Give Back By Giving To Yourself

I recently read a story where a rabbi was quoted as suggesting that by giving an EXTRA ONE percent of daily effort, one could self-improve 365% by years’ end!  Everyone defines success differently, but fulfillment is almost always a primary component.  With the goal of giving one extra percent of effort a day towards our own personal success, we can ensure that we are keeping our eye on the ball and maintaining our commitment to leading a fulfilling life, not just a life that’s full.

The same rabbi also said, “People who are fortunate enough to have a partner who loves them, kids who idolize them, and friends who support them, MUST take this one percent for themselves.”  In essence, there are two forms of giving: giving of thyself and giving to oneself.

Ever notice that you are generally in a better mood on the days you workout?  That you sleep better?  That you are more fun to be around?  When you give to yourself, you nurture yourself, which in turns rejuvenates your soul and enables you to have more to give.  In the end, rather than feeling completely tapped and depleted, you will feel good about yourself AND good about all you were able to do for others.  You give, you get.

Think of it this way; if you only succeed in giving the extra 1% a day, for a third of the year, you will still be approximately 100% better off.  Think of the benefit of that 100% if it’s split between all the things that matter to you. All of a sudden, you are a better spouse, mother, friend etc… You will then be setting an example for those around you to follow the same principles and in effect, giving them the same gift that you allowed yourself to receive.

Having never really considered the origins of these holidays, it was recently brought to my attention that most are related to the celebration of light during the dark days of winter, so on that note, on behalf of all of us at FIT, we are thankful to the light that you bring to our days and wish you and your family a happy, healthy new year.

Not all Fruits are equal…

List of the best fruits, due to their high anti-oxidant value and low glycemic value, assuming they are locally grown (wild if possible) and organic.

1. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries
2. cherries
3. prunes
4. apples
5. peaches
6. pears
7. figs
8. grapefruit
9. kiwis
10. apricots

Biomechanical Squatting Forces

Loren Chiu
Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Laboratory
Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy
University of Southern California

“My Dr said squats are bad for your knees”

“Don’t squat below 90 degrees”

“Don’t let your knees go past your toes”

In general, as the angle of the shank [shin] moves away from vertical (into dorsiflexion), the moment arm of the vertical forces increases,increasing the net torque at the knee. Similarly, as the angle of the femur moves away from vertical, the moment arm of the vertical forces increases, increasing the net torque at the hip. Interestingly, an increase in extensor torque at the knee will decrease the required extensor torque at the hip, thus for motions requiring combined hip and knee extension, there is a trade-off, where one is relatively large and the other relatively less.

I disagree, however, that the movement of the shank away from vertical is dangerous and/or leads to patellofemoral injury. The incidence of long-term knee pain in retired weightlifter’s is no greater than that for the rest of the population (Granhed et al.). It seems common that when we talk about a joint, an increase in force or torque is assumed to correlate with an increased risk or danger. This is common among medical professionals, physical therapists, athletic trainers, etc. who are educated to prevent injury. Strength and conditioning coaches, on the other hand, are educated to enhance performance, thus an increased force or torque would be associated with greater strength (or the potential to develop greater strength).

Both views are correct to some extent, but an increased force or torque is only dangerous if it exceeds the compressive (bone, cartilage, menisci) or tensile (muscle, tendon, ligament) threshold of the tissues involved. Thus, we cannot assume that because the high-bar back squat, or front squat performed below parallel with the shank moving anteriorly
increases the net torque at the knee, that this will lead to injury.

In comparing weightlifters to powerlifters, we have to consider more than just the exercises (high vs. low bar squat, front squats, etc.), but also the volume, load and frequency of training. Anecdotally, the most common knee complaints in weightlifters are quadriceps or patellar tendinitis, which are overuse injuries. Powerlifters tend to squat no more than 2 days per week, whereas weightlifters will squat 3-4 days a
week (outside North America, up to 6 days a week), as well as perform full squat snatches and squat cleans, resulting in squatting motions performed 5-6 days per week. The volume tends to be higher, although the load is lower in weightlifters, but the combination of volume and frequency are more likely suspects for knee complaints in weightlifters than their choice of exercise.

“When discussing injury risk and dangers of exercises, a simple kinematic and kinetic analysis is not sufficient to tell the whole story. Truly, to be accurate, one must also look at the biomechanics of soft tissues and their adaptations to training stress. There is no evidence that when performed properly, high bar back squats or front squats, performed below parallel, with the shank moving anterior to the toes have an inherent capacity to cause injury, particularly when volume, load and frequency are appropriate for the level of the trainee.”  Loren Chiu

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Eat this way…..

Before attempting to increase insulin sensitivity, try to focus first on normalizing your insulin ebb and flow by strictly following the suggestions below…..

For one week, eat only meats (of all kinds), lots of fibrous vegetables, and some citrus  fruits, berries, and nuts. Do not  worry about counting calories during this period. Just get your body  to readjust to utilizing carbohydrates from vegetables and fruits,  instead of fast carbohydrates from grain-based (processed) and root-based sources.
Eat:
– Meats (better if not processed — real meats slow gastric emptying)
– Whole Eggs
– Lots of fibrous vegetables, a good variety
– Some citrus fruits
– Berries
– Nuts
Next week  focus on enhancing insulin sensitivity via short (18-24hour) , intermitent (1-2x/week) periods of not eating (IF). This will begin to help your body to rely on fat as an energy source rather than glucose.

Also,  remember: just like drug or alcohol rehabilitation, dietary rehabilitation requires conscious work and effort at the beginning. It  will slowly get better with the return of metabolic and hormonal health.

 

To be continued……

The Incredible Flying Nonagenarian

If you have 5 extra minutes and you care about your health, read this  article from the ny times magazine.  It gives us a glimpse into the “what if’s” in relation to training through out the lifespan.  Very interesting points made on keeping the intensity up, even into our 90’s…

If you only have 30 seconds, take a look at this video.

Random Keys to Healthy & FITness

• LEARN ABOUT INSULIN
• SPRINKLE ON SOME INTENSITY
• BE CONSISTENT AND REALISTIC
• LISTEN & ADJUST (TO YOUR BODY)
• GUILT FREE IS THE KEY
• WORK OUT SMART AND HARD
• KNOW WHEN TO REST
• EAT LESS
• SMILE MORE

Warming Up…

Why warm up?

“The purpose of a warm up is to familiarize the muscles with movement patterns, help prevent injuries and also increase; blood flow, heart rate,  internal muscular temperature, respiration rate & ease of joint movement (Baechle & Earle, 2000).”

Here at FIT we practice a GENERAL warm up, followed by a SPECIFIC & ACTIVE warm up that focuses on movement patterns and skill development.