My hamstrings are tight!!!!!

Are you one of those people that feel as though your hamstrings are always tight, no matter how much stretching you perform? This is a common problem, and in a lot of cases NOT a hamstring problem. In many of these the tight sensation arises from the hamstrings actually being tired from being chronically elongated.  I know you’re trying to imagine what I’m talking about.

I have people do this simple test.  Lay on your back with your legs straight out, toes pointed to the ceiling.  While keeping them straight, raise one leg as high as possible.  If you are able to attain a vertical (90° angle at the hip) leg, your hamstrings are not tight. 

Now we have to look at the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex (LPHC).  The pelvis may be anteriorly tilted, which causes the hamstrings at be chronically lengthened.  Simplistic visual of the anteriorly tilted pelvis is to imagine the pelvis as a bowl filled with water, and if the bowl is tilted forward the water will spill down the front.  This constant or chronic position will cause the hamstrings to feel tight.

So, if you pass the laying leg raise test, your core must become more active on a regular basis.  Try this lumbo-pelvic-hip complex (LPHC) reset and core activation steps:

•Start in a standing position and squeeze your glutes hard.

•Take a couple deep belly (diaphragmatic) breaths.

•Upon exhalation, pull tummy tight to a level 2 out of ten (0=full relaxed, 10 is squeezed as hard as possible).

•Relax Glues, keep core tight.

The LPHC is now neutral and under the control of the core.  This position will take some work in the beginning.  Go through the reset steps to program the position before you sit, pick anything up or doing just about any movement.  This will become your new normal with training and your hamstrings can finally get some rest. 

CORE: Best way to work it!

Over the last twenty plus year in this industry I have seen more magazine covers and now internet headlines than I can count (now my clients will say that’s not hard to do!) touting something about a tight core or six-pack abs.  The truth (and problem) is many are heavily focused on crunches and crunch variations.  Crunches done in large numbers can be bad for the lumbar spine (low back); there are only so many flexion (crunch action) movements our back can take before there is a structural breakdown.  Disk herniation is a common result from this breakdown.  Dr Stuart McGill uses a video in his lectures of a dissected rat spine that is put through large numbers of crunch movements until the spine breaks down and disk herniations occur.

Better options for a healthy core:

Plank varieties (regular, single leg, single arm, opposite arm/leg, side, etc.); these can be performed for time or breaths.  It is not about the length of time, think quality of position.  If you are doing a two minute plank, but only have the ability to hold proper position for thirty seconds, then you will have spent one-minute thirty training the body in a bad position.

Rotations/Anti-rotations (chopping, diagonal lifting and pallof pressing performed in the following positions: kneeling, ½ kneeling, lunging or standing); biggest key is to keep the low back stable (do not twist or rotate through this area).

Carries (farmers walk, suitcase carries, front rack, overhead); this is a great way to work the core and grip strength.  Maintain good posture, do not lean to one side, forward or back (over extension).

Low Back (hip hinge work using the following actions; extensions, reverse extensions, deadlifts); movements are done bending (hinging) at the hip not by bending at the lumbar spine (low back).

For a complete core pick one movement from each type of action one to two times per week.  

Women should lift!

Women and weights!

A friend sent me an article the other day titled “How weight training can help woman stay strong” from npr.org.  The title made me chuckle a little, I didn’t know weight training only helps woman to stay strong.  This title could have rose out of the audience on npr.org and their possible need to attempt to educate people to do more than just “do their time” on cardio equipment.  Before everyone thinks I am just picking this article apart, it does have some good points; like the government recommends 150 minutes of moderate activity and seventy five of vigorous.  Women between the ages of 25 and 64 were asked about their activity level, and forty-nine percent reported they performed the recommended cardio and only eighteen percent were doing the recommended weights and cardio.  Cardio and weights have been shown to decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes.  Lifting weights has been shown to help increase muscle mass and this side effect of weights might keep us more active and prevent injuries as we age.   

Strength coaches and trainers have been saying this for years! 

Here are some other reasons woman should weight train:

•Weight training is more effective for fat loss than cardio, weights burn more calories, and there is increased fat burn during and after. 

•More muscle will increase caloric expenditure, as strength is increased, lean muscle mass will increase, muscle burns calories (stored body fat does not).  Weight training will not make you look masculine or bulky; everybody (men and women) builds muscle at different rates.  Look at all the shapes and sizes at the Olympics, they all weight train!

•Weight training increases heart health, a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found that those who lift have less risk factors for heart disease; like increased waist circumference, high triglycerides and elevated blood pressure and glucose levels.

•Improved Sleep, those who weight train report the ability to fall asleep faster and have improved sleep quality. 

•Weight training increases bone health in woman, postmenopausal women have increased risk of osteoporosis, resistance training can combat bone loss.

Heavy weight with low reps or lighter weight with higher reps is a question that’s asked a lot.  I feel the answer is both.  Some studies I read compared the training styles and each had positive outcomes.   Best results occurred in the groups that rated their exertion at 7, 8, or 9 on a ten point scale, not the amount of weight lifted or reps performed.  So, it’s not the amount of weight lifted or the number of reps performed, it’s how hard you work!

Go lift some weight, and work hard!

Some truths about 6-pack abs!

Someone recently asked me about 6-pack abs, I don’t know if I gave the desired answer.  So, here I go attempting to answer.  The biggest truth about having visible abdominal muscles is you need to have a lower body fat percentage.  On average men need to be under 10% and women under 18%.  You can’t spot reduce or crunch away fat from the area.  

Body fat reduction occurs over the body as a whole and is done through intense cardio, resistance training and diet.  The best movements for fat burning are compound movements like barbell squats, deadlifts, rows and kettlebell swings.  These are great since more muscle will be worked during each lift, major calories are burned and the muscles of the core are trained.  I feel performing compound movements is the best way to train the core.  The job of this muscle group is to protect the lumbar spine, not just generating a crunching movement.  The core does not require daily direct training (like crunches), it should be trained like other muscle groupings with proper rest and progressive resistance. 

The ability to see your 6-pack (which we all have) will require a lifestyle change and discipline.  There is no quick fix to 6-pack abs.  Abdominal fat is usually the last fat to shed and the first to come back.  Do the work and get the results!

Calm the mind, Strengthen the core!

If you are like most people, you do not think of your breathing.  I am finding that more and more people are breathing inefficiently.  This means you are probably taking shallow chest breaths rather than belly or diaphragmatic breaths.  During proper breathing our bellies should expand (the diaphragm drops down to create space for the lower lungs to fill with air) and fill the imaginary cylinder around your core.

We need to remember the diaphragm is a muscle and if does not do its job, the muscles in the upper chest and neck will take over.  This can lead to headaches, hand numbness and back pain.

Try these techniques and pay attention to how you feel.

Box Breathing: this is a very simple exercise that I picked up from Mark Devine from sealfit.com.

                Inhale through nose for a 4 count, hold breath for a 4 count, exhale through mouth for a 4 count, and hold the empty for a 4 count. Repeat for 2 to 10 minutes.

Wim Hof breathing: this one is a little more difficult but very effective.  Wim Hof is a multiple world record holder for sitting in ice baths (close to two hours in a tub with 700kg of ice).

1.       30 “power breaths”; breathe in fully through nose, breath out without force and hold until gasp reflex.  

2.       Breath in fully through nose, hold 10 seconds

3.       Repeat 1-2 cycles.

Try each technique, see which one you like and add that to your beginning/end of day routine or your relaxation/meditation time. 

Sick of same old core movements?

The next time you want a "new" core exercise give a loaded carries a try. You might be asking, what is a carry? Carries might be one of the most simple core movements to perform, pick up something heavy and walk. All the muscles of the core must fire to protect our spine from moving while carrying heavy things. Your body will always get it right, no thinking are my hips in the right place like while planking.
Types of carries;
Farmers walks:  holding two objects (dumbbell, kettle bell), one on each side.
Suitcase walk: hold on object by the side.
Rack (position): hold object (1 or 2) up by shoulders.
Overhead: hold object (1 or 2) overhead with strait arms.
Odd objects can also be used for carrying, bear hug a sand or heavy bag.

Give carries a try during you next workout. Pick up something heavy, walk a certain distance, time or steps, and do that two or three times.
Have fun and try a variety of carries.

Try this for calf help!

As anyone who has talked with me knows, I am a huge proponent of tissue work and foam rolling. We all need to have a daily tissue mobilization practice. With the weather improving (finally in the Northeast), people are getting more active. Especially runners! And with that comes tight calves/Achilles and feet. I have had a few comments lately about the difficulty of holding the body off the ground in order to create enough pressure for effective rolling. I happen to agree. For this problem I have a little trick that will allow everyone to create enough pressure on the calves for great results.
You will need two yoga blocks or two 2" think books and a tiger tail/the stick like device (I use a 1" round dowel).
 To perform, place the blocks on the floor and put the tiger tail or dowel on top. Start by placing one leg onto roller just above the heel; place the second leg on the first. Take your time and work up the calf, pointing the foot in and out until just below the knee.

                        Block Set-up                            

                                                                                                    

                                        Beginning Calf Rolling

Using the yoga block set up will allow you to spend more time working this tissue, giving you better results.

Give it a try.