Q and A #1 December

Every now and again, I hit a roadblock when thinking of blog topics and I had a little inspiration from searching through facebook for ideas. It seems people do it through youtube, facebook, twitter, and all other forms of social media, so we may as well implement it here. If you have a question or a topic you'd like to see answered, post it to us on our facebook page (http://facebook.com/zstrengthandfitness) or send us an e-mail (zstrengthfit@gmail.com) and once a month, we'll answer your questions to the best of our ability.

On to the questions we had this month:

What is the effect of strength training on the heart?
-Answered by Rich

Recently, I wrote about the effects of cardio training and strength training in Why Cardio Isn't the Devil where I discussed the issues with the changes that take place in the heart from cardiovascular training and from weight training. Both forms of training resulted in a lower resting heart rate, but only cardiovascular training resulted in an increased stroke volume, while weight training potentially decreased stroke volume. Neither was found to have a greater incidence of cardiac arrhythmia, or the feeling of “skipped heartbeats.” In the long run, the only significant difference was caused by the hypertrophy of the heart muscle.

Furthering the look at how training effects our hearts, let's consider some other factors besides resting heart rate and stroke volume. Specifically looking at strength training, let's consider two other characteristics that can be effected by training: blood pressure and maximum heart rate during activity. For many of us, we don't need science to tell us that training has an immediate impact on our heart by increasing the average heart rate and the blood pressure.

It seems logical that strength training would cause an acute increase in heart rate and blood pressure; after all, our body is recruiting muscles which need oxygen, which requires more blood to be pumped through the body. Assuming we are all in agreement about the short term effects, I have a wrench to throw in the system. [1,2] The Valsalva Manuever. During the temporary use of Valsalva, you are effectively holding your breath under high pressure to increase core stability during a heavy lift. By bearing down and holding your breath, your heart rate increases drastically and your blood pressure drops. This is the reason that you will see lifters pass out under a heavy load. When the breath is released, the heart rate returns to normal, but the blood pressure overshoots and is momentarily high, making the technique dangerous for those with cardiac conditions. Coincidentally, the technique can aid in correction of a cardiac arrhythmia and the detection of heart murmurs.

Similar to cardiovascular conditioning, strength training can increase a person's VO2 Max as well as lower a person's resting heart rate. Unlike cardiovascular training, strength training is shown to have little effect on the heart in the long run. After that, strength training is not proven to have any significant effect on heart health. According to the AHA, strength training has little to no effect on Systolic Blood Pressure (the pressure of the blood in the arteries during a heartbeat), but can lower Diastolic Blood Pressure (the pressure of the blood in the arteries between beats). Some studies have demonstrated decreases in Systolic Blood Pressure, but due to variability of training methods used, there is no consensus that strength training alone will lower overall blood pressure. The implications of having a lower Diastolic Blood Pressure is minor as the the majority of heart related issues can be attributed to the Systolic.

1. Fleck, S. J. (1988). Cardiovascular adaptations to resistance training. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 20 (Suppl.), S146-S151.
2. Stone, M. H., Fleck, S. J., Triplett, N. T., & Kramer, W. J. (1991). Health- and performance-related potential of resistance training. Sports Medicine, 11, 210-231.

Tips for Lifting with Degenerative Joint Disease
-Answered by Rich

Degenerative joint disease can put a damper on anybody's fitness program, but there are ways to stay active without causing constant pain. Obviously, you never want to do anything that causes bad pain or joint pain.

Some solutions are neoprene support sleeves, pool workouts, time limited workouts, band workouts, and bodyweight workouts. My prime focus as a trainer working with those that have arthritis is mobility. We focus on rolling, gentle stretching, and several basic functional movement patterns. With the majority of clients, the entire hour was spent working on basic bodyweight movement, increasing flexibility, and working through increasing ranges of motion.

With the majority of cases we work with, the use of a neoprene support sleeve to provide warmth and minimal joint stability helps them continue to train three days per week. We tend not to recommend more than four days per week as proper rest and recovery is essential to not exacerbate the symptoms.

As a general rule, when clients that have Arthritis or Degenerative Joint Disease can perform more complete ranges of motion, we move onto strength building. We start conservatively with 3-5 minutes of constant movement followed by a brief rest of about 2 minutes. The other recommendation is to alternate movement patterns. For example an upper pushing movement followed by a lower pulling movement. By changing the focus, we are allowing the body to continue working while allowing effected joints a chance to rest. As we find the threshold of activity, we can train for longer periods with shorter rest or increase the intensity. Increases in intensity are done very slowly as the goal is not to become superhero strong, but to slow or even stop the degeneration.

For clients that are less limited, it is highly recommended that axial loading is used as science has shown weight bearing lifts can maintain or even contribute to bone density. Again, progression of weights is slow as rule #1 must be do no harm.

And for the most extreme cases, the use of a warm water pool can help tremendously. The warmth helps joint to move fluidly as well as the support of the water can allow for less stressful workouts that can still burn calories and keep you in shape.

How can we combat Winter and Less Daylight
-Answered by Erin

Winter brings cold, less sunshine and a mood change for many people. Weight gain during the winter is common among many people. This change in body composition is likely caused by two things; Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D) and the craving for high fat, high carbohydrate foods. S.A.D doesn’t directly affect weight gain, however, it leads to people being less active and often eating more. 

In order to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder, there are a few action steps that you can take.

These action steps include;

Light Therapy: Use a light therapy box. Light therapy boxes are brighter than regular light bulbs and provide light in different wavelengths. Sitting in front of the light therapy box in the morning for 30 minutes a day is shown to have a positive effect on S.A.D. You can purchase “Full Spectrum” light bulbs from most hardware stores.

Get Moving! Exercise can help relieve the symptoms of S.A.D.  The best place to exercise to help alleviate Seasonal Affect Disorder is outside. However, if you are unable to exercise outside you will still experience the benefits of moving. That said, continue your training regimen and possibly add in some additional walking or jogging.

Vitamin D: Supplement your diet with vitamin D. Adults should supplement with at least 2,000 IUs a day. Those with more muscle mass require more vitamin D.

Diet Suggestions for Lean Muscle Mass in the Over 40 Club.
-Answered by Rich

Science has shown time and again that as we age, our ability to build muscle mass decreases, our ability to store fat increases, and our body just generally starts to break down with potential bone loss, loss of cartilage, and loss of elasticity in connective tissue. So what can be done to prevent it and is there a way to get it through the diet?

Well, I'm not known for wanting to push supplements on people, and because I can't guarantee anything will work, I'm inclined to say if you're really concerned with hormone levels, go get a full blood panel done by your doctor, and if something is on the low end, and is a concern, voice it. Only they have access to give you the medications known to work. Notice I called them medications? That's because most over the counter “testosterone” and “gh” boosters don't really have an effect. If you are curious about supplements that work, I rely onexamine.com to provide accurate results for supplements.

So the diet itself, isn't much different than what I would suggest for most people looking to remain lean. Eating a diet high in protein and moderately high in fat with low carbs is probably the best way to maintain. Another option to consider, but requires more preparation is to use carb cycling.

Obviously, making it work will take some tweaking for each person, but in general, I recommend 1-2g of protein per pound, .75g of fat per pound, and .5g of carbohydrates per pound. During this time, it will be necessary to get on the scale and take measurements several times during the week. If any number changes rapidly in the wrong direction, making calculated and appropriate adjustments is necessary. An appropriate adjustment would be increasing or decreasing the total calories by 50. We will always want to make small adjustments because drastic changes can have unpredictable results and negatively effect your hormone levels.

In addition to eating the right food, you will need to consume enough water to keep the body hydrated. Using the simple urine color check, we don't want clear, but we don't want dark yellow either. Keep it in the middle and all will be well.

Finally, making sure you achieve optimal sleep is key. I prefer the add “Sleepbot” as it can track sleep movement, sounds, and has a smart alarm to wake me at just the right time.

Do you have any tips for avoiding the onslaught of unhealthy foods during the holidays?
-Answered by Erin

During the holiday season we are bombarded with sweet treats and large dinners. You shouldn’t feel like you’re missing out. Learning to enjoy the holiday times is part of living a healthy lifestyle.  During this time your goal should be maintenance in order to greet the New Year without tipping the scale. 

There are several ways to avoid the holiday weight gain, they include:

Don’t skip your workouts. Even moderate intensity workouts can burn 300-400 calories per hour. These workouts can help counter act some the rich foods you’ll be eating and you will also be less likely to overeat. Remember, the idea is to just maintain during the holidays and working out excessively hard will only serve to make you more stressed.

Eat breakfast. Eating breakfast will help you avoid a binge and thus keep your calorie intake in check for the day. While many people try to fast, it can be a challenge to fast and maintain a healthy balance of proteins and carbs given the nature of high-sugar desserts.

Keep a food diary. Write down every single thing you eat—even if it is only one bite of shrimp cocktail. Research has shown that people who keep journals are more successful at keeping their weight in check.

Monitor your hunger. Never show up at a party or buffet ravenous—you will most certainly overeat. Drink water and have a protein-filled snack (such as nuts or cheese) before arriving.

Weigh yourself twice each week. Throughout the year you should be weighing in no more than once a week. However, during the holidays its a great way to stay on track with your goals. Remember that there is potential for the scale to move 2 pounds in either direction daily due to hydration levels.

Watch your portion size. Use a dessert plate which are known to be smaller than dinner plates. Using this plate will help ensure that you don’t overeat.  When you return for seconds, fill no more than one quarter of your plate. This will give your body time to process the signals that tell you if you are full without eating too many calories.

Deal quickly with leftovers. If you have unhealthy leftovers in your home, you are likely to indulge. Don’t leave them sitting around. Freeze them, give them away or toss them.

With these tips you can survive the holidays without putting on the pounds. During this time enjoy yourself, but keep in mind how you want to look and feel on January 1st!

It's the New Year and They're Back

It’s almost two weeks before the New Year and some of the “resolutioners” have started making plans because "this is the year." Some will quit quickly and some will last longer before giving in. Is it because they don’t have the desire to get in shape, get strong, be healthy, etc.? I don’t believe for one minute that their desire is any less than ours. Nobody wants to be overweight, out of breath walking a flight of steps, or be embarrassed to go out in public. Nobody wants to take pills just to keep their heart from failing or injections every day just so they can eat kind of like a normal person. You’re a fool to think that the person that made it to the gym will quit because they don’t want to get healthy. And you're an even bigger ass if you don't offer them the support they need to transform their lives.

I admit, I used to laugh at the idea of the “New Year’s Resolution” because 99% of them weren't going to make it because they were quitters, lazy, or any other stereotype you can think of. As I spent more years in the gym, I learned that nothing was further from the truth and that them making the permanent changes has very little to do with motivation and more to do with a supportive, educational, and fun environment. Everybody wants to feel better and be healthy, to not be embarrassed to put on tight clothes and not frustrated trying to find clothes when they go shopping. (Even I struggle to find clothes that fit) The same person that appears “resistant” to getting healthy could just be a person that is overwhelmed, intimidated, and sometimes ignorant as to where to begin.  With the internet so plentiful of information, the gym filled with “brofessors” and magazines covered with “fitsporational” people, a new person that has never done anything health related goes into information overload and can feel totally embarrassed. As my friends put it, “paralysis by analysis”stops the effort, makes them feel like they will never reach the goal, and ultimately leads them down the path to failure. They don’t have to go down that path, just like you didn’t go down that path.

Remember back when you first walked into a gym on your own, not because it was a school class or because your coach forced you to train, but because you wanted to do it for you? Was it easy? Were you nervous? Did you have all the answers? Did you feel lost because there was too much information, too much stimuli with the big lifters, the fast lifters, the trainers? Or were you just another new person trying to figure things out, getting in the way, and making mistakes because you had no idea? I'm willing to bet you started training like most of us, not knowing shit and either too confident to admit you don't know or too ignorant to know you don't know.

Next time you're in, look over at the heavy guy walking on the treadmill. His doctor tells him he needs to workout. The talk shows, the daily news, and even his entire family tells him the same thing. This guy joins the gym under peer pressure and doesn’t “have a clue” about how to get in shape. He doesn’t have a friend to guide him, teach him the lifts, or proper training. He sees Dr. Oz, the magic "wraps" and miracle "cleanses", the Shakeology and the other overpriced proteins that promise amazing results. He doesn’t want to pay for a trainer that’s already fit because “they could never understand what it’s like” and admittedly, most trainers don’t know because they have never been heavy or struggled to workout and eat right. Think he's going to last on his own? He's likely to quit. I think his perseverance comes down to something simple, something that the “dedicated” people were lucky to find when they started. Help and camaraderie.

Do you think it’s just the big guy or lady? What about the skinny kid that comes in with ego oozing all over the place with his shaker of colored water and his 17 packs of the latest pills and four protein shakes? He drinks the kool-aid that all the muscle magazines and youtube warriors tell him. He sees the drugs and the routine that Phil Heath used the last three weeks before the Olympia, and hey, if you do it too and take the supplements, you too can get big and ripped. They all forget you have to start somewhere and make steady progress. They all make you believe it takes 21 days, 20 minutes per day, and no weight at all. They ignore that you have to learn about nutrition, learn about training, and then train hard, get your sleep and take the time to recover. Instead of having a helping hand, they look for the shortcut and quit when they can’t find it or worse, they turn to the hard stuff and destroy themselves from the inside out.

How about the shy girl that puts in her headphones and never leaves the cardio section? She heard that doing slow cardio for hours on end will make her super sexy and that weights will bulk her up like a man.  She’s watching Dr. Oz and hearing about all these get thin quick diets and magic pills, but doesn’t know that there are better ways then slowly destroying her metabolism from not eating to create the fit body she desires and not the “skinny-fat” body she sees from all the cardio-bunnies.  She doesn't realize you need muscle to have muscle tone. She sees the infomercials and hears the information, but doesn’t want to believe it because that’s not what her peers are saying she needs to do. She’s surrounded by ignorance and drowning in the pool.

We all know them, have seen them, or were one of them. Every single “new” person to the gym that joins for a resolution, or for beach season, or a cruise, etc. has made enough of a step that the experienced people owe it to them to be welcoming and helpful because you were there once too. I hear what you’re saying; they’re in your way, on your machine, using your bench, and just going to quit anyway. And I suppose the monster that is doing sets of 10 with your max is in your way as well? Are you planning to bitch like a little schoolgirl about him as well? Didn't think so! If somebody told you to quit chasing your goal all the time because you were in the way, you'd still be in your crib sucking your thumb. Maybe you can be the reason they don’t quit. Maybe you can feel good about yourself and help somebody along the way. Trust me, there is nothing better than seeing a success story because of something you did.

If you’re an experienced lifter there are some very simple things you can do to make the new person more likely to stay and even help them make progress.

• Accept the fact that you are not better than them because you’ve been doing it longer, you lift more, you’re fit, or you have lifting buddies. Let me give you a little eye-opener; unless you are the best in the world, have the all-time world record, or are the current #1 in the world, there is somebody better than you. Even if you are that good, you don’t have the right to be the #1 jackass to the people that are just trying to learn. Last I checked, you weren’t born #1, you had to work, ask, and get help from people that probably wanted very little to do with you because you were in their way. If they’re on a piece of equipment you “want to use”, ask to work in, and then, make sure they know it isn't an inconvenience to change the weights, because that's what good lifters do ALL THE TIME.

• If they’re doing the same lifts, ask if they want to train with you, and then actually train with them with the understanding it will be slower and you'll have to change weights and you might have to teach. When I was learning, I was lucky to have a group of guys that asked if I wanted to train with them and then helped me learn correct form and how to be safe and didn’t care about stripping and reloading the bar. You’re in the gym anyway, will it kill you to unload and reload the bar? Didn’t think so.


• Don’t be the douchebag that asks how many more sets and sits there and stares and makes jackass comments. And if you’re on the equipment, and the new guy is staring, he’s not just staring, he’s trying to learn. Remember in school, you stared a lot to see what was happening? You learned by being a mimic. Same thing in the gym, except now you’re the teacher. Notice I also said you “want to use” because you don’t “need to use” it because YOU are the experienced lifter, which means you can adapt and adjust, or are you just as ignorant as the new guy? When you’re working in, remember their weight, their machine settings, etc. It takes three seconds and sometimes that simple gesture is enough to give them a connection to someone in the gym that may keep them coming back. Don’t expect them to remember yours, but you can show them how it’s done by setting the example. Eventually, they will catch on without you being a dick.


• Don’t be captain asshole if you see them doing something “wrong” in your eyes. They don’t know any better, so try asking if they need help with the apparatus or with the lift. Some people just don’t know and others don’t know what their body is doing. Trust me, 10 years as a Division I coach and I still see kids that don’t know how they are moving. The exception to that rule is if they stand a chance of catastrophic injury. Only a true asshole will let someone get hurt, and if you’re that guy in the gym, get out! Approaching somebody that might get hurt is hard, but if you know what they are trying to do and you can prevent them from injury, do it. This includes offering a spot when they grab a weight they might struggle with, they have a machine set wrong, or their form is just atrocious. I’ve found asking what they’re working on or watching them for a few sets before asking if I can offer advice helps them accept the advice. And 5 minutes out of my workout to help you be better is worth it.

This is the main point, give them the benefit of the doubt. Whether you learned to train like I did, with a group of great guys that took the time and made the effort to help, or if you had to learn the hard way on your own, be that person that helps the new, timid person and pass on your knowledge. Give them a chance to be successful, a familiar face in the gym, and a chance to accomplish something that so many people fail at because there is no support. We can all learn from everybody, even the new person might know something you never knew or see something you were too cocky to realize. So, as we continue into the new year, try to be the person that gives lifters a good name, not the asshole that makes Planet Fitness commercials real. Stop stroking your ego’s, being anti-social, or being an elitist. Teach somebody, make them better, and learn from everybody. Everybody started somewhere, time to remember where you started and pass on the knowledge to get them to where you are.

How do I get Toned?

An all too familiar question in health and fitness forums and one of the most common goals of people entering the gym for the first time revolves around a single word with a simple meaning; “toned.” While the knowledgeable lifter may know the correct term is “defined”, “toned” is a commonly mis-used term by newer trainees and one that can be easily corrected and then elaborated upon.

Chances are by searching the internet or saying they want to get “toned” they will receive the generic responses including light weight, high reps, lots of cardio, and diet. Experience tells me there is a better way, a faster way, and a way to do more than just look the part. You can actually be strong and be defined at the same time and it all starts with the training program.

Defined bodies have moderately low bodyfat percentages and a substantial percentage of muscle. I won’t explicitly give bodyfat percentages because the number has absolutely nothing to do with the look. Everybody holds and stores fat in different ways, so 15% on one person may look very defined and soft on others. Defined is about what you see, not some number that nobody knows unless you’re boasting.

Dropping fat is the first requirements and without turning this into a 20 page post, fat loss can be accomplished in several ways: diet, metabolic conditioning, cardiovascular training, and strength training. How you lose the fat is up to you, but the fat layer needs to be minimized.

The second requirement is growing muscle. Typically that comes through high volume hypertrophy programs. The most effective method also includes high intensity strength training.

*Intensity is defined as the amount of weight relative to your 1 rep max, it is impossible to do high volume and high intensity at the same time.

I can hear the concern “I don’t want to get big and bulky.” Guess what! Big and bulky is heavily dependent on genetics and most of us aren’t that lucky to instantly turn into a Phil Heath or Dana Lynn Bailey. If you’re a woman, you’re even less likely to experience the massive growth due to Mr. T, Testosterone. Testosterone is the king of all the muscle-building hormones [1]. And most women don’t have as much of it as men.
Besides the years of hard work and unwavering devotion to exercise and diet, developing the kind of muscular physiques you see in the magazines takes hours of training with heavy weights, eating a lot of food, and getting plenty of rest. (And in some cases, heavy supplementation)

Avoiding heavy training because you don’t want to get “too big” is like owning snow clothes and living on the equator.

It just doesn’t make sense.

Most people fail to realize how adding muscle to their frame can change the way they look. Since muscle occupies less space than fat, your proportions will change, typically accentuating the V-Taper. There was an interesting study published several years ago regarding the increase of bodyweight and lowering of bodyfat. [2] Simply, the studied demonstrated an increase of muscle mass and a lowering of bodyfat, which correlates to smaller tape measurements and “definition.”

The study used a group of female tennis players following a planned strength program for nine months. The program involved lifting weights three times a week in an undulating manner, meaning there are heavy (4-6 reps), medium (8-10 reps) and light (12-15 reps) weights.

The result, the women had gained weight – around 2.5 pounds and dropped from an average of 23% to 19% bodyfat. In other words, the layer of fat got thinner and the muscle got bigger.
While you can change your shape with diet or aerobic exercise alone, chances are you cannot create the “toned” muscular look you want without gaining muscle. Strength training gives you control in how you look by allowing you to cut fat and build enough muscle to achieve the look you want.

Sources:
[1] West DW, Phillips SM. (2010). Anabolic processes in human skeletal muscle: restoring the identities of growth hormone and testosterone. The Physician and Sports Medicine, 38, 97-104 [2] Kraemer, W.J., Hakkinen, K., Triplett-Mcbride, N.T., Fry, A.C., Koziris, L.P., Ratamess, N.A., Bauer, J.E., Volek, J.S., McConnell, T., Newton, R.U., Gordon, S.E., Cummings, D., Hauth, J., Pullo F, Lynch JM, Fleck SJ, Mazzetti SA, Knuttgen HG. (2003). Physiological changes with periodized resistance training in women tennis players.Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 35, 157-168