P90X Review

While on vacation, I decided that I needed to spew a little love for some popular fitness programs before continuing my posts on strength.  One of the most popular new fads of the year is the P90X.  Please don't take offense if you are on this program.  I call anything that is not unique / new in the fitness world a fad.  If you think nothing has ever existed like this program before, then belay my previous remark; you should be careful not to look into the sky when it rains.

I am aware of multiple managers employed by my company who are also on this program.  Some of them appear to be getting good results and they can't say enough good about it.  The program does lend itself well to the "driver" personality type .  If you are one of those "I don't care about the details; just get it done" people, then this program is really for you.  Most people get results because - as I've repeated so many times beofre - anything you put a lot of effort into will get you some results.  It doesn't matter if it is Soloflex, Bowflex, Thigh Master, TRX, yoga, Crossfit, or P90X.  If you put in the effort, you'll get something out.  

Here are some of the interesting points I've gleaned in five minutes of research:

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Diet and Exercise on Holiday

I had the good fortune of going on an three night stay in New Smyrna Beach.  It was incredible and brought up the topic of what to do with your fitness goals while on trips.  First, I am writing this while packing up for home.  Second, I had a blast and feel a little guilty (only a little).  And finally, here is my perspective on the whole shabang.  Don't worry!  Be happy!  

Remember that fitness is very incremental in change.  That is why you just can't have two killer workouts per year and stay fit.  You must chip away at regular intervals for a long time to make a difference.  The same holds true in reverse.  If you spend three days eating, drinking, and being merry, it really doesn't impact you as much as you'd like to think.  As long as you get back on the wagon, everything is cool.  Enjoy your time off and live a little.  Try not to go completely insane and hook an IV filled with ice cream up to your arm, but have a blast otherwise. 

Anyway ... this was my excuse for a post this week.  I will be back on the wagon in a couple of days.  Until then, stay fit!



Look Strong vs. BE STRONG II

Let's define strength so that we are starting from the same point.

Let's just say that strength is a muscle or muscle group's ability to exert force against an external load. (Siff, 2003)  Now we could add to this definition that we would like to move the load, but let's keep it simple for now.  Dr. Mel Siff broke strength down into its essence in the first chapter of his book "Super Training."  If you don't already have this book, I highly recommend it.  There are plenty of flavors of strength.  We will cover terms like speed-strength, strength-speed, explosive strength, starting-strength, etc., etc., ... We aren't writing a college paper right now so I will introduce concepts as needed.

 In my first post on this topic, I explained that it wasn't the size of the muscle that was of primary importance, but the nervous system of the athlete.  In Super Training, Dr. Siff states, 

"The production and increase of strength both depend on neuromuscular processes.  Strength is not primarily a function of muscle size , but one of the appropriate muscles powerfully contracted by effective nervous stimulation.  This is the foundation of all strength training."( Siff, 2003)

 This is key and here is how it changes the entire game.

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Making Weight

Since the dawn of competition, there have been weight classes.  In order to divide competitors into weight classes the dreaded weigh in was invented.  And since the beginning of weigh ins, there have been methods of "making weight".  Some are strange and barely useful while others are down right dangerous.  I found out that some schools have even begun to outlaw "fasting to make weight."  A couple of wrestlers recently explained this to me and I began to wonder about the logistics of enforcing such a rule.  Regardless, I feel certain that many methods of "making weight" are here to stay.

Almost any sport that has weight classes and weigh ins, has either a two hour or 24 hour weigh in.  The two hour weigh in is the purer of the two since the purpose is to keep competitors of similar weights in the same class.  The 24 hour weigh in has even given way to the 48hr weigh in for some sports.  Some claim it safely allows competitors the chance to diet down into their proper weight class with less risk.  This is debatable since competitors with 24 and 48hr weigh ins tend to have some competitors dehydrate down to make weight and then gain enough fluids back that they should actually be competing in the next higher weight class.  Now don't be fooled.  Athletes with two hour weigh ins have been doing this also, but they just don't get as much out of it due to the lack of time to re-hydrate.

It is important to point out that dehydrating is risky and this risk should be weighed carefully (no pun intended).  Dehydrating to make weight for a local competition is not a bright idea unless it is just a practice run for a comp that could net you a world championship or a ticket into fully paid college or the pros.  In other words, it isn't something to be taken lightly (darn puns).  When thoroughly studied, practiced, and implemented as part of an overall strategy, the pre comp regiment to make weight can be the difference between winning and losing.  I've personally competed in untested meets and beaten men that were "on" by dropping into the lower weight class by using a perfected regime to make weight.  And while it may sound egotistical, there is nothing like beating competitors that are taking everything under the sun and all you had to do was make weight. 

So before I go any further, here is the general disclaimer.  Under no circumstances am I suggesting that anyone viewing this site should take anything written here as a prescription for enhancing performance.  The majority of topics on this blog should only be considered after consulting your family doctor and some things are meant only to illustrate what elite level athletes have done in the past.

So here is the meat.

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Top 10 Gym Fallacies

Stop believing the myths!

So we are all on the same page when it comes to fallacies.  Here are some that have propagated throughout the ages.

1. If you stop working out, muscle turns to fat.

OK.  We have a better chance of turning lead into gold.  This one came about due to the prevalence of athletes gaining weight when they stopped training but kept up the caloric requirements.  This fallacy leaves you with the impression that once you start lifting weights, you are trapped doing it forever or you will suffer the consequences of being covered in unsightly fat.  Nobody wants to be a gym slave, so it would make sense not to start with those wicked weights.  They are like drugs, right?

 

2. Anyone bigger or stronger than you is on illegal steroids.

Seriously?  Please check your ego at the door when you start hitting the gym.  It does you a great disservice and tends to get you hurt by making you crawl under way too much weight for your abilities.  Here is a hard, fast rule.

There will always be someone stronger and/or bigger than you.  This applies to everyone.  Even the best are eventually beaten by someone younger, faster, better.  It is just the way of things.  Get over it and stop projecting your negative B.S. on everyone. 

Keep in mind that sometimes the heaving maniac that just threw a 100lbs plate at you and bit your trainer's ear off is on illegal steroids.  Whatever you do, don't let him know that you are thinking that.

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Look Strong vs. BE STRONG?

 

One of the most basic struggles we have in the gym is the ego’s battle over size vs. strength. Most of us tend to judge a book by its cover and assume that as we become more muscular, great strength will follow.  This idea can be a bit misleading. 

In my previous posts, I eluded to the fact that many of the biggest guys in the gym may not necessarily be the strongest. 

Less experienced lifters are often fooled into thinking that the bigger you are, the stronger you are.

It is not uncommon to find average looking people that perform specific exercises well beyond the capacity (or at least the same level )of their larger counterparts.

This is because even though a larger muscle carries the potential to be stronger than a smaller one, it is the nervous system that innervates the muscle, which is responsible for its display of strength.  Wouldn't everyone like making the muscles they already have even more powerful?

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Getting Hurt in the Gym

Today I was diligently working towards a personal goal in the gym and I ran a little short on energy.

No problem, right?

I kept the day short and decided to finish off with some board presses to work a stick point.  I warmed my rotator cuffs as usual and started off just slightly heavier for my first warm up set than usual.  I went through my three warm up sets of increasing weight.  My first work set was fairly comfortable even though I felt a little run down from the all out effort on my previous exercise (pulls from below the knees). My second work set had a surprise for me.

Just after my pause on the board, about two-thirds to lockout, I felt a pain in my left pec.

It was a small almost unnoticeable tweak, but I immediately dumped the weight onto the rack.

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Free vs. Machine Again

Even a simple Dip can be taken to extremes by adding free weight

Now even though I am content with our recent machine purchase (from the “Make Time For Fitness” posts), I am still a firm believer in free weights over machines.  According to Dr. Fred Hatfield (in his book “Power”), there is a list of reasons by DR. Pat O’Shea of Oregon State that explains the negatives of solely training with machines.

 

Dr. Pat O’Shea stated the following: 

1.       No machine can provide full range of multiple joint movements as closely as free weights. 

2.       Motor skill engrams aren’t established with machines as well as with free weights.                

3.       The carry-over value of free-weight training is superior to that provided by machine training. 

4.       Machine training won’t help you to develop a high level of fluid, dynamic full-range athletic strength. 

5.       The body is a homogeneous unit that engages in ballistic movements, particularly those generated by strong hip thrust. 

6.       Machine training doesn’t provide for training variety and variability. 

7.       Machines do not permit the mind and body to develop in synchronization. 

8.       Machine training does not stress the psycho-endocrine systems

9.       Machine training does not provide for positive training experience. 

10.   Machines don’t provide for continuous long-term motivation. 

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XR45 Final Review

After working with the XR45 I can say that it is comparable to the machines at my local gym.  I rarely use them, but I am actually impressed with the quality of this unit for the low price of under $250.

My wife and son are more than satisfied and it will take them awhile before they outgrow the weight stack.  I also have numerous methods of easily increasing the weights for them when that time comes.

On days when I just can’t make it to the gym, it is nice to know that I can still get a little something done at home (comparable to the workout in a hotel gym).  From my perspective, the gym will pay for itself in two years of consistent use.  After that it is all gravy.

Gold's Gym XR45

There is a pull-out that comes with the gym to help guide you through the exercises.  I thought it a shame that Gold’s couldn’t spring for the extra paper to give each model its own exercise guide, but what do I know about customer expectations? ;-)

Here is a list of the exercises that can be done with this particular model (your welcome Gold’s Gym).

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Make Time For Fitness 4

Here are the basic tools you'll need.  Having some ratchets make things a lot easier.

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Make Time For Fitness 3

So based on customer reviews we decided on the Gold’s Gym XR45. It sells for $247 plus tax at Walmart and comes in a rectangular box that will fit in the backseat of most economy cars. The box is supposed to weigh 229 pounds, but I am not embarrassed to say that it felt heavier.  Fully assembled the unit has a 65.0 x 38.0 x 76.0 (inches) sized footprint. So it does need a little space. This is important if you live in an apartment or are otherwise limited on space. It also requires quite a bit of assembly, but if you can follow step-by-step instructions, you can put this unit together.

Here is the unit in the box. I went to the nearest Walmart after work and loaded it into my KIA RIO by myself. Most folks would be wise to get some help. It took me a couple of tries to realize that it wouldn't fit in my trunk, but it slid into the back seat fairly easily once I removed my son's child seat.  It was not the easiest thing in the world to load, but it was doable. 

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Make Time For Fitness 2

So our first objective was to identify some potential products for our home gym. We only have a few practical choices that fall under $500.00. Please note that we are not trying to endorse any particular product and we do not profit off of our critique (look around ... we don't even have ads).  We are simply looking for an alternative for readers that want or need to take care of fitness at home for whatever reasons.

So here are our top picks under $500.

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Make Time For Fitness

Time is by far the most priceless thing not within our control.

by Rolando Manso

Time is something everyone needs and no one can buy.  It sometimes speeds up or slows down, but no one ever seems to have enough of it.  In the end, most of us will wish for more of it though we will usually spend it mindlessly.   

So why am I so concerned with time?

One of the most common reasons used for not exercising is the lack of time.  Granted, some of us have pretty tight schedules.  

Perhaps you find yourself thinking, “I WISH I had time for exercise, but I just don’t right now.”

Unfortunately, there are few reasons worth the consequences of not making time for exercise. 

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Training Evolution

Super soft box training with 435lbs at 150lbs body weight

I was reading Alwyn Cosgrove's blog and stumbled upon a guest blog by Micheal Boyle.  

It was about the evolution of a strength coach ( www.alwyncosgrove.com ) and it got me thinking.  

I turn 42 this year and I have been lifting for over two decades.  I have also been lifting pretty heavy for most of those years and my totals have been at elite level for over 13 years.  Based on the phases in Micheal's article, I thought I was due for a rude awakening.  I've been injured many times, but I've been fortunate that I've never needed surgery.  My training has definitely evolved over the years and perhaps it evolved quickly enough to have prevented major injuries.  I also retired fairly early from competition.  I was well aware and expecting the "inevitable" loss of strength that comes with age and moving passed your peak though I can still regularly total over eight times body weight.  Now, I simply need to move weights to keep my head right. So I never really experienced phase 3, but how different is my training from what I used to do?

Is that last comment a clue to what might be the key to successfully strength train in midlife and beyond?

 

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10 Things That Make You Stronger

These are things you can do to aid you in your quest for strength.

1.      Read and comprehend the book “Super Training” b Dr. Mel Siff.  He was a genius and his work is still considered to be like the bible for strength coaches around the world.

2.      I’ve already mentioned this one in a previous article but it is important enough to mention again.  SLEEP!  Sleeping eight plus hours per night can literally pull all of your other work together.  It can heal mysterious pains and save you lots of healthcare dollars.  If you can’t get the eight then take naps, but you have to sleep.

3.      Contrast showers are great for recovering from intense workouts or when you are starting to feel beat up.  You simply make the water as hot as you can take it for a couple of minutes, then make it a cold as you can for a couple of minutes.  That is one set and you should aim for three sets.  

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Cardio vs. Weight Training

On Saturday, CNN posted a story on Osteoporosis written by the folks at Smartabouthealth.net

Story as seen on CNN

Osteoporosis Cases On The Rise,

U.S. Bones Weakening

( Osteoporosis Cases On The Rise, U.S. Bones Weakening, 2011 ).  The article stated that ten million Americans suffer from osteoporosis (25% of men & 50% of women) and it costs tens of millions in health care every year. (Smartabouthealth.net, 2011)

This kind of story brings up a question asked  by many inexperienced people entering the world of fitness. "Should I do cardio or weight training?"  This is because most people are aware that resistance training increases bone density.  People are also aware that cardio reduces risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases.  Since people only have a limited amount of time to spend on their training, they want to maximize the benefits by utilizing whatever gives the most bang for the buck.

Logic dictates that in most cases they should do both.

This is not to say that I do not have a preference, but I cannot objectively state that one is better than the other in regards to health benefits.  It is much more practical to use each for its specific benefits.  Here is why I believe this.

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Vegan Fallacy

I know a young woman who spouts the vegan fallacy.  She states plainly that eating meat is wrong.  She goes on and on about the suffering of the animals as she farts and swallows more sprouts.  She is decorated in henna and is able to strike yoga poses that would injure most.  She sometimes walks or runs.  Her long lanky frame seems fragile yet flexible.  She looks slightly older than her age.  She doesn’t look healthy to me but she claims to be the epitome of it. 

I also know a very old man.  He spouts the wisdom that only time can bring.  He plainly states that vegetarians are wrong.  He goes on and on about how life is life.  He says vegans are hypocrites because they place a higher value on animal life while they ravage plant life.  He says plants are defenseless which makes them more innocent…more pure.  He says he would rather feed on the flesh of those who are not so pure.  He states plainly that eating plants while maintaining a hypocritical purity is wrong while he farts.  He is almost 100years old and only stopped smoking cigarettes 30 years ago.  He can walk with a cane when most others are in wheel chairs.  He doesn’t look healthy to me but he claims to be the epitome of it. 

I know that we have the ability to eat plants and animals.  I choose both because I believe both are better.  I spout the satirical phrases of midlife while I fart on everyone.  I understand that people will believe what they want to believe.  Sometimes what they believe disturbs me, but I will try not to be disturbed.  I will go my own way and allow them to go theirs.  If they press against my will, my wrath will entice them to move.  They may sit in their towers of hollow knowledge while I bask in the sunshine of my Id’s creation.  Don’t feel afraid to look up words that you don’t know.  Don’t feel afraid to dance naked if the situation calls for such an act.  Don’t be afraid to eat what ever you want!  Don’t be afraid!

"I tend to offend everyone while I intend to offend no one."

Rolando Manso