Pause training – mix things up with a pause

Pause training is thought of as an intermediate to advance technique, but I think there are some good applications even for the beginner.  In this episode, we'll discuss pause training and how you can use it in a safe and effective way.

Benefits of pause training:

1. Increase intensity
2. Improves strength through the full range of motion
3. Often safer than other methods

This method works for two basic reasons:

1. It increases the time under tension.  Most beginning trainees focus on the number of repetitions and sets.  Added together these represent the total number of repetitions for any given exercise.  Yet, there is one other dimension in weight lifting, which is the time the weight is being moved.  Increasing this time variable ramps up the intensity.
2. It removes momentum from the lift.  Many lifters have a natural bounce at the bottom of a lift.  This allows them to build momentum, which reduces the total intensity of the exercise.  Using a pause reduces or eliminates this momentum.

Two use cases for pauses:

1. Sticking point.  A sticking point is where you are weakest with a range of motion.  For many lifters, this is the bottom of bench press or when your arm is fully extended in an arm curl.  By lowering the overall weight used and pausing around the sticking point, you'll build more strength around that point in the range of motion, allowing you to lift more through the entire range of motion.
2. At the bottom of the range of motion.  I will use pauses at the bottom of a range of motion to help build flexibility and control at that point of a lift.

Application:

I use pause training in two different types of exercises.

1. For isolation movements like the bicep curl or triceps extension.  In isolation movements, you can use a pause to either eliminate momentum or work through a sticking point.  Be careful as isolation movements typically use one muscle group and one joint and the added stress of the pause can cause an injury if not properly supervised.
2. For compound movements like the squat or push up.  I used the technique for both momentum reduction and range of motion work.  You'll still want to watch your form, but this is the safest use of pause training.

Example of pause training:

Squat to the bottom and hold for improved range of motion:

• Use 50 – 70% of your normal weight for the lift.
• Hold for 3 seconds.
• Use a timer, it is difficult to count seconds to yourself when you get fatigued.
• Drive out of the bottom using good form.

Body by science | Dr. Doug McGuff

Aging well with Dr. Mark Williams

In his book, The Art and Science of Aging Well, Dr. Mark Williams writes about the current science on aging in a way that give insight into how we should live to make sure we have the highest quality of life as we age.  He notes a statistic that is quite relevant to aging.  The death rate for humans is one per person, in other words, we all die.  It is all just a matter of how and why.

Eight myths

1. All old people are the same and they are falling apart.  We all age at different rates.  Even the organ systems age at different rates.  Because of the nature of growth and experience, as we age we become more valuable, not less.
2. Losing weight will make you live longer.  We are very weight conscious, yet severe dieting can increase your chance of death.
3. As we age we become more forgetful and senile.  It is true dementia, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's are more common when we are older, but those are disease states.  Forgetting names, walking into a room and forgetting why you're there, and losing car keys are all symptoms of being normal.
4. You can't teach an old dog new tricks.  We don't naturally lose productivity as we age.
5. There is nothing we can do about aging.  We can make choices.  Only about 30% of our longevity is genetics.  That gives us 70% of the puzzle for aging well.
6. Old people are an economic burden.  We can ensure we have systems that don't cause a larger, older population to be a burden on the young.  In fact, older people provide a lot of uncompensated productivity through volunteer activities.
7. Old people are not interested in sex.  Older couples do remain active and are happier with their sex life.
8. You're going to end up in a nursing home.  Only 3% of people end up living in a nursing home.

Cell Aging

It used to be thought that cells live forever.  This was disproved by Leonard Hayflick.  A cell can replicate approximately 50 times before they effectively die.  The only way to break out of the aging control is when the cell becomes malignant.

Cells count the number of times they can replicate.  Each time a cell replicates the end is slightly shorter.  A telomere is an end-cap that causes the cell to stop replicating and the cell dies (apoptosis).

Sugar and Aging

If our blood sugar is high, which is typically measured in blood work as A1C.  This shows advanced glycation end products (AGE), which gums up the works.  High consumption of high glycemic and processed foods age us faster.  Avoiding these kinds of foods are important for aging well.

Benefits of Exercise for Aging Well

We were made to move.  Physical exercise is a key requirement for aging well.

Proven benefits of exercise:

• Reduced risk of heart disease
• Reduced risk of sudden death
• Lowered blood pressure
• Improved mood
• Less of depression
• Weight loss and loss of fat
• Reduced risk of diabetes
• And most likely a reduced risk of cancer

How much exercise should we get?  An answer came from one of Dr. Williams' clients.  Work up a good sweat every day.

Three Keys of Aging

1. The amount we lose is surprising small due to aging itself versus other things.
2. The older we get the more important self-maintenance activities become.
3. The opportunity to improve goes up if we're not on the extreme ends of the fitness continuum.

Links:

Facebook – Mark Williams, MD

 

Cracking the Aging Code | Josh Mitteldorf

You Can Run Pain Free | Brad Beer

In this episode, we meet Brad Beer, the author of You Can Run Pain Free.  Brad Beer is a physiotherapist in Gold Coast, Austrailia.  He works with professional athletes and Olympians, along with everyday runners (or wannabe runners) to help them pursue their sports without pain or injury.

What are the benefits of running?

• Cardiovascular fitness
• Increased longevity
• Lower risk of stroke
• Lower blood pressure
• Lower risk of heart disease
• Lower risk of diabetes
• Improvements in body mass index
• Reduction in depression
• Improvement in cognition

Five step method for evaluation of running

1. Discovering the running body
2. Running with great technique
3. Understanding running shoes
4. Hips stability
5. The power of rest

What's your running body?

This first step is critical.

Understand your flexibility

• Floppies – Hypermobile individuals.  Need strength training to protect their joints.
• Flippies – In the middle of mobility.  May need a mix of both strength mobility training,
• Stiffies – Non-mobile individuals.  Need mobility training to protect their joints.

Know your optimal body weight for running.  

If you're carrying too much body weight, you'll be putting too much strain on your joints.  Losing a little weight, even if it isn't body fat, will mean less stress on the body.

Running screen/evaluation

Using a 10 point checklist, a running expert can evaluate your running form.  This checklist looks at the length of muscles, endurance tests, mobility, etc.  You can get the full checklist from the book.

Links

running.physio

The tao of running | Gary Dudney

Health and Fitness Foundations

When I first launched 40+ Fitness Podcast, I posted an episode each Monday for the first ten weeks that was a lesson that touched on each of the health and fitness foundations in my Forever Fitness Personal Training Program.  These are the principles I share with my clients to help keep them progressing and meeting their health and fitness goals.

Commitment

I start with commitment because without it, you'll never see success.  Willpower fails, motivation wains and resolutions are dropped.  When you know your “why” and a vision of what health and fitness looks like for you, you can put these together to make a vow.  This vow paired with self-love makes all the difference.  If you really want it, go past making a decision and commit.

Sugar

We get fat because of sugar.  The average American eats 150lbs of sugar per year.  Sugar raises your insulin, which is the core hormone for fat gain.  The only way to successfully lose weight is to reduce your sugar intake.   Aim for 50 grams or less per day and you're going to see great results.

Success Keys (Persistence, Progression, Patience)

Persistence is what keeps you going, Progression is what keeps the results coming.  Patience is where you're going to face this challenge over the long-term.  Applied together, these three keys are what all successful people have.

Sleep

Our body goes through some very important functions while we're asleep.  Our hormone cycle is driven by our sleep.  Memory development and muscle repair also occur during this time.  You'll want to get 7 – 9 hours per night, but focus on quality rather than quantity.

Water

The liver is responsible for dealing with toxins.  It makes its job easier by pushing the toxins into the fat.  Now that we're losing weight (aka burning fat), we're releasing these toxins and the liver is forced to deal with it.  Beyond not adding more toxins, it is important to give the liver plenty of water.

Our brain, joints and skin all use water to perform well.  If you are dehydrated you're going to look and feel worse.  Your

Plateaus

Our bodies were built to find balance.  For this reason, we will often find ourselves hitting plateaus. You can build in strategies to break through plateaus or avoid them all together.  Periodization can be effective particularly in muscular strength, muscle mass, or endurance.  Or you can look for a way to push past it.  Just don't quit.

Lab Rat

You are a unique individual.  As a result, what works for someone else may not work for you.  Don't be afraid to experiment to find the things that will work for you.  Take the time to educate yourself and then apply and tweak your programming and food.

Fitness Modalities

Recognize that there are different fitness modalities and you should consider most of them.  Focusing on one at the detriment of the others will keep you from meeting your goals or accomplishing your vision.  A few fitness modalities to consider follows:

• Muscular strength
• Muscular mass
• Mobility
• Endurance
• Balance
• Agility
• Speed

Strength

Of all the fitness modalities, the one I almost demand my clients do is strength training.  Strength is the most important factor to being healthy and fit.  Heavy lifting boosts testosterone production (libido) and helps maintain strong bones.

Lifestyle

Once you've seen success, it is important to shift from this being a project to it being a lifestyle.  If you've made good healthy habits, this becomes easy.  Avoid language like diet.  Diets are temporary and when you go back to eating the way you did before, you'll go back to what you were.  Health and fitness is a continuum.  You can always get better.

Health and fitness is a state of being, not a destination.

We are 100! Best of the past.

 

The Yoga Lifestyle | Doron Hanoch

Doron Hanoch comes to the 40+ Fitness Podcast to discuss his book, the Yoga Lifestyle.  We go beyond the basics of the physical yoga practice and explore ways to take yoga outside the studio.

If you want to develop discipline and get the benefits of yoga, you have to show up.  Don't worry about what you may or may not accomplish that day, but get into the habit of making sure you are there and then get present.  The benefits will come.

Benefits of Yoga:

• Flexibility
• Strength
• Breathing better
• Mind training

Doron then discussed a 1 – 2 breathing technique for relaxation and falling asleep quickly.

 

Links

Doron Yoga

Yoga Retreats

Facebook

Youtube

Art and Photography website 

 

 

Yoga's Healing Power | Ally Hamilton

Yoga’s Healing Power | Ally Hamilton

Ally Hamilton found yoga as a senior at Columbia. She expected it to be too easy for her and was pleasantly surprised by the true physical challenge. But she was even more surprised to experience the other improvements in her life that came from a regular practice.

In her book, Yoga's Healing Power, Ally goes through the eight limbs of a yoga practice.

Yamas

This limb represents our commitments and restraints. In this part, we focus on kindness, truthfulness, non-stealing, accountability, and not coveting.

Niyamas

This limb relates to our observances, being pure, working hard, and our religious practice.

Asana

This limb is the physical practice that most of us recognize when we think of yoga, the movement, the stretching, the meditation.

Pranayama

This limb recognizes the life force and energy of the universe.

Pratyahara

This limb relates to releasing yourself from your likes and dislikes.

Dharana

This limb is about uninterrupted concentration as a means of fulfilling your dreams.

Dhyana

This limb relates to a state of being where there are no borders between you and the world.  It relates to having discipline in your practice.

Samadhi

This limb is a state of flow and enlightenment.  Difficult to achieve but a blessing when you do.

 

If you start to treat your body as the gift it is, it shifts the way you feed it.

~ Ally Hamilton, Yoga's Healing Power

 

My apologies for the interruption by my dogs, but it really was a cool moment for me.

Learn more about Ally Hamilton at Yogis Anonymous.

Should I do yoga? | Julie Zuzek

Susan’s Success Story

Susan, a Forever Fitness client, comes to the 40+ Fitness Podcast to share her success story.

Susan reflects on her decision to work on her health and fitness when she turned 43.  She started by walking during her daughter's practiced volleyball.  She progressed from that to a group class after a friend won a free boot camp program and gave it to her.  She discovered that being in a community made doing the exercise much easier.

When she began focusing on weight lifting, she noticed how seeing others working hard gave her motivation to push herself.  She joined Forever Fitness Personal Training when she was looking to accelerate her progress.  She didn't always like the recommendations but she saw the results. Having a coach motivated her to push on.

Having a thyroid issue has always made it easy for her to gain weight.  Through managing her food and exercise, she managed to lose 40 lbs.  Her doctor was very impressed.  Her blood work looks much better and her need for thyroid meds has reduced.