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My two cents on Britney Spears

After hearing about the new happenings with Britney Spears, I figured I'd throw my two cents in, for whatever it's worth.  I know this really doesn't have much to do with exercise, but I guess you could say it's mental health, and mental health has to do with fitness ... right?

Anyway, at first I felt Britney brought this all on herself with all the publicity stunts she pulled, but now ... it's obvious that there's definitely some type of mental disorder affecting her.  There's got to be a point where you draw the line between stupid happenings of stars and their real life problems.  This is starting to get out of control with the press Britney Spears is receiving.  I wish she could be given some privacy during this time because she really needs some serious mental help.  I understand that it's the job of the paparazzi to get "the shot" and to put food on the table for their families, but seriously ... did you see how they were slamming their lenses into the back windows of the ambulance as it drove off? 

Yes, Britney is a star, and she does make a scene, but she's also a real person with some real mental health problems.  I wish she and her family could be given their space until she gets the help she needs.

Ok ... that's my thoughts for the day.  Anybody else have any? 

Improve your balance with the tabletop

The ANIMAL Workout!

“Wow!” you must be thinking.  “Dan must have written this after hammering down a few too many energy drinks.” 

Actually, I’m in my living room, sitting here in my pajamas having just finished a delicious breakfast of a toasted egg and cheese sandwich with an extra fried egg on the side.  Yummy! … Anyway, this is going to be a fun article; one that’ll give you something new and exciting to try out the next time you workout.

I was sitting around one day, just kind of brainstorming for a new workout when an idea popped into my head, “What if I designed a workout where people acted like animals?” 

Now you may be thinking that I’ve lost my mind, and maybe I have, but the BIG discovery I’ve found through my years of study and training is that people are more likely to exercise if it’s fun! … Duh. 

Bear with me for a second.  How do we normally have fun working out?  Well, if you’re like me, it’s when we work out with a friend or do something different than we’re used to. 

I started to notice something when working with my clients.  I noticed that my clients had the most fun and worked the hardest when I turned their workouts into a game or did off-the-wall exercises with them.  They enjoyed breaking away from the basic rows and pushups, and whatever else.  The fun, but still challenging, workouts were the ones that were different than the norm.

I thought to myself, “What’s a workout that’s fun, challenging, but can still be done away from the gym.” 

If you’re like my clients, you’re probably very busy; you don’t always have time to make it to the gym.  The great thing about this workout … you don’t have to be in the gym for it to work!

Here’s what you do:

Start by thinking of some of your favorite animals; not bees and butterflies, but animals that have a quality related to fitness. (I guess trying to fly like a bee or butterfly would be pretty physically demanding.)

On my list, I have:

Fly like a butterfly.  Sting like a bee … I mean:

Horse – Horses pull people in wagons, so I’ll pull someone.  (What I’ve done in the past with this one is wrapped resistance bands or a speed harness around someone’s waist and had them sprint with me holding onto the bands.  The idea is they have to sprint ahead and pull me because the more I pull on the bands, the harder it is for them to keep pulling me forward.  You can also face someone and pull them while locking hands and backpedalling.)  If I want to work my back, I’ll pull something with my arms instead.

Elephant – Elephants are very strong and can carry all kinds of things on their backs, so I’ll either do pushups or walk a designated length while giving someone a piggyback ride.  (If I’m really feeling good, I may even do pushups with someone on my back.)

Cheetah – This is an obvious one; cheetahs are very fast for short distances, so I’ll do 50-meter sprints.

Leopard – Leopards are very strong and can carry their food into trees, so I’ll do chin-ups.  (If I want to add a little extra to the exercise, I might try adding ankle weights.)

Monkey – Monkeys climb trees, so I’ll climb a rope or a pole.

Frog – Frogs can jump, so I’ll do frog hops.  (This is my personal favorite because it’s unbelievably tough but a lot of fun.)

Tiger – Just like in the circus, tigers can leap up very high, so I’ll do box jumps.

Mule – Mules are always carrying sacks of things on their sides, so I’ll do a farmer’s walk.  (A farmer’s walk is walking while holding something heavy in each hand.  An example would be carrying a bucket of water in each hand while walking 50 meters.)

These are just exercises I’ve thought of for myself; for some, this may sound way too hard.  For others, it may be way too easy.  You really can choose whatever you want to do.  Maybe you want to associate animals with pushups, jumping jacks, running in place, and crunches?  Be creative!

Now here’s the fun part.  What you do is tear up some pieces of paper and write down one animal on each piece.  Next, throw all the pieces of paper into a hat.  When you decide to do the workout, you pull out a piece of paper, and whatever animal is written down on that paper, you do that exercise.  After you’re done, pull out another piece.  I’d probably only pull out 5 or 6 animals because if you do this intensely enough, you’ll be exhausted after that many exercises.

I purposely didn’t assign sets and reps with each animal because this workout is purely about working hard while making it fun and interesting.  Go with how you feel; if you feel one set of 5, 50-meter sprints is plenty for the cheetah exercise, then stop there.  If you don’t feel like it was hard enough, then do more; it’s all up to how you feel for this workout.

Hopefully you find this a nice change to your workout routine.  Try it with a friend; it’ll be even more fun if you have someone to laugh with while doing this.

I’d love to hear how this goes when you try it out, so feel free to leave a comment.

Improve your inner core with the ab plank

As I said earlier, strengthening your inner core is vital for improving balance, agility, speed, power, strength...the list goes on.  If you want to reduce your low back pain or improve the "six-pack", as well as the other outer core muscles (obliques and low back muscles), then you need to start with strengthening the inner core first. 

For a better understanding of the inner and outer core, read my post a few days back.  I give the analogy of a radio tower being the spine, the base of the radio tower being the inner core, and the cables coming off of it being the outer core.

So this kicks off my first video of a series of videos on inner core exercises.  Hope it's helpful!

I looked at Bodies this weekend

Have you ever heard of the exhibit going around the country called Bodies...The Exhibition?  Its last days in Columbus were this weekend, and I 'd been wanting to see it for some time.  Of course, I waited to the last minute, but I finally saw it.  It ended up turning into a whole family event; my wife, parents, brother and his fiancé, and sister and her fiancé all went too. 

I'm a big science guy; I've always been.  In college, my favorite classes were the ones that talked about how the nerves and muscles work; anatomy is so fascinating to me.  If you've never been to Bodies, and you get the chance, it's well worth the time and money.  Not everyone in my family is into science like I am, but they thought it was amazing too.

This exhibit has preserved these bodies and displayed them in a way that is so fascinating.  There was this one exhibit that showed a skeleton holding hands with a body that was all muscle.  The skeleton was actually the skeleton that came from inside the all-muscle body! 

They had this one section that was all about the circulatory system, and I don't know how they were able to do this, but they injected this dye into the arteries of bodies that caused the arteries to harden.  After the arteries hardened, they stripped everything away from around the arteries, and all that was left were the red, hardened arteries.  There were displays of entire bodies of nothing but blood vessels.  You could see the lungs, heart, kidneys, all kinds of things that were in the shape of their organs but all the organ tissue was stripped away to leave only blood vessels.  It really was absolutely amazing to see what everything looks like.

The had facts all over the walls that were really interesting. 

Did you know that while we sleep, our brain processes the days events and stores the important ones into our long-term memory?  I didn't either.

Oh yeah; for those of you that have had gall stones or kidney stones, I feel your pain.  Well actually, I saw what the stones look like...ouch!

I also saw what cancer, a smoker's lung, and a brain after a stroke looks like...fascinating.

The baby section showed the development of actual embryos from a dot to a full-size fetus.  Some said it was hard for them to go through this section, so I was prepared, but I didn't feel it was sad; I was more in awe.

Having gone through this exhibit, I don't understand how you could believe that we were created by chance events.  To be able to see how small and precise our inner ear bones are (much smaller and thinner than a safety pin) just goes to show that something this small couldn't just happen; only God could create something this small.  My one word summary of it all...wow!  This exhibit was a true testament to the power of God and how awesome His creation really is! 

Just why is the core so important?

“Work your core.”  It’s the new phrase that has taken the fitness industry by storm.  New findings are constantly being discovered about the importance of core strength, and really, until recent years, the core wasn’t a much stressed component to fitness.

Many people hear the word core and think “six-pack”.  While a six-pack is a great achievement, it shouldn’t be mistaken for the core.

So what is the core anyway?  You actually have two cores: an inner and an outer core.  Your outer core is what everyone thinks of, the “six-pack” abs, obliques (“side abs”), and your low back muscles.  Your inner core is all the muscles that surround the spine itself.  I’ve used an example similar to this before, but picture a radio tower.  You know, the kind that’s a single tower bolted into the ground with cables coming out from it.   

Let’s picture the cables coming out of the sides as the abs, obliques (“side abs”), and low back muscles. 

Question: What would happen if one of the cables was pulled really tight (i.e. abs)?

That’s right.  The tower would fall over.  The same can be said with our bodies.  The problem with just constantly doing different variations of crunches is the ab muscles are being worked way too much, and as a result, the abs become way too tight. 

In order to properly develop the outer core, you must develop the inner core; as with the radio tower, if the base of the tower isn’t strong (i.e. inner core), then the tower will collapse.  Developing the inner core means strengthening tiny muscles surrounding the spine as well as a layer of muscle that wraps around the abdominal and low back areas.  This layer of muscle is called the transverse abdominus; it can really be considered your body’s natural corset.  If this muscle isn’t kept strong, then it’ll loosen up and contribute, among other things, to the belly hanging out. 

As you’ve probably already guessed, a lot of people are weak in this area.  A huge contributor to this problem is laziness, or to be more precise, slouching; I can be a culprit of this one.  By slouching in a chair, or while standing, the transverse abdominus, along with all the other inner core muscles, isn’t being activated.

Why do you think about 85% of American adults suffer from low back pain?¹

Just something to think about.

As a result of not being activated, the inner core muscles weaken, and this leads to deteriorating balance/stability, quickness, low back problems, etc. 

Here’s something to observe; for those of you who’re parents of young kids, this is easy.  For those of you that aren’t parents yet, whenever you’re around little kids, I’m talking 5 years old or so, watch how they sit.  Most sit nice and tall on the edge of their seat.  I’m not a parent yet, but I observe this with my little nephews when they’re watching Star Wars or Power Rangers or something.  They’re always sitting up straight. 

As kids, our inner core starts out strong because we need it to be strong in order to learn to walk.  As we get older though, we become lazy with our posture, and in comes the low back pain.

Now that we’re all sitting up straight reading this…another benefit of keeping the inner core strong is it won’t be a contributor to the outer core muscles becoming too stretched out; they’ll be at the ideal length to develop properly.  If the radio tower leans, the cables stretch and aren’t in proper alignment, form, or strength.

The moral of the story, work the inner core.  As I’ve talked about in the past, when designing a workout program, it’s essential that you incorporate balance/stability into the program.  By strengthening the inner core, you set yourself up for improvements in every other area of fitness.  That’s a strong statement, but it’s true!  NFL athletes, track & field athletes, marathoners, NBA athletes, Olympic lifters, the list goes on, they all incorporate inner core strength into their workout routines. 

I don’t know how many of you saw the interview with LaDainian Tomlinson (last year’s NFL MVP) on 60 Minutes, but if you saw him working with his unbelievable trainer, Todd Durkin, you probably remember him standing on a half-ball (BOSU Ball), on one foot, while catching and throwing a football.  That was an example of an inner core exercise, and it was perfect for improving his coordination and stability. 

If you go to the gym and hammer out 10 minutes of crunches after each workout, YOU’RE SELLING YOURSELF SHORT!

Here’s what I’d do.  I’d split your crunch routine in half.  Focus on doing 2 to 3 inner core exercises at the beginning of your workout.  After the workout, finish with 2 to 3 outer core exercises: crunches, back extensions, etc. 

If you go to Your Live Trainers, you can click on the sample session, and it’ll show you an inner core exercise.  I’m also going to be posting some inner core exercise videos over the next few weeks here, so keep checking back.

So to recap, strengthening the inner core provides a strong base for the outer core muscles to develop around.  The stronger the inner core, the stronger and more developed the outer core.  The stronger the inner core, the better your balance will be.  The stronger the inner core, the better your quickness (jumping out of the way of a runaway person on rollerblades, seriously, I’ve had to do it before) will be.  Finally, the stronger your inner core, the faster your muscles develop, the faster your power develops, the less likely you’re to get injured, and the faster the pain in different areas of your body (low back for one) goes away.

References:

¹The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), 2001.

Nothing like running in the frigid cold

Yesterday was my long day for running, 12 miles actually.  It was a tad bit cold, and on top of that, the wind wasn't being very nice.  I checked the weather and saw it was like 11 degrees with the wind chill. 

I basically did a run where I run 6 miles out, and then turn around to run 6 miles back.  The run was going fine until I turned around right into hurricane-force winds.  Immediately, my face went numb.

Good news is I'm here to talk about it. 

"Why did you do this?" you may ask.  Good question.  Even crazier, I'm training for a marathon in the middle of February in Columbus, Ohio!  Even crazier than that, it's a 1-mile loop that I run 26 times!  I'm trying to qualify for Boston with two of my cousins, so I figured I might as well give it a shot.

I know, I know, I'm a moron. 

I just want to do it once so I can say I've run in the Boston Marathon.  I guess this is the road I have to take to do it.

So after I was done running, I try and leave a voice mail for my sister but my mouth is half-paralyzed from the cold.  Since I cold barely move my upper lip, my message came out something like this:

"Hey dsdhffhgkl ythsndjjh heeuhkjn...wtndlxqljhjhf."

You gotta love when that happens.

Stay away from the "wheat" bread

We've all heard it before, "Stay away from white flour."  Do we really know what "they" mean though.  Why are we supposed to eat whole-grain breads anyway?  The answer really has to do with how the grains are processed. 

White flours are processed by stripping down the wheat kernel to get the good "white stuff" in the middle of the wheat kernel.  The only problem with this is all that stripping away of the rest of the kernel means all the "good stuff" is gone.

If you ever look at the back of the ingredients label of white bread, you most likely will see the first ingredient as something like "enriched white flour" or "bleached flour".  What does that mean?  It means it's not whole wheat flour. 

Unlike whole wheat flour, however, white flour, unbleached flour, etc. have to be enriched with the nutrients that were taken away during the milling process.  The problem with this is the quality of the added nutrients isn't as good as whole wheat flour.  In actuality, people would need to eat several slices of enriched bread to get the same benefits of a slice of whole wheat bread.  Also, even though breads can be enriched, some of the original nutrients of the wheat kernel, such as fiber, aren't put back in.  Overall, whole wheat flour has a lot more nutrients in it.

I know it's also been said that white bread has a higher glycemic index than whole wheat bread.  In other words, white bread spikes your blood sugar more.  In reality, they really are about the same.  Whole wheat and white have about the same effect on blood sugar.  The biggest reason to eat whole wheat bread really is because of the nutrients.

So why do companies still make white bread?  Good question.  One reason is because white bread doesn't taste all that bad, and companies know it.  People like the softer, less grainy taste of white bread.  White bread is also better for grocers because it can stay on the shelf longer without going bad.  This means they won't lose money by throwing away old bread.

No here's the kicker to the whole thing.  You know that whole wheat bread is the best option, but did you know that wheat bread is not whole wheat bread.  Go to your local grocery store and check out the bread shelf...this is what I do when I'm bored.  See how many bread packages you can find that say wheat bread; they're everywhere!  Now take one of those packages and look at the ingredients.  What do you see? 

Can you believe it!  We're being ripped off I tell ya!  Well maybe not, but anyway...

The first ingredient in wheat bread is..."enriched wheat flour".  What's that all about? 

Don't be fooled.  Wheat bread is not WHOLE WHEAT BREAD.  All those benefits I was just talking about...yeah, you don't get any of those with wheat bread; it's just like eating white bread.  In fact, it is white bread.  White bread is wheat flour that has been bleached to give it that whiteness.

So next time you go to buy bread, make sure you check the ingredients label and look for nothing but whole wheat flour as the first ingredient.

Featured on Reuters!

10-minute workout: "The ROM machine"

The new 10-minute workout is here!  It's called the ROM machine.  It's a 4-minute workout, followed by a 2-minute break, and then finishing up with another 4-minute bout. 

What do you think?  This is supposed to replace a 30 or 40-minute workout?  I'll let you decide.

Here's FOXNews.com's video report of this "thing".

Why are almonds so good for you?

Almonds really seem to be the buzzword right now among fitness circles.  Why is it that such a little nut can get so much hype?  Well for starters, studies have shown that almonds are loaded with phytochemicals; these phytochemicals are thought to help prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer. 

Almonds are also full of vitamins and minerals, and they're a pretty good source for protein and fiber.  In 1 oz. of almonds, you'll get 12% of your daily protein and fiber requirements, as well as 35% of your vitamin E.  They're low in saturated fat, have no cholesterol, and have actually been found to lower cholesterol.  For those who are pregnant, they're a good source of folic acid.  Folic acid is a must during pregnancy because it helps prevent spina bifida. 

For weight loss, a study also showed that by eating 2 oz. of almonds a day, individuals felt fuller longer, and as a result, they didn't overeat in calories.  That's the kicker for almonds.  The reason why almonds are so popular with fitness professional and nutritionist is because of their effect on hunger.  Almonds are such a convenient little snack; 2 oz. can be put in a Baggie, and then carried around in a pocket all day to snack on.  By doing this, cravings for those potato chips or M&M's in the candy dish will be diminished.  In an excess-calorie eating society, almonds are great for helping to reduce overeating.  This is why I've told clients to carry around some almonds in their pocket.  For people like nurses and teachers, it can be hard to get five meals in in a day, but by carrying around some almonds, they're able to get some excellent nutrition benefits;  at the same time, their appetites are being suppressed, so they'll be less likely to reach into the candy jar. 

As I was just saying about 5 meals in a day, weight gain can be the result of many things, the biggest being overeating.  Another big factor is meals in a day.  For someone eating 2 or 3 times a day, chances are, calorie consumption is all messed up.  Instead of spreading the calories throughout the day, too many calories are being consumed in each meal.  By eating 5 times a day, the body doesn't have to deal with processing so many calories at once, and as a result, there aren't as many excess calories to store as fat.  Another reason why almonds are great, they allow the busy person to still be able to eat healthy 5 times a day.