Joachim's Training Blog

Yoga Bears it All

2012-01-25T15:40:00.000-08:00

Yoga has been getting some bad press lately:

NYT article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body.html?pagewanted=all

NY Magazine article:

http://nymag.com/fitness/features/david-regelin-yoga-2012-1/

Over the years I have participated in a smattering of Yoga classes and individual lessons. That being said, I'm not a Yoga aficionado in any way (I'm not even that good!). However I believe that my biomechanics and exercise science expertise can objectively help me evaluate Yoga. There are some fantastic benefits of Yoga.

This ancient practice, when done correctly, can have a profound effect on the psyche and soma. It has been scientifically documented to have a positive benefit on one’s health by improving the cardiovascular system, breathing, meditation skills, muscular endurance and joint mobility. I think Yoga can play an integral part in one’s fitness endeavors as a good cross training tool. Like most things, too much of any one thing is not good. Depending on your health and fitness goals, Yoga may be appropriate for you but it is not for everyone.

Due to its resurgence in popularity and the many fly-by-night certifications available, a considerable amount of Yoga teachers are just plain bad and at worst, unsafe. I can hang a sign out my door and teach “Joachim’s Amazing Really Hard Chakra Aligning Yoga Class” and nobody can stop me. No one unifying body certifies or licenses these teachers (or trainers for that matter). As a fitness professional, I am keenly aware my instruction can cause injury, pain and/or in rare cases disfigurement (never happened). I am constantly weighing the cost and benefit of every exercise I prescribe against the intended goal. It is always easiest to control for problems when working individually with your teacher. In a classroom setting the potential for harm is increased exponentially.

Here are some quick rules to abide by when doing Yoga:

1- Find out your teacher’s background and know what it means

2- Take a few individual lessons before you jump into a class

3- Stay away from Bikram Yoga - can cause:

-dehydration

-heat stroke

-tears of your soft tissue (heat facilitates flexibility and will allow your body to stretch past their healthy resting point)

-nausea /dizziness

4- Stay away from headstands (unless you are training to be a gymnast or circus performer)

-can contribute to glaucoma symptoms

-been shown to cause herniated cervical discs

5- Stay away from the Plow(if you don't know what it is, chances are you haven't done it)

-can contribute to neck pain and possible herniation

-can contribute to lower back pain

6- If it hurts don’t do it! Duh.

7- Don’t try to show off (if you are anything like me, that rarely ends well!)

8- Use the time to learn how to breathe and mediate correctly - we can all benefit from that!

9- Don’t stretch past the point of what you can control

10- Integrate another form of exercise in your routine (weight training, running, mountain climbing, biking etc).

Human-Powered River Gymnasiums for New York

2011-07-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

Human-Powered River Gymnasiums for New York

The motion starved environments we live in are the antithesis of our being. Perhaps the most primal of all human function is locomotion. We need to move more!

Our concept encapsulates a new typology for the contemporary urban gym. It is intended to challenge our innate proprioceptive and multi-planer locomotive abilities while synchronously altering the surroundings. The River Gym will fulfill one of the major contemporary fitness goals of “functional training”. This training protocol will exploit the inherent disequilibrium of floatation devices. Often the average urbanite exercising at the gym performs controlled repetitive single plane movements using industrial fitness equipment. All of this energy is summarily dissipated and ultimately exhausted for the sake of a single individual’s wellbeing. Other potentials exist to harness this vast human expenditure of caloric energy. Why not have the simple transfer of this workout vigor supply New York with needed supplemental transport and amenities? How can we extend and capitalize on this untapped group potential? Into what form will this new kind of gym evolve?

By continuing to provide vital health amenities, the River Gym can leave the realm of the glass box and become a useful multi-planar kinetic space. Envision your gym becoming a machine of human propulsion that helps purify water, provide spectacular views, and transport less-motivated citizens. Why should gym members be forced to stare restlessly at a mirror, television, or static streetscape when their entire body is active? Imagine this new fitness center as a series of many soft floating micro-islands revolving on a fifteen minute river loop with an exquisite ever-changing panoramic view. Each River Gym vessel varies in size and critical mass population. Therefore some vessels will need only a few members to boost the craft on its predetermined computer navigated loop. Other larger floating units would require a superior sustaining population of club members and would only be used during peak hours.

These River Gyms would travel circuitously along the Hudson and East Rivers. Fitted with onboard purification devices, they would help mitigate water pollution. Equally as significant, they would ease the transportation burdens on various ferry lines and carry volunteering commuters in tow. The benefit of extra passengers increases the vessels’ mass and amplifies the intensity of the exercise. Along the edges of each river body a modest docking facility would serve members as a point of departure with lockers, a reception desk, health food kiosks, etc. The idea is that you can easily access your River Gym vessel to travel to and from multiple points in the city.

The notion of transforming wasted human mechanical energy into a useful kinetic gymnasium is unique. The multiple benefits of increased transportation, water purification, caloric energy expenditure, and superior changing views is invigorating. Our proposal is intended to redefine the urban gym in a cost effective and environmentally friendly manner. This is the kind of munificent vision for which the great city of New York is renowned.

Entry for New York Magazine, Original Gym Concept Competition WINNER:

To Be Barefoot, or Not?

2011-06-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

Why kick off your shoes and run/walk barefoot?

Humans have been running/walking barefoot (and in minimal footwear) for about two million years. It is our natural state. Our feet evolved to function without footwear. Shoes often abuse our poor misaligned, claustrophobic feet. It is almost hard to believe we treat the foot, which literally unites us to the earth, so badly. I admit, some of us go through lots of hoops drawing attention to our feet. With pretty pedicures, high-end heels (4 inch Christian Louboutins) and trendy sneakers that cost over $500 (think Prada) our feet would, on the surface, seem pampered. Not the case by a long shot, so say I. We jam shoes on our children the minute after they take their first steps. From that point on, we barely take them off until the day we die (and some of us are even buried with shoes!).

Ever try to put a shoe on a baby or the even family dog? They can hardly remove the offending shoe or booty fast enough. It is actually quite funny and frustrating to watch. It is an instinct to be barefoot. Until about age 10, most children still have soft, malleable feet. Not to mention they are getting larger all the time and literally pushing up through the seams. Kids’ feet are not just smaller versions of ours; they tend to be wider across the toes and mostly cartilage (which is gradually replaced by bone). Children’s footwear is modeled to be smaller versions of adult ones. Most shoe companies design shoes with pre-defined shapes and overlook the natural architecture of the human foot. This is especially true when it comes to shoes for kids. Rigid and malformed shoes directly effect how a child’s foot bones and arch will shape. Our toes are supposed to be spread out, almost in a “v” shape. Instead most of us have crunched and smooshed in feet with little or no independent control of our toes. Our feet become the shape of the shoes we wear.

For a variety of reasons, sneaker companies are always convincing us to buy snug fitting shoes for our toddlers (and us). A growing child’s foot will get all of its developmental requirements satisfied by simply playing, jumping and running without shoes.

Udaya B. Rao, Benjamin Joseph, (1992) “The influence of footwear on the prevalence of flat foot: A survey of 2,300 children”, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol. 74‚ No. 4. pages 525-527.

Findings: An Elevated heel of any height on a child’s shoe shortens the Achilles tendon. This marks the beginning of permanent tendon shortening. Flat foot was most common in children who wore closed-toe shoes, less common in those who wore sandals or slippers, and least in the unshod. The study suggest that shoe-wearing in early childhood is detrimental to the development of a normal longitudinal arch.

Dr William A Rossi, (2002) “Children’s Footwear: Launching Site for Adult Foot Ills”, Podiatry Management, pages 83-100.

Findings: Slimmer and more flexible children’s shoes do not change foot motion as much as conventional shoes and therefore should generally be recommended for healthy children.

When my son isn't running around barefoot, he rocks a pair of pink or aqua blue VIVOBAREFOOT shoes. He also wears "zero drop" sandals like Huraraches or scuba socks. In looking for shoes it is important to find a pair that has no heel, thin soles, lightweight and a big toe box. Let your feet feel the ground and function like they were evolved to work.

I really love this next video. It is a grainy copy of Alan Watts, an intellectual eastern philosopher from the 70's (and yes, he did like his LSD), pontificating on ideas of work and play in relation to running:

Americans do very little without shoes. Lots of people even take showers with shoes! We have been conditioned to be afraid of the dangers of being barefoot. However the majority of those fears are unfounded. To give one example, the chances of getting a bacterial and/or fungal infection is increased exponentially by wearing socks and shoes. A dark, moist, warm environment, that a shoe provides, is a perfect breeding ground for such infections. Contrary to popular belief, habitually unshod feet are rarely malodorous and/or subject to infection. Many of our foot problems can be traced back to our obsessive shoe wearing; bunions, hammer toes, plantar fasciitis etc. I believe a barefoot person’s feet will be stronger, more agile, balanced and less prone injury/infection than the shod foot.

Skilled and habitual barefoot runners will land on their forefoot first and then heel plant (except for sprinting which has no heel strike). This is how most animals run in the wild. Athletic shoes tend to compromise our gait. Wearing modern shoes influences us to run and walk in an unnatural form; landing hard on the heel, taking extra long strides, and integrating a rolling action to the toes. These movements are compromises and it is quite painful to progress this way barefoot. Its the body’s way of telling us not to do it, whereas cushioned shoes confuses and changes our whole locomotive pattern. Running can essentially be distilled into a series of one-leg jumps. Stand up, go ahead and do it....I'll wait. Find a hard surface (not carpet) and hop up and down on one leg but be sure to land directly on your heel (like you do while running in sneakers). Feels wonderful, right? Of course not! It has been shown that heel striking will increase the forces upon one’s foot and lower leg while running. Analysis show that even on hard surfaces, barefoot runners who forefoot strike generate smaller collision forces than shod heel-foot strikers.

Graphs provided by Harvard's Barefoot Lab

The modern running sneaker and walking shoe has wrecked havoc on the human foot. They have several common construction features that pose potential dangers. In my opinion these three features listed below are the most pernicious.

1- High thick heels (most sneakers have 1/2” to 2” heel above the lowest part of the foot) may lead to:

Shortened and weakened calf musculature
Excessive strain on the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon
A body weight shift forward which changes your natural upright posture
Increased impact forces -because you have to step down harder in order to feel the ground
Longer strides in front of your center of gravity which increases the shear forces on your knees, hips and ankles
Reduces the shock absorbing and elastic properties of your arches

2- Curved up narrow toe boxes (toe springs):

Toes cannot naturally splay out (a function for balance and proprioception) when you step down
Toe joints stay in an extended position which can lead to adaptive shortening
Toe dexterity is weakened
It may lead to hammer toes and/or bunions
Crowds toes which in time may cause permanent faulty alignment
Flexing motion (gripping) of the MTP joints are weakened (specifically the big toe)
Toes are meant to grip the ground. The curved “toe springs” hold your toes up preventing most gripping action
The first MTP (big toe) is restrained from doing its natural push-off and in turn causes a “roll” off the forefoot and/or pivot on the smaller MTPs.

3- Arch Support:

Prevents natural pronation
Inhibits normal function of your arch
Increases compensatory patterns, which may weaken the foot and knee
Increases your chances of spraining an ankle

Since the advent of the modern running shoe in 1972 (Nike) we have not seen injuries rates go down, in fact some studies have shown they have gone up. Yet somehow sneaker companies have been spending billions of dollars on marketing, research and development to make “better shoes” (Honestly, I don’t believe in a grand conspiracy by the shoe companies to hobble society….their motives are more simple, produce shoes that turn a profit). In a paper for the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2008, researchers revealed there are no evidence-based studies that demonstrate running shoes make you less prone to injury. Not a one! In fact there are some studies that show heavily cushioned expensive footwear causes more injures than their inexpensive less cushioned counterparts! The impact on your joints while running can be several times your body weight and a heel cushion will do little to ameliorate those forces. “You can cover an egg with an oven mitt before rapping it with a hammer, but that egg ain’t coming out alive.”- Christopher McDougal author of “Born to Run”.

Steven E. Robbins and Gerard J. Gouw. "Athletic footwear: unsafe due to perceptual illusions," Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 23(2), 1991, pp. 217-224.

Findings: Wearers of expensive running shoes that are promoted as having additional features that protect (e.g., more cushioning, ‘pronation correction’) are injured significantly more frequently than runners wearing inexpensive shoes (costing less than $40)”.

S Robbins, E Waked. “Hazard of deceptive advertising of athletic footwear”. British Journal of Sports Medicine (1997);31:299-303.

Findings: Shows that runners who wear top of the line shoes are 123% more likely to get injured than runners in cheap shoes (which have less cushioning and support).

The pictogram below shows the correct way to walk barefoot. When you walk with shoes your gait changes. However you can learn to walk better in shoes by re-learning some basic skills:

According to research by Harvard professor Dr. Dan Lieberman, humans evolved into expert barefoot endurance runners out of necessity. His research makes a cogent argument for the normalcy of human barefoot running. As animals we are pitifully slow sprinters. This is how we compare:

Cheetah – 70 mph

Antelope – 61 mph

Deer – 30 mph

Cat - 30 mph

Greyhound dog – 39 mph

Horse – 55 mph

Usain Bolt – 27 mph (fastest human on record but most of us are topping out at the blistering speed of 14-17 mph)

Due to our anatomy and bipedal nature we are exceptionally capable of endurance. It is widely accepted that humans are the best long distance runners in the entire animal kingdom. Our survival as hunter-gatherers depended on our ability to outwit, chase and catch prey. Moreover there is scant evidence that shows humans used projectile weapons until fairly recently (about 50k years ago). Therefore, we most likely used our bigger brains and better endurance skills to catch prey. Persistence hunting (which seems totally insane on the surface) is the practice of running down and tracking prey, usually over long distances, to the point of the animals' total exhaustion. In some cases the animal drops dead of fatigue or submits to capture. A few tribes around the world still practice this skill. Obviously this was not our only way (or even primary way) of getting food. Lieberman’s theory shows how barefoot humans probably ran long distances to survive. The ones who were most successful hunters and least injured lived to become our ancestors.

Running barefoot is not for everyone. If you have foot abnormalities and/or dysfunctions you may not benefit from being barefoot. Perhaps you are one of the few, lucky, avid runners who are injury free? If that is the case, I wouldn’t change a thing. Stick with what works. On the other hand, if you are interested in running barefoot you will need to stick to a progression schedule and re-learn the skill. In my next post I will document the process.

Check out these three slo-mo videos of barefoot running vs. sneaker running:

I have a love affair with skepticism and contrarianism thus compelled to detail the primary arguments against barefoot running. Until more research is available, it's hard to prove sneakers are outright harmful for most people. Here are the pros and cons often discussed and observed in regards to barefoot running/walking:

Cons:

1- Just because barefoot running and walking is a “natural” part of human locomotion doesn’t mean it is good. The animal kingdom is rife with examples of animals that evolved detrimental traits. Including Homo Sapiens and our damned appendix, wisdom teeth, male nipples etc.

2- There is a lack of research showing barefoot running is less injurious than shod running. In fact some studies show that barefoot running (and heel striking) can be more deleterious.

3- Debris and sharp objects may bang up and cut your feet (this is why people wear minimal shoes).

4- My feet will get dirty and callused. I can definitely attest to this one.

5- Barefoot running hurts. (If you are taught correctly and break in slowly, it should not hurt but a little discomfort is expected).

6- It is just a fad (albeit a two million year old fad).

7- Due to deformities and or prior injuries some people will not benefit from barefoot running/walking and may in fact cause themselves further injury.

8- Habitually barefoot feet are much different looking than our pampered western feet. The foot is usually bigger, with no discernible arch, splayed toes, leathery soles and all around Hobbit-like.

Pros:

(The research on the benefits of barefoot running/walking is inconclusive yet below I list some anecdotal and scientifically observed advantages of natural barefoot running):

1- Strengthens the foot’s arch and toes

2- Helps elongate one’s calf musculature and increase the flexibility in the ankle complex

3- Improves the foot’s dexterity

4- Improves the lower leg and foot’s proprioception

5- Can help people improve their running times

6- It costs less energy (the weight of the shoe can drastically change your gait and increase your metabolic demands) and therefore may allow you to run longer

7- It helps you become more aware of your surroundings (and closer to nature) and improve the tactile feeling in your feet

8- Less bad forces put upon your lower leg and foot

9- You can spread and expand your feet more, giving greater control to the foot musculature

10- Foot ailments like bunions, hammertoes, ingrown toenails and neuromas may be prevented by living barefoot

11- Balance and coordination may be improved

12- Societies that live barefoot enjoy almost injury free running and suffer very little from common Western foot ailments (BUT, these societies tend to lack Park Avenue sports medicine doctors and podiatrists---remarkably there are very few complaints of ingrown toe nails (etc) and the medical data is even more uncommon!).

13- It is just more fun and so cool to be barefoot! (this is, of course, a peer-reviewed scientific fact :-)

In the case you are a data wonk, listed for your perusal are a few more important studies documenting the benefits of barefoot running (and yes, I could also provide you with studies depicting the advantages of athletic shoes --- but most seem to be sponsored by Nike, Reebok, Asics, etc.):

1- Robbins, S; Hanna A (1987). "Running-related injury prevention through barefoot adaptations". Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 19 (2): 148–156.

Findings: Analyzed the longitudinal (medial) arch of 17 habitually shod runners and how it changed when they trained barefoot over a period of 4 months. It was found that this arch decreased in length by an average of 4.7mm. Authors contend this change is due to activation of foot musculature when barefoot that is usually inactive when shod. They maintain that foot musculature allows the foot to dampen impact and remove stress from the plantar fascia.

2- Kerrigan, D. Casey; Franz, Jason R.; Keenan, Geoffrey S.; Dicharry, Jay; Della Croce, Ugo; Wilder, Robert P. (2009). "The Effect of Running Shoes on Lower Extremity Joint Torques". PM&R 1 (12): 1058–63.

Findings: Shows that compared to running barefoot, running in conventional running shoes increases stress on the knee joints up to 38%, although whether this leads to higher rate of heel injuries is still not clear

3- Lieberman, M Venkadesan, WA Werbel. “Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot versus shod runners”, Nature, 2010.

Findings: Kinematic and kinetic analysis show that even on hard surfaces, barefoot runners who forefoot strike generate smaller collision forces than shod rear-foot strikers. Forefoot and mid-foot-strike gaits were probably more common when humans ran barefoot or in minimal shoes, and may protect the feet and lower limbs from some of the impact-related injuries now experienced by a high percentage of runners.

4- C Divert, G Mornieux, P Freychat, “Barefoot-Shod Running Differences: Shoe or Mass Effect?” Orthopedics & Biomechanics, Int J Sports Med 2008; 29(6): 512-518.

Findings: Stride frequency, anterior-posterior impulse, vertical stiffness, leg stiffness, and mechanical work were significantly higher in barefoot condition compared to shod. Net efficiency, which has metabolic and mechanical components, decreased in the shod condition. The mechanical modifications of running showed that the main role of the shoe was to attenuate the foot-ground impact by adding damping material. However, these changes may lead to a decrease of the storage and restitution of elastic energy capacity, which could explain the lower net efficiency reported in shod running.

5- Kerrigan DC, Franz JR, Keenan GS, et al. The effect of running shoes on lower extremity joint torques. PM R. 2009;1(12):1058-1063.

Findings: Increased joint torques at the hip, knee, and ankle were observed with running shoes compared with running barefoot. Disproportionately large increases were observed in the hip internal rotation torque and in the knee flexion and knee varus torques. An average 54% increase in the hip internal rotation torque, a 36% increase in knee flexion torque, and a 38% increase in knee varus torque were measured when running in running shoes compared with barefoot.

Best Barefoot Shoes

2011-06-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

Many of you may already know I have always been interested in gait and foot anatomy. After all, once your foot hits the ground, depending on position, foot fall, arch, surface, forces etc. it will effect your entire muscular skeletal static and functional anatomy. Most shoes, depending on their shape, can negatively affect your posture and put undue stresses on your body, specifically tightening your calves and your entire posterior chain all the way up to your occiput. This is why high heels are a big culprit in headache production! There is abundant research stating that those of us who wear shoes or live in a shoe society have a lot more foot problems then those who reside in a barefoot community:

1- Shakoor N, Block JA (2006). "Walking barefoot decreases loading on the lower extremity joints in knee osteoarthritis". Arthritis Rheum. 54 (9): 2923–7. (found that shoes may increase stresses on the knee and ankle, and suggested that adults with osteoarthritis may benefit from walking barefoot).

2- Rao UB, Joseph B (1992). "The influence of footwear on the prevalence of flat foot. A survey of 2300 children". The Journal of bone and joint surgery. British volume 74 (4): 525–7 (found that children who wore shoes were three times more likely to have flat feet than those who did not, and suggested that wearing shoes in early childhood can be detrimental to the longitudinal arch of the foot).

3- Staheli LT (1991). "Shoes for children: a review". Pediatrics 88 (2): 371–5. (found that barefoot walking supported optimum foot development, and the best use of shoes are to protect the foot from injury rather than for correction of problems).

When one is barefoot it stimulates your foot's proprioception, balance, dexterity, flexibility and strength. A shoe, especially a tight one with a big heal (this includes men as most sneakers or dress shoes have at least a one inch heel) occludes your feet from feeling the environment which effectively handicaps them. Moreover, your brain wants to feel the ground beneath you and cushioned shoes make that more difficult so that when you step down you must use more force which in turn puts increased stress on your joints. Because most babies/toddlers don't wear shoes, they have 3 to 4 times the foot dexterity and relative strength compared with an adult. That flexibility, strength and dexterity diminish precipitously once they start wearing shoes. Due to the extreme flatness of most ground surfaces in our concrete world, our feet and gait are rarely challenged. This problem is compounded by wearing sensory-depriving, super-cushioned shoes (effectively dumbing down our sensory motor units). If you do not challenge the tissues of your lower leg (or any neuromuscular system of your body) on a regular basis it will not adapt and in fact will get weaker! That being said, if you have serious structural abnormalities such as leg length discrepancies or congenital skeletal conditions, orthodic aids or other interventions may be necessary. I know it is not practical or advisable to walk around NYC barefoot, yuck, but there are some alternatives. As a side note, I have a non-existent congenital arch, a few hammer toes, moderate pronation and big feet to boot. You could say my feet are not perfect. But over the last few years I have not had any pain or issues with my feet. I think this is largely due to the fact I have spending more time barefoot and been wearing barefoot shoes. There are now lots of companies making minimal shoes these days; including Nike, Reebok, Merrill, New Balance and Vibram just to name a few. I have tried all of them (except the god awful looking "Vibram 5 Fingers"). Not one of them is perfect, some have too much cushioning, a tight toe box, elevated heels, a curved shape, too much support etc. However, there is a small company called VIVOBAREFOOT that I believe makes the best "barefoot" shoe on the market. They are not perfect yet but they meet all my needs and feel the best. Here is the link:

http://www.vivobarefoot.com/us/

In case you were wondering I do not get any sort of kick back for recommending these shoes.

Eat as much fat as you want...really? Review of "Why we Get Fat" by Gary Taubes

2011-01-09T22:08:00.000-08:00

I recently read an important book called "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes. It is a follow up (and somewhat of a Cliff notes version) to his tome "Good Calorie, Bad Calorie". The author is a science writer for the NYT, Discover and Science . He has an aerospace engineering masters from Stanford and Harvard and a journalism masters from Columbia. He is not a dietitian or doctor but he has a unique ability to read, understand and objectively explain scientific studies. In his books he does not attempt to "sell" a diet (however I'm sure he wants to sell books) supplements, meal plans etc. He aims to take a skeptical look into why we believe what we have been told about nutrition. Most nutritional dogma stems from our government and/or pharmaceutical backed public health policies. His arguments are detailed (more so in "Good Calorie, Bad Calorie") and backed with a plethora of scientific evidence. The following lists some of the irrefutable scientific evidence that he presents:

1- Just thinking about eating carbohydrates (Pasta, cake, rice, ice cream etc.) raises your insulin levels and makes you hungry, or hungrier.
2- Our hormones, enzymes and growth factors regulate ALL of our fat tissue. Chronically high Insulin levels and cortisol levels will make you fat.
3- Most of the carbohydrates we eat in America were not around for 99.9% of the our 2.5 million years. Only in the last 30-40 years have these things, we call food, been in our diet.
4- Men and women fatten differently (women are more predisposed to gaining fat) due mostly to our sex hormones.
5- Fat is continuously flowing out of our fat cells and being used for fuel....and we preferentially store fat even when we are not eating more calories than we are expending.
6- Not matter what you hear, science is not clear what our ancestors, prior to the development of agriculture, ate.
7- Current hunter-gather societies get most of their calories (on average about 85%), from animal protein and fat.
8- Carbohydrate rich diets lower your HDL's (good cholesterol) which has a direct causation to heart disease and shorter life-spans.
9- High insulin levels (blood sugar) are caused by carbohydrate intake which in turn causes your body to store fat.
10- You will not store fat (of any significance) when your insulin levels are low even when you are eating fatty foods! In fact when your blood sugar is low you will liberate fat from your fat cells.

Here are some of Taubes more controversial yet thought provoking statements (which he supports with lots of relevant research). To my chagrin, he devotes a chapter to why exercise does not help people lose weight. This is a tough pill for me to swallow, although he makes some good points.....yet I'm not convinced. Although I have seen anecdotal results that by limiting cardio work, one feels less hungry and thus loses more weight than if they did lots of cardio training.

1- We do NOT get fat because we overeat. We overeat because we are getting fat. It is more than calories in, calories out.
2- We do not need ANY carbohydrates in our diet (this is a tough one for me to believe, however he provides some good evidence).
3- All exercise makes you hungry and you will replace ALL the calories your burned by eating more. (Obviously, I have some problems with this one too!)
4- Atkins style diet (not the South Beach diet) will lower your risk for heart disease, most cancers, Alzheimer's and diabetes.
5- Eat a diet that is about 3 to 1 ratio of fat to protein and a small amount of carbs, if you must.
6- Restricting calories is not a good way to lose fat in the long term.

I think this is a fascinating and accessible science book. I have read countless books on the subjects of exercise, diet, disease, and physiology. I believe, "Why We Get Fat" presents devastating arguments against the popular epidemiological studies that expound low-calorie and low-fat diets for health and weight loss. This book just might shift the pendulum (on its head) about what we know about diet, food and nutrition.

About two years ago I drastically lowered my intake of animal protein (I kept eggs and cheese around because they are sooo good!) due to the bombardment of evidence I was coming across about the dangers of meat (and the ethical concerns with the way we treat the animals we eat). So as a quasi vegetarian I am having a hard time making amends with this book and its seemingly strong arguments for a high fat, high protein low carbohydrate diet. I am not totally convinced, but the more I look into the evidence the more I am being swayed.

Adaptation Curves

2010-04-21T12:45:00.001-07:00

The human body is the most adaptable machine we know of. It typically takes anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks to adapt to a new movement pattern and/or cardiovascular machine. As an evolutionary response it is important we adapt quickly to new physical (and mental) scenarios because adaptation preserves energy (calories) thus increasing our survival rates. The better adapted you are to an exercise regime the less calories you burn. The gross neural demand of a stagnant exercise program lessens significantly over time due to your body’s efficiency at conserving energy. In some cases you might burn half the calories with the same exercise after you adapted to it! One reason you should be aware of this axiom called the SAID principle (Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands) is because once you adapt to a routine and stick to it you will lose less fat and likely hit a plateau. In order to keep your brain and muscles guessing, change your exercises, motor patterns, balance requirements, planes, speeds and rest periods. Obviously, in other parts of your life the SAID principle is advantageous. If you practice a musical instrument or sport it is pragmatic to repeat the skills and movements until they become second nature and less difficult. Once you master a skill you can continually make micro improvements while utilizing less energy as when you first learned the activity.

Food Labels are a Joke

2010-04-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

There is no governing body that regulates the words “natural”, “healthy”, “pure”, “lightly sweetened” or “world famous”….It is kind of like being in Alaska and seeing a pizza place advertise “New York City Pizza”, ya right! Unfortunately nobody is controlling these types of marketing scams. However, the government does regulate the words “organic”, “free-range”, “no antibiotics” etc. (although these claims can be dubious at best). Look for products that have ingredients you can pronounce, no added sugar and very little marketing claims on the package (a package free product would be best, like fruits, veggies, and farmer’s market foods). When buying animal protein I look for the “Animal Welfare Approved” seal or I actually talk to the farmer or go to the farm before I make my purchase.

Animal Welfare Approved (AWA is a non-profit) prohibits feedlots, cages, crates and requires animals be raised outdoors which means healthier and safer foods. This free certification is only given to independent local farmers with sustainable farming methods. That means no factory farms. I believe a healthier, happier animal makes for a better tasting and probably more beneficial product.

The FDA allows products to claim “No trans fat” when it has less than .49 g per serving. The RDA is less than 2 g/day (it should be zero grams a day because there is no discernable reason the human body needs trans fat!). So if you eat 2 servings of “Trans-fat free” product you may be actually getting half of your RDA! If the label says shortening or partially hydrogenated it contains trans fat.

A common product claim, “made with wheat” means very little. It suggests that it was made with wheat (not necessarily whole wheat grains). A “multi grain” product is simply made with more than one grain and that may not even be whole wheat! Why is this bad? When you consume wheat flour or grains without the husk and endosperm (refined wheat) your body metabolizes it just like plain sugar. For your body, there is no difference between eating 4 to 6 tablespoons of white sugar and a plain bagel. Furthermore, since these empty calories are missing most essential nutrients, scientists have discovered, that your body will be stripped mined of its minerals in order to digest these products.. It is best to buy or make food from 100% whole wheat or 100% whole grain. People who have diets high in refined carbohydrates tend to have a lower metabolism, higher insulin resistance, more abdominal fat, worse short term memory, more mood swings and increased sugar cravings. If you really don’t care and want to eat refined bread or pasta, look for the brands that have zero added sugar and a respectable amount of fiber (3-6 g/serving). Eating simple carbs with fiber and protein will slow your insulin response. Here are some examples: pasta with vegetables, toast with peanut butter, rice with beans, bread with cheese etc.

Have you ever looked at the serving size of an 8-12 oz bottled drink? It is not uncommon for these drinks to state 2 or 3 servings per container. That way companies can get away with stating a lower calorie amount on the label (albeit per serving). However when you multiply the calories with the servings you may be alarmed that, for example, an 8 oz bottle of the popular POM (pomegranate) juice is considered 2 servings for a total of 320 calories! Food manufacturers are keenly aware of American’s laziness and bet we won’t look at the food label and if we do not bother to multiply once we are there. Studies show few consumers inspect labels; most will look only at the calories and nothing more. Be a smart consumer and read and understand the labels of the food that you buy.

Slim Snacking

2010-04-21T12:43:00.001-07:00

A- Stick with good fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils because they will satiate you longer.
B- Eat lots of fiber because it will satiate you and prevent some calories from being absorbed because it binds with fat and doesn’t come into contact with the intestinal walls.
C- Drink a lot of carbonated water, hot tea, coffee and/or espresso
D- Don’t watch TV and eat
E- Stay busy –its hard to eat when you are running or playing the piano
F- Sugar begets sugar. Avoid foods that list sugar as one of the 1st three ingredients (including corn syrup, cane juice, agave, dextrose, sucrose, all fake sugars, barley malt, beet sugar, brown rice sugar, fruit juice, etc).
G- Be aware of your mental state and eat because you are hungry not bored, sad, stressed, or thirsty!
H- Don’t keep junk snacks in the house.
I- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables – nobody has ever gotten fat eating these.
J- Try to stop eating before you are full.
K- Eat slowly – put your fork/spoon down between bites.
L- Eat a colorful salad or broth based soup (not canned) daily.
M- Brush your teeth often – that minty fresh flavor will ruin the taste for most goodies!

Egg Heads!

2010-04-21T12:42:00.001-07:00

First they are in, then they are out and now they are in again, huh? What should you do? I am sure you have heard eggs are bad for you. They raise cholesterol and give you cardiovascular disease, right? Science espoused these theories at the same time they weren’t aware avocados, olive oil and pumpkin seeds were good for you (due to the discovery of good fats). We know better now. However, I still see people ordering egg whites all the time. You can’t tell me a breakfast of scrambled egg whites tastes as good as one made with whole eggs. Here is some good news about eggs: Most medical research agrees eggs are not bad for you and are in fact beneficial (but like most things, in moderation).

In a recent study, scientists discovered that by replacing carbs with whole eggs for breakfast it helped reduce blood pressure, and assisted weight loss 65% quicker. Those who ate at least 4 eggs a week had significantly lower cholesterol than the non-egg eating group. In addition, egg eaters are 50% less likely to have a b12 deficiency and 24% less likely to be deficient in vitamin A and almost 40% less likely to be deficient in vitamin E. One chicken egg only has 72 calories, almost 7 grams of protein and 0 sugar! Egg yolks are the most concentrated source of choline (it improves liver and brain function). Eggs are especially great when served with vegetables (spinach, tomatoes, asparagus etc). However a bacon egg and cheese sandwich is NOT a good option. Here’s another obvious hint: be mindful of eating eggs from your local deli or restaurant. They are likely frying them on left over bacon grease, which can significantly increase the caloric and fat content. Furthermore most restaurants are not serving organic eggs, which have far less Omega 3 fats (good) and more Omega 6 fats (not so good).

Here are 3 more reasons to reconsider eggs:

1- Eggs are one of the only foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D (the sun is also a good source).

2- Eggs contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which in studies been shown to protect against vision loss and cataracts.

3- Only a small amount of the cholesterol in food passes into the blood (an egg has 212 mg). Moreover, the only large study that looked at the impact of egg consumption on heart disease, found no connection between the two.

Danger: Stay Away

2010-01-29T16:30:00.001-08:00

Foods you should avoid; especially for breakfast:
1-Bagels - lots of calories, no fiber, low protein, converted to glucose very quickly (H&H bagel with cream cheese is over 500 cals!).
2-Pastries of any type – do I really have to say why?
3-Fast food sandwiches or really anything from a fast food market…its all crap.
4-High calorie coffee like a frappuccino – up to 500 cals!
5-Instant flavored oatmeal or kid’s cereals– breaks down to glucose very quickly, low protein and fiber
6-Smoothie made with fruit juice or ice cream –lots of calories and sugar
7-Soda or juice (without fiber) – lots of sugar
8-Anything with high fructose corn syrup -its cheap, processed and bad

So you still don’t have time for breakfast? Here are some quick healthy ideas:
*Banana w/ peanut butter
*Plain yogurt with fruit or some nuts
*Small whole-wheat tortilla with a Tbl of peanut butter and chopped fruit rolled up
*High protein, full fruit smoothie made with low-fat milk, soymilk or yogurt
*Hard-boiled organic egg with a piece of fruit
*Slice of whole grain toast with almond or peanut butter and organic low sugar fruit preserves
*High fiber cereal with berries
*Whole grain pancake or waffle with peanut butter or fruit preserves instead of maple syrup
*Organic low fat cottage cheese with fruit
*Whole grain grilled cheese (low-fat organic cheese)
*Organic egg whole-wheat wrap with feta and spinach
*McCann’s Irish Oatmeal or oat bran (only 5 minutes prep time!)
*High fiber/protein whole-wheat muffin

Balancing is not just for beams!

2010-01-29T16:16:00.001-08:00

Balance is one of those essential skills we have that enhances all of our movement. The ability to balance is within us but like most things if you don’t use it you will lose it. As we get older we move less and more slowly thus inadequately taxing our balance systems. No problem, right? Not so. We use our balance systems everyday (some more than others) and if you let it get weaker you are setting yourself up for future injury (and that may have nothing to do with falling). Perhaps the two most common examples of everyday balance is walking and standing up. During our gait cycle (walking) we spend up to 50% of the time balancing on one leg. And every time you get up from a chair a continuous neurological process works to keep you upright. Millions of little sensors in your joints send ultra fast messages to your brain about where they are in space and your brain takes that data and delivers it to your stabilizing muscles to keep you vertical. Now if you want to do something a little more difficult like walk, jump or even hop things get much hairier.

Muscles, as you may have guessed, are stupid. Your body does not know from individual muscles, it only knows movement patterns. These patterns literally have millions of interactions every second that preserve our equilibrium and keep us from falling on our butts. Furthermore these interactions can become compensations, stabilizations, faulty motor patterns, efficient movements or a combination of them. Balance training (or as some call it Neuromuscular Adaptation Training- too complicated) serves a multilayered purpose. First and foremost, it helps against injury. It also teaches or re-teaches the body structural and functional efficiency. It can serve as a good platform for calorie burning due to the increased global neural demand. And since balance is a component of all movement, improving upon it will enhance every activity of daily living. It is quite important to know that all movement begins with the core (not just the abs but everything except your head, arms and legs). Your core gets stronger and more efficient by balance training.

If we all moved as much as our great ancestors, we would not have as many dysfunctions, weight problems and balance issues. Since we don’t, it is important to train the body to adapt this primal framework. Most of the surfaces we live on are flat and hard with no irregularity. This breeds joint degradation, arthritis, and overall dysfunction (which leads to injuries). While it may be good that we all don’t live barefoot in the jungle or plains of Africa, if we did we would be using our bodies the way it is meant to be utilized and consequently suffer from a lot less disease and injury. Since our bodies need to be challenged on a regular basis on all three planes of motion it is imperative that balance and proproception be addressed. Some easy things you can do are:

1- Stand on 1 leg while brushing your teeth or waiting for the elevator
2- Walk on uneven surfaces (the beach, hiking etc)
3- Use the Bosu or Physio Ball in your workouts (or other balance tools)
4- Use a stepmill or an elliptical machine without holding on
5- Do yoga, tai chi or another martial art
6- Play a sport on a regular basis
7- Stand on the subway without holding on (be very careful!)

Breakfast is for Champions and Skinny People!

2010-01-29T16:14:00.001-08:00

Here are some reasons why breakfast is so important for controlling weight:

1- Literally you are breaking the fast from the night before. Lets say, you eat dinner at 8PM then skip breakfast and eat Lunch at 1PM; you will have gone 17 hrs. without eating! Your body will slow its metabolic rate and conserve fat because 2 million years of evolution tells the body to do so in times of famine. It has only been for the last century or so that starvation has not been as an issue (at least for Americans). Yet our bodies have not evolved out of the feast or famine modality (it will take 1000’s of years for that to change).

2- Study after study shows that eating breakfast will decrease hunger later in the day. That being said, it is important to note that certain foods will satiate you more than others. A meal full of simple sugars like coco-puffs will make you hungrier for the duration of the day. However, a meal chock full of protein and fiber like oat bran, oatmeal, veggie omelet etc. will actually help to decrease your hunger for the rest of the day!

3- According to the National Weight Control Registry 78% of people who lost 30lbs or more and kept it off for at least 5 years eat breakfast.

4- Children who eat breakfast, according to several studies, perform better on standardized tests and have fewer behavioral problems. If it affects kids this way, don’t you think it has similar effects on adults?

5- Breakfast increases your leptin output. What’s that? It is a hormone that suppresses your appetite. The more that is released, the less hungry you are.

6- The hormone in charge of increasing your hunger (Ghrelin think Gremlin) is reduced throughout the day.

7- Breakfast, studies show, help prevent energy from sagging later in the day.

8- Women who don’t eat breakfast are almost 5x more likely to be obese!

9- Lastly, breakfast food is awesome and delicious!

65% of Americans are Overweight, Are you?

2010-01-22T09:38:00.000-08:00

1.   How do you lose fat? Stop eating…just joking. Seriously, what you need to do is limit your caloric intake. In order to burn one pound of fat you need to have a deficit of 3500 calories per week. The name of the game is calorie burning, and you need to burn more than you are taking in.

2.   I don’t believe in “diets”. All you need to do is eat smaller portions. Eat 5 to 7 small meals per day. Be a cow and graze!   This will ensure that you keep your sugar levels regulated and your metabolism up. No more food comas! Food should invigorate you not make you tired.

3.   Limit your processed carbs and white flour intake. This includes white rice, pasta, non-whole grain breads, cereals and most pastries and cakes. Whole/Multi grain complex carbohydrates are just dandy. You can also try sprouted, spelt and or/hemp bread. Do not completely exclude carbs from your diet. To do so is unhealthy and potentially dangerous.

4.   Minimize your sugar, unhealthy fat intake and high glycemic foods. No double deserts! If you crave something sweet brush your teeth, chew on some gum or drink something hot. Have a small piece of dark chocolate or an organic protein bar.

5.   If you are famished before you sit down to eat, drink seltzer water or have a hot low sugar beverage. This will slightly fill your stomach so you don’t stuff yourself.

6.   Limit your alcohol intake. Alcohol = Empty Calories. A glass of wine, a shot of liquor, a bottle of beer are each approximately 150 calories. If you are drinking, stay away from frozen drinks and most types of beer (contains maltose which is very high on the glycemic index) and consume drinks mixed with water and/or seltzer. Since we are on the topic, if you’re buzzed go dancing and shake ya’ ass, burn off those calories and don’t worry about how you look because chances are nobody cares!

7.   Dinner is a small meal. Dinner is a small meal (that’s not a typo, just making a point). If you go out to eat, a good trick is to split the meal the moment you get it and take half of it to go. Please don’t eat the bread! Get a salad or soup appetizer and fill up on that!

8.   Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. Water improves all of your bodily functions including the ones in charge of breaking down fat. When your organs are fully hydrated they break down fat more effectively.

9.   Move your butt as much as possible. Walk as much as you can, and do it briskly (no Sunday stroll!). Take the stairs often. If you live or work in a tall building make it your goal to go down the stairs as often as possible and at least once a week climb up. Limit your cab rides. When you are out and you have a choice of standing or sitting, stand and do it with good posture!

10. It probably took you a long time to gain this extra fat so don’t expect it all to come off overnight. It is unhealthy to lose more than 3 pounds per week. Do it slowly and be consistent.
        Accomplishing your goal will be easy if you are committed and motivated. The path to your goal can be fun and exciting so learn to enjoy the small victories. If you give yourself a strong enough ‘why‘ the ‘how’ will come naturally!

How to build a home Gym

2007-02-12T12:21:00.000-08:00

Exercising at home is a good alternative for people who are short on time, can't afford a club membership, or just can't seem to make it across town to the local gym.

More and more people are leaving the crowded health club environment and starting to work out at home. Exercising with home gyms and home fitness equipment has become a convenient, safe and effective alternative to health clubs.
Choosing the right home fitness equipment can be a daunting task. You might be asking to yourself:

“What piece of exercise equipment should I get to use at home?

Maybe one of those workout machines that are advertised on TV all the time, such as a Bowflex or Total Gym?

Or maybe I should go with the commercial fitness equipment that’s used in commercial gyms, such as Nautalis or Cybex…

…Or perhaps one of those multi gyms you see everywhere…”

And the list goes on.

Many people are interested in setting up a home gym, but are intimidated by the many available choices. Before you invest time and money in designing a gym of your own, take a minute to consider your fitness needs, available space, budget and other factors that will determine how much time you are able to devote to home fitness.

Quality matters

Home gym equipment is of higher quality and more space-efficient than ever before. The real challenge is choosing from the many options. Before purchasing a piece of equipment, make sure you test it out yourself. Here are some factors to consider when creating a home gym:

What is your budget?

You get what you pay for. Expensive equipment is usually priced that way for a reason. High-quality equipment that is reliable and will work for years to come can’t be made cheaply. However, there are options for every budget.

For example, if you really want a $1,500 stair stepper, but it's not in your budget, some quality step-training tapes and a set of benches with risers for around $150 is feasible. This would be a better choice than spending $300 on a low-quality machine that will quickly wear out. You may also want to consider purchasing used commercial equipment from a reputable dealer who offers a warranty.

Consider this

Will other people in your household be using the gym? If so, keep in mind that a treadmill may need enough programming features and a long enough deck to accommodate the different body shapes and fitness goals of multiple users. Similarly, weight machines and free weights should adjust to safely accommodate a range of sizes and abilities.

A home gym represents a significant investment. Trimming the budget on cardiovascular equipment is a false economy. Any equipment in this category should suit your interests and fitness level and should be able to maintain at least 20 minutes of smooth continuous motion. The activity you choose to do should be enjoyable as well as challenging and you should be able to increase the resistance, incline or duration.

Strength equipment for any budget
Choosing strength-training tools is a matter of budget and safety. Novice exercisers may be better off with a multigym, which is safer to use unsupervised than free weights. The key with any home gym is to make sure it's easy to adjust. If a multigym isn’t in your budget, a set of free-weights is an affordable alternative, as is resistance tubing.

Think about the space. Even equipment designed for home use can be a space hog, once you’ve put in a treadmill and multigym. Space limitations may mean you have to opt for a space-saving rack of dumbbells instead of a multigym. Also look at ceiling height, since some equipment sits high off the ground.

Consider the design and features. Before purchasing a piece of equipment, inspect it for safety, serviceability, design and appropriate features. The equipment should be adjustable, easy to learn and your body should move in a correct and safe manner. Parts should be easily removed and replaced, and moving parts should lattice well. There shouldn’t be any design flaws or weaknesses that could increase the risk of injury.
Finally, be honest with yourself about how motivated you will be to exercise at home before you make the investment. It is also important that you understand how to exercise safely and that your doctor has cleared you to exercise. Once you have made the decision to design your own home gym, your next step could be on a new treadmill.

Square footage
Use these guidelines to determine approximately how much room you’ll need:

Treadmills - 30 square ft.
Single-Station Gym - 35 square ft.
Free Weights - 20-50 square ft.
Bikes - 10 square ft.
Rowing Machines - 20 square ft.
Stair Climbers - 10-20 square ft.
Ski Machines - 25 square ft.
Multi-Station Gym - 50-200 square ft.

Take a Hike

2006-02-25T17:41:00.000-08:00

The average American walks (according to a 1990 UCLA study) 1.4 miles per week. That is a little less than 4 football fields per day! By some estimates the typical New Yorker walks twice that, this is nothing to be proud of. As humans we are engineered for adaptation and movement. Without these two components we would surely die as a species.

According to my college anthropology book, our primal ancestors walked 8-10 miles per day (an educated guess); and to make things more fascinating they primarily locomoted on diverse terrain. Believe it or not, our symmetrical and smooth human built environment may be harder to walk on (for our joints). Currently, most of us only use one gait pattern, which induces slow insensitive and dumb movement patterns. The modern homogeneous environments force our bodies to stress our anatomical structures in exactly the same fashion with every step. Over time these repetitive actions cause "pattern overload" which leads to wear grooves within our joint structures and begins the injury cycle. In contrast, walking on uneven imperfect terrain may be easier on your anatomy because it gives these bodily structures a respite from the monotony.

Our bodies and brains depend on movement for life. Once you stop moving, your body starts to break down. Like the old adage says; “if you don’t use it, you will lose it.” Over time a sedentary individuals’ joints freeze up, their soft tissue becomes tight, their blood O2 level begin to drop, anatomical dysfunction sets in, and the longer they go without moving the faster depression sets in. That’s right, depression is a correlate to lack of movement. Sixty years ago, when the average man burned 500 more calories per day, we had half of the depression we have today. Think about a situation where an animals’ movement is severely limited, like a caged monkey. Within a day and sometimes hours, it will illustrate common signs of depression and lethargy. The human animal responds the same way.

So what can you do? Start with walking more. Take a hike, walk on the beach, climb a mountain, walk through the rambles (just not at night), walk in the water etc. If you don’t all ready have one, purchase a pedometer. Studies show that people who wear a pedometer walk 30% more than they did without one.

Listed below are the guidelines for walking (note: 2000 steps equal a mile).

Pedometer-determined physical activity in healthy adults:

1) Under 5000 steps/day = sedentary/lazy
2) 5,000-7,499 steps/day = low active
3) 7,500-9,999 steps/day = somewhat active
4) 10,000 steps/day = active
5) 12,500 or more steps/day = highly active

Where are you?

www.joachimstraining.com
doug joachim

take a test

2006-02-23T18:48:00.000-08:00

TESTING 1, 2, 3

Which oil is healthiest for your heart?
1- Olive oil
2- Canola oil
3- Corn oil
4-Flax seed oil
5-Exxon
Canola oil and Flax seed oil have the least amount of saturated fat and the highest percentage of omega-3 fatty acids (these raise your HDL –good cholesterol).

According to “Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise” standing over sitting burns:
1- 20% more calories/hr
2- 38% more calories/hr
3- 53% more calories/hr
Whenever you have the option choose standing over sitting; besides it is far better for your back and it burns 53% more calories

Why are women more susceptible to cellulite then men?
Women typically have thinner skin than men and (unlike men) they possess vertical connective tissue, septa, which pulls down on the skin causing it to pucker. Moreover, due to their childbearing nature, women are blessed with more body fat then men. Liposuction does not target cellulite because of the proximity to the surface and the high possibility of scarring.

Why is a Pull-up different than a machine based Lat Pulldown?
A Pull-up is more biomechanically ‘functional’ (similar motion to crawling) because the scapularhumeral rhythm is intact. In addition it offers a less stable environment requiring the CNS to work harder, which means more calories burned.

Are ‘weight bearing’ exercises the only ones that add bone density to fight osteoporosis?
Certainly not! Any time a person lifts a weight a force is distributed upon every structure between its entrance and exit in the body. Furthermore, all muscle contractions exert internal compression forces on bone, which increases its density.

In 1 year what percentage of your cells are new?
99% of every cell in your body is grown new in a year’s time! The food you consume is responsible for the creation of your new cells and structure. You are what you eat, literally.

www.joachimstraining.com
doug joachim

Biomechanics:

2006-02-23T18:46:00.001-08:00

The earth is Pulling Me Down and I’m Pushing Back!

This is the study of forces on living things. The first force (a push or a pull that comes in pairs) we all must learn to deal with is gravity. 24/7 our bodies are pulled down by invisible g-forces. Our center of gravity is always changing and thus our balance and proprioceptive systems are constantly in flux. The better these systems are working the greater our advantage over gravity. Depending on how you are moving, your anatomy undergoes compressive, shear and distraction forces all day long. These earthly forces can be good and bad for you.

If I present you with two drugs that treat the same symptoms identically but one has 10 times more side effects than the other, which one would you choose? No brainer, right? This analogy works very well with exercise selection. All exercises have a cost/benefit ratio. Exercise is therapeutic injury. It disrupts homeostasis and hopefully produces micro-trauma to the bodily systems, which in turn forces adaptations. Many exercises can be manipulated one way or another to increase/decrease the side effects. Internal and external forces affect all movement and are what make you stronger, faster, and more stable…. or not. Technique, anatomy, history and your goals need to be assessed in order to ensure the best possible outcome for your workouts. Only precise and intelligent exercise trauma will produce positive adaptations.

So what does this mean for you? Afterall, most of you have a competent physical trainer as a guide to make sure you perform exercises the right way to maximize results and limit your injury potential. But since he does not follow you around all day, he cannot tell you to “lift with your legs” or “keep your shoulders back” etc. On any average day we all lunge, lift, climb, walk, twist, push, pull etc. under the domain of several types of forces. To remain injury free you need to be keenly aware of theses daily hidden forces and be able to move your body effectively. Young children are whizzes in dealing with their biomechanics. As we age we learn and create bad habits, but the ability to do things ‘right’ is still within us. Practice good movement and posture every day.

www.JoachimsTraining.com
doug Joachim

Scary Health News

2006-02-23T18:45:00.000-08:00

- The leading source of calories in the U.S. is sugared drinks (soda, Snapple etc.)
- The number 1 activity for burning calories in the U.S. is driving a car!
- A new study concluded that aspartame may cause cancer (NYT; 2/12/06).
- Very low calorie diets can slow your metabolism.
- Currently, Americans are eating 300 more calories per day than 10 yrs. ago.
- Harvard’s Public Health Report linked 30,000 premature deaths in America to trans fats.
- The recommendation for 8 glasses of water a day does not have any strong scientific basis.
- 40% of all products in the supermarket contain trans-fat (Whole foods does not sell any food with it).
- High fructose corn syrup constitutes between 9 and 20% of the average American’s caloric intake.

www.JoachimsTraining.com
Doug Joachim

2006-02-23T18:40:00.000-08:00

Is it Food or Food Product?

Historically it was pretty easy for humans to discern good food from bad. If it smelled or looked bad it probably was bad. On the other hand if it tasted good and you saw other animals eating it, it was probably good. Pretty straight forward. Not so in the modern supermarket. You practically need a degree in biochemistry to decipher food/Nutritional labels. So here are a few easy ways to tell the difference:

Food Food Product
Vibrant natural colors Colors that don’t occur in nature
Can be grown Manufactured
Variable quality Always the same
Goes bad fast Lasts through a nuclear winter
Deep flavors Artificially strong flavors
Minimal packaging Has a cartoon mascot
Connected to the land Disconnect with Mother Nature

Has technology really made food healthier? Certainly not. If anything it has made us sicker, fatter and lazier. Pop Tarts, Count Chocula, Balance Bars are favorites for the breakfast of champion idiots. Sure they are each fortified with vitamins and minerals but they are also chock full of complex chemicals, sugars, alcohols and trans fat. These unnatural compounds stay in your body for longer periods and prevent some normal metabolic processes. In many cases your body responds to these chemicals as it would a poison!

At the turn of the 20th century, food production became industrialized and a process called hydrogenation was invented. Manufacturers started to radically change food to increase shelf life, make it cheaper, and add convenience. In the 1970’s high fructose corn syrup was created. These two processes have wrecked havoc on our bodies, culture, farmland and political landscape. I challenge you to eliminate all ‘food products’ from your diet for one week. For most of you this will be incredibly hard, but I can just about guarantee that you will lose body fat if you do it. An easy way to go about this is to ask yourself. “Was this food around 100 years ago?” If it was, you can bet it is a ‘real’ food. Arguably we are the most intelligent animals on the planet, so please, use your brain when you put something into your body. Make better choices. It’s simple to do, it is just not easy.

Doug Joachim

2006-02-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

You can read more about Doug at: www.Joachimstraining.com

Over the past 11 years Doug has achieved the widespread national attention of fellow fitness professionals and clients. Frequently he lectures on the subjects of functional anatomy, core training, injury prevention and motivation. In 1995 he earned a B.S. with an emphasis in exercise science and creative problem solving from SUNY Buffalo. The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) has accorded Doug with their three highest certifications; Certified Personal Trainer, Performance Enhancement Specialist and Integrated Flexibility Specialist. Since 1996 he has carried the American Council of Exercise (ACE) top certification. Moreover, he is a Medical Exercise Specialist, certified through the American Academy of Health & Fitness Professionals (AAHFP), with rehabilitation and core training expertise. Recently, Doug received the National Strength and Conditioning (NSCA) certification. Doug’s experience in training and motivating a diverse client population, includes celebrities, teenagers, collegiate athletes, weekend warriors, and fat loss individuals. At the elite Reebok Sports Club/NY he attained the lead Master Trainer position and was responsible for teaching and training the trainers. On the varsity collegiate level Doug was a member of the Track & Field and Rugby teams. He has been published in “Cross Training for Dummies”, “Money Magazine” and “Women Fitness”. On television Doug has appeared on “The View”, “New York One”, “20/20” and “ABC News Now”.

Open Conversation about working out

2004-08-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

Start a topic and let's see where it goes from there