Slow Controlled Reps "Lifting Tempo"

Tempo is often a common variable that is overlooked during most trainee's programs. Altering the speed of a repetition will make a huge difference in how difficult that movement becomes. If you don't believe me try performing a pull up or push up with proper form  in 3 seconds up , 1 second pause, and 3 seconds down fashion each repetition and see how your reps are cut in half.

 It is advocated that a person should exercise smoothly,rhythmically, and without haste, but no so slowly that the mere holding of the weight would tire the person. A momentary pause at the end of each repetition is advocated.

There are many tempo schemes out there, nautilus traditionally uses a 2/1/4 scheme , which translates to 2 seconds concentric phase, 1 second pause, 4 second eccentric phase. Another popular one is 3/1/3. The whole purpose is to affect the stretch shortening cycle.  A stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) can be defined as an active stretch (eccentric contraction) of a muscle followed by an immediate shortening (concentric contraction) of that same muscle.  It has been postulated that elastic structures in series with the contractile component can store energy like a spring after being forcibly stretched. Slowing down the reps will allow one to control for things like momentum which relies on physics to get the job done , then on muscular strength.

The pause is important in order to dispel that inherent elastic component in the muscles ( think rubber band effect) when an exercise is performed quickly; which allows one to rely on elastic energy to propel oneself up and thus make the the exercise easier. For example while performing squats while lowering yourself , you feel a stretch at the bottom position and take advantage of that to lift more weight , you may be doing yourself a disservice since you are in fact doing less muscular work.

Example Tempo's for different goals
Symbols X = Explosive , or As Fast as Possible


Maximal Strength: 85-100% of your 1RM
So the tempo would be X- 2- 3 , assuming concentric phase, pause, eccentric phase, if it is an exercise that works in reverse order for example squats than just reverse order the tempo so it would be 3 -2 - X
You can play with the pause period from 1s pause up a  4s pause.


Strength and Size: 75-85% of your 1RM
Tempo would be;  4-1-4 slower if the intensity is closer to 85% , or  2-1-2 if the intensity is closer to 75%
You can have a longer pause for pulling movements , i.e. pull up pause 2s


Hypertrophy: (60-75% of your 1RM)
Tempo would be; 4-1-7 if intensity is closer to 75% , and 2-1-3 if intensity is closer to 60%
Pause in the stretched: 0-1 second (longer pause for pulling movements)

***
Slow eccentric , causes you to apply a very high level of force , on the other hand a fast eccentric is advantageous for maximal strength or plyometrics when wanting to recruit the fast twitch muscle fibers and give the nervous system a break between each explosion. One method is not superior to the other , so it would be optimal to alternate between each method, for example on a 2 day strength training regimen one day can be slow tempo , and the other day can be faster tempo.

Circuit Training

When most people think of circuit training they think of doing them with weights / machines etc...
Here I show a very effective circuit using your bodyweight.
You can Jump Rope or Sub Run/Jump in place  for one minute ,after doing a set of the BW exercises. Note you will do the below list one after another without rest which will count as 1 round through the entire circuit. More advanced trainees can perform 3-5 rounds of this routine.

Hindu Squats -50 reps
Jump Rope - 60 sec

Hindu Pushups- 25 reps
Jump Rope- 60 sec

V-Ups- 25 reps
Jump Rope- 60 sec

Reverse Pushups - 10 reps
Jump Rope - 60 sec

No Momentum Situps- 10 reps
Jump Rope - 60 sec

Table Pushup- 20 reps
Jump Rope -60 sec

Kneeling Backbend- 10 reps
Jump Rope - 60 sec

Body Weight Strength Goals

Some Relative Strength Standards based on body weight for those looking to see where they measure up compared to elite military operators. Also noticed in some martial arts schools doing a 100 push ups is one of the many prerequisites for getting advanced level belt promotions.  

BW Squat > 120 in 120 secs
BW Push up >  100 in 120s
BW Pull up  >   20 in 120s
BW Sit up  >    100 in 120s

And again an excellent way to improve your numbers would be a quick tabata circuit ,you can do each exercise for 4 min a piece ,  you can pick two exercises and alternate them for the 4 minutes, you can pick all four exercises and will alternate  problem with this is that not enough volume so you may have to run through the circuit 2 more times , but should allow enough time for beginners to recover.

Another way to get those high reps is to do ladder/pyramid workouts , example do 100 reps , by doing 1 rep per set until you reach rep 10 , and then work your way back down to rep 1 and if you do the math that's 100 reps. 

10 Exercises on Suspension Trainer

1. Assisted by 1 arm , - Pistol Squat
2. Dips
3. Horizontal Rows
4. Assisted Back Single Leg Squat
5. Pike Press
6. One Leg 1/2 Bridge ( Hamstring Curl)
7. L-pull Ups 
8. Bulgarian Lunge
9. Push Ups
10. Gyroscope (Abs)

The upper limits on Fat-Free Mass (aka Lean Body Mass)

My curiosity on what are the upper limits of muscular development in humans , and paying close attention during my Exercise Physiology Class during the lecture on body composition. The research has pointed me into the direction that contrary to popular belief among bodybuilding websites that one can just balloon up in size past 300+lbs of muscle the sad fact is that most of the extra weight is just plain old fat. That there is in fact an upper limit on the amount of fat free mass and individual can obtain which is a function of human physiology.

One of the sources which abstract I looked at is http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajhb.1310060509/abstract from the American journal of biology which looks at the FFM (Fat-Free Mass) upper limits in sumo wrestlers , bodybuilders, and untrained individuals.

Obviously the sumo wrestlers had the highest FFM due to the fact in order to carry around all that extra body fat the body will have to make adjustments in connective tissue etc... to just help them get up out of bed every day and walk over to the bathroom.  The sumo wrestlers therefor represent the highest possible FFM attainable they averaged to about .61 kg/ cm.  The estimated high end FFM (kg)/ Height (cm) ration attainable is .7 kg/ cm.

Using myself as an example assuming that I was able to reach the upper limit I'm 5'9 which is about 175 cm , using the .7 kg per every cm I would theoretically be able to reach 122.5 kg or about 269.5 lbs of FFM mind you I would probably also be at 30-40% BF like the sumos in the study. In my lecture class my professor mentions 275 lbs as the upper limit in FFM again for one to naturally achieve this they would have to be carrying a substantial amount of BF% to warrant the extra connective tissue etc..  I don't know about you but being obese to achieve the upper limits of FFM is not something I want to shoot for.

I have also come across something called the FFMI which is analogous to the BMI the difference is that it takes FFM (kg) / Height (meters)^2.   Apparently it has a strong correlation to steroid use. Which I found pretty interesting noting that many so called naturals / supplement companies would have you believe you can reach the upper limits of FFM while maintaining low BF%

"The normalized FFMI values of athletes who had not used steroids extended up to a well-defined limit of 25.0. Similarly, a sample of 20 Mr. America winners from the presteroid era (1939-1959), for whom we estimated the normalized FFMI, had a mean FFMI of 25.4. By contrast, the FFMI of many of the steroid users in our sample easily exceeded 25.0, and that of some even exceeded 30. Thus, although these findings must be regarded as preliminary, it appears that FFMI may represent a useful initial measure to screen for possible steroid abuse, especially in athletic, medical, or forensic situations in which individuals may attempt to deny such behavior."- http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/fat-free-mass-index-in-users-and-nonusers-of-anabolic-androgen-steroids-research-review.html

I also found a calculator which helps you determine your genetic potential of muscular BW at certain %BF
http://www.weightrainer.net/bodypred.html   it use anthropometric measurments of your wrist and ankle diameters along with your height and desired %BF to calculate your BW at it's upper muscular development obtainable for naturals (i.e. non - steroid users)

BW Strength Workout

Pull / Push / Lower Body Format + Accessory Work
( X reps depending on Training Goal- Endurance 20-25 reps , Hypertrophy 8-12 reps , Strength 4-6 reps , Max Strength 1-3 reps)

Exercise Selection would have to match desired Intensity which i.e. force you to be in the 4-6 rep range for Strength goals ex.. or easier variation to be in the endurance or hypertrophy ranges )



Pull Variations (Pull / Chin ups etc..)  2-4sets x X
Body Rows   2-4  sets x X


Push Variations (One Arm Push ups , Divebombers etc..)  2-4 sets x X
Pike Press or Handstand Push up    2-4 sets x X


Lower Body ( Squats / Lunges)  Variation   2-4 sets x X
Glute-Ham Raise / Hamstring Curl     2-4 sets x X

Accessory  Work
Calf Raises  2-4 sets x X
Abs ( Knees to Elbows , Toes to Bar etc , Atomic Crunch, Hello Dollies ( Hip Abduction)  2-4 sets x X

Different Reps for Different Goals

I'm big fan of body weight training due to many benefits and relatively no worry about spinal loading which happens when doing heavy squats and dead lifts which tend to compress the spinal disk. Below I have listed some ways using different rep ranges to tailor your exercises to your goals. Obviously these rep ranges can apply to Body weight or Resistance exercises.

You can tailor your workouts depending on how many reps you can get on the 1st set of an exercise i.e. if your only getting 5-6 reps on let's say pullups  than shoot for 25 reps ( strength endurance)  , if it's 10-12 reps shoot for 50 reps ( endurance - hypertrophy)

Hypertrophy - 35 reps per exercise
Endurance - 50 reps per exercise
Strength -  15 reps per exercise
Lean - 25 reps per exercise

Light: a weight you could lift 20 to 22 times
Medium: a weight you could lift 10 to 12 times
Heavy: a weight you could lift 4 to 6 times
Superheavy: a weight you could lift 2 or 3 times


Below I have variables posted from another source with parameters on Intensity and Set - Rep ranges based on  training goals  ( Note some of the reps may not fall exactly in line with what is posted above i.e. really high reps 50-100 are not listed but the general concept is still the same)

(X = exercise)

Power : 3-6 sets between 1-10 reps at 30-45% 1RM or 10% BW  
(i.e total reps 6- 30 depending on X)
Strength: 3-6 sets between  1-5 reps at 85-100% 1RM                
 (i.e. total reps 6- 15 )    
Hypertrophy: 3-4 sets between 8-12 reps at 70-85% 1RM          
  (i.e. total reps 32 -36)                      
Endurance: 1-3 sets between 12-25 reps at 50-75% 1RM          
    (i.e. total reps 25 - 36 )  

Push + Pull + Lower Body Strength + Mass BW Routine

There are 7 exercises in this routine and you are to do each exercise for two sets with 1-2 minutes in between. Each routine is to be done 3 times a week. There should be no less than 48 hours in between the training session. This means that if you have worked out on Monday, the next time should be on Wednesday. In terms of the number of repetitions you should do ½ of your maximum on the first set and a full set to failure on the second set.

Here’s the catch you are to choose one pushing exercise, one pulling exercise and one leg exercise to be done to failure. There are two of each exercise in leg, pushing and pulling category, so one will be stopped before muscle failure. Abs are thrown in at the end.
 Template of a possible routine  ( 1-2 Legs , 3-4 Pulling , 5-6 Pushing , 7 Core )

1. Squat Jump
2. Step Up
3. Pull Up or Chin Up
4. Reverse Push Up ( Body -weight  Row  ) feet elevated to same height as hands at rest
5. Dips
6. Push Ups Elevated or Pike Press
7. Hanging Straight Leg Lift or  or Knees to Elbows 

Brief Exercise List

Legs

• Body weight Squats
• Lunges
• Calf Raises
• Explosive Step Ups 
• Knee Tucks 
• Glute- Ham Raise 
• One-Legged Squat 

Pulling

• Towel Pull Ups 
• Rope Climbing 
• Body Weight Row 
• Side-to-Side Pull Up 
• Rope Pull ups 

Pushing

• Diamond Pushup 
• Ball Pushup 
• Fingertip Pushup 
• Knuckle Pushup 
• Dive-bomber pushup 
• Ring Push Ups

Core

• Lying Hip Swing
• Rotational Chop 
• Ab Wheel Rollout 
• Flag 
• Neck Bridge 
• Superman 
• V-up

Protein Myth

How much protein do we really need , many supplement companies will try to convince you that you need 1gram of protein per lb of body weight or more which is close to 2.0-2.5g / kg of BW.  The average diet already exceeds upper limit of known protein requirements.  The adult RDA for protein is about .8g/kg of BW however for athletes who participate in high intensity endurance activities  the RDA can be raised to 1.2-1.4g/ kg of BW this is still lower than what supplement companies suggest that you consume.

To convert you BW in lbs divide by 2.2 to get your BW in Kilograms.  In our example a 200lb i.e 91kg male consuming 200g of protein falls in the 1 gram/ lb of BW or 2-2.5 g/kg of BW. His RDA is 72 g of protein assuming the .8 g/ kg , if he is an athlete 135g of protein , how much protein he gets from average American diet about 150-200g.

Bottom Line the average protein intake exceeds  1.5g/kg of BW per day , more than enough to cover the higher protein requirements.  The excess protein consumption just becomes wasteful , and can be stored as fat if glycogen stores are already topped off.

Exercise and Seizures

"There is one rare type of epileptic seizure that has been shown to be induced by exercise per se. These are tonic (continuous motor activity) seizures, which have been reported to occur during a variety of sports activities. Fortunately, this type of seizure can be controlled in most instances by anticonvulsant drugs.........

 "As for other types of seizure disorders, physicians remain divided in their opinions as to whether exercise increases the risk of seizure occurrence. A report by Gotze et al.  suggests that exercise does not increase the risk of seizures in epileptic children or adolescents. In fact, Gotze  argues that exercise appears to reduce the incidence of seizures in epileptics by increasing the threshold for seizures. In support of these claims, reviews on epilepsy and sports have concluded that there is a reduction in the number of seizures during exercise" Page(s): 482, Exercise Physiology , McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Factors Related to exercise , hypothesized to increase risk of seizures

• physical fatigue
• hyperventilation 
• hypoxia
• hyperthermia
• hypoglycemia
• electrolyte imbalance 

There is a division in the medical community , in this topic and therefor a case-by-case decisions should be made.

The Importance of Sleep

 Since for me school is literally right around the corner and combating sleep fatigue is something that is always an issue I'm going to talk about it. 


According to the NIH- Getting enough sleep is essential to our health and well being. A lot of things can affect how much and how well we sleep, such as drugs, alcohol and medication. Mental or physical illness can have an impact on quality of sleep, and so can stress or doing shift work. Some people have sleep disorders like sleep apnoea (or apnea), where their breathing is interrupted during sleep, or restless legs syndrome (akathisia). Some people have to get up several times in the night to go to the toilet. The average adult sleeps less than 7 hours per night.  Most healthy adults need between 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep per night to function at their best.  






Below I have a link to a website which will help calculate ideal sleep times based on what time you plan on waking up.

http://sleepyti.me/

How to treat "Runner's Knee"

I read online that 42% of all overuse injuries affect the knee joint and one those injuries is patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), or simply "runner's knee," which is the most common overuse injury among runners. It occurs when a mistracking kneecap (patella) irritates the femoral groove in which it rests on the thighbone (femur). 


At the first sign of pain, cut back your mileage. The sooner you lessen the knee's workload, the faster healing begins,  As you rebuild mileage, use a smaller stride on hills


Below are some quick tips to improve your knees by concentrating on the muscles affecting your knee. Quads, Hamstrings, Calves. 

•  Foam Roll the outside of your thighs 
•  Direct soft tissue work (massage) of the outside muscles of your thigh 
•  Improving general quad strength (via quad sets i.e tensing your quad muscles and doing isometric hold for about 5- 10 sec, leg extensions and TKE = Terminal Knee Extensions ) Youtube/Google any of these to get a better description.  For Sets and Reps about 3 x 12 
•  Improving the control of your butt muscles ( via Hip Bridge aka Supine Bridge ) doing both two leg version and single leg version for about 2 x 25 
• Stretching the quads and calves ( via Standing Quad Stretch , and Standing Calve Stretch) doing 2 sets of 30sec holds for each leg 

Another useful stretch is the Standing Hamstring Stretch , do this for 2 sets of 30 secs for each leg

Another Exercise to strengthen your thighs and butt is the Lying Straight Leg Lift , perform 3 sets of 10 reps each leg , if you want more of a challenge work up to 10 sets of 10 reps each leg.  

The above tips should help strengthen those muscles and loosen those that are pulling your kneecap into a compromised position. One more tip for those who want to try something radical try running barefoot some people have noticed the pain completely disappearing when running barefoot / using minimalist style shoes i.e Vibram's 5 finger shoes.  Good Luck :) and Cool Running's 

Spicing up Tabatas

I am writing this blog as a follow up to the 240s of pain. I will describe some ways to make Tabatas even harder this involves adding in an isometric component to your tabatas. So for example when you normally rest 10s you would be holding an isometric position for that time.

Let's start the fun.

Tabata Sit-ups + Evil
Sit-ups + Floor Bridge Hold
These routines are like your normal Tabatas except minus the rest. Ex. You will Perform Set of sit-ups for 20s followed by a set either a two-leg or single-leg floor bridge hold. To perform the floor bridge just lie on your back which you should be doing following the sit-ups with knees bent, feet flat on the floor and toes shoulder width apart , place arms to the side face down. Lift your hips until it is in line with the knees. Hold the top position squeezing your butt together for the set time i.e 10seconds. If this is to easy feel free to do a full on Back Bridge and hold that for 10sec.


 Tabata Squats + Evil
Squats  (main exercise) + Wall Squat (Isometric)
you will perform your 8 sets of squats for 20s with a 10s Wall Sit in between squats , your rest will come at the very end of the 240s i.e you finished the Tabata Squat set.  For those of you unfamiliar with the Wall Sit you basically assume the bottom position of a squat and hold that position assuming you have access to a wall you can also use the wall as semi support for your back as you hold the bottom position of the squat for the set amount of time , i.e in this case 10 seconds.

Tabata Push-ups + Evil
Push Ups +  Plank
Same concept as above this time when you do your Push-ups you will do a plank in between push up sets. You can make the plank harder by doing a one arm / one leg plank variation. A harder variation would be holding the bottom position of the push-up where your about a fist length away from touching the floor/ground.

Tabata Pull-ups + Evil
Pull Ups + Flexed Arm Hang
I don't know what freak of nature would need to make pull ups harder but if your already hitting one pull up a sec or just want to spice it up for an extra challenge. Try out  adding a flexed arm hang (i.e holding the top position of a pull up when your arms are flexed) and holding it for the 10s in place of the rest period. If you try this one out let me know.

Also don't forget to wear a weighted vest if your seeking more of a heart pounding adventure.

My Favorite HFT routines

The below are some of my favorite high frequency training routines 

HFT for Calf Growth

Schedule: perform the following twice-daily workouts for two days in a row followed by a day of rest (2 on/1 off cycle). Continue the plan for one month before taking 5 full days off from calf training.  


Note: Start with your weakest/smallest calf first and perform the following 1A/rest/1B/rest sequence three times. Then perform the same sequence for your other calf. It's imperative that you do these workouts barefoot for maximum motor unit recruitment.

AM Workout

1A) Single leg hop with body weight for 10 reps

Key points: Jump as high as possible, minimize your landing time, and keep knee flexion to a minimum each time you land.

Rest 5 seconds

1B) Single leg standing calf raise for 3 sets x 5 second hold with 5 seconds rest between each rep

Description: While standing on one leg, perform a single calf raise and hold the peak contraction for five seconds by pushing through your big toe. It's essential that you squeeze your calf as hard as humanly possible — try to get it to cramp. After five seconds of contraction, rest for five seconds and then repeat the contraction/rest sequence two more times (be sure to rest 5 seconds between each rep). 

Rest 60 seconds and repeat 1A-1B two more times before switching to the opposite leg

PM Workout

A) Standing double-leg body weight calf raise to failure

Explanation: In the evening, or at least six hours after your first workout, perform one set of calf raises with both feet at the same time (double-leg standing calf raise). Perform each rep as fast as possible and don't pause at any point of the movement, just crank out as many double-leg standing calf raises in one set as you can. Do these calf raises off the edge of a step to achieve a full range of motion.

B) Calf stretch for 2 x 30 seconds with each leg

Description: Stand on the edge of a step with your right leg and let your calf maximally stretch. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat with the left calf. Repeat the stretch with both legs one more time.

Arms
1. Neutral grip Pull-up:
Perform 10 sets of 3-5 reps while alternating it with a chest or triceps exercise. 


2. Palms-up Barbell / Dumbell Row:
 Perform 10 sets of 3-5 reps while alternating it with an exercise for your chest or triceps.


3. Standing Hammer Curl/EZ bar Reverse Curl: 
 6 sets of 6-8 reps works well. Again, you should alternate each set with an exercise that trains your chest or triceps.

Tabata -240 Seconds of Pain

A popular regimen based on a 1996 study uses 20 seconds of ultra-intense exercise (at 170% of VO2 max) followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated continuously for 4 minutes (8 cycles).

Why should you do this work out? The Tabata program might be the single best "fat burning workout" that I know. It might only be four minutes, but you seem to keep sweating and breathing hard for a long, long time afterwards. 

You need to choose an exercise that uses a large number of muscles , I will include method using external resistance i.e barbell / dumbbells and a method using body weight 

External Resistance  

The front squat might be the single best Tabata lift. The Tabata method might teach you to lift better than a thousand coaches. The bar will be held in the "front" of the body, with the fingers relaxed and the bar resting on the clavicles with the elbows high. Sit down "between the legs." This actually gets easier in the third and fourth minute as you just start to "drop" back through. As you rise back up, you don't need to lock out the knees; in fact, don't even think about it. Just get up and go back down.

The other great Tabata exercise is the "thruster." The thruster is one of the greatest lifts no one has ever heard of in the gym. Take two dumbbells and hold them at shoulder height. Squat down, keeping the dumbbells on the shoulders, as you rise up, press the bells to the overhead lockout position. You can either press as you rise or use the momentum to help "kick" the bells overhead.

It helps to be able to see a wall clock with a second hand during your four minutes of fun. Stop at twenty seconds, rest ten seconds, and go again. Watching the clock helps with your focus and also in keeping count of the eight cycles...

Body weight Resistance 

Here is a longer Tabata workout example. This workout consists of 4 separate Tabata Intervals, each 4 minutes. The total workout will last 16 minutes. Always begin with a moderate warm-up and cool down session. And if you are not already in good shape, check with a doctor before trying.

* Jump Rope ( or Sprint in Place ) 

* Push ups

* Squats

* Chin-ups or Pull-ups

“Tabata Something Else”

Complete 32 intervals of 20 seconds of work followed by ten seconds of rest where the first 8 intervals are pull-ups, the second 8 are push-ups, the third 8 intervals are sit-ups, and finally, the last 8 intervals are squats. There is no rest between exercises.

The Tabata protocol can be applied to almost any exercise. The most obvious choice is outdoor sprinting. For example, sprint 20 seconds, then rest (walk) 10 seconds, and continue until you have completed 8 x 20 second sprints. Always begin with a moderate warm-up and cool down session. 

A winter friendly option can include a variety of exercises.

• Jump Rope (sprint in place)
• Pushups
• Squats
• Medicine ball slams (or sledgehammer swings)

The 20/10 second work-to-rest ratio is rather convenient however. You can easily time this workout with a large digital clock or personal interval timer such as the Gymboss which retails around 20$ or look up interval timers online there are various links and also apps for your electronic device like Iphone / Itouch 

Conversations tips for Relationships

Above is model from the book Crucial Conversations

We all have idiosyncrasies, habits, and proclivities—some of which are the source of our genius and some of which drive everyone around us batty. And sometimes, the genius and the quirkiness flow from the exact same attribute.

I say this as prelude because, while I will advise you to hold a crucial conversation, I will also encourage you to work on yourself first. Clarify your motives before even attempting the conversation. If your motive is to "fix" or "change" your partner, you're more likely to be disappointed than effective. If instead your goal is to share feedback then accept his/her  freedom to accommodate or ignore it, you will not only come across entirely differently (i.e., not needy or pushy), but you will be more likely to have influence. Ironically, if your motive is to control, you not only fail to gain control, but you lose your influence. If you give up trying to control others, you gain influence in the bargain.

With that said, here is some advice about how to hold the conversation itself.

Hold the right conversation. Often, we fail at the outset because we dive into the wrong topic. For example, we talk about content—what just happened—when we want to talk about a pattern—something that happens regularly. This could happen because you address something your partner just said to you when your real issue is a pattern of these sorts of comments over time. Your goal needs to be to have a pattern conversation. And that calls for a special approach.

Timing is everything. Don't wait until you're bugged to talk. That's what most of us do with our pattern conversations. We wait for yet another instance of someone behaving badly then we pounce on it; not to address what just happened, but to dump our laundry list of grievances from ages past. If you want to talk about a pattern, pick a time that is not clouded with a recent transgression. It not only helps you be in a proper mindset, but it helps avoid giving the other person an opportunity to make excuses about the pattern by pointing to special issues in the present instance. For example, you might say, "I had to walk out just now because I have a conference call in half an hour!"

Make it safe. You have all the right information in your question to create safety at the beginning of this conversation. Read it again. You clearly care about your partner. You respect him/her. You want something from him/her that he/she is likely to feel flattered giving, so that's what you need to make clear as you start.

For example, you might say, "I'd like to talk about some ways I could have a better relationship with you. I value the relationship we have, and I'd like to be even closer and more comfortable. I admire you, sometimes to the point of feeling intimidated around you. And yet, there are some things in how we interact that don't work for me. I'm hoping it is okay to share how I see it and find out how either you, or I, or both of us could communicate better.

Ask permission. One of the best ways to ensure others feel safe is to sincerely ask for permission before launching into the crucial conversation. If your partner might be uncomfortable with this level of communication, it is all the more important to help him/her feel in control by asking his consent before launching into your concerns. All you need do is add, "Would that be okay?" to the above monologue.

Change media. It may be possible that your partner will be too uncomfortable to have this conversation face-to-face. If that is the case, you may want to try mixed media. If you choose to write a letter, I would make the same "make it safe" statement from above then add, "I think the best way to express some of what I wanted to say is in writing—so I've written this out. But my hope is that we can discuss it afterward if you're comfortable doing so. If not, then I understand and will be fine keeping things the way they are now." You'll notice that the last phrase tests whether you have surrendered your hope of controlling him/her or not. Be sure you have or your words will ring hollow.

Can you Ace the Presidents Fitness Challenge?

I myself have been obsessed with physical fitness prowess, ever since taking the annual NYS physical fitness test required for students in most public schools. For those of you who aren't familiar the physical fitness test is primarily based off of the president's challenge.


The Physical Fitness Test recognizes students for their level of physical fitness in five activities:

1. Curl-ups (or partial curl-ups)
   
2. Shuttle run
   
3. Endurance run/walk
   
4. Pull-ups (or right angle push-ups or flexed-arm hang)
   
5. V-sit reach (or sit and reach)
   

We know that just completing all five activities is an accomplishment. The activities are not necessarily done in that order.  



Below I have posted the benchmarks for the Presidential Physical Fitness Award—to earn this award, students must score at or above the 85th percentile on all five activities. There is also the National Fitness Award – awarded to those in the 50^th percentile, you can see those numbers on the website http://www.presidentschallenge.org/challenge/physical/benchmarks.shtml , but I figured why bother with the 50^th percentile; I know academically speaking that isn't a place I'd want to be.


 
There is also the Adult Fitness Test but for some odd reason the Adult version consist of four components and omits pull ups and the shuttle run from the test, I understand that there is an increasing obesity risk for adults and perhaps to make the test easier was the reason behind omitting those two results, but that shouldn't be a reason for the exclusion of those two test , pull ups is a great test for Upper body strength and endurance , and the shuttle run a good measure of explosive speed and agility.



"Adult Fitness Test" 

• Aerobic Fitness Test- 1 mile walk or 1.5 mile run
  
• Muscular Strength & Endurance Test - Half sit ups in 1 minute , and max rep push ups
  
• Flexibility Test – sit and reach
  
• Body Composition Test- BMI "Body Mass Index"
  

Presidential Fitness Challenge Chart

I actually have a copy of my results from when I took the fitness test lying around somewhere, but I can clearly remember year after year barely able to crank out a single pull up during the fitness test. I was always perplexed how some of the other students were able to pump out reps in the double digits. I was an average runner but not fast enough to score in the 85^th percentile, perhaps my best event was the Curl-Ups (i.e Sit ups) hitting 60 reps within the 60sec time limit. Shuttle run time was also sub-par along with the V-sit and reach.


For the most part I thought I was doomed due to crappy genetics and not ever reaching the coveted presidential fitness award. I was so envious of seeing my friends receive in the mail a certificate stating they had earned the President's award. As fate would have it, I was introduced to the sport of boxing by a childhood friend during my freshman year at high school. Here is where I learned that it is possible for the weak to become strong with enough persistence and good old fashioned hard work.



Below I will post tips for those who feel so inclined to increase their fitness and you can finally beat catch up to that 6 year old who keeps running circles around you on the local track. My concentration will be on the events from the Presidential award but I am certain these tips will also help you excel the Adult Fitness Test.



I will adhere to the MED - The minimum effective dose is defined simply: the smallest dose that will produce a desired outcome. We will look at precise "dosing" of both exercise and anything you ingest.* anything beyond the MED is wasteful. To boil water, the MED is 212°F (100°C) at standard air pressure. Boiled is boiled. Higher temperatures will not make it "more boiled." Higher temperatures just consume more resources that could be used for something else more productive.



I'm all for solutions that require the least investment of time with the greatest reward.



Starting with the pull-up which is the ultimate test of relative strength, a measure of how strong you are in relation to your body weight

You will perform one set of maximum rep pull-ups, provided you do them every day. So let's just say that each set lasts about a minute. If you do one set every day for four weeks, that equals 28 minutes of total time. Results expected you'll double (or almost double) your current performance with this simple strategy.
Each Day you will strive to perform with good form as many reps as possible (AMRAP) in one set.


 
Next up I'm going to help you kill two birds with one stone using a Push-up & Sit-up Circuit using the super set one of the best ways to increase your push-ups, but while you "rest" your push-up muscles, you can also increase your sit-ups. 





Timed Workout - For time you will do AMRAP for each set you will perform the set of push-ups and then alternate quickly to the set of sit ups and repeat as shown below. Keep the rest periods short

You will perform the below circuit in order staring with the 1 min set 2 times and so on.... 


2 Sets of 1 minute of push-ups and 1 minute of sit-ups

3 Sets of 30 seconds of push-ups and 30 seconds of sit-ups
4 Sets of 15 seconds of push-ups and 15 seconds of sit-ups

 
Next is the 1 mile or 1.5 mile run this activity measures heart and lung endurance



You can decrease your run time by simply running 1/4 mile runs at your desired goal pace. Run ¼ mile repeats with 30-45 seconds rest periods for the distance of your test. Example if your goals are to run 1 mile in 7 minutes, you would then run your ¼ repeats at a pace of 1min 45 seconds, rest and then repeat 4 times.



You can perform this 2-3 times a week, or whatever you may feel is needed, also remember to at least bi-weekly choose one day to run the entire duration of your run to measure your progress, and on other weeks you can pick one day where you can opt for long slow distance runs example running 4 miles at a slower pace with the goal of completing the desired distance.


 
Next is the Shuttle Run -Mark two parallel lines 30 feet apart and place two blocks of wood or similar objects behind one of the lines.  On the signal the student runs to the blocks, picks one up, runs back to the starting line, places the block behind the line, runs back and picks up the second block, and runs back across starting line.

You have a few options but I will outline the direct and obvious option which is to practice the actual event.

You will practice three to four times in a week, run quick sprints ... 20-30 yards. Run 10 of them in a row ... back and forth (1 set), back and forth (2^nd Set).Etc... Take a 2-3 minute rest, and then repeat the entire sequence of 10 runs back and forth.



The other options are to train the Glute-Ham Raise, Focus on Hip Strength, and keeping your Hip Flexors Flexible.


 
Finally the V-Sit and Reach This activity measures flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings. Note Participants are most flexible after a warm-up run

In order to get better at this event you will have to improve flexibility in the lower back and the hamstrings. Ideally you would progress using Self-myofascial release (i.e foam rolling , Static Stretching ( i.e holding the stretch 20-30 seconds) and Dynamic Stretching (using exercises to take the body through the full range of motion) and other options include yoga and Pilates.



I will just briefly mention stretches for the lower back and the hamstrings.



Starting with the lower back, Child's Pose – You'll get on your hands and knees; walk your hands in front of you. Lower your buttocks down to sit on your heels. Let your arms drag along the floor as you sit back to stretch your entire spine. Once you settle onto your heels, bring your hands next to your feet and relax. "Breathe" into your back. Hold for 20-30 seconds

Next is Hamstring Stretch – Start off with lying hamstring stretch Sit on the floor with both legs out straight. Extend your arms and reach forward by bending at the waist as far as possible while keeping your knees straight. Hold for 20-30 seconds

Modified hurdler stretch - Sit on the floor with one leg out straight. Bend the other leg at the knee and position the sole of that foot against your opposite inner thigh. Extend your arms and reach forward over the one straight leg by bending at the waist as far as possible. Hold for 20-30 seconds repeat on opposite side.

There are a bunch more examples on the web but these stretches should give you a starting line. You should stretch at least every day if possible, ideally after a workout.



Ace the Presidential Fitness challenge and most importantly go out there and have Fun :) 

 



 

Pyramid your way to a Healthy Diet

Using the Food Pyramid

Hello everybody as I write this UFC  130 is under way , but I figured  I would take the time to talk about Nutrition , specifically using the mypyramid.gov website to track your nutrition.

Eat fewer carbs when you’re trying to lose fat and more when you’re having problems gaining muscle. Manipulating that one variable alters two important body-changing mechanisms:

1. The total calories you consume
2. The effect of insulin on where those calories end up

The biggest problem with a calorie-cutting diet is that it can throw off your hormonal balance within a week or two. One thing that gets thrown off balance is leptin, an appetite-regulating hormone. As you slip into a caloric deficit—burning more calories than you take in—your body produces less leptin, with the goal of increasing your appetite until you get back into balance. But it’s easy enough to keep this mechanism in check. Just add fruit back into every meal once every 7 days.

According to the website

What is a "Healthy Diet"

The Dietary Guidelines describe it as...

1. Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products;
2. Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and
3. Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

Tips

•  Maintain calorie balance over time to achieve and sustain a healthy weight. People who are most successful at achieving and maintaining a healthy weight do so through continued attention to consuming only enough calories from foods and beverages to meet their needs and by being physically active.
•  Focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods and beverages. Americans currently consume too much sodium and too many calories from solid fats, added sugars, and reined grains. These replace nutrient-dense foods and beverages and make it difficult for people to achieve recommended nutrient intake while controlling calorie and sodium intake

My favorite function of the website is the ability to get a personal food plan to get a good  basic guideline of what one should be consuming. Using me at 160lbs being physically active 30-60min per day I require about 2800 calories.  For you to get your personalized plan just go on the website and click on the right hand column "Get a Personalized Plan" and enter your stats.
http://www.mypyramid.gov/index.html

Have a Fun Memorial Day Weekend :)

Review on the Nike+ Running App

As you run, with the Nike+ app on your iPod,  or iPhone  tells you your time, distance, pace, and calories burned. And it gives you feedback at the halfway point and in the final lead-up to your goal. You can also see the details of your workout on your device.

I took a test run with it the app yesterday for a 2400m run , split up in Intervals , where I would perform 6 sets of 400m runs with 1min rest before starting the next set.

Pros:
Run anywhere outdoors or indoors , note need iphone GPS to track route
Map your Route , pinpoint areas where you were slow / fast to better track your performance.
You have the option to track your runs in three different run types

1. Basic - Run with no set time or distance
2. Time - Run against a clock 
3. Distance- Run for a set distance in miles or kilometers 

Also ability to save your runs and sync with the website , do a search on Nike plus  , note most have an account which is free to set up online. Ability to share your runs stats via Facebook / Twitter , and various challenges. 
5th Year Anniversary so Nike is giving the app away for free on the app store.

Cons:
Need an Internet service / Data Plan to track runs if your not nearby Wifi.
Nike should make this app available for all phones / electronic devices.


In conclusion , I will probably start tracking all my runs with this app :) , what are you waiting for go get your hands on Nike+ , they also sell a wrist watch that has a similar function.

http://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikeplus/en_US/what_is_nike_plus