Functional Exercise for Optimum Fitness

I'm a huge believer in working out to develop "functional" fitness and strength. This can only happen if forget about weight machines and focus instead on bodyweight movements as well as free weight exercises. Here's a great article about functional exercise that goes into more detail...

Functional Exercise That Makes Sense
By Ben Greenfield

Many people spend the majority of their workout time building non-functional muscles that rely on hinges and bolts to function properly. That's right - I'm talking about working out on weight machines. Weight machines have a strong application towards:

1) helping to provide stability and support for a weak muscle (i.e., just starting into an exercise routine or coming off a long break);

2) helping to provide a safe motion when balance is a factor (i.e., individuals with neuromuscular deficits);

3) assisting in fitness maintainance during an injury (i.e., performing leg extensions when rehabilitating a sprained ankle).

The rest of the time, people who work out on weight machines are simply building muscle that has no significant functional application. By this, I mean that none of the small, stabilizing muscles have to work to support the major muscle groups that are exerted during a repetition on a weight machine, because the machine is providing the stabilization. Therefore, the major muscle groups are strengthened, but when an individual is no longer supported by the weight machine, they simply have a muscle that can provide a strong contraction with little to no support from the other stabilizing muscles. While this is completely counterproductive for an athlete, it can also cause injury to the average fitness enthusiast.

Take, for example, the machine shoulder press, an exercise in which you sit your butt in a back-supported chair and press overhead two handles attached to a lever. Normally, in an everday situation, if you were to press a weight overhead, or exert a force in that direction, you would not be in a seated position and the item you are pressing overhead (i.e., a milk crate, a child, a basketball, etc.) would not be supported by a lever. Furthermore, the machine moves straight up and down, whereas a free object moves in countless planes of motion (i.e., up and down, side to side, around, etc.). The absence of multiple ranges or planes of motion basically means that you are getting a very strong contraction from the deltoid (the main "overhead presser"), while completely ignoring the rotational muscles (i.e., the rotator cuff), the stabilizing muscles (i.e., the neck), and the supporting muscles (i.e. the feet, legs, hips, torso, etc.). So let's say you're out playing catch and throw a baseball. The deltoid is able to produce a very strong force, but if the rotator cuff, or other supporting muscles such as the low back, are not in the same shape, you're either going to tear your rotator cuff or throw your low back out. And that, my friends, is why weight machines can often cause more harm than good (not to mention the fact that they burn up to 1/4 the calories of the exercises I'm going to talk about next).

I'd like to briefly introduce you to functional exercises, the alternative to working out with machines. The best way to think about functional exercises is to picture the primal man or woman (we're talking caveman type). Functional movement patterns simulate many of the same movements our "primal ancestors" would have had to perform in order to survive in an unpredictable environment, whether tracking a wild animal (or being chased by one!), lifting objects such as logs and rocks, or fighting via swinging, throwing, and pulling (such as a bow). Let's split these functional movement patterns into seven basic types.

-Squatting: Involves bending at the knees and the hips, while keeping the back straight, and lifting a weight from the ground or pushing a weight that is placed on the back or chest. Imagine your primal ancestors squatting down and lifting a heavy rock to dig for grubs, or using the legs and hips to lift a heavy log up onto a primal structure. Exercise examples: Barbell or Dumbbell Squat, Squat to Press.

-Bending: Involves flexing and extending at the waist, preferably in a standing position. Often, this type of movement would have been combined with a squatting, lifting, or rotating motion, such as hoisting a heavy rock out of a field. Exercise examples: Medicine Ball Overhead or Side Throw, Deadlifts.

-Lunging: Involves stepping forward with just one leg, and bending that leg down. This motion would have been used for either traversing terrain (i.e., carrying hunted game over a log), or stepping into a throw (such as hoisting a spear). Exercise examples: Walking Lunge, Barbell or Dumbbell Weighted Lunge, Medicine Ball Lunge with Twist.

-Pushing: Involves using the arms, chest, and shoulders to force a weight out and away or up from the body, an action that might have been used, for example, when herding animals, pushing a plow, or hoisting a weight overhead. Exercise examples: Standing Cable Chest Press, Push-up, Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press.

-Pulling: Involves using the arms, chest, and shoulders, as well as the legs, to drag or pull a weight towards the body. This type of motion would have been used to pull heavy game animals, row a watercraft, pull a bow, or quickly pull onto a tree branch for safety. Exercise examples: Standing High, Mid, and Low Cable Rows, Pull-ups.

-Twisting: Involves turning and rotating with the torso to apply a force, and would have usually been combined with most of the other primal movement patterns for actions such as pulling, pushing, or lunging. For instance, a twist combine with a lunge and push would comprise a throwing motion, such as hoisting an object like a spear or heavy rock. Exercise examples: Medicine Ball Throws, Cable Torso Twists, Medicine Ball Woodchoppers.

-Gait: Involves moving over terrain, whether walking, jogging, or sprinting. This action would often have been interspersed with other movement patterns, such as walking to track a wild animal, sprinting to hunt it down, then twisting, lunging, and pushing to throw or thrust a weapon. Exercise examples: Sprint to Medicine Ball Throw, Dumbbell Lift and Press to Power Skip.

As you can see, there are countless ways that these movement patterns could be combined to design a workout routine, but there are only a few *optimum* choices. A personal trainer is equipped with the knowledge to put these movement patterns together into a routine that allows for the ideal balance between muscle groups, efficient caloric burning, fat utilization, and metabolic boosting, and injury avoidance. Imagine how much fitter you could be by incorporating all these patterns into your routine, while only using weight machines now and then for some of the reasons mentioned in the beginning of this article.

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About the Author

Head trainer Ben Greenfield runs the online training website Pacific Elite Fitness, and holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Sport Science and Exercise Physiology, as well as certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Personal Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach (NSCA-CPT & CSCS). For over 6 years, Ben has coached and trained professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes, and helped hundreds of individuals achieve their personal fitness goals. For more information on online personal training and fitness, contact Ben at elite@pacificfit.net

Tags: functional fitness, exercise, free weights, weight machines, workout equipment, strength, muscle

4 Ways to Lose Body Fat Faster

Well summer is almost here and, like many people, you might be trying to lose some body fat quickly, before "bathing suit season" officially begins. In general, most fast weight loss techniques don't work very well. Dramatically cutting your calories while working out like a crazy person -- a technique thousands of people use to lose weight fast every spring -- might slim you down a little. But most of the weight loss is going to be from "water weight" as well as a reduction of muscle tissue. When you starve yourself you slow down your metabolism and basically guarantee that you'll gain the weight back soon... and probably a little more.

Try these 4 techniques for fast, but healthy, weight loss...

1. Get very strict with your diet.

When bodybuilders and fitness models want to lose fat quickly before a show or photo session they eat a very strict diet for at least 2 or 3 weeks. That means no refined carbs, sugars, fried foods, or alcohol... but lots of high-quality protein, carbs and "good" fats. For best results, eat mostly lean meats, raw nuts, veggies, and healthy oils (e.g. virgin olive oil) with one or two servings of high-fiber carbs (whole grains, oatmeal, etc.) and no more than 2 servings of fruit per day.

To learn everything you need to know about dieting for fast and healthy weight loss click here.

2. Eat frequently.

By eating a small snack or meal every 2-3 hours you'll keep your metabolism going very strong plus you'll avoid getting hungry and giving in to food cravings. It will also help you maintain the all-important lean muscle so that the dieting doesn't affect your metabolism.

3. Stay very well hydrated.

When trying to burn fat and lose weight quickly you absolutely must stay hydrated. That means drinking lots of water all day long. This will help you maintain your energy levels, control hunger, and maintain a healthy metabolism. Drinking lots of water also helps to keep hunger at bay.

4. Do strength training.

Many people make the mistake of focusing only on cardiovascular/aerobic exercise when trying to lose weight fast. That's a mistake. The best workouts for fat burning and fast weight loss combine both cardio training and strength training. These types of workouts burn more calories and more body fat both during and after the training session. Strength training, like frequent eating, is also important in maintaining the muscle tissue that's going to keep your metabolism strong and give you the great looking body you want.

Click here to learn more about the "secrets" of burning fat, building muscle, and looking great.

Tags: fast weight loss, lose weight fast, burn fat

2 Tips for Post-Workout Pain Relief... Without Drugs!

Want to decrease the level of muscle pain you experience after your workouts without using painkillers like aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil)? Besides the fact that these and pretty much all painkilling drugs can have seriously bad side-effects, there's also evidence that they can lower the benefits you get from your workouts (including blunting the muscle-building effects of weight training).

So how do we minimize post-workout muscle soreness without the use of drugs? Here are two methods you might want to try:

Caffeine -- A recent study from the University of Georgia showed that taking caffeine (the equivalent of about two cups of coffee) can significantly cut post-workout muscle pain in many people, especially those who rarely drink caffeinated beverages. The results showed that caffeine can reduce pain by almost half and was more effective than most common pain relievers.

Since caffeine is also a great energy booster and performance enhancer -- as well as an effective fat-burner -- you might want to think about taking it before your workouts. Just remember that caffeine also can have some negative side-effects. And, if you do choose to boost your caffeine intake for its fitness-related benefits, be sure to avoid all caffeinated products on the days you don't workout. That way you'll give your body a "rest" from the stimulating effects of the drug and get better results when you use it.

Ribose -- Evidence shows that taking the simple sugar ribose can reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness as well as prevent cramping during workouts. Taking just 3 - 5 grams of ribose dissolved in a glass of water before exercising can make a big difference in how you feel in the hours and days afterward.

Pure ribose can be found in most supplement stores and is recommended by several fitness experts and personal trainers. It's a great natural pain-relieving alternative for anyone who wants to avoid synthetic drugs and who don't like (or don't tolerate) taking caffeine supplements.

Tags: muscle soreness, pain, painkiller, DOMS, caffeine, ribose, aspirin, ibuprofen, exercise

Lose Belly Fat Faster

Wanna lose belly fat, get healthier, and look better for spring? Then speed up your workouts! A recent study from Duke University found that people who perform regular higher-intensity workouts were able to significantly lower their abdominal fat levels and lose weight relatively quickly.

However, people who only did low-intensity exercise (like walking at an easy pace) for 30 minutes per day, 5 days a week did not lose any belly fat -- in fact they gained an average of 1 1/2 pounds over the course of the 8-month study!

According to Duke researcher William Kraus, MD: "All exercise helps prevent fat gain... but to lose abdominal fat, you have to work harder."

The 30-minutes-per-day, 5-days-per-week walking regimen that so many doctors and weight loss "gurus" recommend is certainly better than not exercising at all, and it may help to prevent weight gain. But, at least according to this study, it's not going to put a real dent in your fat stores.

There's a lot of evidence that abdominal fat is more dangerous than other types of fat. Studies have linked it to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. So getting rid of it is about more than just "looking good" -- though that's not a bad side effect. If you want to lose belly fat simply boost your exercise intensity, eat a healthy diet, limit alcohol intake, and try to reduce stress levels.

Learn more about losing belly fat fast at the Belly Fat Blog...

Tags: belly fat, lose fat, exercise

Lose Belly Fat Fast! 6 diet strategies that work...

Wanna lose that belly fat? It's not as hard as you may think. Below is a fantastic article that describes 6 very powerful diet strategies for losing belly fat fast and building the lean, sleek, sexy midsection everyone wants....

From Shape Magazine:

The Flat Abs Diet: Lose belly fat fast!

Just can't get rid of your flabby belly, even though you do sit-ups and crunches until you're ready to drop? Maybe you're so mortified by the condition of your abs that you've relegated your bikini and low-rise jeans to the dark recesses of your closet.

Before you dump on (or just plain dump) your workout for not giving you killer abs, you should know the real culprit may be your diet — or even your high-stress lifestyle.

If you want to go from fat to fab abs, new research shows that what you eat is just as important as how — or even how much — you work out. And lifestyle counts, too, because stress doesn't just mess with your head, it also can induce a pooch.

Following are six strategies from the country's leading weight-loss, nutrition and stress experts, all designed to get you flat abs in just four weeks, plus three delicious, lowfat recipes that will fill you up without making you look or feel bloated.

Tip 1. Eat more fiber.

Not eating enough fiber may be a major reason women are getting fatter and flabbier. To ditch the fat and show off firm, beautiful abs, you need to eat at least 25 grams of fiber daily, says leading fiber researcher David J.A. Jenkins, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., professor of nutrition at the University of Toronto, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Food and Nutrition Board. Fiber, which is the indigestible part of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods, helps you achieve flat abs for three reasons:

The "bulk" factor Fiber is like a dry sponge. When it combines with the water in your digestive tract, it makes everything move through more quickly.

The "fill" factor Because high-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables supply plenty of bulk to your meals without adding a lot of calories, they keep you feeling full longer and help you lose weight, according to a study at the Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University. Researchers concluded that lowfat diets work only if they're also high in fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, all of which fill you up on fewer calories and less fat. In contrast, lowfat diets that are low in fiber and high in sugar, salt and preservatives can lead to bloating and weight gain.

In a study conducted by Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., a professor at Penn State University and co-author of The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan (HarperTorch, 2003), subjects who ate vegetables as part of their meals consumed about 100 fewer calories and didn't make up for the caloric deficit later. While saving 100 calories a day may not sound like much, it translates into losing 10 pounds in one year. Use just this one trick — and there goes your tummy!

The "chew" factor "High-fiber foods require more chewing and take longer to eat," explains Leslie Bonci, M.P.H., R.D., author of the American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion (John Wiley & Sons, 2003). "Because your mouth is more involved in the eating of high-fiber foods, you feel more satisfied with a high-fiber meal."

How to add fiber to your diet comfortably One cautionary note: It's important to add fiber slowly but consistently to prevent gas. "Make higher-fiber choices throughout the day; don't have all your fiber in one bunch," Jenkins says. "This is particularly important with viscous fiber — a type of soluble fiber found in beans, oats and barley that also has the benefit of lowering blood cholesterol," he says.

For best results, increase your fiber intake slowly over the course of one month and drink plenty of water to keep food moving through your system as quickly as possible.

Tip 2. Opt for a sensible amount of high-quality carbs.

For flatter abs, make carbs 45-65 percent (202-292 grams based on an 1,800-calorie diet) of your total daily calories. Balance is the key here, so don't go below 45 percent (202 grams), or above 65 percent (292 grams), which can lead to water retention, bloating and temporary weight gain that shows up in your middle.

When you eat carbs, they break down into glucose, which is stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. When glycogen is stored, it carries with it three times its own weight as water, compared to no water at all for protein and fat, according to Peter Garlick, Ph.D., a professor at Stony Brook University in New York. If you eat an extremely high-carb diet, you may store excess water, experience bloating and gain temporary water weight. (This is why people who go on no- or very low-carb diets can initially lose weight so quickly. They're really just losing water.) To avoid bloating and weight gain caused by consuming too many or the wrong kind of carbs, follow these tips:

- Fill up on fruits and vegetables. These are the least bloat-promoting foods because they contain plenty of water and fewer carbs and calories for their volume.

- Avoid high-carb/empty-calorie foods like fast food, snack cakes, cookies and candy. These foods are high in simple carbs and sodium, which cause bloating and weight gain, and are low in fiber and nutrients.

- Focus on balanced eating. For best results, eat at least three to five 4-ounce servings of veggies (15-25 grams of carbs); two to four 4-ounce servings of fruit (30-60 grams of carbs) and about 1 cup (8 ounces cooked or 2 ounces dry, or 2 slices of bread) of whole grains per meal (90 grams per day).

- Make sure you eat enough calories, from complex carbs, lean protein and healthy fats. If you don't get an adequate number of calories (most women require at least 1,800 per day to lose weight, 2,000 to maintain and 2,400 or more if they're very active), you risk temporarily lowering your metabolism, which can also bring on bloating.

A good guideline: Don't cut any more than 250-500 calories below what you need to maintain your weight, advises C. Wayne Callaway, M.D., a metabolic specialist in Washington, D.C.

Tip 3. Drink up!

Many women believe that drinking too much water will give them puffy abs, but just the opposite is true. "Even though we associate water with being bloated, drinking more water can help to flush sodium out of the body, and that reduces the bloat," said Jeff Hampl, Ph.D., R.D., nutrition researcher and assistant professor at Arizona State University.

An easy way to tell if you're drinking enough is by checking the color and quantity of your urine. If it's pale yellow and high volume, you're doing OK. If it's dark and scant and/or you're thirsty, you're very likely to be dehydrated. Follow these tips to stay hydrated and healthy:

- Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Beverages with little or no calories, caffeine or sodium, including herbal tea, are best. Avoid regular soft drinks and soups with lots of sodium. If you are eating plenty of water-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables and low-sodium soups, you can get half of your water requirements from foods, according to a 1998 NAS Food and Nutrition Board report.

- Avoid carbonated drinks. Fizzy drinks, including soda pop and spritzers, increase bloating because the carbon dioxide trapped in the bubbles creates gas, which slows down stomach emptying.

- Watch your intake of alcohol and caffeine. Both are natural diuretics, which increase fluid loss and don't replace your body fluids as effectively as water, juice and caffeine- and alcohol-free beverages. Because they promote dehydration, alcohol and caffeine also can fatten abs.

Tip 4. Watch the sodium.

Sodium may have a bad rep, but it's essential for regulating body fluids and blood pressure as well as for nerve transmission, muscle function and absorption of important nutrients. But even a small amount of excess sodium causes bloating.

According to the NAS, the average woman needs only 500 milligrams of sodium a day. Most of us get more than six times that, or 3,000-6,000 milligrams per day. The consequence of all this sodium — most of which is consumed as salt and preservatives in processed foods, fast foods and restaurant foods — isn't pretty for your abs. That's because where sodium goes, water follows.

When you eat a high-sodium meal, say, from your favorite Chinese takeout at 3,000 milligrams per entree, your body responds by retaining water. This results in edema and, possibly, a rise in blood pressure. Sodium's visible traces are outlined the next day when you stand sideways in your full-length mirror: major B-L-O-A-T! Even though it's temporary, that's no consolation when you want to wear something revealing that day. Here's how to keep your sodium intake at a healthy level:

- The American Heart Association recommends you consume no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium daily — roughly 1 teaspoon of table salt. That's enough sodium to replenish your supply even if you work up a major sweat.

- Choose fresh, natural foods over fast, commercial or packaged foods. Instead of ordering french fries (265 milligrams of sodium), have a baked potato (8 milligrams). Instead of a pickle (1,730 milligrams!), enjoy a fresh cucumber (6 milligrams). And beware of cured meats: Three ounces of ham packs in 1,009 milligrams of sodium, compared to just 48 milligrams for the same amount of roast pork. Soups are also notoriously high in sodium; some canned varieties contain more than 1,100 milligrams per cup. Read labels carefully and stick with low-sodium brands like Healthy Choice.

Tip 5. Eat light at night.

It never fails: You have a heavier-than-normal evening meal or snack, and when you weigh yourself the next morning, you're up by several pounds. But as depressing as it may seem at the moment, such a quick gain is always water weight; you simply cannot gain that much fat overnight.

Evening eating is often the most problematic for women, as it can be related more to emotional issues than to real hunger. You're tired, lonely, bored, anxious; you want to relax or reward yourself after a tough day. But indulge too many nights in a row and that temporary water gain becomes permanent fat gain — and fatter abs.

In a study conducted by Callaway, people who skipped breakfast or lunch and ate their largest meal later in the day had lower metabolisms. So by eating light at night you'll receive a double benefit: You'll wake up with a flatter tummy, and you'll also have a better appetite for a fiber-rich breakfast, which sets you up for a day of healthful eating. Some tips to get you started:

- Eat five times a day. Your body needs food every three to four hours, so instead of eating three large meals, try to schedule five smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day (breakfast-snack-lunch-snack-dinner). By staying full and energized, you'll avoid hunger pangs, maintain an even energy flow, make better, healthier food choices (no bingeing or craving) and enjoy the most efficient burning of calories.

- Eat two-thirds of your calories before dinner. Your body needs calories when you're active, not at night, when your natural rhythm is slowing down. Make sure to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner to keep your metabolism revved.

- If you have to eat at night because you're hungry, stick with fruit, vegetables and other foods that are low in fat, calories and sodium.

Tip 6. Reduce stress.

Research shows that stress triggers the hormone cortisol to turn up your appetite and deposit fat around the organs in your abdomen. Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., author of Fight Fat After Forty (Penguin, 2000) calls this "toxic weight," because it's associated with heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

"Worrying over an issue that will not go away can lead to prolonged increases in your cortisol," says Peeke. "That means one heck of a stress-related appetite and fat abs." To reduce stress-related eating, try these tips:

- Move it to lose it. A recent study conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle showed cardiovascular exercise is especially effective in reducing midsection weight gain.

- Chill out. When you feel stress building, take a few moments to breathe deeply and regroup.

Learn more:

The Belly Fat Blog

Harvard's Advice on Losing Abdominal Fat

Tags: belly fat, lose fat, exercise, diet, weight loss