Get the most out of your routine by changing it up, opting for other machines in peak hours, forgetting the book and focusing on sweat.

By Jill Barker

The Vancouver Sun

Nov 16, 2009

Who has time to waste at the gym?  Not me! My objective is achieving maximum results in the least amount of time.  I figure most Canadians feel the same, though you’d never know it by looking around the gym.

To be fair, most fitness fanatics don’t realize that their workouts aren’t as efficient as they could be. In fact, many people believe that more time in the gym will result in more results.  But that’s false.  Your body responds to the quality, not quantity, of your workout.  So, to help you get the job done in record time, here are five common time-wasters, along with suggestions on how you can get more done in less time.

Isolating muscle groups

Why perform an exercise that targets one muscle group when you can hit two or three at the same time?  Sure, single joint exercises like a triceps pull-down get the job done, but if you perform a compound exercise like a push up you’ll work not just the triceps but the chest, front of the shoulder and core muscles.

Want more exercises that offer maximum payback?  Try lunges, squats, lat pull-downs, seated rows and pull-ups.

Waiting for a machine

Standing around waiting for a cardio or weight machine to become available is not only a waste of time, it can get downright frustrating.  But that’s the reality for many Canadians who have no choice but to use the gym during peak hours when popular machines like the treadmill, elliptical and lat pull-down have reservations lists longer than those at most popular restaurants.

The solution?   Don’t be exclusive. Climb on a bike, try your hand at the rowing machine or  choose a different weight-training machine instead of the one with which you usually start your workout.  This change in routine will not only save you from standing around doing nothing, it’ll challenge different muscles and force your body to alter its movement pattern.  Both of these changes will spark added results without adding to the length of the workout.

Multiple repetitions

When it comes to building muscle, more reps aren’t the answer. In fact, the more repetitions of an exercise you perform, the more you compromise strength gains.  Here’s why.  Strength is defined as the maximum you can lift once.  If you can lift a weight 10 times, you’re operating well short of your maximum capacity.

The idea, of course, isn’t to lift and lower a weight just once.  For strength gains, you should keep your number of reps to six or fewer.  For greater muscle size, max out your reps at 12. As for the number of sets, if you’re a novice lifter, one or two sets will offer substantial results.  If you’re a veteran in the weight room, three sets per exercise are recommended.

Reading a book

Multi-taskers don’t impress the gym crowd.  That’s because workouts take concentration and commitment, making it impossible to turn your attention away from the task at hand and read about the latest exploits of Jon and Kate.

Does that mean voracious readers can’t be voracious exercisers.  It depends.  Reading while exercising reduces the intensity of your workout, which may in turn reduce or delay the achievement of your goals.  It also makes you less in tune with the messages your body is sending and what your body is doing, which may cause causes you to ignore early signs of fatigue or discomfort and/or  compromise exercise technique.  So if you want to benefit from all that exercise has to offer, keep your book next to your easy chair at home not propped up on the console of your favourite exercise machine.

The fourth day of the same workout.

Fitness improves based on the adaptation your body makes in response to the stress of your workout.  In other words, the more you force your body out of its comfort zone, the greater the results. The idea is to never let your body get too comfortable with your workout habits, which is why change and variety are the cornerstones of an effective exercise plan.

Before you panic, I’m not going to recommend that you give up the exercise class you’ve enjoyed for years or drop your favourite exercise from your regular workout routine.  What I am going to recommend is that you mix things up a bit every week.  If you’re a runner, incorporate a speed or hill workout into your weekly routine.  Swimmers add weekly sprints or butterfly sets into your workouts.  Gym junkies try a new class every now and then and change yup the routine of your weight-training workout on a weekly basis. Not only will your experience greater physiological results, the change of pace will put some spice into your workout routine.

Pumping effort into designing your routine will pay off and leave you closer to achieving your goals.

By Jill Barker

The Vancouver Sun

C2: Health October 18, 2010

There’s no shortage of opinions on how to maximize your efforts in the weight room.  Unfortunately, most lifters follow a routine that’s based more on rumor than on science.  And while not everyone will get the same results from the same workout, it pays to understand the facts when designing an effective weight-training routine.

The first step in maximizing your results is setting a goal.  Do you want improved sports performance by getting stronger and more powerful? Or are you looking to build the kind of muscle that looks good in a T-shirt.  Maybe you’re lifting to improve your running, cycling or cross-country skiing by building more muscle endurance.  Only when you know what you want to achieve can you design an effective routine.  To that end, here’s some of the latest information on building muscle.

Reps

With your goal in mind, one of the first variables you need to establish is the number of repetitions per exercise.  Most people choose the middle ground of eight to 10 reps per set, without understanding that results vary, depending on the number of reps it takes to fatigue a muscle.  For anyone who wants to build power and strength, fewer reps and a heavier weight is recommended.  Ending a set well before fatigue sets in has shown to produce better results than training a muscle to failure. Researchers were impressed with the strength gains made when performing one to three reps of a heavy weight fooled by a short rest period versus the more traditional approach to lifting enough weight to fatigue the muscle by the end of the set.

For those who want bigger, but not necessarily stronger, muscles, more reps are the order of the day.  Studies suggest that boosting the number of reps to eight to 12 will increase production of muscle-building hormones, which in turn will result in bigger muscles. For even better results, researchers suggest training beyond the point of muscular fatigue.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that if an extra few reps are helpful, more will result in even better results.  There is a point where the benefits begin to diminish.

Sets

Once you have matched the number of repetitions to your training goals, you need to determine the correct number of sets.  The most recent studies overwhelmingly agree that novice and seasoned lifters alike benefit best by performing multiple sets.  For most individuals, three sets in the optimum number, with very little added benefit realized by doing more.

Loads

Once you have established the number of reps and sets to match your goals, finding the right amount of weight is easy.  Experiment until you find a weight that corresponds with your training goals.  Then train all major muscle groups accordingly, two or three times a week, scheduling a day of rest in between workouts.  Maintain the weight and established number of reps until you can successfully perform two additional repetitions, with no assistance from a partner, for two consecutive workouts.  Then increase the weight by no more than 10 per cent.

Following an established set of tried and true guidelines is important to the overall success of your workout.  Not only will you see better results, your workout will become more efficient.

So go ahead and make some much needed changes, basing your practices on science, not guesswork.  Following the advice of the guy with best research will work better for you than following the advice of the guy with the biggest muscles.

by Susannah Kent

Stress relief practices such as mediatation, tai chi, and yoga counter the harmful effects of stress.  Another method, the stillpoint technique, can help us reach a place of absolute calm where thoughts are stilled and the mind is truly quiet.

Robert Harris is a stress expert and one of Canada’s leading craniosacral therapists.  He explains, “By finding your stillpoint, you can sink into calmness naturally and quickly, enabling you to identify and sustain the ultimate Shavasana.”  This is the ability to completely detach yourself from all thoughts.

WHAT IS A STILLPOINT?

The term “stillpoint” has its roots in osteopathy and craniosacral therapy (CST). 
The latter is a gentle, non-invasive, hands-on therapy [practiced by Fred Samorodin, RPT]. CST theory and practise is based on the concept of the continuous subtle movements of the cranial bones, which are understood to be in constant motion in response to rhythmical cerebrospinal fluid fluctuations within the spinal cord and brain environment.

The gentle stillpoint technique is used to help shift the central nervous system from its usual state of alertness to one of calmness.  The natural rhythm that is always occuring within the craniosacral system eases into a therapeutic standstill.  Recipients report the experience as feeling of deep peace pervading the body.  This
sense of peace and tranquility indicate that the fight-or-flight responses of the sympathetic nervous system have stepped down.

Harris describes the stillpoint experience as “relaxation so deep that one not only feels their mind going guiet and staying quiet, but eventually there is the feeling of becoming liquid. In this liquidness we access the potential for great surrender and release of chronic tensions.”

HOW TO FIND YOUR STILLPOINT

A stillpoint can be achieved with relative ease by contracting two very particular spots at the back of the head.  Even the slightest pressure in this area can create slack or release within the connective tissues of the brain.  When this happens, there is a neurological recognition and response.  The tensile nature of these tissues eases off, and the nervous system goes into temporary suspension.

These two spots lie opposite the pupils of the eyes along a horizontal plane at the back of the cranium.  Along this plane there is an internal divide between the upper and lower brain, marked by an inwardly folded membrane called the tentorium cerebelli.

Trained craniosacral therapists such as Robert Harris [and Fred Samorodin] use  a gentle hands-on method to help patients achieve the kind of release described above.  However, throught years of working with clients, Harris came to the conclusion that it would be empowering for people to be able to access stillness for themselves, easily and quickly.

With this in mind, he developed a tool he calls Becalm Balls.  These soft rubber balls are designed to be adjustable, allowing individuals to lie on them comfortably in a position that gently cradles their head at the exact spots where the relaxation response becomes activated. [Fred Samorodin, does not carry this product, however recommends the CV-4 self-help device that one can assemble with toy rubber balls]

ENHANCE YOGA PRACTICE

If yoga or meditation is your chosen aproach to relaxation, and you are having difficulty find and maintaining a relaxation response, discovering your stillpoint may help.

During stillness, the mind is settled and less distracted; it has better focus and heightened sensory awareness.  Accompanying this is a relaxation of muscle tone and a release of soft tissue restrictions.

As a result, your yoga practice can become more directed. You can execute postures with greater ease and flexibilityu, and you can experience a deeper, longer, and more rewarding Shavasana.

Yoga instructor Alicia Grant describes what a stillpoint experience is like for her.  “Going into stillness at the end of my yoga practice is like lying back into the ocean…the oceanlike wave lulls me back to source, to a place, where I am just hanging, suspending.” she says.  “I return with less anxiety, more clarity and calmness.”

She also observes that inducing a stillpoint during her yoga practice has enabled her to “listen and accept those around her with greater ease and understanding.”  This is a crucial element for stress reduction, on or off the yoga mat.

It has been shown that spending time, even just a few minutes a day, in a state of stillness can have a profound effect on stress. Every time our stress cycle is interrupted it takes a little longer to re-establish itself, and the body gets better at restoring a health balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

We can’t eliminate stress completely from our lives, but fortunately, we can find some relief.  Connecting with your stillpoint will help you reach the ultimate relaxation, when and whenever you need it.

Alive: Canada’s Natural Health and Wellness Magazine. August 2011, pp 41-3.

Research has shown that there are essential, highly active organic molecules that can, even in extremely small quantities, vastly influence the body’s cellular actions and interactions. These signaling molecules choreograph and continuously orchestrate the symphony of cellular communication necessary for good health. Drinking  8 ounces of Evolv beverage containing  Archaea Active molecules help raise blood oxygen levels within minutes.

Life requires oxygen. Anything that increases oxygen concentration in living tissues increases the functional efficiency of those well-oxygenated cells.  Cells and tissues in an optimal state function exceptionally well while decreasing overall oxygen demand.

Archaea Active is made by utilizing ancient microbes that share similar biochemical and physiological functions to Man and animals and are virtually everywhere in the environment, and, yet, have not been shown to spread any disease! In “Probing a DNA Repair Enzyme” (Science Daily, Feb. 18, 2008), Archaea are described as microbes whose DNA repair systems are closely related to those of human cells.  Active fermentation using Archaea to act on a medium of alfalfa extract and whey protein stimulates these Archaea to produce a broad array of their basic metabolic communicating molecules.  While Evolv, the enhanced beverage contains very tiny concentrations of communicating molecules that are extremely bioactive in such metabolic processes such as controlling inflammation or slowing/blocking overactive bodily responses seen in some diseases.

Dr. David Greaves of the University of Oxford’s Sir William Dunn School of Pathology goes on to point out that these molecules are active at very low concentrations (nanomoles=trillionths).  They have a great deal of promise for use in new therapeutic drugs.  They work at reducing the production of inflammatory cytokines–signalling proteins that play an important role in the body’s response to infection and injury, but also implicated in excessive immunie system responses to inflammatory diseases. Archaea Active helps normalize cell metabolism to modulate physiological responses of the body for enhanced health, energy and well-being.

Fred Samorodin, physiotherapist frequently sees clients where their health concerns have an underlying inflammatory condition. It is worth balancing the potential improvement in energy and physiological balance such a beverage could have, versus the potential liver or kidney disturbances, antiinflammatory medications can have on the body!

To order, Evolv, enhanced water beverage or Evolv Gel  or for further information contact: Chantal P. at http://www.healthybeauty.myevolv.com

Shamona Harnett

With a foam block lodged under the front of his wheelchair to keep it from rolling, Regan Block leaned forward to stretch himself carefully.

For a fleeting second, he imagined that he might fall out of his chair.  He knew that in reality, however, that he was safe.

“I didn’t feel like I could hurt myself,” says the 43-year-old Winnipegger.  “[Instructors] were always there when I needed it.  You can’t go into yoga if you’re by yourself, on an island.”

For years, Block longed to try yoga but never thought that was feasible.  The St.James resident has been in a wheelchair for 22 years following a spinal-cord injury.

Recently, his yoga dream came to life when his massage therapist handed him a brochure promoting something called “adapted yoga”–a type of yoga designed for people with mobility issues, including those in wheelchairs.  Block was thrilled.

He’s tried about six classes so far and describes them as busy.  “It’s exhausting.  After a few minutes of stretching, going from one side to the other side and then holding it and looking ahead to see what the next pose is, it’s confusing to someone who’s never tried it,” says Block.

” But by the third or fourth class I was moving along pretty fast and could tell that things were changing for me.”

Among Block’s health improvements: the muscle spasms in his legs–a result of his spinal-cord injury–have lessened.  “They don’t jump as much,’ he says.  “I take less medication 

Block a rehabilitation cousellor who spends a lot of time working at a desk, says he also noticed that following classes he felt more relaxed and limber.

His class instructors assisted him constantly and even used a special cord to help him raise and bend his legs.  His digestion improved, he says, thanks to moving and stretching his torso–something he never did before.

Adapted yoga is the brainchild of Winnipeg occuipational therapist, Marnie Courage, who launcher the program in April 2010.  Courage, 36, owns Enabling Access (www.ea-solutions.ca), a business through which she rehabilitates Winnipegers using movement.

After taking some yoga classes herself for the first time, Courage realized that her clients–particularly the ones with mobility issues–could truly benefit form them as well.

“I did a bid of research and there wasn’t, really, anything out there that I could find in terms of a class for people who couldn’t get down to the floor,” says Courage.

She says that yoga not only improves flexibility, but also helps digestion, blood circulation, increases lymphatic-system flow and creates positive thinking.  She says people with limited mobility often have problems in these areas.

Courage hired a yoga instructor and the pair examined traditional yoga postural poses.

“We adapted each one for poeple suffering disabilities.  So I would say, “if someone was in a wheelchair, how could they get the benefits of this pose?”

Courage says her adapted yoga classes are perfect for people with multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and other conditions in which mobility is limited.

“A lot of poeple who are spinal injuries, even MS, have alot of trouble using their muscles to expand their lunmgs and get in as much oxygen as they need, says Courage, who teachers all her yoga participants the importance of breathing properly.

Don’t have a mobility issue? Courage syas her adpated yoga can even help people who aren’t as flexibile as they wish–those who need extra help in a pose and maintaining yoga positions.

“It’s nice to see a class where you can see a whole variety of different abilities”, says Courage, who plans to offer classes at assisted-living facilities around as well as in community centres.

Canwest News Service

Fred Samorodin is impressed with XanGo, a mangosteen health drink for antiinflammatory benefits.

abc news:  Sunday, January 17, 2010

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research Profile

 - One of the things that’s very popular right now are these super juices. A lot of people are talking about acai berry, goji berry, but the one we’ve chosen to study is something called Mangosteen. The leading manufacturer is a company called XanGo, and we’ve worked with them to evaluate their product, which is a Mangosteen juice. It includes not only the fruit but also the rind of the fruit.
  And it’s that rind that contains some unique anti-inflammatory agents called xanthones.

Well in many animal studies and in some anecdotal human experiences we’ve seen pretty remarkable anti-inflammatory effects. So we’re actually conducting a large trial of about 220 patients, all of whom have atrial fibrillation and as they go to cardioversion, where they get a shock to the heart to restore normal rhythm, those people are then going to either drink the juice or a placebo juice and the idea being that recurrent atrial fibrillation is often driven by how much inflammation is in the body.

So if Mangosteen does what we think it will, reduces the inflammation, we anticipate we’ll see less atrial fibrillation recurring in those patients drinking the actual juice. We’re also looking at a number of markers for inflammation and antioxidant capabilities, so there’s a lot of interest, because if it’s positive, this’ll really be the first clinical trial to validate the use of this novel juice and there’s plenty of other applications that we’ll pursue in other research studies.

Dr. Brent Bauer, M.D.

Mayo Clinic–Rochester, Minnesota

This website does not take any responsibility for the opinions expressed. Always consult your physician or healthcare provider for any medical advice.

by Jill BarkerThe reasons to stop doing sit-ups continue to mount.

First, Stuart McGill, professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, declared the sit-up more harmful than helpful. And now a study out of Youngstown State University in Ohio says sit-ups don’t build strong abs.

The goal of the study was to find the most effective method to strengthen the rectus abdominus, the long flat muscle that runs between the sternum to the pubic bone and forms the much-coveted “six-pack.”

Despite the fact we have been doing sit-ups for years, there’s a shortage of definitive research stating the optimum training protocol necessary to maximize stength gains.

Some experts suggest that the abs, like any other muscle, benefit from an every-other-day training routine.  Others maintain that a daily diet of sit-ups yields the best results.

Then there’s the question of whether a traditional sit-up done without any added resistance (beyond body weight) provides the necessary training stimulus to strengthen the abs.

The Youngstown State University study, published in the October, 2009  edition of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, separated 71 men and women into three groups.  The control group did no sit-ups.  The other two groups performed three sets of 20 repetitions (30 seconds” rest between sets) of three distinct abs exercises for 11 weeks.  Group One performed the sit-ups three times a week on non-consecutive days and Group Two trained the abs six days per week.  The ab exercises increased in difficulty every four weeks and speed was regulated by a metronome.

The results surprised even the researchers.  None of the three groups of exercisers demonstrated any strength gains. Nor did they reduce their waist circumference or percentage of  body  fat.

“This finding suggests that training the abdominals with resistance levels short of fatigue is inadequate to produce strength gains, and may be consistent with findings suggesting that pushing a muscle to repetition failure is more effective in producing strength gains,” said the study’s authors, Jennifer Pinter, Ken Learman and Renee Rogers.

The authors did acknowledge that the exercise regime may have improved muscular endurance, but it was not measured in the study.

What does that mean for anyone who wants a stronger set of abs?

The message is clear:  Sit-ups aren’t going to get the job done.

Muscles need to be sufficiently fatigued before they can build strength.  That fatigue is notable only when the muscle has reached its repetition limit, at which point  your abs are so fatigued, you can’t perform even one more sit-up.

That being said, when it comes to well-conditioned abs, strength may not be your ultimate goal.  McGill suggests that building muscular endurance is more important than building muscular strength–at least initially.

Which means training the abs to work harder, longer is better than developing strength without endurance.  He also says repeated bending of the spine (similar to the action that occurs during a sit-up) increases the risk of back pain.

If you want a better-conditioned set of abs,  substitute curl-ups for stability exercises such as the plank, or try McGill’s modified curl-up.

Time in the gym is too precious to waste on exercises that fail to live up to their billings.

Canwest News Service

Breaking News: VancouverSun.com/ Monday, March 29, 2010

[The use of the Mastermoves Core Training Program "Masterdisc" to tone up the abdominal muscles follows the principle of exercising the "abs" to fatigue when following a comprehensive Core Training program. This is a major reason that Fred Samorodin, RPT recommends this program instead of ineffective sit-ups! http://mastermoves.com/fred.html ]

One of the major symptoms of patellofemoral pain syndrome (chondromalacia patellae)  is difficulty climbing or descending stairs, or walking down a hill (Malek & Malgine, 1981).   While stair-climbing may be difficult, due to pain, controlled retraining of the quadriceps muscle will help restore the full ability to climb and descend stairs, plus help stimulate the regeneration of normal cartilage on the patella (Palmoski, et al, 1980).  A training routine for increasing muscle endurance to the knee must be accomplished without provoking sharp pains, as this would negate any strengthening effect.   Traditionally knee muscle strengthening programs suggest using ankle weights to stress the quadriceps, the following program aims at using a more functional activity for increasing the endurance and, not necessarily the size or bulk of the muscles.  The following routine consists of doing isotonic concentric and eccentric step-up/step-down exercises for the knees. This activity also positively  stresses the hamstrings and buttock muscles.  Research by McKenzie, et al indicate that good foot alignment such as what foot orthotics provide, plus core stability training for the buttock muscles improves the effects of muscle endurance training programs.   Lower extremity kinematics of females with patellofemoral pain syndrome while stair stepping. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2010 Oct;40(10):625-32.

To begin:

1. Get a 4 to 6 inch (10–15 cm) thick block of wood (or other firm material, such as a phone book).  A taller person will require a thicker block, while a shorter person should use a thinner block.  The knee should be at an angle of 30 degrees or less when one foot is on the block while the other heel touches the floor.
2. On the first day, do a continuous series of step-ups on both the normal and affected legs to determine the maximum number of step-ups you can accomplish per leg.  the Maximum number on the weaker leg will be called MAX.
3. The PLAN is to do this exercise routine on ALTERNATE days.
4. ENDURANCE = 60-80 % of MAX for any muscle tested.

The AIM of this particular program is to do three sets of 70% MAX per exercise session.  When starting program, completing three full sets of 70% may be difficult, therefore, do as many repetitions as are comfortable during any given set.

Because a muscle responds to strengthening based on the speed and the degree of joint bending/unbending, it is advisable to do each exercise set at a different speed (rate).

If there is increased discomfort upon completion of an exercise session, apply an ice pack over the knee, using a package of frozen peas, for no more than 10-15 minutes.

PROGESSION

1. Increase the routine to a daily session.
2. Increase the block height, eventually using a standard stair height.
3. Increase your 70% MAX, remembering that too many repetitions can lead to further overuse.

ADJUNCT EXERCISES

1. 5-10 minutes of stationary bicycling at a constant speed.
2. Rotational core training on pivoting disc using the Mastermoves Core Training Program (http://mastermoves.com/fred.html)
3. Swimming with a paddleboard.
4. Elliptical trainer in “Hill climbing” mode
5. Physio Ball core stability exercises for the hips and pelvis.
6. Variations on the yoga “plank” exercises for core training of the lower body.

Fred Samorodin, RPT

Fred Samorodin,RPT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ_RvGB3TFU