The Single Leg RDL

The Single Leg RDL – Romanian Deadlift – is one of the most important corrective exercises you can do to help self-identify and correct muscle imbalances that are the most common cause of movement dysfunction and injury.

Like a bilateral RDL the Single Leg RDL is hip hinge exercise and the hip hinge is one of the key functional exercises everyone should do along with squats, lunges, pushes, and pulls.   The best way to do this exercise is barefoot in front of a mirror where you can see your whole body throughout the entire sequence of the exercise.    Ideally you should be on a firm and level surface as well.

This exercise challenges your entire body from head to toe and particularly the feet because of the significant asymmetrical loading which challenges you to compensate and stabilize!   This is very important because when we walk and run we spend much of our time on one foot so this ability is critical for proper movement.

Start by facing the mirror standing on one foot with the other leg flexed so your thigh is parallel with the floor and knee flexed to 90 degrees with hands on your hips.     Look in the mirror and make sure your hips are perfectly level and if not fix that!   

Next, without moving the upper body extend the flexed leg down and hinge forward at the hip of the standing leg by pushing the butt back (not by bending the knees down!).    As your non-weight bearing leg passes the other leg you should try to straighten it, and ideally you hinge forward at the upper body while keeping your non-weight bearing leg and upper body in a straight line the whole time.

As you hinge try NOT to let your non-weight bearing hip drop and keep your stance foot pointing directly forward with no angle.    The stance leg should flex slightly but the knee should NOT move forward much at all – rather you should “sit” back into the hinge at the hip.

Pause when you reach at or near parallel with the floor with your upper body and swing leg then smoothly return to standing and flex the swing leg.    Slower is harder AND better and do NOT use any load at first.

Master the movement first!    10 repetitions on each side – do all 10 on each side one time per day and you will see some amazing changes in your strength, balance and athleticism! 

Here is a great single leg RDL tutorial:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc21IwnIcwk

Squats and Anatomical Variation Among Individuals

Squatting is one of the fundamental movement patterns everyone should train, but it is very important to understand and consider the effect that individual variations in limb length and anatomical variances can have on exactly how each person can and should squat.

Everyone cannot and should not squat the same way!  Many trainers and individuals try to squat in “perfect” form with feet flat, no heel lift, feet pointing forward, with back upright and straight with butt to the grass but this is not only not possible for some people – it can actually get them hurt!

One of the biggest factors determining how an individual can squat is the relative length of their femur (upper leg bone) relative to their lower leg (Tibia) and upper body length.       In general, the longer the femur and the longer the torso and the shorter the Tibia the greater the person MUST lean their upper body forward in order to get thighs parallel to floor much less going below parallel.     This puts a TON of stress on the low back and in extreme examples trying to get to parallel is a BIG MISTAKE – swap for another exercise like a lunge or step up – nobody wins when you get hurt exercising!

To gain a really strong understanding of these concepts check out this fantastic article on this subject by Bret Contreras that includes video links to a short, but powerful video presentation on this subject using a stick model: https://bretcontreras.com/how-femur-length-effects-squat-mechanics/  .     Once you see it you will never try to force someone into a fixed squat pattern again without really thinking it through.

In addition to limb length differences there can be dramatic differences in the shape of the acetabulum (the hip socket), the head of the femur (ball of the femur that fits into the hip socket), and the femoral neck angle.  The end result can mean very different squatting mechanics are required.   Here is a great article showing how these differences manifest themselves in squatting mechanics:https://bretcontreras.com/no-two-hips-are-the-same-how-anatomical-variance-can-affect-your-range-of-motion/

  

Using Eccentric Exercise to Target Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers

As we age we lose progressively more muscle mass each year, and specifically we lose fast-twitch muscle fiber.     Once this progresses beyond a certain point people are not longer able to perform common activities of daily living like getting up and down from chairs, walking up and down stairs, etc.

Use eccentric-dominant strength training to target fast twitch fibers and build muscle. Older adults over 60 will benefit from this style of training because it allows you to counter the age-related loss of fast-twitch muscle fiber.

A study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise compared the effects of an eccentric-dominant resistance training protocol with a traditional training program in older individuals who had an average age of 68. Training was twice a week for 16 weeks, and the traditional protocol involved two sets of 10 reps at 75 percent of the 1RM using four exercise for the major muscle groups. The eccentric-enhanced training involved a unique training scheme. Participants performed three sets of 10 using a weight of 50 percent of the 1RM. They performed the concentric portion of the lift bilaterally (using both sides at the same time) and the eccentric portion unilaterally (using one arm or leg at a time), alternating between left and right limbs for each repetition and performing five eccentric contractions per limb per set.  

The eccentric-enhanced group had greater increases in strength at higher movement speeds, indicating greater fast twitch muscle development. The traditional training group gained strength as well but at slower movement speeds, which is expected because relatively heavy weights and slow speeds were used in the traditional training style. Eccentric training is excellent for this population because the increased strength at fast movement speeds and recruitment of fast-twitch muscle fibers is an advantage when rapid movements of the limbs are necessary, such as when recovering from a stumble or trip.

Additionally, eccentric training is well known for increasing hypertrophy, making it an ideal antidote for age-related muscle loss. This training style was also proven to be better for improving performance on “functional” tests that may be applicable to everyday life such as the speed at which one can walk six meters. The eccentric-enhanced group improved more than the traditional group, while a control group had a significant decline in walking speed on a six-meter walking test. This rapid decline in the control group is surprising because the population was a healthy community-dwelling group that was fairly active. Researchers suggest strength training is critical for older people because without it, there will be a rapid and pronounced functional loss.

There was also evidence of greater muscle hypertrophy in the quadriceps from eccentric-enhanced training than traditional. In fact, the vastus lateralis, one of the quad muscles increased in thickness in the eccentric group only, while the control group had a decrease in the thickness of this muscle, indicating sarcopenia at work.

Of interest, the rating of perceived exertion was lower in the eccentric training group. This is good news for older individuals, anyone who is new to exercise or bored with their workout. 

The reACT Trainer is the ideal for this purpose because it is a functional exercise that is eccentric-dominant and simultaneously improves balance, timing, coordination AND eccentric strength leading to rapid improvement in functional capability with increased fast-twitch muscle fibers.

Turmeric – Herbal Anti-Inflammatory

Anti-inflammatory medication is among the commonly used medication in both over the counter and prescription forms.      In addition, many people used anti-inflammatory medication like Ibuprofen, Aleve, and others at high dosages for long periods of time.   The end results are that thousands of people experience serious and sometimes life-threatening side effects such as gastrointestinal bleeding and kidney failure.     While effective these drugs are not meant for long term use.

Enter Turmeric!    Turmeric has been used as a spice is Asian (particularly Indian) cooking for thousands of years.   Like most herbs and spices it was used for its medicinal properties more than for taste!     Turmeric can prevent and treat food-borne illnesses among many other benefits.  Modern research confirms turmeric's antimicrobial properties against many of the germs and bugs found in food.

Turmeric contains many beneficial plant chemicals aka “phytonutrients”.     One of the key chemicals is curcumins.    There are several varieties of curcumin in Turmeric, and like all plants where the plant is grown and how it is supported and harvested determines the quantities of specific beneficial compounds in the herb.  

Turmeric has been heavily studied and modern techniques have been used to produce Turmeric supplements with standardized amounts of key compounds like curcumin.    In addition, other techniques have been used to greatly boost the absorption and utilization of curcumins and other key chemicals in the cells.

The end result is that modern Turmeric supplements are extremely powerful anti-inflammatories with side benefits rather than side effects!     Unlike anti-inflammatory drugs Turmeric improves gastrointestinal function while providing potent anti-inflammatory effects for many inflammatory conditions including:

All forms of Arthritis

Crohn’s and Colitis

Many inflammatory skin conditions

Treatment of traumatic injuries such as ankle sprains, pulled muscles, back injuries, etc.

Research has consistently shown that Turmeric Supplements are as powerful as anti-inflammatory drugs but can be safely taken for long periods of time without side effects making them a great tool for these inflammatory conditions.  Take, for instance, just a few of the most recent research studies published within the past few months showing that curcumin can:

• Increase lifespan
• Protect the liver from oxidative stress
• Kill fungus more effectively than ginger, clove and oregano
• Induce tumor cell death in the deepest parts of individual cells
• Kill bladder cancer cells
• Destroy lung cancer cells
• Lower blood cholesterol levels
• Protect against cognitive/memory defects from heavy ion irradiation
• Standardized Turmeric supplements have been proven to be as effective as Anti-Depressant Medication for the treatment of mild to moderate depression!

Which supplements are best?

There are several outstanding Turmeric Supplements with standardized dosages of key compounds that use proven technologies to dramatically improve absorption and utilization.   These supplements allow consistent dosing and have been proven in multiple research studies.

Meriva - Meriva curcumin phytosome is a unique curcumin extract that is significantly better absorbed than other curcumin extracts.  Phytosomes are plant extracts bound to phospholipids.     All the cells in the body have a phospholipid surface so by binding the curcumin to a phospholipid there is a dramatic boost in absorption and utilization many times higher than supplements not using this technology.

BCM-95 – is another standardized, patented form of Turmeric Supplementation that has been studied heavily and also provides a high level of absorption and bio-availability.  BCM-95 stands for the patented composition of curcumin essential oil complex: 86% curcuminoids and 7-9% essential oils.

Theracumin – is another standardized, highly bio-available Turmeric Supplement.     It is a nano particle colloidal dispersion- Extremely tiny particles close to the nano-scale are made and combined with a gum to form a microscopic dispersible agent.

To determine which product may best suit your needs and to determine an appropriate dosage see this excellent review of bio-available Turmeric Supplements:     https://www.turmericforhealth.com/curcumin-benefits-and-dosage/8-popular-curcumin-supplement-types-in-market-today-a-quick-review

How to Optimize Vitamin D levels in the Winter

Vitamin D is constantly in the news lately and for good reason.    Optimal levels of Vitamin D have been linked to a host of benefits including prevention and treatment of many key diseases ranging from Osteoporosis to improved heart health with reduction in heart attack risk to prevention of many different types of cancer.   

During the winter - high levels of serum Vitamin D are highly protective against illness and flu in particular - BUT you must get your serum levels high enough, and your individual dose to achieve this level is unique to you based on a host of factors.   Based on genetic factors dosage to achieve ideal levels can be anywhere from 600iu to 10,000iu per day!

The ideal way to get optimal levels of Vitamin D is to let your body create it through Safe Sun Exposure (see previous blog on this subject here:  http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-facts-on-safe-sun-exposure-and.html  However this is easier said then done, and too much sun is clearly a strong risk factor for skin cancer!      Enter Vitamin D supplementation.     Also note that in order to produce Vitamin D from Sun Exposure it is critical that you are not magnesium deficient - Vitamin D synthesis is completely dependent on magnesium levels.

Vitamin D Supplementation

The amount and form of Vitamin D supplementation has changed substantially based on lots of emerging research.    The form that should be taken is Vitamin D-3 NOT D-2 form and all experts agree on this!     However when it comes to dosage things get much trickier.      The confusion comes because Vitamin D is really a powerful compound and functions as a hormone in the body.    As such it has profound impact on virtually every system in the body.    In addition you can overdose on Vitamin D supplements so more is NOT always better!

Vitmain D Testing

Ideally you should order a blood test and test your levels.    The test you want is called a 25(OH)D blood test and is offered by all major labs.   You can either ask your doctor to order this test for you OR you can order an in-home test.   You just prick your finger and put a drop of bloo on the enclosed paper and send back in to the labs.    You can also your own blood test online and go to a lab to have blood drawn in the same way your doctor orders the test.   For more information on testing go here:  https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/testkit/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwh_bLBRDeARIsAH4ZYEPhv0MVkO5_S7USZZ8bwVlt5A3vPWGbBFFIbJiB8Wtva0x-IDH7UmQaAlGkEALw_wcB#

Confusion Regarding Effectiveness of Vitamin D Supplementation

There is a lot of misinformation regarding the effectiveness of Vitamin D supplementation.   Many studies show no effect from supplementation.   However in most cases the studies showing negative results did not customize dosage to insure that effective serum Vitamin D Levels where achieved.    To be effective you must achieve specific serum levels of vitamin D so dosage by itself is not going to insure results since people are unique in their dosage requirements for many reasons including specific genetic polymorphisms that vary from person to person.

Ideal versus Acceptable Blood Levels of Vitamin D

There is a big difference between what is considered “acceptable” or okay and ideal blood levels.   Here are the classifications of different blood levels of Vitamin D. according to the Vitamin D Council:

0 – 30 ng/ML is very low and considered a deficiency

30 – 39 ng/ML is better but still insufficient for optimal health and disease prevention.

40 – 100 ng/ML is optimal

Above 150 ng/ML is toxic!

The key is to test and if low take a supplement then retest 2 – 3 months after regular vitamin d use because each person is different in how much supplementation they need based on many factors including sun exposure and skin type.     The RDA for Vitamin D for infants is 400iu.    For Children 1 – 13 and adults through age 70 the RDA is 600iu and for those over 70 the RDA is 800iu.

Unfortunately, this is way too low to get many people into the sufficient much less optimal range so testing is really worthwhile.   In many cases people need 4,000 – 10,000 or more iu's per day for at least a month to get where they need to be for optimal health!

Preventing Vitamin D Toxicity through the Co-Administration of Vitamin K-2

Like many vitamins Vitamin D has a co-factor or other vitamin that helps it perform its function better and in a more balanced fashion, and that other vitamin is Vitamin K-2 (not to be confused with K-1 found in many plants).    In an ideal world, you can get all the Vitamin K-1 you need from eating plenty of green, leafy vegetables, and your body can turn it into K-2.   Unfortunately, this conversion is lacking in many people.

More importantly K-2 is not easily toxic and can be taken with Vitamin D.    K-2 is best taken as a supplement as MK-7 version which has been heavily researched and shown to improve bone health and prevent arterial calcification which can potentially occur with too much Vitamin D.     For a more complete understanding behind how K-2 works with Vitamin D and why it is a great idea to take the MK-7 form of K-2 with Vitamin D check out this article from Dr. Mercola:   http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/03/26/the-delicate-dance-between-vitamins-d-and-k.aspx

Taking 100 – 200 mcg per day of Vitamin K-2 will help optimize the effects of Vitamin D and minimize risks associated with Vitamin D Supplementation.   There are many Vitamin D supplements with K-2 included!

How Lower Body Strength Training Improves Brain Function

While mental games and puzzles have some effect on your brain, exercise is still one of the best ways to ensure a healthy brain. In fact, there's ample evidence showing that resistance training exercise, especially lower body strength training, is vitally important for healthy brain and nervous system function.   Several studies show a strong link between leg strength and cognitive function.

Research has shown that when you fail to perform weight bearing exercise, you don’t just lose muscle, your brain and nervous system also deteriorate.   

A 2018 study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience shows that neurological health depends as much on signals sent by the body’s large, leg muscles to the brain as it does on directives from the brain to the muscles.  According to Medical News Today, "The main takeaway of the new findings is that leg exercise — weight-bearing exercise, in particular — 'tells' the brain to produce healthy neurons, which are key for … [coping] with stress and life changes."

The researchers called out climbing stairs, dancing, hiking, tennis, walking and weightlifting as healthy examples of weight-bearing exercise. Study author Raffaella Adami, Ph.D, professor and researcher in the department of health science at Italy's University of Milan, said:

"It is no accident we are meant to be active: to walk, run, crouch to sit and use our leg muscles to lift things. Our study supports the notion that people who are unable to do load-bearing exercises — such as patients who are bedridden, or even astronauts on extended travel — not only lose muscle mass, but their body chemistry is altered at the cellular level and even their nervous system is adversely impacted."

Getting Rid of Bad Habits

Habits are powerful.  Unfortunately, they often are created outside our consciousness and without our permission. However, we can consciously change habits. Habits shape our lives far more than we realize— they are so strong, in fact, that they can cause our brains to cling to them at the exclusion of all else, including common sense.

At the same time, positive habits can change our lives for the better. So how are habits created and what can we do to influence them in ourselves and our clients?

Three Parts of a Habit

The Cue: a situational trigger that is based on a reward you are seeking.

The Routine:  a physical or emotional action you take to obtain the reward.

The Reward:  the satisfaction you get by following the habit.

The Steps to Changing a Habit

Identify the Routine:  You must identify how you go from a particular cue to the routine of the habit and the reward it gives you.

Understand Cravings and Rewards

The first part of a habit is the cue, but before the cue there is some type of craving.  Cravings drive habits.   Understanding cravings is key to figuring out habits.  In a habit, there is a specific reward that satisfies a particular craving.    In other words, figure out what you are getting from the habit because you ARE getting something from it!

Rewards are powerful because they satisfy cravings. But we’re often not conscious of the cravings that drive our behaviors. For example, when developing the air freshening product Febreze marketers discovered that people craved a fresh scent at the end of a cleaning ritual.  They found a craving that people were not aware of.     This craving is so strong that without added scent most people do not get satisfaction from an air freshener that just removes odors from the air - they have to smell the scent!   It is exactly the same phenomenon with breath freshners which can be made to eliminate odor WITHOUT any taste/scent, but no one buys them!

Most cravings are like this: obvious in hindsight, but difficult to discern when they are in control of your behavior. It is critical to discover the cravings that drive habits to be able to change or create habits!   To figure out which cravings are driving particular habits, it’s useful to experiment with different rewards. For example, say your reward is having a cookie after studying every night.  The next time you study deliberately substitute something else for the cookie such as going for a short walk or having a cup of tea instead. 

The next time eat an apple and another time change call a friend for call, etc. What you choose to do instead of eating a cookie is not important.  The key is to test different hypotheses to determine the exact craving that is driving your routine.   Are you craving the cookie itself, or a break from work? If it’s the cookie, is it because you’re hungry? (In which case the apple should work just as well.) Or is it because you want the burst of energy the cookie provides? (And so coffee may work just as well.) Or is it where you eat the cookie and who you are with?  Do you go to a specific place to get and eat your cookie?  If so maybe the real craving may have to do with a desire to socialize.  

As you test four or five different rewards, use this technique to identify patterns.  After each activity, note the first three things that come to mind after your reward behavior. This can be emotions, random thoughts, reflections on how you’re feeling, or just the first three words that pop into your head. Then, set an alarm on your watch or computer for fifteen minutes. When it goes off, ask yourself: Do you still feel the urge for that cookie? The reason why it’s important to write down three things— even if they are meaningless words— is twofold. First, it forces a momentary awareness of what you are thinking or feeling.

By experimenting with different rewards, you can isolate what you are actually craving, which is essential in changing a habit.

Determine the Specific Cue for the Habit

This is the trigger that initiates the craving for the reward.   So it is very important to learn the cues for habits.   Common cues including being in a particular place, being with a particular person, a particular time of time of day, a specific emotional state, etc.    Asking yourself these five questions can be very helpful for identifying cues:

Where are you when the urge for a reward hits you?

What time is it?

What is your emotional state?

Who else is present?

What did you do right before you had the urge?

Have a Plan!

Once you understand the habit you want to change you need to create a plan to change the habit!   The easiest way to do that is have a specific plan of action whenever you experience the cue or cues.    For example, if you smoke when you have coffee know this and plan to do something else deliberately whenever you have a cup of coffee.   The plan is key or you will slip right back into the old routine.

Another example is having a few beers every night when you get home.  Through the first three steps you discover that having the beer helps you relax after a stressful day.    You also learned that going for a 20-minute walk or doing Tai Chi gives you that same reward of feeling relaxed.   So now you plan to either go for a walk or do Tai Chi ever day as soon as you get home (or even better before you get home!).

How to Make sure you keep your New Year’s Resolution

As the saying goes “Talk is cheap”, and most New Year’s Resolutions end up not happening.    So here are some tips on how to make sure you actually follow through on your resolutions!   

Write Down your goal – the act of writing goals is a concrete action and makes you more likely to follow through in taking action to achieve the goal.  Use the SMART goal format:

Specific – vague goals are dreams and dreams never happen.

Measurable – being able to measure progress and success are key for something to be true goal.

Achievable – do not set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals.

Relevant – make sure the goal is something that is important to you.

Timebound – you must set a deadline for achieving the goal – because without a deadline you are just day-dreaming.

Focus on one goal at a time – science has proven that we only have so much willpower and if we set to many goals we run out of steam.    Focusing on one goal at a time allows you to conserve your willpower and discipline enhancing your chance of reaching your goal.

Create habits that lead to your goal – when something becomes a habit it takes a lot less mental energy and willpower to complete it.   So start with small, easy to achieve habits that help you move towards your goal.   For example committing yourself to a 5 minute walk each morning or evening is a simple and relatively easy commitment.     Then when you follow through and start to do it each day you create a habit.    

Plan Your Work then Work Your Plan - science also shows that people who create a plan are much more likely to achieve their goal.  Part of your plan should be becoming aware of the triggers of your bad habits and planning on avoiding them.   For example, if you are trying to quit smoking and you know that going to a coffee shop is a trigger for lighting up – plan on avoiding coffee shops.   Many bad habits are associated with specific locations.

Share your goal with others - sharing your goals with friends, family or co-workers can help provide support.   Studies have shown that people who share weight loss goals with family are 22% more likely to succeed.

Plan on Mistakes and focus on progress instead of perfection - we all make mistakes, but just because we make a single error of judgement or have a short lapse in willpower does not mean we need to give up on a goal!    If you make a mistake, such as having a high calorie meal while trying to lose weight, do not give up on the whole effort.    Acknowledge the lapse – and get back on the horse!

By focusing on progress, you put mistakes in context.   For example, if your goal is weight loss and you have a week with 6 days of following your plan perfectly but ha

ve one bad meal – realize that overall you are doing well!

Holiday Gifts for Fitness Enthusiasts

There is still time to order from Amazon and get a delivery in time for Christmas!    So what should order for the fitness enthusiast in your life?     Fortunately, there are some fantastic products to allow you to get a great workout at home or on the road when you cannot get to the gym. 

Quiet Punch – a simple to set-up and use device that you mount in between just about any standard door.     Once it is set-up it provides a square punching surface mounted between two poles that go across the door frame and is suspended by bungee cords from the poles.      You can really get after it and get a fantastic boxing workout that is does not shake the house down!    The app comes with great workouts and the system has a cell phone holder so you can watch and follow one of the many boxing/fitness videos available through the app.        You can purchase from Amazon or directly at www.quietpunch.com At $125 Quiet Punch is not cheap but not that expensive and is really a fun workout for those who enjoy boxing.

Floor Dolly Systems – there are several great floor dolly systems that allow you to get a fantastic core workout and work the rest of your body at the same time.   These products emphasize the eccentric or muscle lengthening portion of an exercise in a simple but profound way and there are endless exercises you can do in a small area.    Get ready for some big time soreness if you go after it hard the first time since these products place a strong emphasis on the muscle lengthening phase of each exercise since you have to control your movement.    Harder surfaces tend to greatly magnify the challenge wihile carpeted surfaces create more resistance.  Great products in this category include:

Core Flyte by Flight Fitness which provides two small hand/foot dollies with three ball rollers with a sealed bearing system.       Although they are small they work on many different surfaces.   Since they provide two units you can put both hands or both feet or both knees on them which allows many exercise variations to allow you to effectively overload every muscle group in the body.     Core flytes can be purchased on Amazon or directly from www.flytefitness.com and are reasonably priced at $85.

Core Coaster is another dolly device at a much lower price point.   It has larger wheels rather than using the balls like Core Flyte.    If you are going to use on carpets this product should allow smoother movement because of the larger wheels and the platforms are also much larger than Core Flyte.    The three wheels are mounted in a swiveling carriage mounted to bottom of the platform which allows 360 movement just like the Core Flyte.     At $39 these are a steal!  You can purchase directly from Amazon.

Elastic Resistance – are a fantastic way to provide a full body workout that can be done in a very small space and virtually anywhere.    There are two main types of elastic resistance:

Circular Tubing that usually has handles attached – can purchase many different types directly from Amazon

Flat Circular Bands – www.resistancebandtraining.com or directly from Amazon

If you also include a door anchor which typically is placed through the inside edge of the door jam while door.   Then you close the door and there is usually a loop or other way to attach tubing to this anchor so that you can push and pull against the tubing.

There are literally hundreds of highly effective exercises than can be done with elastic resistance, and for less than $100 you can buy several different sizes/strengths and sizes of bands along with a door anchor and take them anywhere!   Resistance bands can be purchased directly from Amazon and great brands include Lifeline Fitness www.lifelinefitness.com and www.resistancebandtraining.com for flat circular bands.

Suspension Trainers – the most well-known is TRX, but there are quite a few high-quality options.   Suspension Trainers use straps with handles and by adjusting your hand and foot position relative to the straps and where they anchored you can do hundreds of exercises and work your body head to toe.   These systems are light and very easy to transport.     Most come with some type of door or universal mounting system to allow you to use them in many places from a hotel room to a playground to a gym.

High quality Suspension Trainers include:

TRX – the most well know product on the market and it is available from TRX available on Amazon for $149.    Or buy directly from TRX at www.trxtraining.com

Lifeline Jungle Gym XT – another fantastic product with a split anchor design which allows you to precisely target certain muscles better such as chest doing chest flys.   At $99.99 this is a great value and a virtually indestructible product.   This product can be purchased from Amazon or at www.lifelinefitness.com

Cross-Core 180 – if you want the Cadillac of Suspension Trainers this is probably your pick!     By far the most versatile in the category, virtually indestructible, and most importantly allow a unique rotation anchor system that provides an adjustable level of extra instability and movement that can take your workouts to a whole new level.    The handle and adjustment systems are also the best and allow many more types of exercises than any other product in this category.    At $249.95 on Amazon its not cheap but you do get what you pay for here!    Also available at  https://crosscore.com/

How to Handle Holiday Stress

Although the holidays are a fun time of year they are also a very stressful time of year!   45 percent of Americans say they would prefer skipping the entire season because of financial pressure.     Most Americans feel that the stress really starts to build around December 13^th, grows worse through the 18^th and peaks on Christmas Day.

This holiday stress can be highly detrimental to your health, and it is sad but true that many take their lives during this season.    The physiological impact of this stress manifests as increased cortisol which boosts blood sugar levels, helps drive weight gain, and breaks down muscle.

Here are some tried and true ways to combat the holiday stress syndrome:

Get your workouts in!  Now is NOT the time to skip workouts – even a short one can have an immediate and lasting effect in reducing your mental and physiological stress response.    A quick high intensity workout - just three 20 second sprints with one – four minutes of active recovery – is proven to help maintain fitness and immediately improve mood while lowering blood pressure, mental stress and appetite.

Get your Sleep!   Easier said than done, but focusing on when you eat, go to bed and wake up can keep your body in a good rhythm.      A simple way to do this is get up and go to bed at the same time every single day regardless of the day of the week – do NOT change your schedule on weekends.  

Keep your food and beverage intake (except for water) within a 12-hour window so that you are NOT eating or drinking anything (except for water) for 12 hours each night.   For example, if you wake up at 6am and drink a cup of coffee at 7am (the clock has started at 7am).   That means you want to take in your last food or beverage no later than 7pm.     

      So, if you know you are going to go out to parties try to take in your first non water food or beverage at 8am to give you until 8pm to finish all food and beverage intake.   By keeping your sleep/wake cycle consistent along with your eating and not-eating schedule you allow your body to recover better

When going to parties start early and leave early or just start drinking water and nothing else once you hit the end of your 12 hour window.

Food intake along with sunlight and dark are key tools to set your body's circadian rhythm which is critical for minimizing the impact of stress and enhancing recovery.

 Set an alcohol budget – and switch to water after you hit it.     Doing this along with scheduling your wake/sleep cycle and food intake cycle can prevent a lot of issues while allowing you to have a great time!

Do not overbook yourself or your family – plan on downtime and keep it simple.     Less is often more in life the holidays are no exception!