So What Does Burn the Most Calories?
I was interested to see that the bulk of you voted for swimming as the exercise that burned the most calories. I have been interested in this for as long as I have been a trainer simply because the question was constantly being asked by the clients I was working with. Calories is such a major topic as a leftover from the 1980′s when the calorie counting seemed to be huge. When I spoke with trainers in the mid 90′s when I was first getting into it, many of them still used calories as the gold standard for weight loss. I am not implying they were wrong, simply that it is not as much of a focus as it used to be.
The cardio equipment in most gyms also seemed to cause many people to be consistently thinking about their calories burned. Each piece of equipment would tell you how many calories you were burning. I always had to laugh when people would literally use this as a guide to how much they could then eat. Never did they stop and think that it was a bit far fetched to think that a machine knowing only that you put in a certain body weight could tell you how many calories you were burning.
It was not up to the machine, it is up to your current level of muscular efficiency. Calories are explained really well in this article but in simple terms they are a unit of measurement as it applies to energy. The muscles require fuel in order to work and therefore the more muscle you are using pr placing demands on that would require it to need fuel, the more calories will be used up. Therefore the exercise that burns the most calories would be the one that requires you to use the most muscle.
Most studies that have been done actually show that running burns more calories than most other activities including swimming. The typical reason is that running requires you to place demands on a greater amount of muscle than swimming since in the water you are in a supported environment which limits the demands on your muscular system. I agree with this statement for the most part but I think your individual abilities within the exercise you choose also plays a role in this.
During a Bi-Athlon of running and swimming, lets say an athlete does each of these exercises for an hour. What if they are an extremely efficient runner but a terrible swimmer. In this scenario would the athlete then burn more calories swimming? I have always thought this to be the case but I am no scientist and have not yet got around to doing the research on this.
All things being equal however, I think running is still King when it comes to burning calories. Here is a link from the Mayo Clinic to a chart that discusses various exercises and the approximate calories they burn. Again read it with a grain of salt since it is not able to take into account your current level of efficiency and how much that would impact how hard your muscles need to work.
Exercise of the Week #35 Runner’s Stretch
EXERCISE OF THE WEEK #35
Runners Stretch
Runner’s Stretch is an excellent move for lengthening out the hamstrings. Like the previous week’s exercise to lengthen the hip flexors, keeping the hamstrings flexible is an important part of becoming a more efficient runner. Take the time throughout the day to stretch out your hamstrings if you spend quite a bit of time in a seated position. The impact you can make in a few short days will make a difference in your running.
Does Training with Ankle Weights on Really Help?
Inside the training center at the school I work at we have several sets of ankle weights. We utilize them for doing various hip strengthening exercises. Commonly however the athletes ask about why we do not train in them more frequently for things like running or agility drills. The basketball team even tells me that their coach for one of their club teams has them wear them when they play, yikes.
Using ankle weights can be a tremendous advantage to your current training system when used properly. When worn to do exercises like leg lifts, lateral leg lifts, fonda Lifts, Prone leg lifts, or even hand leg opposites, the added demand the ankle weights provide can make a tremendous difference. Beyond these types of supported moves however, you start to enter the realm of negative returns on your exercises.
We have discussed the importance of posture and skeletal alignment in regards to your training programs. Many athletes have various imbalances in their bodies that create variations in their gait pattern and their efficiency of movement laterally as well. If we think of one of our athletes who has a gait pattern that is not overly efficient such as poor muscular engagement in the hips causing them to generate linear motion by whipping the lower leg in a circular fashion for example, adding resistance to this will create more harm than good in our opinion.
The ankle weights obviously apply more resistance to everything you do when you are wearing them but unless you have an athlete with a perfect gait pattern and no inefficiency in their movement in any direction you do not want to have them train in them. Lack of efficiency in your movement comes from poor muscular development or muscular imbalances. These imbalances can put your joints into a compromised position where they are beginning to suffer some wear and tear.
Problems like tendonitis, shin splints, chronic ankle sprains, and the plethora of other lower body ailments are all from improper muscular function. Adding the ankle weights will only enhance these imbalances and make the potential for these injuries even greater. The additional weight added down by the ankles will create higher levels of stress around the knee and ankle joint. Many trainers think this will make them stronger but like always we look for the potential negative side effects. Imbalances that you may have in the legs will only become more prevalent if you do movement training with them on.
Use Ankle weights as a tool to help build some strength in supported positions. I know of many great abdominal moves and hip strengthening moves that are perfect for the ankle weights. Playing basketball or running in them are not two of them. This is dangerous and foolish in our opinions. Goal number one in all training you do should be to improve the efficiency of your athletes, not enhance their imbalances.
Our 300th Post!
OUR 300TH POST !!
Time really flies and I just realized that we have surpassed our 300th post. Technically this is post #312 but we were so busy getting everything in order for some very exciting new things approaching. Our next newsletter is just about finished and you should receive it within the next week if you have signed up. If not please do so now, this month we are attaching a great new running Warm-up routine.
As we near the end of the first year of our blog I am excited to see all that we have started and the many exciting things yet to come. Our focus for the next few weeks will be on discussing common training questions and myths. We hope to hear from you on these and if there are some specific ones you are interested in lets us know and we will address them quickly for you.
During the past year we have tried to cover as much information with you as possible. We have introduced to you our store and some of the products that we have provided for you have received very positive feedback from the many people who have been using them. If you have not taken a look at what we have to offer in the store so far I encourage you to do so.
Another new feature we would like to introduce to Train2move is your success stories. This can be as simple or elaborate as you would like. If you have accomplished something in the realm of nutrition or exercise we would love for you to share with us. Your story may be used in a future post! We also would like to start to see some of the interesting places you have or are training at. Own your won gym and want to show it off? Send us a picture. If you just completed a run through a scenic area or maybe participated in a recent local run, let us know and we will try to get you up on the site.
Lastly for now we have some exciting news to share in the coming month. We will keep tight lipped about it for now but we are very excited about the opportunity it will provide for many of you.
Thanks for being a part of the Train2move community. We want to continue to build a site that provides you with intelligent training advice to help you reach your fitness goals.
Fitness Tip of the Week #12 Core Training
Core Training has become extremely popular in recent years, due to the medical field and the emphasis they have put on its benefits in relieving lower back pain and overall spine health. All types of programs and routines have been developed utilizing crunches and situps and all sorts of ab work. I want to give you a tip this week that will help assist you in doing your crunches.
First off, lets talk about core training. The “core” consists of much more that the rectus abdominis, or the “six pack.” I would argue that core efficiency is much more important than core strength. But, what all would core efficiency entail? Remember that our muscular system has a few functions, one being that it is what holds our skeletal system in the ideal anatomical position. Secondly, it moves the joints through their range of motion. Now in terms of spine health, what is the base, or foundation, of our spine? Isn’t it the pelvis? The angle at which our pelvis sits will affect the various angles of the spine, and since our muscular system determines how our skeletal system is aligned, wouldn’t a good core training program want to focus on giving the muscles surrounding the pelvis the right stimulus to hold it in a neutral position? There are a number of muscles surrounding, and connected to, the pelvis: the iliacus, psoas major, psoas minor, rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, transverse abdominis, gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, tensor fascia latae, piriformis, obturator, and many others.
Here’s a very simple core training tip that involves the muscles of the hips as well as the abdominals: Try doing wishbone and frog crunches as a part of your core routine. To do a basic wishbone crunch, lay on your back with your hips and knees in the air at 90 degrees. Now press your knees together while trying to separate your feet as far apart as possible. From this position, place your hands behind your head keeping your elbows back, and contract your abs, lifting just your shoulder blades off the ground. Next, do frog crunches. Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Now let your knees fall to the sides and place the soles of your feet together. Contract the muscles of your glutes, and from this position do basic crunches.
These two simple additions to the basic crunch make the move much more efficient for the alignment of your pelvis and spine by activating more muscles around your hips as you crunch.
Loren
An update on Caster Semenya
We did a post awhile back about the situation with Caster Semenya. I wanted to keep you up to date on this topic and in a recent article I found from Telegraph.co.uk that gives more information on how this situation is unfolding. This has proven to be a hot topic and many people have an opinion one way or the other.
For those of you unfamiliar with the story, Semenya won the Women’s 800m Gold MEdal at the recent World Championships back in August. However immediately following the race questions about her gender were brought into question. Many felt she was cheating and that she was actually a man.
Initial tests led scientists to determine that she was a hermaphrodite. This is technically still speculation and in the article it talks about how the IOC President is going to visit Semenya soon to go over the results of the tests.
I am anxious to see what the Olympic Committee decides to do about this situation. I still just do not think you can take away her medals. She is not “cheating” since she has no control over the unique situation she is in.
I also came across this great article from Sportsscientists.com that goes into some more detail on the testing process and even some of the difficulties that the track and field community is going to face in determining not only what to do about this situation but also about this potentially happening again in the future.
We will let you know if we find out anymore in the coming weeks especially what happens with the impending meeting.
Exercise of the Week #34 Standing Quad Stretch
EXERCISE OF THE WEEK #34
The Standing Quad Stretch is a move that typically is not performed correctly enough to get the maximum benefit from it. In the video we describe the importance of contracting the antagonistic muscle groups to help provide extension of the hip. This is what allows for you to actually lengthen out the muscles through the hip flexors and quadriceps.
Standing Quad Stretch
Celiac Disease and Gluten Info from an Expert
Eric Kirch, a great friend of mine has a great success story to tell. When he was young he was diagnosed with Celiacs Disease. He has now lived the last ten plus years learning how to not only manage the disease but Eric learned how to thrive with it. I consider Eric an expert simply because he took Celiacs Head on and continues to have a passion for learning how to get the most of his physical abilities and nutrition. He currently runs his own blog called GlutenFreeSpot.com and I have asked him to come on and do a few guest posts for all of you.
If you are currently needing to live a gluten free lifestyle or know someone else who might be I highly recommend you go and check it out. He has a tremendous amount of information to share and a passion to share it with anyone else who is living with the disease.
I have been competing in athletics as long as I can remember and in 2nd grade something changed. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. The treatment for Celiac Disease is to follow a strict Gluten Free diet (Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats). Being a Celiac athlete has its advantages and disadvantages. First off, a lot of food that is considered “bad” for athletes contains Gluten so naturally it was easy to stay away from those. Donuts and fast food for example would be something that you would want to stay away from if you were an athlete at any level. Both of those usually contain Gluten. One of the disadvantages was not having easy access to food where ever our teams traveled and I could not just grab food from a friend. Living with a Gluten Free diet forced me to follow a much stricter, healthier diet that helped me out as an athlete in the long run.
I wanted to share some tips for athletes following a gluten free diet preparing for an athletic event or a workout.
Pre-Workout
Prior to physical activity it’s important to have a source of fuel in your body. One of my least favorite things about working out is feeling hungry during it. I need something in my stomach or else I feel lousy. Choices for workout snacks vary among each individual and the type of workout being done but I will share my favorites. I prefer to eat some sort of fresh fruit before working out. Apples and bananas are a great idea. Also a Gluten Free bagel with peanut butter is a good option. There are some Gluten Free protein bars that can be eaten either before or after a workout. You do not want something that is too heavy that will affect your performance so make sure it is something you can easily digest.
Post Workout
After working out it is important to “refuel”. If you are looking for a post workout meal that offers a lot of protein, chicken, burritos (with corn tortillas), salmon and hamburger patties have a good amount of protein in them. I would choose one of these choices over a protein powder with dozens of ingredients I have never heard of but that’s just me. If you are into protein powder I would recommend calling the manufacturer and getting as much information as you can about the production of that product and the chances it will become contaminated with Gluten. If you find just a basic whey or soy protein powder and want to give it a shot try mixing it with fruit to make a good after workout snack.
Final and most important thought..
Drink water! That will be one of the most important things whether you have a food allergy or not. Again..Drink water!
Check out GlutenFreeSpot for tips, reviews and other great information and everything else for those following a Gluten Free Diet.
What to Look for in a Trainer
We may have done a post like this in the past but the topic came up again recently from a few people asking what are some of the key qualities to look for when hiring a trainer. Here are a few key components that in our opinion matter most.
1. Where do they train? Here is something I learned a long time ago, if a trainer is really good, they typically do not work in the chain Gym’s. I may take a lot of heat from trainers on this but really if you are good, why are you giving a large chunk of your income back to the gym? I realize there are smaller local gyms that may have some exceptional trainers at them but this is largely due to the fact that the trainers are independent contractors who set their own rates and are not employees of the gym. Look for these independent trainers, they typically have the skills to better serve you or they would be out of business already.
2. What does your initial evaluation look like? Every trainer should have you fill out forms but from there what do they want to know about you? Your goals to be honest are a small part of the equation. A good trainer will want to know everything they can about you. What current pain symptoms do you have, what past injuries have you had, what is your job, what is a typical day like? These are all questions that start to build a map that allows a trainer to understand what the stimulus has been to your body that enables it to get to where it is today.
Along with this will be what they do for the physical part of it. If they want to get your grip strength, your height and weight, body composition, lung capacity, run away if you can. These tests are meaningless in our opinion and are there simply to give the trainers some way of setting goals with you. If your trainer however want to do a postural analysis, gait pattern, different exercise tests, this is what you want because they are looking for how your current level of function will determine your most appropriate starting point based on your goals.
3. What are they offering? Many Chain gyms are looking for the best package or the best commission for you. A great trainer will tell you how many sessions they recommend based on your goals and your ability level but they will also be able to make other arrangements based on what you can do financially. It should not be set packages but more what the factors of money, goals, and ability level require your training package to be.
Finally make sure you feel this is someone you can have a relationship with. If there is no connection it will be a struggle throughout.
Fitness Tip of the Week #11 Stretch When you Wake!
Hello all and welcome back to fitness tip of the week! Hopefully you have been keeping up on the tips each week and have tried to incorporate them into your daily routines. Each tip is aimed to be something hat is easy to do and will just be another way to enhance your overall level of fitness.
The tip I want to give you this week is something that many of you may do to some degree or another, but this tip will help give it a little more structure. Start to make it a habit to do some quick stretches and movements when you wake up in the morning. If any of you have a cat or dog, watch them the next time they wake up from a nap. What do they do? They stretch out their legs, shoulders, back, pretty much everything. It’s simple, yet effective.
I love how good it feels to crawl out of bed and get out all the kinks that may have come from yesterday’s workout, or just from being in a relatively inactive state for several hours. In fact, one of the best moves you can do is actually named after the way cats and dogs stretch, hence ‘cats and dogs.’ (you may know this move as the yoga move called the cat and cow.) It loads pressure into both the hips and shoulders, promotes good flexion and extension of the spine, and helps reengage the muscles of the hips.
Here’s a quick list of 5 moves you should do when you get out of bed:
Kneeling Good Morning Stretch 10x
Extended Lateral 30 seconds each side
Kneeling Groin 30 seconds each side
Downward Dog 30 seconds
Hopefully doing these five quick stretches will help you wake up and get your morning off to a good start. Check back next Tuesday for another useful tip!
If you are looking or a little more complete program to do in the mornings and evenings check out the AM/PM Program in the Store.
Loren