This a post from Eric Brandom, one of the trainers in the MyFitFinder network. Eric is a NSCA certified strength and conditioning coach who regularly competes in strength competitions.
The three most important and effective exercises in any successful workout program are the Squat, the Deadlift and the Press. The “Big Three” will help you increase strength and through this, lose fat and become a better athlete. These exercises are entirely functional as they will assist you in everything from bringing the groceries in the house and moving furniture to saving your family from a burning building. The importance of these exercises and their variations cannot be overemphasized. Unfortunately, many people execute these movements incorrectly which causes injury, which in turn, causes many people, doctors included, to recommend that gym-goers not perform these exercises at all let alone with weight. I, on the other hand, would recommend that these exercises be performed weekly and even daily to make significant gains in strength to assist with all other fitness endeavors. As an elite athlete or a grandmother you should test your one rep maximum, your three rep max and your five rep max. Testing and re-testing is the name of the game when it comes to making improvements in your health. However, because these exercises have caused injury please seek counsel from a qualified personal trainer or coach that can guide you through the proper progressions and refine your technique throughout the work out so that you can keep working out for longer to ensure success in the gym. Afterall, you can’t get in good shape if you don’t go and you can’t go if you’re injured and won’t go if you’re not making the progress that you desire. Exercise is, you should note, completely personal and your effort in and out of the gym are complete determinants of how well you do and how fit you can become.
Below, I will attempt to take you through the technique and applications of the “Big Three” so that you have an idea as to what you are doing when you get to the gym. But remember, please seek advice from a personal trainer to better execute these movements. With their help you will avoid injury, gain strength, lose fat and become a better athlete, mother or employee.
Squat
Practice makes perfect and before ever adding weight to any of these exercises please practice the moves unweighted. I would recommend practicing the squat with nothing on your back at first. Keeping the weight on your heels, slowly lower yourself, keeping a tight posture and good lumbar curve until the hip crease is lower than the patella. Look out for what could be described as a “butt wink.” Anything less than this depth is not considered a full squat and the movement becomes null and void without full Range of Motion from herein known simply as ROM. Once proper depth has been obtained, past parallel, drive your heels through the ground using your quadriceps to push your legs to extension and your hamstrings to bring the hips to vertical and neutral. This last point is very important and is, in many cases, a piece of misinformation. Many “experts” will call the squat a quad exercise, but it is not, it is a total body exercise. You will use you quads, hamstrings, calves, lower back, shoulders and your abdominals to bring the weight down and up and to support the spine, especially as you get under a loaded barbell. As you become comfortable with “Air Squats,” remembering to keep your entire foot on the ground the whole time, keeping your spine tight and you head in a neutral position you may move onto light weight squats. Place the bar on your back so that as you lower yourself to below parallel the bar travels in a straight line. As you become more and more capable of performing this movement continue adding weight so long as proper technique is maintained at all times.
A fool proof work out that has never failed is 5x5. That is five sets of five reps. The weight should be set high enough so that no more than five reps can be performed. Rest 3-5 minutes between sets and continue on with the work out.
TO BE CONTINUED....
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Saturday, May 30, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
How much water should I drink?
Water intake is a very interesting and complex topic in regards to overall health and fitness. I’m sure everyone has heard the standard 8 x 8 rule, you drink eight 8 ounce glasses of water. As I’ve always conveyed this to my clients, I find this hard to be a definitive rule, how can the daily intake requirement of a 100 lb female be the same as a 300 lb male? After researching the topic, there seems to be no concrete consensus of the right answer. But there are some facts we need to go through.
Water is essential for many different functions in the body from temperature regulation to disposal of toxins. It is also essential for muscle contraction. So if we are exercising it would be safe to assume we would need more water than if we were sedentary. If our main goal is weight loss you should also be advised, the body has a tendency to compensate for a lack of water intake by retaining as much as possible. Sounds crazy, but if you drink an adequate amount of water your body will not feel the need to hold it in the case of an emergency.
From the mayoclinic.com there are 3 views on the subject; the replacement approach, 8 x 8, and dietary recommendations. The replacement approach breaks down the output of water for the average adult between urine, breathing, sweating etc. Without going into too much detail this shows the average person should take in 2 liters (just over ½ gallon) of water. 8 x 8 comes out to 1.9 liters per day or ½ a gallon, these are pretty consistent. The dietary recommendation comes from The Institute of Medicine, it advises men drink 3 liters (just over ¾ of a gallon) and women 2.2. Not much of an explanation as to the difference, my guess is the average weight of a man is higher than that of a woman.
On the other hand one must also be careful not to take in an excess of water. This can lead to hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is a low concentration of sodium in your blood. Normally it is difficult to intake enough fluid to cause this condition, however I feel it’s necessary for everyone to be aware of. Again from mayoclinic.com symptoms you must watch out for are; nausea and vomiting, headache, confusion, lethargy, fatigue, appetite loss, restlessness and irritability, muscle weakness, spasms and cramps. In extreme cases it can lead to seizures, decreased consciousness or even a coma. It’s also important to note, this is not only caused from excess water intake, but inadequate sodium intake can be a factor. Remember since this is comes from the percentage of sodium to water, low sodium intake should then reduce your water requirement.
Sadly I know many of you are looking for a concrete answer that I can’t seem to find. I’ve always recommended my clients get to at least 8 glasses of 8 ounces, this may be a conservative recommendation. Since we are exercises and losing more water than a sedentary person, we could be consuming slightly more. I believe it’s safe to say you can consume ¾ of a gallon or 12 cups when engaging in physical activity. I certainly wouldn’t recommend any more than a gallon. Be aware of the previously mentioned symptoms of hyponatremia. If you begin to notice them, scale back your water consumption. Simply put start with the 8 x 8 and gauge how you feel. Increase slightly on days when you are exercising.
http://MyFitFinder.com
Water is essential for many different functions in the body from temperature regulation to disposal of toxins. It is also essential for muscle contraction. So if we are exercising it would be safe to assume we would need more water than if we were sedentary. If our main goal is weight loss you should also be advised, the body has a tendency to compensate for a lack of water intake by retaining as much as possible. Sounds crazy, but if you drink an adequate amount of water your body will not feel the need to hold it in the case of an emergency.
From the mayoclinic.com there are 3 views on the subject; the replacement approach, 8 x 8, and dietary recommendations. The replacement approach breaks down the output of water for the average adult between urine, breathing, sweating etc. Without going into too much detail this shows the average person should take in 2 liters (just over ½ gallon) of water. 8 x 8 comes out to 1.9 liters per day or ½ a gallon, these are pretty consistent. The dietary recommendation comes from The Institute of Medicine, it advises men drink 3 liters (just over ¾ of a gallon) and women 2.2. Not much of an explanation as to the difference, my guess is the average weight of a man is higher than that of a woman.
On the other hand one must also be careful not to take in an excess of water. This can lead to hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is a low concentration of sodium in your blood. Normally it is difficult to intake enough fluid to cause this condition, however I feel it’s necessary for everyone to be aware of. Again from mayoclinic.com symptoms you must watch out for are; nausea and vomiting, headache, confusion, lethargy, fatigue, appetite loss, restlessness and irritability, muscle weakness, spasms and cramps. In extreme cases it can lead to seizures, decreased consciousness or even a coma. It’s also important to note, this is not only caused from excess water intake, but inadequate sodium intake can be a factor. Remember since this is comes from the percentage of sodium to water, low sodium intake should then reduce your water requirement.
Sadly I know many of you are looking for a concrete answer that I can’t seem to find. I’ve always recommended my clients get to at least 8 glasses of 8 ounces, this may be a conservative recommendation. Since we are exercises and losing more water than a sedentary person, we could be consuming slightly more. I believe it’s safe to say you can consume ¾ of a gallon or 12 cups when engaging in physical activity. I certainly wouldn’t recommend any more than a gallon. Be aware of the previously mentioned symptoms of hyponatremia. If you begin to notice them, scale back your water consumption. Simply put start with the 8 x 8 and gauge how you feel. Increase slightly on days when you are exercising.
http://MyFitFinder.com
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