Barefoot Running

The shift toward barefoot running continues with a nice article written by Kevin Paul Dupont. Check it out here:

http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/running/articles/2010/08/22/uncovering_a_trend_here/

Things That Bother Me: "Inadequate Power Output During Medicine Ball Exercises"

There are several exercises and movements I think are extremely underrated (i.e. push-ups, Hex Bar Deadlifts, and Anti-Rotational Cable Presses to name three), but if I had to pick a fourth it'd be Medicine Ball exercises. More specifically, one thing that really bothers me is watching people perform Med Ball exercises without full power output. In other words, they "half-ass" it. Med Balls are meant to be slammed, tossed, thrown, etc... AS HARD AS POSSIBLE unless otherwise indicated. Take a look below at the videos below for more information:

CORRECT:

INCORRECT (you can CLEARLY see both participants could be slamming the ball harder):

Just make sure you use an adequate (concrete/brick) wall so THIS doesn't happen:

Also, make sure you give yourself enough room so THIS doesn't happen:

Trap Bar Deadlift

The Trap/Hex Bar Deadlift continues to be my favorite lower body bi-lateral exercise. Check out the video above.

5 More Reasons to Add Exercise to Your Daily Routine

1. Increased energy
2. Improved sleep
3. Improved balance
4. Improved self-esteem
5. Improved strength

Why You're Not Losing Weight

We’re in month number eight of 2010, yet some of us have yet to lose the weight we initially set out to. Why hasn’t the scale moved the way we’d like it to? Here are some of my potential presumptions:

• · You’re UNDER-estimating your caloric intake- I’m not saying it’s time to start calorie counting, but I do think constructing a nutrition journal should be in your future. Seeing your potential oversights in writing may open your eyes more than you think. Aim for a high intake of vegetables, lean protein, and good fats.
• · You’re OVER-estimating your caloric expenditure- Once again, I don’t know that counting the exact number of calories is necessary, but I do think it’s crucial for SO many people to increase their exercise intensity. It’s admittedly disheartening to look around the gym (both in the cardio rooms and on the main weight room floor) and seeing so many people not pushing themselves. Your training sessions should contain moments of “temporary discomfort.” If they don’t, you simply aren’t working hard enough. Put down the novel and push it!
• · Endocrinology- If you truly are working your butt off and eating perfectly yet aren’t seeing any positive changes, it may be in your best interest to give your doctor a call. Your hormone levels may need to be examined. While this is typically the last resort, it sometimes is necessary.

Nike's New Marketing Campaign

With Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, Serena Williams, etc... receiving so much media attention over their "assets" in the last few years, Nike is attempting to cash in with their latest marketing advertisements. While I am not crazy about some of the "toning shoes" put out my some of these big companies (i.e. New Balance, Sketchers, etc...), I do appreciate Nike's stance as far as getting people to understand we should possess developed glutes. Keep up the deadlifts, lunges, and squats ladies!

Vitamin D remains the most-talked about supplement lately. The New York Times recently ran a piece on this increasingly fascinating vitamin. My favorite line from the article is the following:

"Every tissue in the body, including the brain, heart, muscles and immune system, has receptors for vitamin D, meaning that this nutrient is needed at proper levels for these tissues to function well."

Check out the complete article by clicking the following link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/27/health/27brod.html?_r=1&ref=nutrition

Female Strength Training for a Sharper Mind

It's one thing to improve bone mineral density and strength from weight training, but how about improving cognitive function? Older women who did an hour or two of strength training exercises each week had improved cognitive function a year later, scoring higher on tests of the brain processes responsible for planning and executing tasks, a new study has found.

Researchers in British Columbia randomly assigned 155 women ages 65 to 75 either to strength training with dumbbells and weight machines once or twice a week, or to a comparison group doing balance and toning exercises.

A year later, the women who did strength training had improved their performance on tests of so-called executive function by 10.9 percent to 12.6 percent, while those assigned to balance and toning exercises experienced a slight deterioration — 0.5 percent. The improvements in the strength training group included an enhanced ability to make decisions, resolve conflicts and focus on subjects without being distracted by competing stimuli.

-NY Times: Feb. 17, 2010

Strength Training Principle

I received a good email from one of my mentors, Coach Mike Boyle, this morning. It was sent to all of the personal trainers and strength coaches who follow his body of work. The message focused around a major tenet of strength training: implementing progressive resistance. If it's one thing I've learned from Coach Boyle, it's that keeping it simple will ALWAYS be the best approach when it comes to improving fitness levels- in this case strength. My favorite portion of the email read as follows:

No one ever got better lifting light weights. Light weight is an oxymoron. A weight should be appropriate to the goal but, rarely, if ever, intentionally light. The load should be based on the strength level of the person. The reality is if you are lifting a weight ten times, numbers nine and ten should be difficult. If you can lift a weight 20 times but choose to do only ten, you are wasting your time. Period. The essence of effective strength training is a concept called progressive resistance exercise. This means that that even if the resistance may be light to begin with, it should not stay that way.

NBA Fit with Jerome Williams

It's nice to see past and present NBA players conducting fitness clinics for kids across the country. One of my all-time favorite players was Jerome "The Junkyard Dog" Williams. Jerome would never be out-hustled and worked his butt off every minute he played. He was not as talented as many of his teammates and opponents, but he outworked all of them. You can tell from the recent clinic he did how happy he is helping all these kids. Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVGQ35v__3k&playnext_from=TL&videos=tQ_TMLBldPU

Hip Stretching

So many of us sit in a fixed position for extended periods of time. Whether it be commuting to work or sitting at a desk longer than we should, it's vital we engage in multi-planar hip stretches to prevent back pain and optimize hip motion. That being said, here is a great video of my colleague Anthony Renna.

Improving Vertical Jump

A major goal of basketball players is typically improving their vertical jump. While plyometrics (box jumps, tuck jumps, hurdle hops, etc...) are all valuable movements to practice, unilateral knee and hip-dominant exercises such as 1-leg squats should be practiced. Check out the following article, courtesy of Core Performance:

http://www.coreperformance.com/daily/play-better/jump-out-of-the-gym.html

Funny Stand-up by Ted Alexandro

You'll like the fitness comments a little ways into it. Enjoy everyone!

Are you HALF-WAY toward your 2010 Goal(s)???

We've officially reached the halfway point of 2010. I'm sure you set a goal or two for yourself at the beginning of the year. Are you at least 50% toward that goal? If not, it's time to look back and discover why you aren't there. Several pieces comprise a quality goal, and it's time you answer some questions:

• Was the goal realistic?
• Did you surround yourself with positive influences (i.e. friends, co-workers, family members, etc... who could help motivate you on your way)?
• Did you seek assistance from those who have achieved the goal you set for yourself
• Did you keep a journal along the way (i.e. tracking your body weight, workouts, etc...)?

There's still time to bounce back and re-establish positive behaviors to help reach your goal(s) for 2010. I assist clients every day with challenges and I'd be glad to help you. Email me (paulconnolly123@gmail.com) with your questions/concerns. Asking for help is your first step to achieving your goal!

A Few Tid-Bits of Interesting Information

After completing a recent book I read, I wanted to share a few stats I found interesting:

• An American born in the year 2000 has a 1 in 3 chance of developing diabetes in their lifetime.
• An estimated 80 PERCENT of cases of Type 2 diabetes could be prevented by a change of diet and exercise.
• In 1960 Americans spent 17.5% of their income on food and 5.2% of national income on health care. Since then, those numbers have flipped: Spending on food has fallen to 9.9%, while spending on health care has climbed to 16% of national income.
• "I have to think that by spending a little more on healthier food we could reduce the amount we have to spend on health care." -Michael Pollan
• ..."our food dollars can either go to support a food industry devoted to quantity and convenience and "value" or they can nourish a food chain organized around values- values like quality and health." -Wendell Berry quote

Water Consumption

With the "heat index" pushing 100 degrees here in Boston today, I thought I'd post a good article on water intake from The New York Times. One of my favorite points from the author was the following:

"Americans now pay a significant portion of their income on a drink they used to get free: bottled waters (nearly 30 gallons per capita a year), including gimmicky waters fortified with vitamins (and sugar) and “relaxing” herbs like chamomile and hibiscus."

Check out the complete article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/health/29brod.html?ref=nutrition

Biggest Loser Contestant Allegations

FINALLY, a former Biggest Loser contestant comes out and explains the show isn't entirely true. Frankly, I foresee NBC suing the pants off this girl for defamation. I genuinely think over the years, there will be more contestants coming out to speak the truth about NBC's highest rated show. To those who ultimately do come forward, I applaud you.

July Newsletter just around the corner...

One component of my July, 2010 PC Conditioning Newsletter will feature a Q&A on "Overrated Exercises." I'll break down 3 exercises I think are overrated. The above pic ("Bicep/Arm Curls") is one of them.

Terminology of Concussion Diagnoses

Researchers at McMaster University heard so many parents say the words "My Child Doesn't Have a Brain Injury, he just has a concussion," that they made it the title of a study they recently conducted. Found in the February, 2010 edition of the journal Pediatrics, the study revealed that children whose parents were told their son/daughter suffered a "concussion" spent less time in the hospital than those whose son/daughter were said to have suffered a "brain injury." The same children who suffered a concussion also went back to school sooner than those children who were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Carol DeMatteo, the study's lead author and an occupational therapist at McMaster had the following to say: "Why don't we call it a brain injury? After all, that's what it is. We're finding that the term concussion is taken pretty lightly. Maybe we need to call it something different to make them take it seriously."

With the recent increase in focus in pro sports with concussions, I think the long-term terminology used may alter. As the study's author stated- and I agree- we may need to change how we label the injury to raise awareness and potentially increase/improve recovery time.

Scapular Retraction with Boston Celtics Strength Coach Bryan Doo

Scapular retraction is essentially the action of pulling back/squeezing your shoulder blades. So many people lack the ability to actively use their upper/mid back musculature due to limited range of motion caused by long-term static positions (i.e. sitting at a desk all day at work). Taking a few minutes several times throughout the day to practice retracting the shoulder blades has worked wonders with some of my clients.

Additionally, practicing this aforementioned retraction from a straight-arm hang position with various training modalities such as the TRX suspension system (see video above) is a great way to begin to neurologically "activate" the muscles in the mid back that assist in horizontal rowing (i.e. rhomboids and mid trapezius).