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Stomps: High-Resistance, High-Intensity Intervals for Indoor Cycling (Very Cool)

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foot stomp
If you’ve done stomps in your cycling workouts, you may think I’m crazy when I say this, but I’ve always liked them. They’re extremely tough but appeal to that twisted part of me that enjoys hard training. (I know: you’ve got that part, too.)

If you haven’t done stomps, they’re designed to increase power in the saddle. I believe Chris Carmichael is generally given credit for the training, but his guidelines differ from the ones I know. The Carmichael method involves 15- to 20-second stomp intervals. Here's Chris' description at www.active.com

In Performance Max, the program created by Jim Karanas, we used 60-second intervals with a 60-second rest, and followed the format below.

A solid warm-up is essential, since stomps are difficult and can stress the knees and the lower back. Roll the legs for several minutes. Begin an alternating pattern of 2:00 of seated high cadence (110-120 rpm); 1:00 of 80-rpm standing runs; 1:00 seated with resistance at 80 rpm; 1:00 of recovery at 90 rpm. Go through the pattern several times, as your group requires. Change the order, if desired.

A stomp interval is 60 seconds; the recovery interval is 60 seconds. Allow 22 minutes for 10 stomps: a set of 5, a short break, another set. The break I used was 3 minutes total: one minute of the usual recovery after stomp #5, then 2 more minutes (sit out one stomp cycle). It’s enough, but you could go longer. Resistance during stomps is high to very high and drops during recovery. Recovery cadence is individual, but I suggest 90 to 100 rpm.

– Stomp at 80 rpm. Fatigue will tend to slow the legs, so it helps A LOT to have an 80-rpm song to beat-match. We almost always came back to Hallogallo by Neu! because it’s a pretty precise 80 rpm. The fact that it’s 10 minutes long helps sustain the energy of the training. Play it twice or change music for the second set.

– Keep the body centerline on the bike. During the stomp, don’t move side to side, as you would in climbing. Keep hands in position 1.

– Rules for a beautiful, circular pedal stroke don’t apply during stomps. Exaggerate the down-stroke and smash against the resistance, without moving the body side to side. I cue it as “punching the pedals.”

– Heart rate isn’t the point. However, there are no HR limits on this exercise, and HR can spike quite high if the rider is seriously stomping without modifying the resistance. (Intervals under 60 seconds may yield lower heart rates.)

Avoid longer stomps. One instructor used 90-second stomps, but that means easier stomping, so what’s the point? A full-out, 60-second stomp will start to bring on failure at the 50-second mark, so 90 seconds requires reduced intensity. That makes it … something, just not a stomp.

Avoid “mushy” cueing. The instructor of the 90-second stomps would cue the stomp with, “Okay, you guys, do another stomp now.” There’s NO WAY that will elicit a stomp from your riders. It will get you something, but absolutely not a stomp.

One time, the above instructor’s cue was so mushy, I actually missed the start of the interval. That simply never happened when Jim Karanas cued stomps.

So I recommend Jim’s cueing. It starts about 5-6 seconds before the stomp interval. In a firm voice, say, “And load the bike … AND … STOMP!” The slight pauses and the delivery are intended to let the word “stomp” hit the first second of the interval. Cue time during the interval — say, at 30 seconds and again with 10 to go.

If there’s a way to use some feature on the resistance knob to mark the resistance used on the last stomp, it makes things much easier than trying to re-determine resistance for each interval. Cue that reminder for your riders.

Resistance can be ferocious during stomps. Every time I do them — about 8 trainings per year in the PMax calendar — I notice that, despite growing leg fatigue as the intervals proceed, I can still raise the resistance for each stomp. Don’t ask me to explain that, but it’s too consistent to be a fluke. It even happens when I do stomp training on my own. As a result, I started cueing the riders to keep increasing the resistance so they’d get the added strength benefit.

If you use high-intensity intervals in your classes, this training could fit right in with your approach. Because the emphasis is on strength and resistance, stomps may offer variety, say, a change from speed intervals. If you try stomps, please let me know how they work for your classes.

Originally posted 2014-09-23 08:17:39.

Rowing: Great Cross-Training For Cyclists

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slide

What do you do when you want to train but need a break from cycling? Indoor rowing is an excellent alternative. If you’re into power training, this is for you.

Most of my teaching of indoor cycling was done in Performance Max, a program that included both cycling and indoor rowing. I took the program as a participant for 14 years and taught it in a different location for 12. This post covers the basics of starting to row.

Truly, the only indoor rowing machine worth using is the Concept 2 Rowing Ergometer (“erg” for short). Yes, other rowing machines exist, but no one who rows takes them seriously. The Concept 2 is the gold standard. The current models are the D and the E (slightly higher off the floor). The longest-standing model is the C, which was the one-and-only for many, many years. (I have one, love it, and wouldn’t trade it for a D for anything!)

If you have access to a Concept 2 erg and are new to rowing, learn correct technique from the start. It’s easier to learn it the right way than to unlearn the mistakes that people commonly make when trying to row on their own. If you teach at a gym with an instructor who really knows rowing, that’s ideal because you’ll get good instruction and correction. Years of teaching rowing have shown me that correction is essential.

If you don’t have either an erg or personal instruction, visit the superb Concept 2 website (concept2.com). This 5-minute video teaches rowing technique step by step and repeats the steps clearly and slowly.

There’s also an “erg finder”. Enter your location, the type of facility you want (e.g., health & fitness club), and the distance you’re willing to travel. You’ll get a list of clubs with addresses and the number of available ergs there. You might want to call to verify the info. (When I looked for ergs in San Francisco, the club I taught at for years was listed as having only 1 erg; that was wrong. Farther down the list, though, the same club was listed again, accurately, with 17.)

Once you’ve learned to row, you can take advantage of Concept 2’s Workout of the Day. You can choose short (30 minutes), medium (40-45 minutes), or long (60+ minutes). It’s available on the website daily — or can even be delivered to your inbox.

A few points to keep in mind:
– Rowing is not an upper-body activity. It’s a full-body activity that centers on leg power. Sliding seats were added to rowing shells in the 1870s to optimize the superior power of the lower body. The best training I’ve heard on this came from a Performance Max instructor who rowed on the U.S. National team: “The arms are an afterthought.”

– Rowing has a definite learning curve. In the beginning, it may feel frustrating not to have sufficient power in your stroke to reach a high heart rate. That will change with practice. Believe me, rowing heart rates can go very high, typically higher than in cycling.

– Because of the learning curve, novices often use a higher damper setting than necessary. The damper opens the drum to let in more air, increasing the resistance. Skilled rowers, however, use a moderate setting and create effort by accelerating quickly at the start of the stroke (the catch).

– The most common mistake is bending the knees too soon after you finish the stroke. (This will make sense once you’ve watched the video or gotten some instruction.) It’s almost instinctive and can be difficult to correct. One effective correction is to stop rowing and hold for 2 seconds after you’ve extended the arms before letting your knees bend. Repeat with each stroke for a few minutes.

– Rowing should NOT be done with a straight back. Curving the shoulders slightly forward will engage your core and protect your back. A straight back is more likely to be injured.

Holding an even and consistent pace can be difficult to learn. Jim Karanas, who created the PMax program, always said rowing builds character: With every stroke, the computer tells you you’re a failure [i.e., your pace is off], but you have to keep going.

Working on pace feels like moving meditation. Skilled rowers doing sustained efforts even look relaxed and meditative.

So here’s to a character-building, meditative yet exciting alternative to cycling. I think you’ll like it. You might even find yourself adding it to your training on a regular basis.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Originally posted 2014-07-07 08:42:14.

Salt’s Okay? Sweet!

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By Team ICG® Master Trainer Joan Kentsalt is ok for fitness cycling

It’s possible, even likely, that you have cycling class members with hypertension.  It’s possible that they’ve been told by their doctors to cut back on salt in their diets.  If not, it’s still possible that they’re cutting back on salt because that’s the prevailing wisdom for controlling blood pressure.

As we all know, sodium is loss in sweat.  The more we sweat, the more we lose.  Long and/or intense trainings or hot environments result in greater sweat production and greater sodium loss.  Symptoms of low sodium can include disorientation, nausea, fatigue, even seizures or collapse.  Even in a controlled indoor environment, warm outdoor temperatures can increase sweating.

As important as sodium levels are, it’s obviously not a good idea for our students to cut back on salt intake without letting the prescribing M.D. know that they take cycling classes and often sweat profusely in them.  In warmer weather, this becomes even more important.

But this post isn’t just about salt.  High-carb diets may raise blood pressure because of the increased insulin they trigger.  There are several mechanisms by which high levels of insulin can raise blood pressure.

High insulin levels increase sympathetic nervous system activity, leading to vasoconstriction.  That increases both heart rate and blood pressure.

Insulin also stimulates the proliferation/multiplication of the smooth muscle cells lining the arteries.  That may narrow the size of the arterial opening (lumen) and increase blood pressure, sort of in the same way that a narrower hose can increase water pressure.

Insulin promotes the production of serotonin, a brain chemical that’s also a vasoconstrictor.  Vasoconstriction can raise blood pressure.  The relationship between insulin levels and serotonin production is pretty much linear, so the more insulin secreted — say, in response to a high-carb diet — the more serotonin is produced.  The more serotonin, the more vasoconstriction, and so on.

As mentioned in a previous post, high insulin levels can increase production of series 2 prostaglandins, which are hormones that control cellular functions.  Among their numerous negative health consequences, Series 2 prostaglandins cause inflammation and increase blood pressure.

So what should we recommend for our cycling students?

First, it’s always a good idea to stay away from simple (or as I like to call them, junky) carbs and limit alcohol.  That can help to keep insulin levels from skyrocketing.

Second, avoiding all-carb meals/snacks is another good idea.  Meals and snacks that include protein and healthful, unsaturated fats have less impact on insulin levels.

Third, avoid processed (also junky) foods that are loaded with sodium that we consumers can’t control.

Fourth, modify — but don’t eliminate — salt.  We need it to replace what we lose in a cycling class.  The upper limit is 2300 mg, or 1500 mg for older or hypertension-prone individuals.  But for someone who sweats profusely, it might be possible to exceed those limits safely to a degree.  It’s also possible to go too low, and one way of gauging that is by urine production.  If you feel you can’t hold 50% of your water intake, that’s a sign that you could need more salt.

As some of you may be aware, there’s a long-standing table salt/sea salt debate raging.  Some sources maintain that the natural minerals in sea salt reduce the overall sodium content.  Or that the larger size of sea salt crystals reduces the amount of salt in a teaspoon.  Or that the more intense flavor of some sea salts encourages reduced consumption.  These factors are said to make sea salt more healthful, but arguments appear to be inconclusive.  One suggestion for sea salt users might be to take a kelp tablet daily to compensate for the absence of iodine that’s typically added to table salt.  Or to buy sea salt with added iodine.  Iodine’s necessary to prevent goiter.

Rather than join the Great Salt Debate, my point in this post is to encourage moderate consumption of salt among our cycling participants concerned with sodium and hypertension, primarily to avoid the negative consequences of low sodium.

Even more importantly, I’d encourage smart consumption of the best carbs to avoid the various mechanisms — related to insulin secretion — that can and DO cause hypertension, even with a low-sodium diet.

 

Originally posted 2013-07-01 08:22:47.

Teach Cycle-and-Row Like a Pro

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Elle Logan--F-color-3 col

USA Women's Rowing Team – image credit boothbayregister.com/

If you’re about to start teaching a class that includes both cycling and rowing, here are a few tips.

Stay off the bike. To handle all the variables in a cycling/rowing class, you’ll need to be on your feet, moving around the room.

Will you warm up? On-bike stretches won’t work in a split class. Decide whether you’ll begin with a full-class stretch and warm-up, or have the participants take care of that on their own. Active Isolation Stretching is the most efficient in class — it warms the body as you stretch — but they all take up training time.

Pre-plan your trainings. You’ll need a specific and detailed rowing workout, along with your planned cycling workout. They don’t have to run parallel. That is, a 6:00 flat on the bike doesn’t have to run in sync with a 6:00 interval on the rowing ergometer (erg). They can if you prefer.

Feel the differences between the two workouts. Rowing workouts are often rigidly timed. That makes them effective and easy to cue. But some of the most unpleasant cycling workouts I’ve ever done were created by an instructor who was primarily a rower. His classes seemed to be created with a calculator and a slide rule (a what?). Instead, use cycling workouts that are similar to the ones you run now. Then you can mold your rowing workouts without alienating your riders.

Gear your music for the bikes. It’s less important to match music to a rowing drill, so keep handling your music the way you have been. There are exceptions — mostly performance-related — but generally this holds true.

Memorize the steps for setting the erg monitor. Concept 2 Models D and E use a complex procedure for setting time or distance. You’ll have to cue it every time. If you switch mid-workout from time to distance, be prepared to re-cue. Example: “Press Select Workout. Press New Workout. Press Intervals Time. DO NOT set the time yet! Use the Back Arrow to go back to the “tens” column. Set that for 1. Now use the Forward Arrow to get to the “ones” column. Change that to 0.” [At this point you have to cue setting the rest interval.] “Now press the check mark at the bottom of the screen.”

That lengthy description sets the timer for a 10-minute interval. If they set the “ones” column first to 0, it will default to an automatic “:20” (20 seconds). That messes up everything, and you’ll have to spend time changing it.

Note: The above cues are an illustration. You’re not done till you’ve set the rest interval (assuming you want repeating intervals). If you press the check mark midway through the process, you have to begin again. It will happen.

Don’t kill the Concept 2 people. All of the above is why the simple Model C was wonderful, but you’ll get used to the D/E. And you WILL remember the cues. I wrote the procedure from memory.

Always cue the rowers first. Let’s say you’ve decided to run the workouts in parallel format, which is easier for you. Separate the groups on their equipment. Cue the rowers while the riders roll their legs. Tell the rowers what to do during their warm-up (say it’s 10 minutes). Easy warm-up shortcut: Have them press “Just Row”. They row as instructed and stop when the computer clock reaches 10:00. While they row, you run a 10-minute bike warm-up. Once the warm-up is done, the riders roll and recover while you cue the rowing training — and setting the monitor.

This approach syncs the major changes for the two groups. The intervals will be of the same duration, but what the groups do during the intervals can be as similar or as different as you like.

Create a timeline. If you like multitasking, feel free to create workouts that don’t resemble each other at all. You may need some sort of timeline to track what’s happening. If you’re a spreadsheet geek, that approach will be fun for you. If you’re able to keep track of two different workouts mentally with no cheat-sheet, just go for it.

A timeline could be just a basic log with 3 to 4 columns. Minutes (0:00 to 30:00) go in the left column, rowing drills in the next, the cycling workout in the third column, and perhaps notes and prompts for you in the fourth column. Use a stopwatch. You’ll check your watch and know exactly what everyone should be doing at any given minute.

All of this planning makes improvising and modifying a lot easier. You have your plan, yet still feel ready to change whenever time or circumstances call for it.

At the 30-minute mark, switch equipment. The change will take a few minutes, so shorten the warm-up, but give everyone a chance to accustom the target muscles to the new activity for the second half of the class. Re-start your watch and repeat the body of the training.

If you can manage to do all of this AND deliver content — exercise physiology, technique, and training philosophy — your classes will be engaging and informative, and appeal to a broad base.

I hope these instructions are clear. I’d be happy to answer questions.

Originally posted 2014-07-14 10:24:52.

New Year’s Resolutions: A Sugar Addict’s Survival Guide

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Sugar Survival_Guide

New Year’s Resolutions are upon us, but that doesn’t mean clear sailing. Things that can waylay resolutions are everywhere. Christmas candy will be on sale till early January, when the Valentine candy goes out and will be on display till February 14. February 15 it goes on sale. That brings us to March, when the Easter candy appears — even in years that Easter is late in April. And so on through the year.

Everyone offers tips for sticking to your resolutions. Ideas for quitting sugar, for example, may include (Don’t take notes here!) having fresh fruit instead of juice or dried fruit; flavoring plain yogurt with fruit or honey; using artificial sweeteners; switching to dark chocolate from milk chocolate; limiting sugar to desserts only; weaning yourself off desserts by reducing the weekly number; substituting wine or spirits for high-sugar mixed drinks.

Those tactics don’t — and can’t — work for those of us who have a sugar addiction. Here are a few suggestions — and some of them are just common sense.

1. Keep sugar and other junk food out of the house. Totally. Don’t buy it and tell yourself you won’t eat it. Don’t buy it and tell yourself you’ll have just a small portion. Don’t make your kitchen a binge blowout waiting to happen. Just don’t.

2. Stop putting your willpower to the test. I keep reading that we have only limited conscious self-control, limited willpower — and it certainly appears to be true. Instead, look for ways to change the situation. Ask the waiter to remove the breadbasket from the table. Don’t even ask for the dessert menu. Reread Suggestion 1. The fewer willpower tests you have each day, the fewer lapses you’ll experience later that day.

3. Train yourself to end a meal without dessert, no matter what time of day it is, no matter what everyone else is doing, no matter what others think, no matter what other say, no matter what habits you learned as a child. It takes practice, but it’s worth it.

4. Lie. (That’s fun to say because it grabs attention.) Don’t worry — I’m definitely not telling you to become untrustworthy and lie for no reason or about important matters.

But, seriously, sugar is a need-to-know issue. Does everyone at the dinner table need to know that you’re turning down dessert because you’re addicted to sugar? Or trying to lose weight? Both reasons will bring out every form of sabotage your “friends” can serve up:
“You’ll eat less tomorrow.”
“You’ll work out harder tomorrow.”
“Just a little can’t hurt.”
“But I made it myself.”

Harsh as it may seem, anyone who sabotages you is not a friend. If you have to pretend to want the food, claim to be full from the terrific dinner and ask for a doggie bag. On the way home, stop at the nearest trashcan and dump it. Don’t take it home and tell yourself you’ll make it last several days. Reread Suggestion 1.

5. That brings up another important point, covered in a previous post: Learn to throw away food, especially stuff that’s not really food, but junk. No compunctions here. The U.S. overproduces food significantly, and on a daily basis. Tossing the junk is survival, NOT a sin, as you may have been taught.

6. Little things add up. Focus on short-term actions — what you can do right now to avoid sugar. A recent study showed this approach — versus thinking about the long-term goal — was better for weight loss. It works for quitting sugar, too. Plan your next meal: how can you make it healthy? Buy nutritious foods when you shop. Develop an end-of-day ritual for the first 20 minutes after you arrive home to keep you out of the kitchen.

There won’t be any sugar in there, anyway, right?

As I’ve written in previous posts, motivation is not necessarily enthusiasm. It also tends to fade when daily life presents its daily challenges. But using these suggestions consistently can be transformational.

Enthusiasm is entirely optional. In fact, it’s often the result of consistent action.

Please feel free to share this article with riders and friends!

Originally posted 2014-12-29 09:20:32.

Studio Lighting: What’s Your Preference?

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Bill Pryor's Spynergy Studio

Bill Pryor's Spynergy Studio

By Joan Kent

Indoor cycling classes have become inextricably linked with dim lighting, and I’ve never understood why. Personally, I’m not crazy about training in the dark and will tell you why in a moment.

Studio lighting is one of the factors involved in creating the best class environment, along with music, video, voice, tone, cueing and more. Here are two scenarios from my teaching experience, in which the lighting differences span the spectrum.

In Studio A, the lights are always on and always bright. There’s no on/off switch in the studio because the lights go on when the club is opened. The master switch controls all.

In Studio B, the lights can be brought all the way up to a bright level, but the previous instructor, who had a huge following (okay, it was Jim Karanas), liked to keep the lights dim by flipping only the middle switch on the 3-switch panel. Needless to say, whenever I subbed for him, I made sure the lighting matched what everyone was accustomed to in his class.

The dimmer lighting was okay, but periodically one bank of lights, often on the far side of the room, would burn out, leaving everything on that side of the room just plain dark. It wouldn’t affect the participants close to the door because light outside the studio shines in on the near side of the studio.

We’d notify the front desk staff about the burned-out bulbs, and a short time later, we’d have lights — until they burned out once more.

By my last observation, though, that infamous bank of lights was out again and had/has been for a long time. It made me think about this topic. Apparently, no instructors have reported it to the desk. Apparently, no one has complained.

That last fact amazes me. Because of Jim’s teachings, everyone in the class uses a heart rate monitor (see How to Get Your Students to Wear Heart Rate Monitors). I always train with a HR monitor, mainly because of what I learned from both Johnny G and Jim.

So here’s the thing. In this studio, the bikes don’t have computers that light up and display HR. It’s virtually impossible to see a HR monitor on the far side of the partially lit studio. I’ve seen riders hold up their HR monitors, twist them around to catch available light, and keep track of their heart rates that way. What’s wrong with this picture?

Now I happen to find it difficult to train extremely hard in the dark. For a club anniversary one year, the theme involved decorating the studio like a spooky forest and turning out almost all the lights. Several people did complain that they felt nauseated. Guess I tend to feel that whenever I’m training really hard in the dark.

I had hoped the current instructors might take notice (read ‘take the hint’) when I started bringing a small flashlight to class with me to light my HR monitor on days that I ride on the far side. No such luck.

I have a feeling I’m in the vast minority on this — indoor cycling is almost always taught in dark rooms. Of course, in studios with bike computers that light up, much of this is solved. Still, if I had to choose between the glaring lights of Studio A and the darkness of Studio B, I’d go for the glare. I can monitor my HR easily and definitely feel better physically.

How do the rest of you feel about lighting? Which is most important to you — the atmosphere that goes with dimmer lighting, tracking heart rates, other factors? Please let us know, and thanks.

Originally posted 2014-02-13 10:09:37.

Movement On An Indoor Bike

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While it may seem redundant to say, most indoor bikes do not move. Please, stop and think about that for a moment. We are not talking about forward motion or distance, of course an indoor bike does not move forward. But what about the other motions that are involved in cycling.

When a rider is out of the saddle, most riders sway the bike from side to side a bit. Why does this happen? Generally, it is the mechanical reality of the situation due to applying extreme power to each pedal. Since the pedals are not on the centerline of the bike, applying a large force to the right pedal will, physically speaking, apply a rotational force that pushes the top of the bike to the right and the bottom of the bike to the left. Without this counterbalancing motion, the wheel would kick out to the side. By swaying the bike in the opposite direction, the amount of force that can be applied to the pedals is increased without crashing.

The second primary aspect of swaying the bike is that it allows the rider to engage their upper body (especially core and arms) into the movement which increases power.
Take a moment and watch some of the pros race, they only have about a 12 degree sway; less than most avid riders. This is due to their efficiency and power.

The last aspect of swaying the bike is that it allows the rider to more thoroughly align their biomechanics with the work that is being done. By tilting the bike, the rider is able to keep the leg that is driving down with a majority of the force in alignment lessoning the outward lateral stress on the joints.

With the exception of a few new bikes on the market, most indoor bikes do not provide movement side-to-side, and none of them replicate the true motion of an outdoor bicycle. Because of this limitation, instructors must emphasize relaxation when riding and allow gentle upper-body movement. Attempting to maintain a still upper body can place the spine and surrounding muscles at risk from the forces being generated by the legs.

I hope this helps, Joey

Exercises to Boost Hip Strength

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Exercises to Boost Hip Strength

When discussing muscles involved in the pedaling motion of cycling, most people think of quadriceps and hamstrings. While these muscles certainly play an important role, the many muscles of the hip also deserve attention, and the weight room is the perfect place to keep them functioning properly.

Before discussing different strength and mobility exercises, we should first look at activation exercises for your Gluteus Maximus (referred to as the glutes) muscles. The reason for needing to activate your glutes is simple–as a population, we spend way too much time sitting, and as a result, what happens is what noted spinal researcher Stuart McGill terms gluteal amnesia–your glute muscles can “go to sleep” and not function properly.

When your glutes aren't functioning properly, other muscles (hamstrings and lumbar extensors) are called in to do the job of the glutes, mainly hip extension. Think of hip extension as the downward action of pedaling.

The problem is that these muscles aren't designed to be prime movers–they're designed to support the action of the glutes. Inability of activating the glutes can result in low back pain (low back muscles compensating), hamstring strains (overacting hamstrings), hip pain (resulting from hamstring-dominant hip extension) and knee pain (poor glute medius strength).

So, to activate your glutes, try the Single-Leg Hip Lift. Here's how it's done: Lie down on the floor with your legs bent and lift one foot off the floor. Lift your hips up in the air, concentrating on contracting your glute muscles. Make sure you keep your toes of the working leg up as shown. Pause for a second or two and lower. Perform 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on each side.

Hip Mobility: Keeping your hips mobile is important for overall hip function and athletic performance. Mobility refers to the ability of your joints to move through a pain-free, unrestricted range of motion. For cyclists, hip mobility is critical since pedaling occurs in one plane of motion, and after miles and miles in the saddle, hip tightness and restriction may develop. The following movements will help with hip mobility.

Split Squat: The traditional split squat is a great exercise to get started on hip mobility. To make this exercise even better, concentrate on contracting your glute on the trailing leg to help stretch your hip flexor.

Lateral Squat: Stand with your feet approximately double shoulder-width apart. Shift your weight to one side and drop your hips down and back, keeping your knee over your toes and your weight over your bent leg. Pause for a 2-count, return to the starting position and repeat to the other side.

Hip Strength: If you are currently doing a regular strength-training program, chances are you're already doing some foundation exercises for your hips. Squats, lunges, leg presses, and step-ups all work the prime movers of your hips. Along with these exercises, it's also important to do some supplementary exercises to work your hip's supporting muscles. you've probably heard of your shoulder's rotator cuff. Well, your hip also has a cuff, or a group of muscles that help stabilize and support movement. For these exercises, you'll need a mini-band, a longer thera-band or tubing (both are sold at many sporting goods stores, or can be purchased online), and a cable-column unit.

4-Way Mini-Band: Place a mini band around your ankles and spread your feet about shoulder-width apart. Keeping your legs relatively straight (you want the motion to come from your hips) and toes pointing forward, walk forward 10 steps, then backward 10 steps. Take a short break and then walk to the right 10 steps, then to the left 10 steps. Again, focus on keeping your legs straight and toes pointing forward. It is very important to start with a light-resistance band. You'll be working the smaller hip stabilizers, so you don't need a lot or resistance.

X-Band Walk: For this one, you'll need a large band or piece of tubing. Step on the band and spread your feet shoulder-width apart. Form an “X” in front of you with the band and stand up tall with your shoulders down and back. Keeping your toes pointing forward, take 10 steps to the right, pause and then return.

4-Way Cable Hip: You'll need a resistance band for this one. With this exercise you're focusing on four movements: flexion, extension, abduction and adduction. Stand up straight while doing the exercise. If you have to lean excessively, step closer to the anchor point of your band to decrease resistance. You'll find that not only are you working the muscles of the leg that's moving, the muscles of your stance leg will work quite hard stabilizing and balancing.

Modifications to Traditional Exercises: Our hip joints are very mobile and allow for movement in three planes of motion: the sagittal plane (flexion and extension), frontal plane (lateral movements), and the transverse plane (rotation). Knowing that, here are several modifications you can make to your traditional exercises to work your hips through a more complete range of motion.

Lunge Variations: You can do traditional lunges, or even clock lunges where you keep one leg stationary for 12 to 6 and then the other leg stationary for 6 to 12. To make the movement a touch more difficult, hold weights in your hands while you perform the exercises. There are Lateral Lunges, Rotational Lunges, Lateral Step-Up, and Rotational Step-Up as well.

Please see the full article for complete descriptions and videos of the exercises: https://www.active.com/cycling/articles/11-exercises-to-boost-hip-strength?cmp=18N-PB2000-S20-T9-cycling-AR2&eps=title_1004667

Help Reverse Metabolic Conditions in Moms-To-Be That Result In Autism In Their Children

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2014-07-29_7-53-59

I’d like to ask for your help with an extremely important campaign. The campaign is to raise money for pregnant women with metabolic disorders: diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, low “good” cholesterol, obesity, insulin resistance, and more. These metabolic conditions make it more likely that the moms-to-be will give birth to babies that develop autism.

I specialize in reversing these metabolic disorders through nutrition. I want to help get these pregnant women healthy, so they can give birth to healthy babies that stay healthy. This is significant and worthwhile — and I definitely need your help.

The research linking metabolic disorders in pregnant women and babies that develop autism is new. Researchers are worried that autism will increase due to rising obesity rates nationally, which, of course, impacts pregnant women. No one to my knowledge, however, is targeting the cause of these metabolic conditions at the root level — specifically, the nutrition of the pregnant women.

These metabolic conditions can be completely reversed; I've been helping people reverse metabolic syndrome for 20 years. I would now like to target pregnant women and try to reduce the incidence of autism.

Please help by donating if you can and/or by spreading the word and letting your friends, family and coworkers know about this campaign. Any support they can offer would be greatly appreciated.

I truly believe we can make a difference by reversing a problem that looks as if it will only get worse — unless people like you help to stop it! Thank you for your support and your willingness to help.

Here’s a link that will take you to the Indiegogo site, where you can get more information on this important campaign: ‪http://goo.gl/ouS9NR ‬

How Sugar Can Cause Insulin Resistance

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sugar_addiction

Type 2 diabetes is epidemic in this country, and typically begins with insulin resistance.

What we usually read or hear about insulin resistance is that it’s a result of overweight/obesity. This is not always the case, since the reverse can be true. Insulin resistance (IR) may actually cause overweight. What’s important to remember is that no matter which comes first — IR or overweight — the metabolic consequences are exactly the same.

This post is on the role that dietary sugar and fructose can play in causing insulin resistance, and the ways in which that can happen. IR appears to result from changes in both receptor number and receptor activity or sensitivity.

A high-carbohydrate diet can lead to IR, particularly if the carbs are high on the glycemic index. Sugar would be a prime example of a high-glycemic carb. High-glycemic carbs are quickly absorbed and trigger a high insulin response. The high levels of insulin secretion can in turn lead to a diminished response by the body to insulin, due to something known as “down-regulation”. Down-regulation is a term originally borrowed from brain chemistry research. It refers to a reduction in both the number of insulin receptors and the sensitivity of the receptors. The changes mean that whatever insulin is available no longer works as well as it did before.

Down-regulation is even more likely to occur for someone who is carbohydrate sensitive. Carb sensitivity is an exaggerated insulin response to sucrose or other carbs. The possibility of down-regulation of insulin receptors is even greater with that extra-high insulin release. And down-regulation of insulin receptors occurs fairly rapidly.

So eating sugar — especially lots of sugar, as might occur with sugar addiction — can cause insulin resistance.

What about fructose?

There’s a rather odd adaptation here. Fructose has been shown to change muscle fibers from type 1 to type 2b. Type 1 is a high-endurance fiber that responds well to insulin, while Type 2b is better for explosive power but less responsive to insulin. It has been suggested that this is the mechanism behind the well-known fact that fructose triggers IR. Yes, the original research was done on animals, but studies on human subjects have shown similar results — although training can modify the results somewhat.

The bottom line is that fructose — which, as you may recall, is half of the sucrose molecule — may cause insulin resistance in this interesting way. It might even be hypothesized that sucrose (granulated table sugar that everyone knows is junk) is capable of causing insulin resistance through both mechanisms: down-regulation of insulin receptors and modified muscle fiber type due to the fructose in it. Especially if it’s eaten in large quantities — for example, by someone who's addicted to sugar.

Please recall that all research seems to confirm that the fructose in sucrose is what makes sucrose the junk that it is.

Healthful recommendations? Skip the sugar, definitely skip processed fructose or concentrated fruit juice used as a sweetener, and get your wholesome nutrients primarily from vegetables and only incidentally from fruit. It’s not what you’ll hear most places, but it may work better than what you will hear elsewhere.

Labeling Loopholes: Do You Know They Help Sneak Sugar Into Your Food?

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Loophole

Let’s use this post on labeling loopholes to cover three of them. The first is glycerin.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is an alcohol. It’s not like ethanol, so it won’t give you a buzz, but it is an alcohol.

So what? Maybe you haven’t heard of it or haven’t paid much attention to it, but it’s used as a sweetener. It’s in many foods — including about 99.999% of the food bars that are so convenient and far too numerous to name individually. It’s always in the ingredient lists because the FDA insists, but that’s where the disclosure seems to end.

Things may get fuzzy once you check the nutrient counts. If you were ever geeky enough (yes, that would describe me) to do the arithmetic and calculate the calories of fat, carbs and protein in a glycerin-containing food bar, you might notice a discrepancy between the carb numbers you calculated and the label count of carbs per serving. According to Mendosa.com’s Diabetes Update, about half the glycerin-containing bars that were tested were off in their nutrient counts.

Why is that? Glycerin/glycerol doesn’t fall into the reported categories. Strictly speaking, it’s not a carb, not a protein, not a fat, so it doesn’t have to be counted in with any one of them.

What that technicality allows the product developers and packagers to do is make claims on the label, such as “low carb” or “no carbs”. They can say “low sugar” or “sugar-free.” The claims are considered true because glycerin isn’t any of those.

But it’s definitely a sweetener — and often high on the list of predominant ingredients. The product developers know that, of course, but some are willing to keep consumers in the dark because it might limit sales if everyone understood how much sweetener they were getting in the bars. Don’t be fooled.

A second labeling trick is how sugars are placed on ingredient lists. Several bars use a variety of sweeteners and list each of them separately. (I’ll blow the whistle on Cliff Bars because I’ve counted between 9 and 13 different sugars on their labels. At last count, there were no exceptions.)

This practice may encourage the “casual” label reader to skip over many of the sugars (such as “cane juice”) or simply remain unaware of how much sugar is in the bar as a whole. If all the sugar in the bar came from the same source, it would have to be first on the list as the predominant ingredient. Separating the sugars prevents that.

Here’s another labeling trick, although it’s not really about nutrition.

Does anyone besides me remember the “large economy size”? You may already have noticed that unit prices on large sizes are sometime higher than on smaller sizes. Shoppers who are hurried or shopping with young children may not bother to check the unit pricing. They buy the large size because they need that quantity and also — out of cultural habit — expect the larger size to be a better value.

Product developers are paid to know all of these things and help food companies take advantage of it (and us). The only way to prevent it is to remain aware.

More rants to follow.

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