Time-out

When working out in the gym most people will do more than one exercise. And usually they will do more than one set of each exercise. That begs the question “How long should I rest between sets/exercises?” After all, if you had no rest then doing 3 sets of 10 reps would be the same as doing one set of 30 reps. How much of a difference does it make to take rest between sets, and how much rest should you take? The answer to those is “A lot” and “it depends”. 

When training in the gym we are looking to make specific changes to the muscles being worked. Weight to lift, speed of lifting and rest periods will be different depending on whether the goal is to get stronger, bigger or more stable. Rest period is one often overlooked factor in this equation.

The purpose of rest between sets is to allow the muscles being worked to recover sufficiently to allow you to perform the required number of sets at the specified intensity. But more than this the rest period will influence the hormonal changes taking place in the muscles to deliver the effect the program is trying to achieve. If the rest was simply here to give your muscles a break to recover you would think that taking half an hour off between sets would allow you to lift more weight. True, it would, but because the hormonal balance within the muscles cells would not be affected in the same way you wouldn’t see the same results as having a rest period of say 1min. 

The same holds true for endurance training. During an interval workout the length of the recovery period completely shapes the nature of the session and dictates how fast you can run each interval and how many of them you can do.

Determining the appropriate rest period for the targeted training response is an essential part of any program design. If it is not included in a program you are following make sure you ask the question of how long you should rest!

Stretching - be flexible in your thinking

Many of our clients when we ask them if they stretch get a guilty look in their eyes and mumble something like “I know I should but …”. There seems to be a misconception in the world that stretching is essential for everyone. This is simply not true. Stretching is there to make muscles that are too short longer. For some people who are genetically tight this will be very important to allow their bodies to go through a full range of motion, maintain good posture and avoid injuries. For others that are genetically very flexible there is no advantage in doing lots of stretching and it may actually be detrimental by de-stabilizing joints and leading to reduced performance and injuries. 

Most people fall somewhere between the two extremes. And for most people only some muscles will be tight. This is usually a function of our sport, working life and other habits we have got into. So, for most people you only want to stretch the muscles that are tight and not the ones that are of the right length or loose already. This ensures that you make the greatest improvements in your posture, have the flexibility required for your sport, avoid injuries and you spend less overall time stretching than if you were to stretch everything! 

When we start working with any client for exercise we take a postural & biomechanics assessment that can take up to 2 hours. During this we measure your flexibility, your posture and your spinal curves and movements, amongst other things. So, we can develop a detailed stretching plan that targets only the muscles you need, plus we show you exactly how to stretch those muscles effectively. We also offer a stretching analysis which includes only the flexibility assessment portion of the full postural & biomechanics and gives you a full-body stretching program. 

So, if you are wondering if the stretches you are doing (or not doing) are the right ones for your body give us a call and we can find out.

Growing Pains

Picture this, you start a new weights program full of enthusiasm. You can picture the fantastic new body you will have. For 2 weeks you work hard, you sweat, you ache all over and you look forward to that new body that is just around the corner. And then you look in the mirror again, stand on the scales again, and nothing has changed. Has all the hard work been for nothing? 

This is a story we hear from many of our clients. They star an exercise routine with the best of intentions, even enthusiasm, but when their body is tired from the training and there is no difference to see they lose heart. This is not due to a lack of effort on their part, most people work extremely hard in the gym. Often it is from doing the wrong exercises or dong things at the wrong intensity, but there is always the element of expectation as well.

When starting any exercise program you need to have an idea of what you are expecting to change and in what timescale if you want to judge if that exercise program is doing its job. If your goal is muscle growth/toning then you need to give the body enough time for the tissue to actually grow. This takes 8-12 weeks. 8-12 weeks of consistent training providing stimulus to the same tissues with a progressive overload. That is simply how long it takes for muscles to grow.

That is not to say you won’t see benefits before this. Improvements in flexibility, posture, strength, coordination, balance and abdominal function can all happen faster as they don’t rely on muscle growth. So, after 2-3 weeks of training consistently you should start to see a few benefits in terms of feeling better and performing better. You may be able to lift slightly heavier weights than when you started, you may find that your hamstrings are not quite as tight as they were before or you may notice that your shoulders are a little further back when you stand up. All these little things can make a big difference, but the muscle growth will take longer. 

The moral of the story is that if you want to make long-lasting changes in your body you need the consistency of training over an extended period. Working hard for 2 weeks and then taking a week off will not get the results. And changing your workout at every session won’t get results either. But if you stick to a well designed program and perform the exercises consistently and at the right intensity your body will adapt and you will reach your goals, and possibly a few more besides.

Forward Head Carriage

You may have heard the term Forward Head Carriage thrown around, but what does it mean? When you have good posture, when standing up straight, the center of your ear should be directly above the center of your shoulder. It is common for people’s head to drift forward from this position, that is referred to as Forward Head Carriage. 

This type of posture happens when the muscles in the neck get tight, pulling the head forwards, or the upper back has an increased curve. It is caused by long hours spent sitting, especially when in a fixed position looking in front of you, such as working at a desk or driving. Other slouching positions also contribute, such as sitting in a deep comfy sofa whilst playing video games. As the muscles that pull the head forwards are used to assist breathing when you need extra air in your lungs, doing endurance sports such as running or cycling also tends to bring the head forward. So, if you are a triathlete who works in an office and likes to relax in front of the PS3 you can see that you have a lot of lifestyle factors contributing to Forward Head Carriage.

The big question though is why should you care? For each inch the head is forward from its ideal position it is like the muscles in your neck and upper back need to support the weight of the head again. It is not uncommon for us to see a Forward Head Carriage of 3 inches, that places a lot of strain on the neck and upper back, causing tension around your neck and shoulders that can lead to headaches, aching shoulders, restriction of movement, reduced lung capacity, expending more energy than you have to and an attractive hunchback posture. 

The posture is quite straightforward to correct with stretches and exercises that you can do at home. Many clients feel relief from the aching shoulders and headaches in a matter of days of consistent stretching! If you spend a lot of time working at a desk or in the car then these simple stretches can help you avoid falling into bad posture and can help you keep a clear head.

If you would like to see how your Forward Head Carriage is getting on, or are ready to do something about it please give us a call and we can help you get your head on straight again!

Guinea Pig Workout Week 8 - by Carrie Adamson

I just finished my last build week before my race on April 18th. What I am lifting now I don’t think I would have even considered I could have seven weeks ago. Don’t get me wrong, my workouts are tough and by no means easy but the weights feel natural and like I am getting a good workout, but I am still able to walk and lift my arms while getting results. Each day had a music theme to match the days I worked out: Metallica, White Snake, Freddy Mercury. Is it possible Alan loves his job too much? Nah, don’t think so. I am still hoping I have enough time to learn my party trick before my training ends. Both my weight lifting and running program Corina developed have me in a recovery/taper phase from here on out to stay strong and fresh for Boston, but not leave me exhausted. 

I have recovered from my minor niggles and sore bits of the last couple weeks and was able to run my long run of 24.4 injury free. After my long runs I have gotten soft tissue work to work out the trouble spots, but this time it went by too fast because I wasn’t hurt. I almost want to hurt myself so I can get more massage. No, I am just kidding I don’t want to be hurt before my biggest race. This was the first time I had Corina work on me and she didn’t have to be the mean one. In a couple of my past massages Alan has called her in to work on the sore areas making me grimace while he continued with the general muscle therapy. During my massage Corina did tell me they were working on changing up my last couple weeks to add some bounce to my runs. Both are excellent masseurs so booking with either would do your body good.

Guinea Pig Workout Weeks 6 & 7 - by Carrie Adamson

Sometimes life just takes over. I apologize to anyone who has been following me that I haven’t written a summary for a couple weeks. Like so many others I have other commitments and trying to juggle all of them can be tiring. Like others I am tired, get headaches, or just don’t want to get out and go. You have to want it, always remember the feeling that you get when you’re done and want it. Training, not just exercising is almost like a second full time job. I run six days a week, workout with Alan and Corina three times, so that makes for three days of double workouts. Each one is at least an hour. But it is a commitment I made and put priority on to make it at the top of the list. It competes with other things I do in my life, but I am determined to do it all. So here is what has happened in my training the last two weeks. 

My build weeks came back with a vengeance. Like Alan and Corina said after my recovery week my body did feel light, refreshed, stronger. But one day back at full speed in the studio and I was feeling the burn for sure. My second build session started with two legs days and one upper body. Any exercise that used weights had them increased. My second build week was on arms and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to make it through. Along with the weight increases I was pretty beat up from my running workouts and not getting as much sleep as I should from being out. I feel like a struggled a bit on my upper body days and there were times in my head I was telling myself I wanted to be done, not finish my sets. So hearing Alan behind me pushing me on to get through makes the biggest difference. I am getting down to the wire, only four weeks to go until my race, so making sure I get the rest and sleep I need is just as important as my running and weight training. 

I am starting so feel some aches and pains from the training. Alan calls them something different, but with his accent I can’t quite tell what the word is. I think it starts with the letter n? My soft tissue recovery work has been a welcomed treat at the end of my weeks. For the first time two weeks ago I was tag teamed by Alan and Corina during my massage, both working on my legs at the same time. Alan worked on both my legs and let Corina be the mean one and really work out the trouble spots making me grimace for the last half. Last week I was still having some trouble in my hamstring, or what I think is my hamstring and Alan taped it up with Rock Tape. This tape felt like it was a gentle stretch, a massage for the few days I kept the tape on. It is almost like a battle scar. I got asked several times what it was and I got to explain it making it seem like I am a trooper for battling through the pain. A cool feeling to have, knowing I am still able to work out and getting the attention my pains are getting taken care of before they become injuries. Just like sleep and rest, listening to your body for the aches and getting them treated is just as important. 

My life has kept me busy, two full time jobs – the one that pays the bills and training for the Boston Marathon plus spending much needed time with my boyfriend, family and friends. I am happy to do it all and hope that I have the right balance of it all. Back to the grind.

Guinea Pig Workout Week 5 - by Carrie Adamson

Recovery weeks fly by. Last week was the first opportunity that allowed my body to rest and I wasn’t on a build week in my gym training and running schedule. I almost wish it could have lasted longer. When you hear the words recovery week you may think, “oh yay! I get a week off from training.” But that is not the case. My workouts were shorter, but the intensity was still there. In some of my exercises I even increased the weights. In my previous weeks I have been doing four sets of all exercises, but this week I only had to do two, but that doesn’t mean it was easier. I still worked my muscles, but I just didn’t get them to that complete fatigue point where I am cursing Alan and Corina under my breath when I try to pick up a glass or get out of my chair. They told me by the end of the week I would feel rested and sure enough I did. My body wasn’t tired and I didn’t feel beat up. It will be a few more weeks before I get another recovery week and it will be a welcome break I am sure, but I will still work as hard as I do on my build weeks.

I got what I think was a compliment from Alan this week. On Monday he was saying that I am a good client. I come in and do my workouts and don’t complain, make excuses, or try to use less weight or do less sets. I am the guinea pig, but sometimes when he clients who are paying to get results they do not come in and work as hard. The way I see it, even if I wasn’t the guinea pig and especially if I was a paying client, I’d want to come in and put all my effort into my workouts. Working out with educated trainers is a benefit that I want to get the full experience from and I don’t want to cheat myself out of my time or potential.

Next week is back to a build week for both weights and running. I am only six weeks away from running the Boston Marathon, my ultimate fitness test. I will begin making modifications to my diet to supplement my exercise program. I have three tough gym days ahead of me so I am definitely looking forward to that recovery massage on Saturday after my long run.