February Question and Answer

Weight training over 40....

There are a few things to consider with any weight training system as we age:

• Does the program allow you to recover well enough to make progress while minimizing the risk of injury? Simply, a good program is one that does not rely on one training style, but utilizes periods of high volume mixed with varying intensities and tempos. It will also allow adequate rest and recovery as well as provide guidance for stretching and conditioning.
• Are you truly taking care of trouble spots or are you just plodding ahead? When we're young and dumb, we choose to ignore the signs that something is wrong (sore joints, nagging aches, etc) and push through. Unfortunately as we age, our body can't recover as quickly and the nagging injuries soon become injuries that take us out of action for extended periods of time. Something as simple as stretching, foam rolling, and using a proper warm-up can alleviate a lot of these problems. There was a huge push for "functional movement" over the last few years, and as we age, I believe the principles of functional movement can benefit aging populations.
• Are you supplementing with the things you need? Fish oil, Glucosamine, Zinc, DHEA, and a good multivitamin like ON's Opti-men are all part of a good supplement regimen to keep you healthy, joints happy, and take care of other aspects of training beyond the years of high testosterone production. Can I say scientifically that these supplements are all valid? No, but I know I feel like I train better when I do take them.

How do I create a program that includes all major muscles while taking care of both a bad knee and bad shoulder?

The first part of this is choosing the number of days you want to train, whether it's 3, 4, or 5. Sorry, the days of training hard 6 and 7 days per week are done and being healthy means getting enough time to heal. Even at 37, if I train too many days in a row with not enough days off, the nagging injury rears its head and sits me down for a few weeks.

Once you identify the number of days, we can take the injuries into consideration. With a bad shoulder, rotating the strain on the shoulder is crucial. With the knee, choosing exercises that effectively train the quads, hams, glutes, and calves while keeping the loading on the knees from exacerbating the pain. For the best bang I would cycle my main lifts like this:

Week 1 - Heavy Chest, Volume Legs, Heavy Back with Deadlifts, Volume Shoulders
Week 2 - Volume Chest, Heavy Legs, Volume Back without Deadlifts, Heavy Shoulders
Week 3 - Volume DB Chest, Volume Legs, Volume Back with Deadlifts, Volume DB Shoulders
Week 4 - Heavy DB Chest, Heavy Legs, Heavy Back without Deadlifts, Volume Shoulders

By attacking each muscle with the variety of volume and intensity along with DB's and traditional barbell work, you can strengthen the tissue, train hard, and stay healthy. Also, deadlifting every other week allows your body to recover while still using one of the best whole body lifts.

In terms of choosing exercises, again, this will be based on what you can train without pain, or at the least, rotating exercises each week, for example leg pressing in week 1, squatting in week 2, leg accessory work in week 3, and single leg work in week 4. Selecting accessories and maintaining the volume aspect for accessories (no less than 3x10) will help with the blood flow and muscle mass to protect those bad areas.

How to self diagnose muscle imbalances or where to find help with this?

The simplest way would be to just watch how your body performs movements when training and then with a little anatomy and kinesiology, you can semi-diagnose problems. The reason I say semi-diagnose is that our body's are masterful in compensating and adapting a movement to cover for an imbalance. You can actually learn a great deal about imbalances by reading "Movement" or "Athletic Body In Balance" by Gray Cook. You can also learn about imbalances and correction with Phil Page's "Assessment and Treatment of Muscle Imbalance." As far as diagnosing, there are many different tests and you will need to either have or rig some equipment and then video yourself while going through the movements.

Or if you're less inclined to read and want to see examples, you can search youtube for movement screen. Here is an explanation of FMS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9zqKLA8SA0
a quickie on how to do it by yourself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8G6jkEf1uI
and a playlist with the tests and corrective movements
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCD30E4219881CA78

When doing weight training, should I work to reach the target heart rate as with cardio? I find that if I try to keep the heart rate up, I am pressing the matter too much and the form goes to crap.

I believe your experience is similar to most of the clients I work with and one of the reasons I limit the amount of time performing super, giant, and metabolic conditioning sets. Naturally, your heart rate will accelerate very quickly under a load and can reach or exceed your target heart rate while lifting. This is to be expected as heart rate is tied to oxygen consumption and efficiency of the body to get it to the muscles that need it. Lifting a heavy load requires (without a long winded science explanation) ATP, acetylcholine, and calcium to cause the muscle contraction, and at some point, your body will struggle to remove waste products, get enough oxygen to the muscles, or have enough of the chemicals needed for full contraction (resulting in form breakdown as you weaken). In order to see aerobic benefit, you would have to maintain that elevated heart rate longer than your muscles would most likely be able to continue lifting at a high enough intensity to cause strength or hypertrophic gains. None of that is to say that elevating your heart rate while lifting is bad, but it is unlikely to have the cardiovascular effect you would want.

Now, before the zealots scream that they can perform high intensity exercise for extended periods of time and their heart rate never drops out of the fat burning zone, yes, it is possible. Crossfit lives on this principle and it is possible for someone to maintain a minimum heart rate of 60% of max. Does this make it beneficial? That depends on the goal.

Programming and Performance of Good Mornings:

The good morning is a hip hinge exercise and focuses on the posterior chain including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. For those that don't know, there are multiple forms of good mornings and they each have their benefits and risks associated with them. All of the forms have a risk of back injury if done with poor form. Proper form for a good morning includes: engaged upper back, flat lower back, and bending at the hips.

• Traditional - performed with the bar on the upper back / traps in either a close or wide stance. Can use a cambered bar or a yoke bar. The wider the stance, the more the hamstrings will be incorporated.
  
  
• Seated - performed with the bar on the upper back / traps while sitting on a bench or box and the knees at about a 90 degree angle. The ROM is limited and can actually cause more stress on the lower back for those with tight lower backs.
• Zercher - performed with the bar held in the bend of the elbows. Probably the hardest on the upper back and painful from resting the bar in the elbows.
• Banded - using a monster band or other form of large band wrapped over the upper traps and performed similar to a traditional good morning.

When programming good mornings, they are typically an assistance lift performed later in the workout because they focus on a weak point in either the squat or deadlift but don't mimic the movement patterns in either. Personally, I program them as my last assistance on squat days because it allows me to incorporate the hamstrings and lower back with moderate weights to strengthen my lower back without taking away from any of my other assistance lifts. I also don't do them on deadlift because my back is less exhausted on squat days. I rotate them in about every six weeks and perform them with high volume (30 - 50 reps) to build the muscles and develop endurance.

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!