Tuesday February 9, 2010
The muscles in the lower body, including the hips, glutes and thighs, are the strongest muscles in the body and it can be difficult to fatigue those muscles simply because you're limited by how much weight the upper body can support. You can get around this with a leg press machine, a squat rack or a smith machine, but there are other alternatives if you're working out at home and can't safely hold the amount of weight your lower body needs to be challenged.
Adding power to your lower body workouts can add intensity to your routine as well a new dynamic, helping you increase your power and strength. Try adding a power move before each lower body exercise, for example power jacks before a set of squats or power lunges before static lunges. I find these types of power moves work well with more endurance-based exercise (e.g., 12 or more reps of each exercise), but experiment to find what works for you.
Power moves aren't for everyone, so if you have knee, hip or ankle problems, you may want to skip the jumps and keep things low impact. The key with power moves is to land with soft joints so that your muscles take the impact, not your joints. Pay attention to how you feel during your workout and back off of the power moves if you feel your energy is waning, especially if you're using heavy weights. Form can slip as you get tired and power moves can magnify that fatigue.
Power jacks
Begin with feet together and jump up, taking feet out to the side, landing in a low squat. Jump up and bring feet back together (a very slow, powerful jumping jack). Swing your arms overhead to add intensity, repeating for 30-60 seconds.
Power Lunge
Begin in a lunge position, right foot forward, left foot back, both knees at 90 degree angles. Jump up and switch feet in the air, landing in a lunge with left foot forward, right foot back. Make sure you land with soft knees to protect the joints. Repeat for 30-60 seconds.
Lunge Sweep
Stand with feet wide, a kettlebell or weight in the right hand. Pivot and turn the body to the right and lower into a lunge. As you push back up, swing the weight up and over the head as you pivot back to the front. Switch hands and pivot to the left, lowering into a lunge and taking the weight down beside the lunging knee. Continue alternating sides while swinging the weight up and over (if you're advanced, you can toss the weight to the other hand at the top of the motion) for 1-3 sets of 10-16 reps (1 rep includes lunging to the right and left).
Monday February 8, 2010
After working with personal training clients in their homes for the last few years, I've noticed a common issue: Many of them were doing the same workouts for months or even years. That's not surprising, considering that most of us are creatures of habit and, once we find something we like and that seems to be working, why would we want to change that?
The problem is that, when it comes to exercise, whatever you're doing will eventually stop working (if your goal is to improve your fitness or lose weight) as your body adapts to it. And that's usually the moment clients call me because they can't figure out what to do.
They're often surprised to learn that small changes can make a difference and most of them are relieved when they free themselves from the old routine in favor of something new and fresh. I had one client who'd been walking on her treadmill every day at the same speed and incline, for the same amount of time. When I started her on Cardio Coach workouts, she said, "I know I'm a reasonably intelligent person, but it never occurred to me to change my workouts. I'm actually enjoying my treadmill for the first time in years!"
What about you? Are you a creature of habit or do you change things up on a regular basis? How much variety do you have in your workout routine? Vote in this week's poll and leave a comment to tell us your thoughts on exercise variety and how important you think that is when it comes to adhering to your program.
Friday February 5, 2010
I got an interesting comment on a recent post about parents' perceptions of their children's weight and it raises a number of questions about whether schools should track your child's body mass index (BMI). Jean says:
"I just recieved a letter from my daughter's school saying she is overweight, not even at risk of being overweight. My daughter is 9 yrs old and swims on a swim team twice a week, besides just playing outside. I was really upset because I make sure she makes healthy choices and does not sit in front of the tv. She is all muscle, but that is not taken into consideration. Furthermore, the school sells ice cream and honey buns for snacks at lunch. I checked her BMI using other calculators and she comes up being at a healthy weight. I really feel if the school is getting involved they need to consider all factors, including what they serve for lunch. I also do not see any instructional material for parents or children about healthy eating or exercise presented. They really need to practice what they preach and consider the repercussions of their actions."
I'm sure many parents would be upset by getting a note like that from the school, whether it's accurate or not, and it does raise some questions about whether, and how, schools should monitor a child's BMI. There's an interesting study about this in the journal Pediatrics, discussing different ways schools track and use BMI numbers. Some schools, such as those in New York use a 'survellience' method of tracking BMI. The purpose is to gather BMI data anonymously to monitor and track the general obesity levels student-wide.
Other schools, like Jean's, use BMI as a screening tool to help reduce childhood obesity and keep parents informed about their children's weight and health.
Jean's comment raises a number of concerns about the use of BMI as a screening tool. First, should schools even monitor a child's BMI in the first place? Is it an effective tool for reducing childhood obesity? Do we risk putting pressure on kids who may already have problems with body image and fitting in at school? And then there's Jean's concern, that the calculations they're using aren't accurate and that the school isn't taking some responsibility for the problem.
Then there's the issue of BMI itself, which is already a questionable method for determining whether a person is overweight, at least for some populations. Not only that, while it's fairly easy to determine if an adult is overweight, kids are different. They haven't finished growing and the calculations we use for adults won't work for them. There are even special charts and calculators specifically for kids and different ways to determine whether they're overweight.
What's happening in your schools when it comes to BMI and what do you think about it? Are they monitoring this kind of thing in your kids and keeping you informed? Should they? Leave a comment and tell us what's going on and what you think about it. What would you do in Jean's situation?
Thursday February 4, 2010
Mike's motivation to lose weight came from health problems, a topic I've touched on this week in previous posts. Specifically, he had cardiovascular disease and, because of the economy and the high price of gas, he stopped his cardiac rehab program and started feeling it when he lost some of the stamina he'd gained.
After joining a program at a local hospital, Mike got back to exercise and lost 14 pounds, but what I love about his story are his simple, effective tips for losing weight. My favorite is: "Don't ever give up on exercise. Take it in small steps to begin with." That is excellent advice and something we all have to remember - slow and steady doesn't lead to the fastest weight loss, but it often leads to the most permanent weight loss.
Read more of Mike's story and be sure to share your own story, if you've got one.
