How Important Is Muscle Confusion?

I love when the questions are easy so thank you for this one.  Muscle confusion is paramount if you want to see results.  Happy with the way you are right now and not at all concerned about a plateau? Keep on keeping on then. BUT if you are looking at your body and thinking, “Hmm, looks the same,” then you want to add some diversity to your workouts.

To jazz up your workouts you can change the number of sets and reps, you can change the angles of the exercises you are currently doing, you can also select completely different exercises.  As an example, if you are doing flat supine bench presses one day than on your next chest day try doing an incline bench press instead. You will still be working the chest but in a different way and that facilitates change.

One way to beat the plateau is to change up your routine and your body will follow. Try to do a different number of reps and different amount of weight than you are accustomed to.  Different rep and weight patterns actually work different types of muscle fibers.

Muscle confusion is the principle of changing your routines to keep your body guessing. Muscle confusion also helps prevent injury from overuse. Once your body hits the dreaded plateau you will need to make changes in your diet and to your exercise routine. Look for ways to change up angles, exercises and weight/ rep patterns and see what a difference confusion makes!

Will eating red meat take you to the grave too soon?

The National Cancer Institute has decreed that eating red meat MAY increase the likelihood of dying ahead of your time. A study that followed 500,000 50 to 71 year olds showed that those who ate red meat were more likely to pass away before those that ate less red meat. The pre-mature deaths were caused by cancer, heart disease and other related illnesses.

After doing some research, what I have found is there are as many believers as non-believers to what the findings concluded. The problem with the study conducted was that “red meat” was not limited to prime choice cuts of beef but may have included sausages, hot dogs and other high in preservatives, nitrates and fats foods.

Additionally, processed meats found at your local deli are also responsible for the increased risk of death.  What seems to be consistent is the group with the high death rate ate meat everyday, ate processed foods and had a diet high in saturated fats.  The real lesson to take away here is eat red meat occasionally, eat processed foods sparingly and adopt a healthy lifestyle. 
Before you change any dietary habits, consult a physician.

My ankles feel weak, how can I strengthen them?

There are four basic movements that the ankle can perform:Plantar Flexion (pointing), Dorsi Flexion (flexing), Inversion (point toes inward) and Eversion (point toes outward) and you need to strengthen the muscles that contribute to all the possible movements to prevent that “wobbly” feeling you are describing.  Here are a few exercises that should help you on the Wii Fit or anywhere else you need some extra ankle stability:

1.  Stand on your toes, with your heel as high as you can lift it and hold there for ten seconds initially. Repeat on the other foot. Continue repeating the movement at least 15 times.  You can use a chair or counter for balance and support.

2. This one can be fun.  Place one foot out slightly in front of the other and lift the toes of the front foot, keeping the heel on the ground.Now, tap your toes up and down – not too quickly – think “impatiently waiting for someone” toe tapping.

3. Sit comfortably on the floor or on a mat and extend your feet out n front of you.  Point the toes inward as far as you can and then out.  Hold in each position for ten seconds.   4.  Get creative – Use your foot as an air brush and draw pictures or write your name in the air moving only your feet.  This will work the ankle in every direction.

I see the words “sushi grade fish” on menus, what does that mean?

There are guidelines and criteria that the seafood industry must follow when serving raw seafood.  Those guidelines and concerns however are about how the fish is stored and not about the cut or quality of the fish.  Some research into the FDA standards and FDA documents regrading this topic uncover the same results; there are no clear standards as to what makes fish ‘sushi grade’ or ‘sashimi grade’ and no definition of the terms.  

As stated, the primary concern the inspectors have is regarding to the destuction of parasites, which is done by freezing and storing seafood at -4°F or colder for a total of seven days or freezing at -31°F or below until solid and storing at -31°F or below for 15 hours.  These are the regulations set forth by the FDA for a food to be considered “ready-to-eat”.  Sashimi or sushi grade is the quality as any other ready to eat raw food.

Like restaurants, fish or seafood vendors claim their product is “sashimi grade” however with no standards to back up those claims, it is meaningless.  Interestingly, people and restaurants hear “fresh fish” and think that means never frozen however with the U.S. parasite destruction requirements, most fish, even those labeled fresh has been frozen in the method stated above.  The term “fresh” has been linked to higher quality in the minds of many consumers and therefore the restaurants use this as a selling point even though the product may have been previously frozen.

How Bad is Not Getting Enough Sleep?

Sleep deprivation, as it sounds, is not getting the sleep you need.  If you are not getting the proper number of hours of sleep for your needs you will experience side effects. There are times in our lives where sleep deprivation might occur, for example cramming for tests or waking all night with a baby. Chronic sleep deprivation is more serious and often occurs in professions which require long hours, caregivers with many taxing responsibilities or another disease that interferes with sleep.

Some signs that you may be sleep deprived are:

• Falling asleep as soon as you lay down
• Requiring an alarm to wake up
• Need to nap during the day
• Difficulty starting in the morning
• Poor performance during the day
• Increased clumsiness
• Difficulty making decisions
• Falling asleep midday
• Being overly moody or irritated

Sleep deprivation is a real and potentially dangerous condition. Imagine a sleep deprived individuals behind the wheel of a car. Chronic sleep deprivation is also thought to cause long term changes to the body, which contribute to increased risk for obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Is there a difference between kettlebell and dumbbell workouts?

Much of the confusion regarding kettlebell workouts comes from simply not understand how to work with the kettlebell.  People compare the workouts assuming they are performed in much the same manner when in reality they are nothing alike.  The kettlebell is not used at all as a dumbbell would be. Many people make the critical mistake of attempting to use kettlebells as if they were traditional weights.

Typical dumbbell workouts are single-plane static workouts meaning you are lifting and controlling the body targeting a limited number of muscles. It is normally a linear function through a direct line of applied force. There is generally no momentum in a dumbbell workout. 

It is common for the goal of bodybuilding to be muscle hypertrophy or an increase in muscle size.  The goal of kettlebell training is to use all three planes of motion simultaneously, the sagittal plane, the frontal plane and the transverse plane.  This means each exercise may be engaging literally hundreds of muscles at once.
Kettlebell lifters generally have excellent functional strength without bulky size because the workouts produce muscle that is incredibly dense and strong without bulky size. The kettlebell directly correlates to real life movements and therefore should be applied to your workout routine but be sure to consult a physician and a personal trainer who is properly trained in kettlebells.

I just gave blood, can I workout?

I was sitting in the chair, arm connected to a tube syphoning blood away from me and into a bag when I realized, “I have to run 7 miles tomorrow morning.”  It was at that moment that I decided to get home, power up the laptop and get some information.

The good news I have helped save a few lives and feel really terrific about myself.  The bad news is I am not supposed to do much exercise for 48 hours.  It seems to be fine to do some exercise but when it says to diminish the intensity, I am guessing that a planned 7 mile run is not diminished intensity.

Research shows it takes the body approximately 8 weeks to fully recover from a blood donation. Immediately after a donation of one pint, your blood volume is lowered by close to ten percent and returns to normal in 48 hours. An added perk was that I should be weighing one pound less right now. Of course, in a few glasses of water time, that will be back to normal. For 48 hours following your donation, you should drink plenty of liquids and take it easy. Donating blood markedly reduces competitive performance for three to four weeks as it takes that long for blood hemoglobin levels to return to normal.

Are there differences in a man’s versus a woman’s yoga practice?

Recently I heard that men need a male yoga instructor because a man knows a man’s body better than a woman does and therefore the yoga practice would be better suited for, well, men.  I must say, I wholeheartedly disagree with this logic but am curious so will be attending a male led class and trying to take note of anything done differently.  I have been in several male led classes and have not noticed a difference but then I was not trying to find a difference. 
I did some research to see if anyone else out there had experienced this gender difference and found some interesting information but nothing that corroborated the sentiment.  Yoga is predominantly taught by men in India, men are often intimidated to attend a yoga class because they think they will not be able to do it well, and many men believe yoga is a female type of exercise.  I do hot power yoga once a week and half of the class is men and it is HARD.

Here are some other interesting yoga facts I found:

• Yoga is a system of physical and mental practices that was developed in ancient India.  Yoga’s focus is to join the mind and body, breath and movement, an enhanced physical ability for joyous experience and spiritual centeredness.
• Yoga’s roots are an ancient and long tradition of yogis (male yoga practitioners)  and yoginis (female yoga practitioners) who fine-tuned and developed this art and practice that we now know as yoga.  Yoga was always intended to be practiced by both men and women (and children!).
• You can learn yoga by watching DVD’s and reading books however this can lead to slight misalignments accumulating over time and causing problems down the road.
  The number of different yoga schools is a recent phenomenon. In India there traditionally aren’t really schools of yoga but different great teachers. Each teacher learns from his teacher going back in an unbroken line many thousand years.
• A beautiful way to think of yoga is that it is a moving meditation. Meditation involves stilling the mind and allowing the conscious mind to focus on one’s breathing. Yoga allows for exactly that with the added benefit of physical toning and perfect health. I often hear about yoga that does not have the mindful connection which to me means it is a stretch class.

Should I Swim for Fitness?

My first answer to that question would be, “Do you like to swim?” If you find swimming akin to a good dental cleaning than the answer is “no.”  Do not do what you hate because you will probably not repeat it.  However, if you love to be in the water and just have not started a regime of fitness in the pool or ocean, than a resounding “yes” would be my answer.  I believe that you should make fitness as pleasurable as possible so that you will repeat it indefinitely. There are many benefits to swimming as an exercise. Swimming is among the top cardiovascular exercises. There are those who would say swimming is THE most effective heart and lung workout with the least impact on the joints. Doctors will often suggest patients with back problems to go swimming for its back strengthening benefits. 

In addition to increasing endurance and lung capacity, aqua exercsies are excellent and effective cross-training tools.  Combine a water program with your regular workouts for a new warm-up routine as swimming gradually increases your heart rate and stimulates your muscle activities and afterwards, it will benefit your body as a cool-down, helping your blood circulation and muscle recovery. The water is also very relaxing. 

Give it a shot, just the fact that you asked if swimming was a fitness option means you thought about it enough to warrant a try.

Is the BOSU Balance Trainer worth the investment?

I have been using the BOSU for a few years and I love this piece of equipment. It’s portable and versatile – it can be used as a bench, step, and core trainer all in one.  It can be used for everything from sports drills to cardio workouts.

BOSU stands for both sides up which means it can be used with either side facing up and each side provides a completely different workout.  There is a rounded dome like half ball and a hard flat surface that is equally unstable but in a very different way.

Benefits:

• This is a unique way to train for strength and balance which is great for the stabilizers in the legs
• All ages can use it; it’s great for beginners, athletes, young and old
• You can use it through a dynamic range of motion which means in all directions
• You can use it for cardio, strength training and/or balance workout
• Can be used for everything from cardio to yoga