on the muscles being trained, it’s all about pumping out reps in a certain amount of time.  It would be easy for someone to assume based on what they see in the video—not what they hear—that the most important factor is to pump out a certain number of reps instead of slowing things down and putting concentrated effort into the movement.

Over time this can result in injury as well as diminished effectiveness of the exercise.  To be fair, the same situation can arise from following any training program in which proper technique is not first learned.  The inability to properly perform ones exercises is the reason that so many trainees are quick to add extra exercise when results begin to stagnate.  If better at targeting the intended muscles and getting the most they could out of each exercise then additional exercise to make up for poor exercise would be necessary, reducing the likelihood of incurring an overuse injury.

For advanced trainees that have developed a high level of lifting proficiency and have reached the upper limits of how much weight they can lift, frequent changes to their training can help to disrupt homeostasis and present the body with a new set demands from which it must adapt.  This is where the “muscle confusion” concept comes into practice.  That being said the changes must still comply with the exercise principles and be in alignment with your goals.  Random changes or workouts for the purpose of confusion will in fact confuse the body but likely to have negative consequences or no impact at all.  Change needs to be deliberate, planned.  Check out the IART books APEX and Tactical Fitness to learn more about how to implement variation as a plateau busting tactic.

Final Thoughts

They say that the “X” in P90X stands for “extreme” but the only thing that’s extreme is the amount of activity performed and how often you have to do it.  There is a tremendous amount of mysticism built around this program which is sure to contribute to the already mass confusion surrounding exercise. When it is all said and done we will be left with legions of people who tout the greatness of P90X and preaching the importance of muscle confusion but don’t know what aspects of the program work, what doesn’t, what’s necessary, what’s not, what’s true, what’s false, and why.  What won’t change however is that the Principles of Exercise Science will always stand firm and trump the next trend.

Categories : Exercise, Fitness Trends, Personal Training
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Less than 48%!

By I.A.R.T. Writer/ Contributer
Friday, August 10th, 2012

It was recently reported by the Center for Disease Control that only 48% of the US population engages in exercises. This in a country where two-thirds of the population is either overweight or obese. Glad to know people give a damn about their well-being (insert sarcasm). I would even say that the percentage of people who exercise is much lower than forty-eight since the CDC considers walking a form of exercise.

…And the percentage of people engaging in productive, result producing exercise, is probably in the low single digits.

Now I do not have anything against walking but let’s be honest, most of us have been walking since the age of 2 or 3. Our bodies are well adapted to walking thus we are not going to make any great leaps in improving our fitness through walking.  Why?  Because in order for our bodies to improve they must be challenged in a manner and to a degree that makes change a necessity.

This is not to say that engaging in a regular walking regimen is not beneficial; I believe it is.  When we look at how sedentary our society has become the need to schedule periods of activity for the sake of maintaining normal functional ability and a natural homeostatic state has exponentially increased.  Taking frequent long and brisk walks (20-60 minutes) can help improve mood and mental state, aid in digestion, lowers plasma glucose levels if done shortly after a meal, increase blood circulation and has been linked to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and Type II Diabetes.

Needless to say that if we had not become such a lazy society that sits behind computers (like I am right now) or in front of the t.v. working out their thumbs on a video game console the recommendation of walking for “exercise” would be moot and we can focus on real exercise.

The point of exercise is to make make an improvement above and beyond your natural ability.  At the IART we define exercise as:

Vigorous muscular exertion performed with the intent of making an inroad (a reduction) into the body’s functional ability in order to stimulate a physiological adaptive response to decelerate the loss of, to maintain, or to improve said functional ability.

With the above definition in mind the only time you are truly exercising is when you are intentionally exhausting your muscles to the point at which they must adapt by growing larger, stronger or improving their endurance.

When viewed in this light the percentage of people who perform meaningful exercise drops off dramatically since on a weekly basis only 32% perform some form of vigorous exercise and only 15% weight train, which is arguably the most productive form of exercise an individual can engage in.  Once you take into the account the amount of people who actually weight train properly–meaning they are not overtraining, have  plateaued (age and reaching their genetic limits not withstanding), or are chronically injured as a result of their exercise practices–you are easily looking at single digit percentages.

Categories : Exercise
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Analyzing the “Experts” (Pt. 1)

By I.A.R.T. Writer/ Contributer
Thursday, April 12th, 2012

Mike Lipowski

 

The Expert:  Kick It Up with a Kettlebell

Kettlebells are so effective because they rely on acceleration as well as deceleration to help tone muscle. “The off-centered weight of a kettlebell will force you to use more stabilizer muscles and work the targeted muscles through a longer range of motion,” says celebrity trainer (intentionally left blank).  Since you need your arms to hoist the kettlebell in the air, you’re targeting two zones with one area.

My Response:  First things first.  The term “muscle tone” comes from the Latin word tonus, meaning: slight, continuous contraction of a muscle. What most people refer to as “being toned” is little more than having well developed muscles and body fat levels low enough to see them.  If your primary goal is to be toned then you need to either (a) building more muscle, (b) lower your body fat, or (c) build more muscle and lower body fat.

Now, some forms of exercise are better than others at building muscle and none is better than weight training.  Some forms of weight training are better than others at building muscle but the use of Kettlebells as described by the “expert” above is not one of them.  Here’s why…

Accelerating a weight decreases the amount of muscle used because as momentum increases you in affect de-load the muscle through that portion of the exercises range of motion where momentum is greatest.  Having to decelerate a weight when momentum is high increases the amount of force incurred by joints, tendons, and ligaments.  You really don’t want that.  More muscle is stimulated and less force is experienced by the joints, tendons, and ligaments when momentum is minimized.  Lastly, any free weight, whether kettlebell, dumbbell, or barbell will in fact call more stabilizer muscles into play but they do not work the target the muscle through a longer range of motion (ROM) compared to machines or cables.  In fact kettlebells and other free weights only provide direct work to a muscle through a very limited ROM and do not account for a muscles true strength and ability (or limitations) at various points in the exercises ROM.

Categories : Exercise, Personal Training
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Repetition Performance

By I.A.R.T. Writer/ Contributer
Thursday, December 29th, 2011

Mike Lipowski

There is no shortage of fitness magazines you can read or internet sites you can visit to find training routines that will lead to, “Massive Muscles…Mind Blowing Strength… Faster Growth…A Championship Physique…Shredded Muscle” and a laundry list of other desired benefits of weight training.  It’s interesting (and amusing) to read the scientific explanation given by the author as to why and how his program will succeed where others have failed.  Provided is the reasoning for the systematic placement of each exercise, how they should be rotated, stacked, and staggered, as well as the specific repetition range, targets and percentage of one-rep-max that must be adhered to in order for the magic formula to work. 

Without fail these routines typically…fail.  Aside from the most obvious reason that no routine or specific formula can address or make up for the various intrinsic and extrinsic factors of all individuals, the second common reason why they fail is because they never address how the exercises should be performed.  More specifically, they give no detailed instruction on repetition performance other than a few generic recommendations like, “Lift the weight under control.  Don’t cheat.” or “Move slowly.” 

It is impossible to provide anyone with a training routine or to follow a routine that is certain to produce the desired result unless you are assured that the exercises will be performed properly or in the manner intended.  Although the repetition is the most fundamental element of weight training it is also the most overlooked, underappreciated, and misapplied component.  This should not come as a surprise.  Consider how many trainees (the author included) have stepped into a gym for the first time and had mapped out exactly how they will perform their very first repetition.  It would not be a long shot to say none, unless the first visit was with a very mindful and detail oriented personal trainer. 

Unfortunately, many bad habits are established within those first few months of training which for the majority will never be reversed unless conscious thought and effort is given to improving rep performance.  Whether new to exercise or a seasoned veteran, it serves one well to be very clear about the purpose each repetition serves.  It should not be to simply move the weight from point A to point B—that’s a simpletons approach.  The purpose of each repetition is to maximize muscular tension and force output so as to effectively recruit the greatest number of muscle fibers available and deplete the muscles chemical resources (ATP and glycogen) while minimizing the force and strain placed on the joints and tendons.  This is best accomplished by moving at a tempo slow enough to keep momentum from becoming a contributing factor in the completion of each repetition and being able to feel the muscles at each point of the range of motion.

Fast repetitions (i.e. 0.5-2 seconds to lift the weight, 0.5-2 seconds to lower it) utilize momentum to carry out a better part of each repetition whereas repetitions performed slowly (i.e. 4-6 seconds to lift the weight, 4-6 seconds to lower it) must rely on the muscular force generated in order to complete each rep.  Moving slow makes performing the exercise harder and as we know, the harder or more demanding an exercise is the greater the likelihood of it encouraging a physically adaptive response. 

Effective weight training begins and ends with the repetition.  It is the foundation from which every set of every workout is built, and will be a determining factor in any programs success.  Address the rep and everything else will begin to fall into place.

 

Click Here to see what proper rep performance looks like!

 

Categories : Exercise, Personal Training
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The Ideal Training Environment

By I.A.R.T. Writer/ Contributer
Monday, November 28th, 2011

Michael Lipowski

An interesting thing happened when I set out to write on this topic of “The Ideal Training Environment”.  I blanked out.  I literally did not know what say.  Let me rephrase that, I thought I knew what I wanted to say but after mulling over my opening paragraph for a half-hour, trying to organize all the qualifying statements for what I believed was the ideal training environment I [intentionally] hit the delete key and was left with nothing but a title and my name at the top of the page.  Despite the fact that I have my own training facility where I have gone to great lengths to create what I believe is the ideal training environment I realized that I could not pinpoint with accuracy what makes it the ideal environment.  Then I realized something.  It is not the ideal training environment—at least not for everyone but those whom I have intended it to be ideal for and, that is all who I can speak for.   So while I will not claim to know what the ideal training environment is to suit all individual’s I will speak of the ideal training environment that I have created for the type of client I want to attract and work with.

The Audience

I firmly believe that you get (or attract) what you focus on.  With that said I have in mind exactly the type of client I want frequenting my facility.  Some trainers concern themselves with the number of people they train or number of sessions they do each week and although this is a focus for me as well I am much more concerned with the quality of client I bring in.  Men and women, thirty-five to fifty-five years of age, with a household income of $250,000 plus is my demographic.  Some of our clients are older, some younger, and some do not have as high an income but overall the majority of our clients meet our target.  My reasoning for this demo is pretty fundamental.  This group can “see” the value of a service that will get them the results they want while saving time, frustration, and taking the guesswork out of the process AND they are willing to pay for it month after month, even year after year.  It provides a sense of comfort knowing that so long as you continue to deliver on service you are guaranteed a certain amount of business each month and not lose clients for financial reasons.  Now that I have provided some background let’s get into the ‘meat and potatoes’ of it all.

Point of View

In attempting to create the ideal training environment I view the undertaking on three different levels.  First, from the perspective of the fitness professional/business owner who is trying to create an atmosphere for the client where they can stay focused and motivated throughout their training session as well as feel as though they belong to a first-class service establishment.   Second, from the perspective of the trainer who will be working long hours each day and thus requires an atmosphere that will keep him and the other trainers energetic and enthusiastic so they can better service their clients.   And third, from the perspective of a trainee because at the end of the day (or middle), this will be where I myself workout and if I don’t feel compelled or motivated by the atmosphere in my own facility how could I expect others to!

With three different perspectives comes varying and sometimes opposing opinions on how things should be set up or done in order to create the ideal training environment.  The owner has his ideas of what’s best for the clients, the trainer has his ideas for what will keep him excited about showing up to work each day , and the trainee has his ideas about what will keep him motivated to work out and coming back for more.  It’s my contention that only in balancing these three perspectives can the ideal training environment be created.  There will always be, and should be, certain things that remain static such as keeping the room temperature cool and comfortable and the equipment clean with all free weights, bars, and attachments in order and out of harm’s way as well as having the facility well lit, well equipped and clean.  Most everything else—from décor to music selection and volume—will require a little give and take and constant adjustment.

A Snapshot

When people first walk into your gym or training studio they immediately have an emotional response based on what they see.  It really doesn’t matter if you or your staff is the World’s Greatest Trainers most people walking in for the first time don’t know that, they only know what they see in front of them.  My facility has sort of a modern upscale feel to it with enough of an edge to it to make feel as though this is a serious place to work out and not some sort of posh exercise studio.  The walls are a shiny metallic grey with a few large mirrors (which really help to open up the space and make it look much larger), the carpet is charcoal, all the picture frames, shelving, and front desk is cherry, and the lighting is bright.  All the training equipment has white frames which contrasts the darker metallic walls and all the padding is either grey or black.  Along the top of the walls are motivational quotes and sayings.  The music is always playing at a level loud enough to hear and enjoy but not overwhelming or distracting.  The ‘snapshot’ one gets when they walk in the door is that this is a professional, contemporary, energetic place to train.

An In-depth Look

Assuming the technical’s of one’s training (intensity, volume, frequency, load, etc.) meets their individual needs the most important factors that go into getting an effective, result producing workout(s) are focus, motivation, and comfort. These three factors are best addressed in a setting that is either semi or entirely private.

In a private/semi-private setting a trainee can be more at ease and focused since the fear of being judged by others has been removed.  This alone will increase their productivity when working out exponentially.  In any instance where another member is training at the same time as them the threat of judgment is still removed since that individual is being consumed with their workout conducted by their trainer.  Plus in such a facility where a particular system or style of training is being implemented every member knows that the others members are in the same boat as them and so there is more of a connection—a camaraderie—between them which makes it okay to train in the same space.  The private/semi-private facility also provides a sense of exclusiveness to the members since there is a definite limit to the number of people that can belong to such a place and afford such a service, in addition to participating in a very specific and unique form of exercise that can only be found at that particular establishment (if such a program/system is in place).  All these things add up to a situation where clients—after a short adjustment period of 2-3 weeks—become settled in this environment and are able to better concentrate on achieving their fitness goals while there.

For any serious trainer nothing could be more ideal than the private/semi-private setting.  You have immediate access to every piece of training equipment you would like to use with your client as well as keep their workout moving at the pace you set without interruptions, long walks across the gym or having to wait on others and you eliminate the numerous distractions that often break a trainee’s focus during a session.  A trainer can also make some adjustments to the setting in order to improve the client’s level of comfort, focus and motivation, which could not be made in a large gym setting such as altering the temperature as well as the music selection and volume.  These sorts of things make it easier for a trainer to keep his/her client attentive to the task at hand which then makes the training more productive and their job more enjoyable and fulfilling.

However, the privacy of a training studio is not always enough for some trainers.  The atmosphere of some facilities are more like psychiatric wards than gyms; complete with bare walls, ice cold temperatures, no music, no mirrors, dim lighting and an almost lifeless atmosphere.  While some trainers (and their clients) thrive in such a setting more tend to find it mind-numbing and unappealing.  Over time such an atmosphere can drain a trainer’s energy and enthusiasm.   I prefer to maintain an atmosphere for myself and my trainers that is up-tempo, lively and loose.  That does not mean however that the training sessions are conducted with any less seriousness or attentiveness nor does it mean that we train with the over-enthusiasm of a Richard Simmons in a Sweating to the Oldies video.  Instead we keep things pretty even keel with neither high high’s nor low low’s, nothing gaudy but nothing drab.

From the standpoint of a studio owner, what makes my facility “the ideal training environment” is a combination of the visual components of a professional training establishment, the personality of someplace hip and upscale without being pretentious and just enough a hint of hardcore to keep a hardcore lifter or young trainee content.   Though I am very specific about whom we are trying to attract and cater to there are various elements about the environment that help it appeal to a broader demographic than the one we are targeting.  Just as importantly it appeals to the trainer who wants to feel as though they are a part of a professional service and be looked upon as professionals and not just another run-of-the-mill trainer at the gym.  So from a purely business point of view the ideal training environment entices both client and [professional] trainer.

Conclusion

It is impossible to be everything to everyone.  One person’s idea of what constitutes the ideal exercise environment can dramatically differ from another person’s.  For me personally and professionally the privacy and comfort of a training studio is where the ideal environment begins.   Beyond that it is the flexibility of the environment that will determine whether or not it is ideal for others.

 

 

Categories : Business & Marketing, Exercise, Personal Training
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Adaptation at the Molecular Level

By I.A.R.T. Writer/ Contributer
Monday, November 28th, 2011

Brian D. Johnston

Understand that adaptation of muscle is not limited just to hypertrophy and strength, but is a diverse conglomeration of activities in the body that necessitates closer study of mycellular research in order to understand macro-changes in muscle architecture.1  As an example, the hormesis theory suggests that biological systems respond with a bell-shaped curve to exposure of chemicals, toxins, and radiation; this makes sense since different organisms will respond and adapt to different extents — hence, the Bell Curve in action. A group of researchers extended the hormesis theory to include reactive oxygen species (ROS), to propose: “the beneficial effects of regular exercise are partly based on the ROS generating capability of exercise, which is in the stimulation range of ROS production. Therefore, we suggest that exercise-induced ROS production plays a role in the induction of antioxidants, DNA repair and protein degrading enzymes, resulting in decreases in the incidence of oxidative stress-related diseases and retardation of the aging process.”2  In other words, “Regular exercise causes adaptation of the antioxidant and repair systems, which could result in a decreased base level of oxidative damage and increased resistance to oxidative stress.”3

Consider another example: “Repeated acute or chronic exposure to a particular stress results in adaptation whereby the hypothalamopituitary adrenal (HPS) axis becomes less responsive to subsequent or continued exposure to that particular stress.”  Hence, the body gets USED TO the SAME stimulus, whereby that same stimulus has less of an effect than when introduced originally. What researchers discovered was that when comparing highly-trained ultra-marathon athletes to healthy individuals that there was “no significant overall difference in plasma cortisol levels between the athletes and the control subjects, and urinary excretion of free cortisol was similar in the two groups.”  Their data show that demanding and highly stressful physical training leads to “adaptive changes in basal HPA function, including a phase shift and increased pituitary in basal HPA function and increased pituitary ACTH secretion, but also blunting of the adrenal cortisol response.”4  And other research shows molecular changes in mRNAs for transfer of metabolic substrates (gene expression) as a result of exercise.5  If this occurs in non-muscular systems, then why not in the muscular system?

Another example of highly-acute adaptation involves Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PDGF), Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-beta) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), all of which are released during exercise. These serum growth factors “could be involved in the process of adaptation of human organism to physical training. In addition, in the context of the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of various diseases, results point to the potentially deleterious effect of strenuous physical exercise.”6   In other words, the body adapts so that exercise has less of an intrusive effect…and let it be known that forcing muscle to grow is very intrusive! Then there are hormonal changes, adaptations and effects dealing with myostatin, IGF-1, and the central role of satellite cells,7   all which serve to regulate, control and limit muscular growth (which roles are less of a concern as the body adapts to the same exercise stimuli).

And, of course, most in the athletic/fitness industry is well aware of how chronic exercise can alter the menstrual cycle. As one researcher noted: “Exercise-related changes in the menstrual cycle can be viewed as a functionally adaptive rather than a maladaptive dysfunction. A strong case can be made that the changes in the menstrual cycle as a result of exercise are an energy conserving strategy to protect more important biological processes. This hypothesis is consistent with the theory of metabolic arrest that has been identified in lower organisms and hibernating mammals.”8

For our purposes, we are concerned specifically with muscle hypertrophy and strength, but the point is that the body is highly diverse in how it adapts, right down to the molecule, and this is an important consideration for what is to follow. To reiterate the fundamental point of this position paper: The muscles adapt by becoming larger, but the nature of that adaptation also involves (must involve) getting used to the stimulus. If muscles were not getting used to the stimulus, then the process of growth would be shunted (and a person would enter an overtrained state, or the third stage of the GAS, the Stage of Exhaustion), since that is the process and nature of hypertrophy – getting used (adapting) to exercise. But once adapted (the second stage of GAS), there is less need for more growth – the process has been contained, controlled, and constrained. Therefore, constant change in challenges is required in order to give continual reason to adapt to the stimulus of exercise in order to adapt by way of more hypertrophy.

Consider that performing unaccustomed exercise, even among those who do exercise regularly, has a more profound impact on agitating the immune system.9  This makes sense since strain that is different will have a greater alarm reaction (first stage of GAS) on an organism than what occurs with strain that is typical. Thus, a greater alarm reaction will stimulate greater growth potential in the stage of adaptation (so long as the stressor is within the tolerance of the organism), which means a superior and higher level of function (e.g., muscle hypertrophy).

 

1 Blazevich AJ, Sharp NC. 2005. Understanding muscle architectural adaptation: macro- and micro-level research. Cells Tissues Organs. 181(1):1-10.

2 Radak, Z., et al. 2005. Exercise and hormesis: oxidative stress-related adaptation for successful aging. Biogerontology. 6(1):71-5.

3  Radak, Z., et al. 2001. Adaptation to exercise-induced oxidative stress: from muscle to brain. Exerc Immunol Rev. 2001;7:90-107.

4  Wittert, GA, et al. 1996. Adaptation of the hypothalamopituitary adrenal axis to chronic exercise stress in humans. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996 Aug;28(8):1015-9.

5  Booth FW, et al. 1998. Molecular and cellular adaptation of muscle in response to physical training. Acta Physiol Scand. 1998 Mar;162(3):343-50.

6  Czarkowska-Paczek B, et al. 2006. The serum levels of growth factors: PDGF, TGF-beta and VEGF are increased after strenuous physical exercise. J Physiol Pharmacol. Jun;57(2):189-97.

7 Solomon AM, Bouloux, PM. 2006. Modifying muscle mass – the endocrine perspective. J Endocrinol. 2006 Nov;191(2):349-60.

8  Bonen A. 1994. Exercise-induced menstrual cycle changes. A functional, temporary adaptation to metabolic stress. Sports Med. Jun;17(6):373-92.

9  Sorichter S, et al. 2006. Effects of unaccustomed and accustomed exercise on the immune response in runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc. Oct;38(10):1739-45.

Categories : Exercise, Personal Training
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Evolutionary Adaptation & Muscle

By I.A.R.T. Writer/ Contributer
Sunday, September 4th, 2011

Brian D. Johnston

 

Every day of our lives involves evidence of evolution through adaptation. We adapt to the Sun by acquiring tans; we adapt to exercise in positive and negative ways, depending on the extent and nature of the stimulus/program; and we adapt to life in general by becoming more experienced, smarter, and physically tolerant and robust.

It is adaptation that is at the heart of everyday existence when viewed short-term and evolution of species when viewed long-term, and it must be understood that a synonym for ‘evolution’ is ‘progression,’ a key facet of productive strength training/muscle building exercise, viz., the Progression Principle.

But to evolve physically, to progress, there must exist variation within the environment, ‘something’ to trigger a higher level of adaptation to coincide with that evolution or progression – without sufficient variation (change) in the environment, such adaptation (change) cannot occur. Hence, change begets change. Thus, the more varied one’s environment, the more evolved a person’s physique becomes or has an opportunity to become – albeit in different ways and relative to the stressors involved. Similarly, the more varied one’s exercise (while keeping in sync with the Principle of Specificity), the more evolved that person’s physique and function will become.

Of course, variation must be kept within reason. It is not an issue of ‘everything but the kitchen sink.’ Rather, and to reiterate, one’s training must be as varied as possible while adhering to the Principle of Specificity, e.g., variation with the intent to hypertrophy the muscles and in the context of a person’s individuality (e.g., muscle fiber type, response to exercise, neuromuscular efficiency, etc.). There are many ways to lift a sufficiently heavy load while working the same muscle with quality form and tension, and they include exercise selection, angle of execution, and manner of lifting (e.g., cadence and rate-of-speed).

However, these are short-term variations, and more complex examinations involve the cycling of total demands, thus involving the degree to which volume, frequency, set variables, choice of exercises, etc., can be manipulated to alter overall stress levels to produce unique fingerprint expressions of exercise variation, complexity, diversity and inevitably/hopefully a higher state of physical adaptation and evolution/progression.

Not only does variation exist in nature, and need to exist to stimulate change optimally, variation has been noted in the study of human physiological responses to different classes of exercise (adaptive responses of aerobic vs. anaerobic activity), and among skill requirements of different activities. Moreover, there is variation in response to exercise among people, of how people respond to exercise strain, which response is so individualized that one research project noted that each participant, relative to him or her self, showed remarkably similar responses (unique measures of blood creatine kinase levels) between two bouts of a very specific eccentric-based exercise task spaced one year apart.

Thus, if variation exists so specifically in regard to one exercise protocol, there must be variation in response among individuals relative to different bodybuilding training methods. And as muscles adapt to one variation of exercise or performance, introduction of a new variation would imply a continued (better/superior) disruption and agitation (so long as the protocol is rational and applicable to the individual), and to a greater extent than re-introduction of the same variation. This not only makes sense when speaking of exercise, but it is a known factor of basic evolutionary discussions on ‘organisms and change.’

But before discussing further the relevancy of variation, reconsider the idea of adaptation: If one were to conduct Internet searches on ‘exercise adaptation,’ dozens of studies will surface – research to support the obvious notion that the body does adapt, which is a good thing… a response we want and something that has been accepted in the literature – but which response imposes a limitation for future muscle development (adaptation also means further reluctance to change). Once this is understood and accepted, then the corresponding importance of its counterpart, being variation, will be embraced.

To conclude, here are a few examples of research titles that speak of physiological adaptation.

• Regulation of immediate early gene expression by exercise: short cuts for the adaptation of immune function.

• Control of gene expression and mitochondrial biogenesis in the muscular adaptation to endurance exercise.

• mTOR signaling and the molecular adaptation to resistance exercise.

• Myocardial adaptation to short-term high-intensity exercise in highly trained athletes.

• Influence of rapid growth on skeletal adaptation to exercise.

• Role of AMPK in skeletal muscle metabolic regulation and adaptation in relation to exercise.

• Understanding skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise training in humans: contributions from microarray studies.

• Decreased PDH activation and glycogenolysis during exercise following fat adaptation with carbohydrate restoration.

• Exercise and hormesis: oxidative stress-related adaptation for successful aging.

• Adaptation of pulmonary O2 uptake kinetics and muscle deoxygenation at the onset of heavy-intensity exercise in young and older adults.

 

Unfortunately, research in the area of variation in exercise is scant at best; perhaps because researchers believe the need for such is common sense (as per the arguments in this paper), or because the issue has not dawned on them. Nonetheless, each study above has drawn conclusions, based on its findings, but one then needs to wonder what the studies’ outcomes would have been if the protocols varied. Think about that for a moment – results of studies are based solely on manipulating/tracking one variable while applying specific, regimented exercise protocols, while ignoring every other conceivable possibility (brief reflection of the potential measures and arrangements of the fundamental principles of fitness science should give some pause for concern and awe of what is left to study). Hence, exercise research must be viewed as a means of guidance, of what to consider in prescription decisions, but not as the final word or truth as to what is best for people in general or, more importantly, specifically for one unique individual.

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FOCUS VS. CONCENTRATION

By I.A.R.T. Writer/ Contributer
Thursday, June 30th, 2011

Daniel W. Nolin

“Focus is everything.” This was the opening sentence from one of six-time Mr. Olympia winner Dorian Yates’ articles. From the context from which he was speaking, he was correct. A trainee’s level of focus is one of the deciding factors in how far he will go in his exercise career. But what is focus? How is it used? Is focus the correct terminology to use for this mental state? These are questions that will be addressed in this article.

Aside from genetics and drug use, it is the ability to concentrate, not necessarily the ability to focus, which is a key factor that separates the professionals from the average trainee. Perhaps this is an exciting prospect for many trainees since their dreams were shattered upon the discovery that they either did not have the genetics to become a competitive bodybuilder (or athlete) or did not want to abuse anabolic steroids to get to that level. Granted, although the proper use of concentration will not compensate for poor genetics, it may help a trainee take his or her physique to a level never dreamed before.

WHAT IS FOCUS?

Being in focus is not the same thing as concentrating, although people use the terms ‘focus’ and ‘concentration’ interchangeably. And if an individual is talking casually there is nothing wrong with doing so. However, from a philosophical perspective the two are different, albeit, they do work best when used together. And so, let’s see what each one is and how a trainee can derive optimal benefits from both.

First, take a look at the concept of focus, a much more fundamental concept than concentration. To be in focus is to be in tune with reality. A focused individual is concerned with facts and not feelings, fantasy, or other peoples’ opinions.

Focus is such a fundamental aspect of volition that there is no step-by-step process by which one initiates focus. It is simply a volitional switch that can be turned on or left off. Focus must be maintained on a moment-by-moment basis. A trainee literally must reaffirm his focus every two seconds at minimum. The more consistently the choice to focus is made, the easier it becomes. Many individuals think that once a strong focus is established they can ‘coast’ for a while without negative consequences, but this is not true; either an individual is in focus or is not. What may seem like a comfortable coast is actually the beginning of a descent that will end up in a pit of chaos. Focus is what gives an individual control over his life, and there can be no substitutes.

It is also not true that there are different levels of focus. Either a trainee is in full focus or he is not; there is no middle ground. It may seem as if there are levels of focus since most individuals are not in focus consistently on a moment-by-moment basis. The measurement that should be considered is not the level of focus, but the consistency of time spent in focus. Meaning that if throughout the course of one minute an individual is in focus for thirty of the sixty seconds then that individual may reflect on that minute and feel that he was only half in focus. The actual truth was that at any given moment he was either in full focus or not.

Being in focus at the gym does not guarantee a good workout. What being in focus will guarantee is that a trainee will be fully aware that he is at the gym, and this means that while he is in focus his mind will not wonder into fantasy. It will not drift to other menial concerns or other people’s awareness of him. His mind will only be concerned with himself, where he is, what he is doing, and why he is doing it.

HOW TO APPLY FOCUS

Remember that focus is a much more general concept than term than concentration. It would be incorrect to tell a trainee to stay ‘focused’ on his workout, as that would be too specific and the term that should be used for such a statement would be concentration. Being in focus means being in touch with reality in general. When in focus an individual’s mind is aware of where he is, who he is, and why he is there.

To reiterate, being in focus does not mean an individual is focused on the specifics of a task at hand. It means that his mind is ‘in touch’ with reality. And so, when a trainee is in focus while he is at the gym his mind is clear, alert, and ready for action; he is fully aware of the equipment around him. With every piece of exercise equipment he looks at a flood of information that instantly is available to him. Being in a daze and not being cognizant of his surroundings as various thoughts float in and out of his awareness would be the opposite of being in focus.

The best method a trainee can use to get focused is for him to ask (what may seem like trivial questions): “Where am I? What piece of equipment am I going to use? Why this equipment instead of another?” He should ask of himself orientating questions that will make him more aware of his physical surroundings. A sure fire way to know that he is not in focus is if he is distant or even seems separated from the objects around himself. A trainee who is at the gym, yet seems distant from his physical surroundings is most likely not in focus.

Being in touch with concrete objects around one’s self is vital for sustaining focus. However, physical objects are not the total of reality: an individual’s consciousness is just as much a part of reality as the steel dumbbells in front of him. It is just as important for a trainee to orientate his mind to his own consciousness as it is orientate his mind to his surroundings. This means a trainee must be fully aware of what is going on in his head, or ‘consciously conscious, so that he will be able to guide it in the proper direction.

WHAT IS CONCENTRATION?

Concentration is the act of isolating one’s attention on a specific object, task, or aspect of consciousness. Anyone who has done any type of meaningful work in his or her life has had some experience with concentration.

An individual does not have to be in focus in order to concentrate, and vise versa. This means that an individual can concentrate on an object or act without being focused on reality, such as when he is engaged in a training routine that he knows to be irrational and unproductive, but is doing it very well.

Unlike focus, concentration is not merely a choice of ‘on’ or ‘off.’ There are varying degrees of concentration, even though there are no means of measuring these degrees at present. Currently, you can give your full and undivided attention to what is being read, or your concentration may be divided, the latter of which may be more appropriate if there is something in the oven, there are children playing nearby, etc.

HOW TO APPLY CONCENTRATION

Remember that concentration is the isolation of your awareness to something specific, in contrast with focus that is a much more fundamental concept. However when most people use the term focus it is actually concentration to which they are referring. Even though it may be misnamed, the concept of concentration is much more widely used in today’s culture.

What concentration means in practice at the gym is that an individual’s awareness is riveted on himself and his workout. It means that his attention does not wonder about to other concerns or events going on in the gym. If a group of people beside him is listening to a joke one of them is telling, he is not diverted by it.

Unlike focus, which is either ‘on’ or ‘off,’ there are different levels of concentration. At present there is no objective way to measure different levels concentration. However, it is observable through introspection, in that one can heighten or lower the intensity of concentration at any moment.

FURTHER UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION

The idea that focus and concentration do not pertain to the same mental state may be so new to some that further differentiation may be warranted. The best way to see the difference between the two concepts is to isolate each from the other. The following are examples of being in focus without concentrating and concentrating without being in focus. An individual can be at the gym in full focus, but yet not concentrate on his workout. The clearest example would be a trainee fully aware of where he is and why, but having a nagging problem from his work day, at the peripheral of his mind that will not go away. Or perhaps a more common example is a trainee being in focus but not concentrating on anything in particular; simply moving from exercise to exercise, in focus, but doing so out of habit and routine.

Concentrating on a workout while being unfocused is a more common phenomenon. It can be done by concentrating on the particulars of a given exercise while not focusing on the routine as a whole. A trainee may be in full concentration when it comes to the concentric, eccentric, tension time, etc., but will ignore other factors that he knows to be important, such as regulating the volume and frequency.

THE PERFECT BALANCE

By now it should be apparent that to live a long productive fitness lifestyle there needs to be a harmony between focus and concentration. A trainee should be fully aware of himself, his surroundings, and why he is at the gym. As well, he should keep his mind isolated on each individual exercise and not have his mind wondering to other issues during the middle of a set.

The ideas discussed in this article are not new; they are discussed in philosophy classrooms around the globe. But perhaps they are new to the reader of this article. It should be obvious that the basic concepts discussed herein can be applied to almost any human endeavor, yet it is arguable that the amount of focus and concentration needed to be a successful trainee is higher than that of many other goals. Using rational high intensity training principles in exercise is one of the most physically excruciating activities that can be done. Yet learning how to harness the benefits that a properly focused and concentrated mind can provide is an invaluable ability that can help a trainee reach his or her fitness goals.

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