Tips from a personal trainer

Hamstring injuries are one of the most common injuries. Your hamstrings are the muscles behind your leg. In today’s society, we do not use our hamstrings as much as our ancestors did.  What does a hamstring injury feel like?  Well, it could be a strong sharp pain at the back of the leg usually during sprinting or high velocity movements. After the initial pain, it may be followed by a dull pain and some swelling and bruising which may require you to rest and ice it.

What are some of the factors that contribute to hamstring injuries? Weak abdominal muscles, quadriceps or ankle inflexibility, greater quadriceps versus hamstring strength, age, previous hamstring injury, and inadequate warm ups.  So how do you prevent this? One of the best ways is through proper warm ups and strength training. An exercise to help build up your hamstrings are hamstring curls on the machine (by using the machine this will help to isolate the muscles), and dead lifts. Additionally, you may require  support from a sports medicine doctor, physical therapist, or personal trainer with sports injury expertise.

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Swimming is a great cardiovascular workout, as well as a great strengthening workout, but due to time constraints I always find it easier to go to the gym or for a run.  Last week, I decided to try something new and go for a swim. I swam laps for about 30 minutes taking a couple breaks. I came out of the water feeling like I had just had a 45 min workout on the elliptical machine.  My heart rate was up and I could really feel that my muscles were working hard.

The next day I could tell my shoulders and legs had a good workout.  As well, when I was doing the front crawl I could feel my heart rate racing. Swimming can be as intense as going out for a run depending upon how fast you are swimming.  Another great benefit of swimming is that it is a fantastic stress reliever.  I came out of the pool feeling calm and refreshed. That night, I had a great sleep.

I am completely committed to adding swimming as a part of my overall fitness and recommend it to anyone looking to try something new.

Have a great swim!

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Today, I am going to continue with the most common workout myths I hear on a regular basis.

1. Any exercise, like it or not, is the road to success - this is fiction.  You need to find a workout that is right for you.  If you don’t like running but think that this is the only way you are going to lose weight, then you will do it for perhaps a week, but you won’t stick with it.  Exercise, like nutrition, needs to be thought of as a long term lifestyle.  If you enjoy walking keep it up, but maybe add in some hills or add ankle weights to add in some variety.

2. Strength training will make a woman too muscular - this is fiction. Women have less bone and muscle than men and will not become too muscular.  It is physically impossible unless the woman is using steroids.  Women do not have enough testosterone to build bulky huge muscles.  I have been working out with weights for years using 70-80 lbs for lat presses and my upper body is not huge.

3. With the right exercise, you can get rid of trouble spots - I hear this a lot. For example, I want to work on my thighs.  That is fine if you want to spend more time strengthening them but if you genetically have bigger thighs you will never have small chicken legs.  So the idea of spot reducing is false.  Where you gain and lose weight has a lot to do with genetics.  I know for myself when I lose weight I get a smaller waist but my thighs and hips stay the same.  Eating healthy meals and snacks, and working out will help you lose the weight, but, unfortunately, you do not get to decide where the weight will come off.

4. Weight gain is inevitable as you age - this is fiction.  As we age, our metabolism slows down.  So what does that mean? Well it means that if we ate 2000 calories a day at the age of 25 and did not gain any weight, now at 40 eating the same 2000 calories would inevitable lead to weight gain.  At 25, I guarantee most of us were more active than we are at the age of 40. Family and work responsibilities start to take up most of our time as we age and exercise can become less of a priority.  There is no reason why you need to gain weight because you are getting older. Strength training is critical to keeping your lean muscle mass especially as you age.

Have a great workout!!

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Does muscle turn into fat if I stop exercising and if I sweat a lot will I lose more weight?  I get these questions more often than not, so the next couple blogs will be dedicated to debunking workout myths. Here are 4 workout myths:

1. Muscle turns into fat if I stop exercising- this is fiction. Muscles and fat are made up of completely different cell structures. Your muscles will shrink if you stop exercising and you may start to put more weight or fat on but your fat cells have always been there.

2. Continuous exercise has to be done in order to get any benefits to your heart - this is fiction.  Studies have shown that both continuous exercise vs 2 or 3 short bouts of exercise is just as effective as doing 30 minutes.  If you can do 10 minutes before work, 10 minutes at lunch and 10 minutes after dinner every day that is fantastic.  You need to find a time that works for you.

3. Lots of sweating means I am losing more weight - this is fiction. When you are sweating you are losing water so if you get on the scale before and after your workout it may seem that you have lost 1 or 2 lbs but really its just water you have lost. Once you replace it, your weight will go back up.  Weight training, cardio exercises and good nutrition will help you lose weight. They all go hand in hand and you need each one to be successful.

4. Lifting weights is good for muscle strength and strong bones but not for heart health.  This is indeed true.  Weight training is great for strengthening your muscles but it usually does not get your heart rate up.  I am not talking about interval training, rather the typical workout where you do a set of bicep curls take a break, do another set of bicep curls before moving onto the next exercise. Done properly, interval weight training, though, is good for muscle strength and your heart.

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The Globe and Mail recently published an article entitled “Cure for cancer just might be prevention”.  Research was done by the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research, and was based on an exhaustive review of nearly 7,000 scientific studies into whether cancer rates are influenced by diet, obesity and exercise.

Basically the article states that we should be creating a public health policy and putting our money into prevention instead of treatment.  This statement should not come as a surprise to anyone. As with any disease, we should be focused on prevention our whole lives.  If we can cut down on the processed foods in our diet and get back to the basics of eating our fruits and vegetables, quality proteins and whole grains one may be lucky enough to never suffer from cancer.

The article discusses how Quebec has banned advertising of sugary drinks and unhealthy foods directed at children. This is a great start.  In the article, exercise and genetics are also explored.  Unfortunately, the exercise component is not discussed in great detail, but the author’s bottom line point is that people should get to a healthy weight and exercise more.  Again, this should not come as a surprise to anyone; this is common sense.

The article does not get into any specifics about how people should be incorporating exercise or how much exercise people should be doing on a regular basis.  In my opinion, on average, people should be getting at least 30-60 minutes of exercise daily.

The research also explored genetics and tracked immigrants and their children who moved from areas of low cancer incidence, such as Asia, to countries with high rates, such as the United States, suggesting the genetic factor may be overrated. The cancer rates among migrants and their children rose toward the levels prevalent in their adopted countries, suggesting that something common to everyone in the new environment is the cause.

The article finishes with the Canadian Cancer Society supporting the report’s approach, but one of their spokesperson says we need to make “healthy choices easy choices”.  The article is not telling us anything new, but hopefully government officials are reading this and allocate more funding to prevention.

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Every personal trainer I know gets this question at least once every few months.  I have not found a lot of research suggesting you should change your routine every four weeks or six weeks, but I can tell you that there are a couple sure signs that it is time to change your routine:

1. Are you bored? While working out, can you plan your week and do your grocery list in your head?  If this is so, it may be time to change it up.  You do not have to overhaul the whole program… perhaps, all you may need to do is increase the weight when doing the chest press or go to a higher level on the elliptical or treadmill.

2. Are you not seeing results?  If you are doing the same routine and the scale is not changing or your clothes are not feeling better or you just do not feel you are getting stronger, it is time for a change.

If you are a beginner, I would recommend that you do not change your routine until you know the exercises and can do them properly. For example, with a dumb bell chest press you want to make sure the motion is nice and slow and you are not slamming the weight at the top.  You do not want your arms to come down lower than 90 degrees.  If you are unsure how to do the exercise, then ask one of the trainers at your gym for assistance.

So, if you are a beginner, I would say stick to your program for four to six weeks, then change it up.  If you are intermediate or advanced then I would vary it up more often, perhaps every three to four weeks. 

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The weight of the dumb bells depends upon your fitness level.  If you are just starting out, I would suggest 5 lbs, but if you have been working out for a while 10-15 lbs may be the right amount for you.  Try to keep in mind what you are going to do with the dumb bells.  For example, if you are doing lateral raises you would have a smaller weight, but if you are doing a chest press you may choose a higher weight.  I have created for you an easy to do workout that should take no longer than 35 minutes or so. Do the circuit twice. Make sure you are going nice and slow, so you can do the exercises properly. Remember, form is more important than the number of repetitions you can do.

One of the questions I get on a regular basis is: should I workout in the morning or at night?  Some of my clients think it’s better to exercise in the morning because it speeds up the metabolism for the day. Others say it’s better at night because it keeps you away from the fridge.  Well, both are correct and anytime you exercise you are speeding up your metabolism to burn calories… morning or night.

An advantage to working out in the morning is that you get your exercise over with for the day and you can focus on other things.  I understand how busy people are today, so for some its great to workout first thing and then it’s done.  Some studies have suggested that working out in the morning will help you stick with your exercise plan and that it will become more of a habit.  A disadvantage to working out in the morning is that you may need to be highly organized, otherwise you will need to get up very early to get your workout in without having to rush through it. If you’re unorganized, you may end up feeling rushed and stressed at the beginning of your day.  Another disadvantage is that some people find that they are actually hungrier throughout the day and eat more.

An advantage to working out at night is that it helps some people sleep better as long as it is not too close to bedtime.  Working out at night is also a great stress reliever and helps to melt away all the stresses that have occurred during the day.  A disadvantage to working out at night is that you have had a long day at work already and can’t imagine what you are having for dinner never mind a 40 minute run.

With all the advantages and disadvantages I mentioned in mind, the bottom line is an answer to this simple question: at what time of day will you be able to work out 3-5 times a week consistently? If it’s in the morning, then great, but if it’s at night that’s fine as well.

Happy workouts.

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Making The Cut is a book authored by Jillian Michaels. Michaels is one of the trainers on the television show The Biggest Loser. Inspirational, motivational, emotional and terrifying are the words that come to mind as I watch the show.  Michaels pushes her team to the limit and beyond. She trains the contestants on a physical and emotional level.

Michaels gets her clients to find out what exactly is holding them back and why they have been letting life pass them by.  I have watched the Biggest Loser since Day one and I am amazed at the results.  Yes, its true we can say that anyone can achieve results like that if he or she had help eating properly and was able to focus on exercise the whole day and forget all the other responsibilities. This is all true, but it is still amazing what the people on the show achieve week after week.

So, I was curious about her program and purchased Making the Cut the other day which is targeted at people who want to lose 20 lbs or less. She tells you that you should already be physically active and you just need to be able to take it to that next level.  It is a 30 day meal and workout plan.

The meal plan is strict. No cheating at all and no alcohol.  This book is really targeted for that person who is going on a cruise in a month and needs to lose a few pounds quickly.  So I have decided not to follow the meal plan, but I am incorporating some of her more interesting recipes such as Jamaican Jerk Turkey Burgers with Papaya Mango Salsa and Jillian’s French Toast.  At the beginning of the book, you have to answer a several questions to see whether you are a slow, balanced, or fast oxidizer. Once you have this figured out, then she suggests following a specific meal plan.

As for the workouts, she gives you a 30 day workout plan. The workouts are tough.  I have done two workouts and find them to be extremely effective.  I was tired and energized at the same time.  It is about 40-50 minutes which is the perfect amount of time in the gym for me.  I think anything over an hour at the gym is wasting time.  I like to get in and have a great workout and leave.  Her workouts are in five different circuits; you will do three to four exercises and then complete a sprint or jump rope for a minute.  It is the ideal strength training and cardio interval workout at the same time. I would highly recommend this book for someone who needs to take it to the next level of fitness.

Photo courtesy: ggvic.

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