Workout Hard, Post-workout Smart, Part IV: Supplement Recommendations

protein-298_0

In the last installment of this series I made several recommendations about exercise and post-workout nutrition that will allow you to maximize your training time.  Here is a recap of the nutrition recommendations:

1. Take high quality protein within 30 minutes of training.
2. Avoid carbs unless your training ran longer than 1 hour and fat loss isn't your primary goal.
3. Omega 3 fish oil to improve protein synthesis and reduce inflammation.
4. Adding BCAAs and L-Glutamine in addition to protein will further improve recovery by aiding tissue repair and boosting immune function.
5. A high anti-oxidant blend like a green or red powder has multiple recovery benefits.
6. Vitamin C helps reduce cortisol.
7. Bonus: Cinnamon powder improves insulin sensitivity meaning less insulin release for any carbs you might take post-workout.

My Product Recommendations

Pure Whey by Stronger Faster Healthier (SFH) – This whey protein is the cleanest and best values on the market.  This is the one I use in my morning shake as well as post-workout.  It is derived from certified free range, grass-fed cows that are free of hormones and antibiotics.  The whey is prepared from a raw milk source and processed at low temperatures so as not to denature the native proteins.  It has no artificial ingredients.  This stuff is totally pure whey protein, nothing added.

Recovery (Postwork-formula) by SFH – Same idea as SFH’s Pure Whey in that it is derived from free range, grass fed cows that are free of hormones and antibiotics.  This formula is supped up with additional ingredients to help you recover from super-intense workouts at a cellular level.  Muscles run on fuel called ATP.  Recovery has creatine that replenishes ATP and a blend of Carnitine, CoQ10, and Ribose that help our cells make more energy (ATP).  It also has glutamine and joint support.  This is a step up for recovery from really intense training as well as a step up in price.

Vegan Protein by Innate Response – For those that are dairy free or allergic, I recommend Vegan Protein by Innate Response.  I love Innate as a company because all of their supplements are made from whole food sources rather than synthetic nutrients.  This pea protein has a complete amino acid profile, is grain-free and hypoallergenic.  It is a great alternative to whey without the high risk of heavy metals contamination from rice proteins and the estrogenic effects of soy.  I also like that Innate does third party testing on site.  There quality assurance is one of the best in the supplement industry.  Innate doesn't sell their products directly to consumers.  Contact me for more information if you are interested.

Armor by Energy Lab– Armor is a really well rounded post-workout branched-chain amino acid recovery formula. It boasts 7500 mg of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), 4000 mg of L-glutamine, and anti-oxidants to facilitate repairing muscle tissue through protein synthesis and to reduce oxidative stress from free radicals.  If that isn’t enough, Armor has ingredients that offer natural anti-inflammatory support to reduce inflammation and swelling.

Renewal Greens by Innate Response – A good green (or red) supplement is something I recommend to everyone as apart of solid daily supplementation regimen.  Although they are beneficial regardless of when you take them, I find that they fit perfectly into an ideal post-workout strategy.  Innate’s Renewal Greens formula is at the head of the class when it comes to greens powders.  This blend of 41 organic fruits and vegetables is loaded with anti-oxidants, has a high ORAC value, includes probiotics and digestive enzymes, is low glycemic (only 7 grams of carbs), and has multiple adaptogens to support your body’s response to stress.  This supplement will help you recover from a workout by neutralizing oxidative damage from free radicals, reducing inflammation, supporting tissue repair, providing probiotics and digestive enzymes to speed up protein synthesis, and boost your immune system that may be compromised from intense training.  Innate doesn't sell their products directly to consumers.  Contact me for more information if you are interested.

SO3 Liquid (Omega 3 Fish Oil) by SFH – Taking omega 3’s post-workout has a ton of benefits including improved protein synthesis that I wrote about in Part II of this series.  SFH has one of the best on the market.  They independently test their fish oil to ensure quality.  SO3 is free of mercury, heavy metals and other toxins that are very common with lower quality fish oils.  I prefer liquid fish oils for more efficient absorption and higher dosage.  There is 5 grams of omega 3 in one teaspoon of SO3.  It takes a lot of big, gnarly gel caps to match that teaspoon.  I also love this particular fish oil because there is no fishy taste or fish burps (gross).

L-Glutamine – If you don’t take a protein or BCAA formula with glutamine I strongly suggest getting some.  Vitacost has an inexpensive powder that is free of potential allergens.  If you can spend a little more money, Jarrow makes a pharmaceutical-grade option.

Organic cinnamon powder is a commodity you can pick up at any grocery or health food store.

Review...

Part I, Post-workout Nutrition Basics

Part II, Why post-workout carbs sabotage your hard work and why fat might maximize it.

Part III, Post-workout Hormone Optimization

Up next…

Part V, Importance of central nervous system (CNS) recovery for the advanced/hardcore trainees and so your workouts don’t leave you bonking at work.  

Q&A: Refresh Your Diet & Lifestyle

thinking-woman-with-question-marks-above-the-head-isolated-on-white-background

Question #1: I feel like my options are either fast food or spending an hour in the kitchen every night.  How can I eat healthy without spending so much time cooking?

Answer:

I’ll start by suggesting more raw foods.  Fruits and veggies cleaned properly and eaten raw with perhaps a little seasoning are very healthy and take almost no time to prepare.  One of my personal favorite time savers that packs a nutritious punch are salads with a variety of fruits and veggies.  At least once a day I make a salad with organic greens, usually arugula and baby spinach, sliced cucumbers, blueberries, and sliced strawberries and/or apples, seasoned with a little Celtic sea salt and dill.  Just experiment with whatever is in season.  I like to add goat cheese or feta too.  The point is that everything I put in is nutritious and easy to prepare.  When I’m finished mixing the salad I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar as my dressing.  If you are willing to do a little more prep work buy a restaurant style oil dispenser and make an oil blend with equal parts coconut oil, olive oil and sesame oil.  It is better than olive oil alone because it has a better balance of fats.  I will also add protein to this salad if I don’t want the protein prepared on it’s own.  Tri-tip, flank steak, seared tuna and free-range chicken are great in a salad.

Another healthy time saver is a NuWave Infrared Oven.  NuWave’s cook meat and veggies evenly without denaturing the nutrients like a microwave.  All you have to do is set the timer and let the NuWave cook.  You don’t need to turn or flip anything.  I usually put my steak in and answer emails or fold laundry while it cooks.

Question #2:  I’m overloaded on caffeine from coffee runs and diet soda addictions -- how can I increase energy in a healthy way?

Answer:

Put down the diet soda!!!  Diet sodas are the single worst things you can put into your body.  I’d rather a client drink regular soda than diet.  Consider that stuff poison.

Start by trying to cut back on the amount of caffeine you drink without putting pressure on yourself to quit cold turkey.  At the same time start making an effort to get more quality sleep so you don’t need the caffeine buzz all day.  The more hours of sleep you can get before midnight the better.  Those hours count for 1.5 hours of sleep after midnight.

Daily meditation is another way to give your adrenals a break.  Even just 10 minutes a day is good for clearing your mind and allowing your brain to re-charge.  Staying committed to a regular strength-training regimen will also boost natural energy levels.  Strength training triggers a release hormones that give you natural energy, focus and a feeling of well-being.  Spending time outside every day, especially on sunny days is another way to get an energy boost.

Question #3:  I sit for hours in front of a computer all day and talk on the phone all the time, receiving radiation -- how do I combat a tech-dependent life?

Answer:

I would start by limiting exposure outside of the office.  Remove any electronic devices from your bedroom where you sleep 6-8 hours a night.  The ones that you must have in your bedroom should be moved as far away from your head and heart as possible.  Do yourself a favor and take the television out of your bedroom, period.

It would also be a good idea to get some headphones that allow you to make and receive calls.  It is better to use headphones to talk on the phone than to have a Bluetooth or the phone itself by your head all day.  Speakerphone is always a great option too if you have a good enough quality speaker.  I’m a huge fan of Skype and iChat.  Even though you are still in front of a computer at least it isn’t pressed right up against your head.

If you can choose your workspace make an effort to get as much natural light as possible.  And for your health’s sake GO OUTSIDE to spend some time in nature!  Take your shoes off and get your feet in the grass.

Question #4: How can physical activity release endorphins in our body and help us refresh our body and mind?

Answer:

Regular strenuous exercise and strength training in particular creates a positive hormonal cascade that up-regulates the “feel good” endorphins and hormones that give us a sense of well being.  It isn’t just a coincidence that you feel really good about yourself after you workout hard.  It’s all due to the hormones your body releases for up to 24 hours post exercise.  My friends and I call it “Leveling up.”

You’ll also be happy to know that these hormones are very effective at mobilizing fat (burning fat) for energy.  Cardio is still good to have as a part of your exercise regimen, but strength training with body weight or weights is far superior to aerobic exercise when it comes to burning fat and getting that sense of feeling good.

Question #5: I’m always stressed - how can we declutter our mind, and renew our mental clarity, and be happier?

Answer:

Stay present.  Over analyzing the past and worrying about the future takes you out of the present.  There is a saying, “I’ve been looking for the future my entire life and all I ever seem to find is right now.”

Take in the present moment and appreciate it for what it is – it is all we have.  It’s good to learn from the past, but let it stay where it belongs…in the past.  It’s wise to plan for the future, but once you have a plan you should concentrate your mind on executing your plan in the present.  Regular meditation is a good way to train your mind to stay present.  Start with 10 minutes a day and go from there.  There are lots of guided meditations you can find online and even meditation groups that meet regularly almost everywhere.

If you have more burning questions that need answers post on my Facebook Page and I'll do my best to give you a solution.

Workout Hard, Post-workout Smart, Part III

workout aftermath-800wi

If you want a basic understanding of how hormones and exercise are related, which I encourage, start reading here.  If you want to get down to the nitty gritty skip to the bottom where I have outlined 12 ways to maximize your results with training and post-workout nutrition.  You're welcome.

Hormones play a part in all metabolic activity.  Think of them as tiny messengers carrying information from one place to the next that dictates how every cell, organ, organ system and body function operates, even your thoughts and emotions.  Optimizing your hormone levels benefits everything from mood and energy levels to fat loss and focus.  Less than optimal hormone function compromises everything and means you are running at less than your full potential.

I cannot stress this next sentence enough.

Exercising, eating and living in a way that optimizes hormone function will make every goal you have; fitness, body composition, career, relationship, etc, easier to accomplish. 

Hormone 101: The Basics

1. Testosterone, growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) are hormones that are anabolic, meaning they build tissue.  They also mobilize fat at a very high rate when they are abundant in the blood stream.  High levels of these hormones have an anti-aging benefit as well. Exercising, eating and living in a way that maximizes the release of these hormones and limits the release of hormones that counteract them (insulin and estrogen) is your mission in life.  Spoiler alert: Not all exercise is created equally when it comes to hormone release.
2. Insulin is a hormone that is also very anabolic in nature.  Unfortunately in addition to building muscle, it is also the hormone that is directly responsible triggering body fat storage, and, it is REALLY good at its job!  Insulin is released in direct correlation with the amount of carbs you eat.  More info on all the reasons you want to keep insulin levels low.  One other big negative is that GH cannot exist in the blood stream in any great amount at the same time as insulin, meaning post-workout carbs erase the big GH release you get from intense exercise as soon as you eat them.
3. Cortisol isfat storing stress hormone that is catabolic in nature, meaning it breaks down muscle tissue.  Cortisol is released during all forms of exercise throughout the duration of the training session, which is ok as long as GH is also being released as a result of intense training.  High levels of this stress hormone tend to make you hold to stubborn belly fat (no bueno!).

How Exercise Effects Your Hormonal Cascade

In order to stimulate the release of the good anabolic hormones (testosterone, GH, and IGF-1) you have to do intense weight training (intensity is relative).   The best exercises are whole-body, high intensity movements like deadlifts, squats, Olympic lifts and kettlebell lifts.  Just think, "big movements, big muscles."  Doctors Bill Kraemer and Vladimir Zatsiorsky’s research show that the magnitude of hormonal stimulation is in direct correlation with the following:

1. Amount of muscle mass activated
2. Overall work done (work = load x reps x sets)
3. Rest between sets and exercises

Studies by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) have repeatedly shown that performing several sets of each exercise, using short rest intervals of 30 to 60 seconds best stimulates anabolic hormone production.  I would also recommend using weights that are between 75-95% of your 1-rep max for a moderate to high volume.

Note: The intensity of the load and amount of volume are dependent on the experience of the trainee.  Start easier than you think with any exercise program and build up gradually.

Aerobic endurance training does not increase the release of testosterone, GH, and IGF-1.  This is a problem because cortisol is still elevated with this type of training without the GH and test surge to balance it.

12 Ways to Maximize Your Training and Hormonal Cascade: The Good Stuff

1. Prioritize resistance training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) as outlined above.  If you only have 3 hours/week to train this is your best bet.
2. Limit training time to one hour or less.  Intensity, not duration, is the key to exercise unless you are specifically training for an endurance event.  Test and GH production begin decreasing after approximately 45 minutes at which point cortisol release begins to outweigh test and GH.
3. Avoid carbs post-workout so you can maximize the GH release you created through hard training and avoid the insulin surge.
4. Drink a post-workout shake or eat a meal high in protein within 30 minutes of training.
5. Take branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) along with post-workout shake/meal.  BCAAs decrease post-workout cortisol and increase testosterone levels.  I’ve bounced around between a lot of BCAA formulas over the years and have stuck on Energy Lab’s Armor, which is my definitive favorite because of the high BCAA content and the fact that it has a full dose of L-Glutamine along with anti-oxidants to defend against free radical damage and electrolytes to help you get rehydrated.  
6. Take omega-3 fish oils to enhance protein synthesis.
7. Add L-Glutamine to post-workout shake.  Glutamine speeds up tissue repair and boosts your immune system.  In the absence of glucose from carbs the brain can use glutamine as a fuel source.
8. Avoid caffeine, which stimulates cortisol, post-workout.
9. Include Vitamin C into your post-workout shake because it clears cortisol from your system.
10. Take a green powder, red powder or some supplement high in anti-oxidants to reduce the damaging effects of cortisol and free radicals.  This will speed up recovery.
11. Re-hydrate!  Minerals and electrolytes along with water are superior to water alone.
12. Meditate or do something relaxing post-workout to further reduce cortisol and speed recovery.

Review...

Part I, Post-workout Nutrition Basics

Part II, Why post-workout carbs sabotage your hard work and why fat might maximize it.

Up next…

Part IV, Recommendations on the best supplement brands as well as additional supplementation that can augment your goals such as, creatine, branched chain amino acids (BCAA), L-glutamine, fish oils, Greens Powders and other high anti-oxidant blends, adaptagens, and much more.

Part V, Importance of central nervous system (CNS) recovery for the advanced/hardcore trainees and so your workouts don’t leave you bonking at work.  

Workout Hard, Post-workout Smart, Part II

female-tape measure six pack-1-375

In this second installment of “Workout Hard, Postworkout Smart” I am going to go into detail about why you should avoid carbs and if you should consider making fat a part of your post-workout strategy. In the last installment I covered the fundamentals of a post-workout strategy and defiled some sacred ground when I challenged the established notion that our bodies need carbs to increase protein synthesis (not true) and to replenish our glycogen stores (also not true).  I went so far as to say that carbs should only be included in a post-workout plan under certain conditions and that anyone with the goal of losing body fat should never eat carbs post-workout.

4 Reasons to Avoid Carbs Post-workout

So that you aren’t following my recommendations in blind faith I will give you 4 reasons that you shouldn’t include carbs so you, too, can testify and walk in the light:

1. Carbs trigger the release of insulin, the hormone responsible for fat storage.  Insulin converts carbs into stored body fat.  The higher your blood sugar levels the bigger the spike in insulin release and consequently the more fat your store.
2. Our bodies store 3 grams of water for every 1 gram of glucose.  Eating large quantities of post-workout carbs make you retain more water, giving you that swollen and bloated look.  Don’t let water retention kill your definition!
3. Intense resistance training and high intensity interval training creates a huge surge in growth hormone (GH).  GH is a muscle building, fat burning and anti-aging hormone that cannot exist in the blood stream in any substantial amount when insulin is also present.  The insulin spike from carbs effectively shuts down your GH surge erasing one of the best benefits of training.
4. Chronically high insulin levels lead to insulin insensitivity, which can eventually lead to chronic disease like adrenal fatigue and even diabetes.

More Post-workout Myths: Fat

The same school of thought that has been preaching post-workout carb-loading to improve protein synthesis has also preached avoiding fat at all costs because it negatively affects protein synthesis.  Research has now proven that moderate fat intake does not negatively impact protein synthesis.  On the contrary, taking omega-3 fish oils will actually increase protein synthesis!  Omega-3’s have several benefits in addition to improving the efficiency of protein synthesis:

1. Omega-3 fish oils (EPA-DHA) are a powerful anti-inflammatory that help calm down inflammation caused by intense exercise.  That means faster recovery for the next workout session.
2. Fish oils turn on the lipolytic genes (fat burning genes) and turn off the lipogenic genes (fat storage genes). I could probably stop here, but I'll keep going...
3. They are great for joint health.  Your joints take a beating during heavy resistance training and especially plyometrics.  Joint health is a key to longevity.
4. The anti-inflammatory properties boost immune system function, which is often compromised by intense training.
5. Bonus: Omega-3’s are great for clear, vibrant, youthful skin.  Don’t you want the canvas you are stretching over all those rippling muscles and six-packs to look as good as possible?

Fish oils turn on the lipolytic genes (fat burning genes) and turn off the lipogenic genes (fat storage genes).

fish-oil

Summarizing “Workout Hard, Post-workout Smart, Parts I and II”:

Now you know why you should be avoiding carbs post-workout and why moderate fat intake is not the devil we once thought.  You also know why you should include omega-3 fish oil as a part of your post-workout strategy.  In the next installments of the series we will cover:

Part III, How to optimize your post-workout hormonal cascade for more fat loss, muscle/strength building and better recovery.

Part IV, Recommendations on the best supplement brands as well as additional supplementation that can augment your goals such as, creatine, branched chain amino acids (BCAA), L-glutamine, fish oils, Greens Powders and other high anti-oxidant blends, adaptagens, and much more. 

Part V, Importance of central nervous system (CNS) recovery for the advanced/hardcore trainees and so your workouts don’t leave you bonking at work.  

Fitness Scavenger Hunt

If you're tired of doing all of your workouts inside under fluorescent lights at the gym or if you usually enjoy an outdoor workout, but need to change up your routine I have an idea for you that will never get old.  If you are feeling adventurous try doing a fitness scavenger hunt!

A fitness scavenger hunt is a great way to get an outdoor workout and to mix things up in your fitness routine.  Here is how it works.  Plan out a route that you usually jog or walk.  Then list 5-10 bodyweight exercises, for example push-ups, burpees, pull-ups, squat jumps, lunges, single leg hops, planks, jumping jacks and the list goes on.

 Tip:  Plyometrics and explosive exercises like jumping and plyo push-ups are a great way to make the scavenger hunt a workout that will improve your conditioning, burn fat, increase athleticism and challenge your mental toughness.

Next to each exercise on your list put a corresponding landmark or "thing" that you might commonly see on your run.  Here are ideas to get you started:

1)  Park bench

2)  Road work (signs, cones, barracades, etc.)

3)  Short brick wall (good for jumping, dips or elevating your feet for push-ups)

4)  Tall brick wall (flex your creative muscle more than me)

5)  Playground (great for pull-ups, climbing, and primal movement patterns)

6)  Crosswalk

7)  Red light

8)  Red convertible

9)  Cute Dog (or ugly dog...they need love too)

10)  Baby

11)  Yellow house

Every time you see an item from your list you have perform the corresponding exercise.  To make things easy to remember just say that you are going to do 5 or 10 reps when you find a scavenger hunt item.  So, for example, if I say that every time I see a park bench I am going to put my feet up on the bench and do 10 push-ups with my feet elevated and then continue my run.

Tip:  Don't be creepy at the playground...Seriously...That isn't cool and it may get you arrested.  Use your best judgement when it comes to jumping into the middle of playground action.

In addition to being a great workout, this will also keep your mind in the present moment which is something that a stressful schedule can prevent us from doing.  If you are actively looking for your scavenger hunt items you can't be worried about the presentation you have to give the next day or how the intern at your office accidentally deleted the only copy of the quarterly presentation you have to give later in the week.  Add a bit of competitiveness to the workout by counting your total reps of all exercises.  That final number for the workout is your goal to beat on the next workout.  Have fun with it and push yourself!

Workout Hard, Post-workout Smart, Part I

best-recovery-shakes-for-triathletes

We all want to maximize the hard work we put into training.  Having a good post-workout nutrition strategy is the only way to truly get the biggest return on investment.

Last month, I wrote an article Myth #3: The Milk Myth, and in it debunked a related myth that chocolate milk is the ideal post-workout beverage. After I posted that blog I got a lot of emails and Facebook messages from people asking what they should be doing with their post-workout nutrition if chocolate milk (and Gatorade) weren't good options.

The short answer is, "It depends."  It depends on your goals, style of training (duration and intensity), when you train and what you are doing with your global nutrition strategy.  I’m going to give you the long answer in this four-part post-workout series.

Today’s installment is an introduction to the highlights and some recommendations you can implement immediately.

There are four key factors that you need to consider when deciding upon your post-workout strategy:

1.  Exercise causes protein muscle breakdown.  The more intense and/or longer the duration of training the more this is an issue.  Reversing this process into protein synthesis, which rebuilds the tissue stronger than it was before is your primary goal.

2.  How (or if) you will replenish depleted energy stores like glycogen (glucose stored in muscles) and the other components that allow your body to produce ATP (think "muscle fuel"), such as creatine.

3.  Ridding your body of the metabolic byproducts and controlling catabolic hormones that break down your body and create inflammation is the third factor to consider.

4.  The often forgotten and ignored fourth factor is how you will support central nervous system (CNS) recovery.

Before you can choose the best post-workout strategy for yourself you need to answer a few questions:

1.  What are  your goals?  (fat loss, build muscle, strength, performance, etc)

2.  What is the duration and intensity of your training?  (this may vary from day to day)

3.  Who are you?  Or more specifically where are you at now with your fitness and body composition?

4.  Are you willing to try something new and give it a long enough trial to really determine if it is a better strategy?

Post-workout Strategy Basics

 Rebuild and Replenish

In order to stop protein muscle breakdown and replenish energy stores you need protein.  Protein is broken down into amino acids, which are the building blocks you need to repair muscle tissue (protein synthesis) and stop muscle breakdown. The faster you can positively improve your protein balance the faster you get into the muscle-building phase and out of the breakdown phase.

The prevailing wisdom has been that carbs along with protein is ideal because it creates an insulin spike that rushed all the protein into the muscles at warp speed to trigger more efficient protein synthesis.  The problem with creating an insulin spike is that insulin is the hormone that triggers body fat storage.  There is now research proving that ingesting carbs with protein does not improve protein synthesis.

The second reason that people have always said that you need to eat carbs post-workout is that you need to replenish your muscle glycogen stores.  This has also been proven false in research studies.  Our bodies are more than capable of replenishing their own glycogen stores through the process of gluconeogenesis using lactate and amino acids.  Unless your intense workouts are longer than an hour you do not need carbs post-workout.  A general rule of thumb is 30 grams of carbs for every hour of training (this does not apply to you if fat loss is your primary goal, see below).

What does this mean for you?

A basic post-workout nutrition strategy is to have 15-30 grams of high quality whey protein within 30-45 minutes of training.  The quicker you get that nutrition the better.  The amount of protein you take depends on your size, your goals, and the intensity/duration of your workout.

• The more muscle mass you currently have the more amino acids you need to support protein synthesis.
• Higher intensity and heavier weights means more damage to your muscles and therefore a need for more protein support. The same goes for training that is longer in duration.  In general your most intense day shouldn’t also be your longest day.
• If your goal is primarily to build muscle or you are a hard-gainer you should up your protein post-workout and quality carbs from whole food sources.

My Example

I weigh 225 lbs. with less than 10% body fat and do 2-3 very intense workouts a week.  I normally take 24 grams of protein along with 5 grams of L-glutamine, greens powder, maca root and some amino acids immediately after my intense workouts.  I mix my post-workout shake with either water or raw milk if my workout was particularly intense or long, which they often are.  I take nothing or just some glutamine, greens powder, and maca root (more info on those later) following my less intense metabolic workouts that are shorter.

If your goal is fat loss…

Your primary concern is moving more, eating less and controlling your insulin levels.  Sugar is not your friend.  Your workouts should be intense and no longer than an hour at most in duration.  Intensity is more important than duration unless you want to be skinny fat.

In the event you do some less intense steady state aerobic workouts (jogging, cycling, or swimming) for active rest or to mix it up you don't need any post-workout nutrition.  Occasional post-workout fasting for your longer, harder workouts is also a good strategy to employ to maximize natural growth hormone (GH) levels (more on that in Part 2 of this series).

In the subsequent parts of the series I will dive deeper into the following topics:

Part II, Why post-workout carbs sabotage your hard work and why fat might maximize it.

Part III, How to optimize your post-workout hormonal cascade for more fat loss, muscle/strength building and better recovery.

Part IV, Recommendations on the best supplement brands as well as additional supplementation that can augment your goals such as, creatine, branched chain amino acids (BCAA), L-glutamine, fish oils, Greens Powders and other high anti-oxidant blends, adaptagens, and much more. 

Part V, Importance of central nervous system (CNS) recovery for the advanced/hardcore trainees and so your workouts don’t leave you bonking at work.  

Myth #3: Squats Are Bad for Your Knees

Front-Squat-woman

In my first two myth-busting blogs I focused on nutritional myths (Cholesterol Myth and Milk Myth).  In this installment I want to talk about one of the biggest exercise myths that I hear perpetuated in the gym more than anything else.  The myth that (drumroll) squats are bad for your knees.  Squats are in fact one of the single best exercises you can include in your program for strength, muscular development and burning fat. When I hear people say that they don’t squat because it hurts their knees I always ask them to demonstrate some squats for me.  Every time I watch one of these demonstrations my suspicions are confirmed.  It is not squats that are hurting their knees, it is how they are squatting that is hurting their knees.

Why are squats good?

1. Squatting is one of the most fundamental human movement patterns that is transferrable to anything we do in sports or daily life.  If you want to make yourself a better athlete you need to be squatting.
2. Squats develop all the major muscle groups around the hips and knees, the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calf muscles.  Strengthening these muscles takes the load bearing pressure off the knee joint and onto the muscles that are meant to stabilize the joint.
3. Squatting is one of the single best core exercises.  When you squat your abs and all the muscles in your back are working hard to stabilize your spine during the movement.  Heavy squats done with good form will make your abs stronger than any traditional “ab exercise” you have been doing.  Doing high volume squats with lighter weights will build core endurance and melt away the fat around your midsection.
4. Since squatting is a compound movement that requires the use of all of the biggest muscles in the body it is one of the best exercises for burning calories and fat.  Don’t believe me?  Pick a weight that you can do 15-18 squats with and then attempt to do 6-10 sets of 10 squats with a one-minute break.  Let me know what happens to your heart rate during that workout and then try to tell me Zumba was a better workout.
5. If the traditional Back Squat is good for your core, the more advanced Front Squat is even better…And the very advanced Overhead Squat (OHS) is ‘mo betta.  If you don’t have experience with the Front or OHS I would recommend having an experienced trainer or someone with a lot of Olympic lifting experience work with you on your form.

Warning!

Squatting is becoming a lost art because it is hard work and most people avoid something hard when there is an easy alternative (enter the leg extension and a host of other ridiculous leg machines that isolate muscle groups in a way that they don’t work in natural movement and take the core completely out of the equation).  In order to squat safely without pain you have to be able to properly organize your spine by bracing your core and have the mobility in the hips, knees and ankles to move through the proper range of motion.  When people stop moving and start sitting for long periods of time core function and mobility, particularly in the lower body, deteriorates rapidly.

Regaining core function and mobility takes work and a certain level of knowledge.  We’ve already established that most people avoid work when at all possible, so they either quit squatting or they continue squatting poorly.  Another unfortunate and unforgiveable trend in the industry is the large number of trainers that can’t teach or demonstrate proper squatting technique and progressions.  In my opinion that is like an English teacher not being able to teach sentence structure, yet it see it every time I visit another gym.

Squatting Red Flags

Watch yourself in a mirror or ask a friend to take a video of you squatting.  Look for these common squatting dysfunctions before you add squats to your program or advance to more difficult squats.

1. Knees caving in at any point of the squat.  This points to tight hip flexors and calves as well as weak glutes.
2. Hips sliding to one side.  This indicates some hip or knee mobility issues and some glute dysfunction.  Address mobility issues and lighten the weight or regress to a corrective like the goblet squat.
3. Heels coming up off the ground during any point in the squat.  This means you have tight calves.  Stop wearing heels, do calf mobility work and squat with your heels elevated on 10 lbs. plates or a wood plank in the interim.
4. Upper or lower back rounding during the movement.  This means your core isn’t engaging properly during your squat pattern.  You need to regress to a corrective exercise like goblet squats and focus on strengthening your core with exercises like planks.

Now that you know what NOT to do when you squat, check out my Squat 101 blog to learn proper squatting form and cues.  

Squat 101

baby-squat

When I sat down to write Myth #3: Squats are Bad for Your Knees, my goal was to dispel one of the worst myths in fitness and to point out certain red flags in poor squatting form with a few quick strategies on how to fix the problems.  As I got to the end of my blog it occurred to me that I wouldn’t be a very good coach if I only told you what not to do.  I call that giving negative instruction, for example, giving someone directions by telling them not to go left at the next light.

So that I can practice what I preach to my mentorship students, I put together the following step-by-step guide to squatting fundamentals.

1. If you are using a barbell to do your squats, make sure that your rack is set up at the proper height.  The bar should be a few inches lower than where you are actually going to hold it during your lift.  You should NEVER have to come up onto your toes to rack or un-rack the bar.
2. Start with feet a little wider than shoulder width.  They should be facing straight ahead or just slightly turned out.  Your feet should stay that way throughout the movement.  If they turn out or cave in at any point during the movement you have some mobility issues that need to be addressed with myofascial release and flexibility exercises.  Tip: Attacking the calves, quads, and hip flexors for 10-12 minutes a day consistently will pay quick dividends.
3. Before beginning your set you must first organize your spine by creating a stable midline through bracing.  Bracing applies to any exercise, but the following three steps will deal with squatting specifically.
4. With your feet in the same position as #2, apply external rotation torque against the floor with your feet.  Pretend there is a seam in the floor running between your legs and you are trying to rip it in half with the torque you are generating through your feet.  Although your feet shouldn’t move, you are applying as much rotational force as possible.   Apply as much torque to the floor as possible throughout the entire set.  DO NOT RELAX!  Just to be clear, external rotation of the right foot means that you are twisting your foot from left to right (right big toe from 12 o’clock to 3 o’clock) and that you are twisting your left foot from right to left (left big toe from 12 o’clock to 9 o’clock).
5. Creating torque allows you to fully engage your glutes.  You should be able to squeeze your glutes very hard while applying torque through your feet.  This is how you should finish each squat rep with torque, tight quads, and tight glutes.
6. Engage your abs hard like you are preparing to take a punch to the stomach.  Maintain this throughout the set to protect your spine.  The best way to do this without holding your breath is to take quick breaths in like you are sucking in through a straw and then breath out with sharp, forceful breaths on the way up.  My colleagues at Strongfirst call it “breathing behind the shield.”
7. Place the bar on your back for back squats or the front of your shoulders in the rack position for front squats.  Slowly build tension in your core and throughout your body before actually taking the bar off of the rack.  Once you lift the bar off, step only far enough away to clear the rack.  Moving too far away from the rack is a waste of energy and puts you further away from the rack when you may need to get back to it quickly.
8. Initiate the descent by hinging at the hips and flexing your knees at the same time.  Imagine that there is a stool behind you that comes up to the middle of your thigh.  Begin each rep by trying to sit back on that stool.
9. Push your knees outward throughout on the way down and on the way back up.  If you were looking straight ahead watching yourself squat in a mirror your knees would be pushed outside of your hips and ankles.  Tip: Practicing goblet squats where you actually use your elbows to push your knees out at the bottom of the squat is a great teaching drill, corrective exercise and warm-up.
10. Upper body positioning for Back Squats: The bar will be resting on your back.  Open your chest by imagining you are spreading out your collar-bones.  Pull your shoulders back by squeezing your shoulder blades together.  Twist your elbows down so that they are directly below the bar.  To create maximum tension throughout the body you will need to create torque through your shoulders by externally rotating your arms as well.  Externally rotating your arms in this position means that you are twisting them so that your thumbs would face behind you and that if the bar were actually a candy bar it would snap directly behind you at your 6 o’clock.
11. Upper body positioning for Front Squats: You will be resting the barbell on a shelf that you will create with your shoulders.  Start with your hands a little wider than shoulder width.  Bring your chest and shoulders into the bar.  The bar should be making contact with the tops of the front of your deltoids and your sternum just below the tips of your collar-bones.  Now, the barbell and your hands become the pivot point with your elbows positioned directly below the barbell and your wrists.  Keeping the bar and your hands in place, pivot your arms and elbows, lifting your elbows up in front of you.  Your elbows should now be pointing directly in front of you and the backs of your arms should be parallel to the ground.  Create a shoulder shelf for the bar to rest on by pushing your shoulders forward (shoulder protraction).  The bar should not be resting on your throat cutting off air.
12. Lift the bar off of the rack.  You should be able to keep your elbows high with the backs of your arms staying parallel to the floor while also keeping a straight, neutral spine throughout the movement.  Fight to keep your spine as vertical as possible.  If your upper or lower back rounds immediately end your set and lighten the weight or regress to a goblet squat.  Warning: Front squats require good shoulder and thoracic mobility.  If you can’t get the bar into a comfortable front rack position while maintaining a relatively vertical spine then you should regress to back squats and working on your thoracic mobility until you are able to achieve a comfortable front rack.
13. Ideally, everyone should have the mobility and motor control to squat deep enough so that their thighs go below parallel with the floor, although that isn’t necessarily the way I always have my clients squat.  Olympic lifters must be able to squat “ass to grass.”  Powerlifters must be able to squat just below parallel.  For everyone else, I feel like a squat at parallel is sufficient.  Restrictions in mobility may keep that from happening in the beginning, but it is always something I want clients to work to improve upon.  Eventually, I want every client to demonstrate that they have the mobility and motor control to do a relatively light goblet squat with perfect form going below parallel.  Although it isn’t the way we usually squat I believe that it is better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

How Do You Define Fitness?

hotel room workout

I’ve always found it funny that the fitness industry can’t agree on the definition of fitness.  The only other industry I have ever had serious career time in is sales and it was universally clear to everyone what defined a sale.  In sales we had the benefit of a fail-safe assessment tool we called a bonus check that that cleared up any confusion.  Unfortunately in the fitness industry there is no universal, black-and-white assessment for “fitness.”  On the contrary, the words “fit” and “fitness” have become a catchall, as well as the most common word used in the goals sections of my New Client Questionnaires right after the phrase, “I want to be more…” Specificity is appreciated.

Fitness is simply the ability to do a task

“I want to be more fit.” – Anonymous Masses

My working definition for fitness is the ability to do a task.  A marathon runner must have the ability to run a marathon in a certain amount of time.  A lifter must be able to lift a certain amount of weight.  Even weight loss works with this definition because it is the ability to lose a specified amount of weight in a specified amount of time (and then maintaining it).

When someone tells me they want to be more fit, I reply with, “Fit for what?”  One cannot begin to be more fit until they define what task(s) they are trying to accomplish.  When the goal, or Point B, is clearly defined then you can go to work on improving your abilities to accomplish that task(s).  If all of my clients could get one concept rock solid from the time they spend with me it is that you must have some specific reason to train.  You absolutely MUST have a vision of a fitter you that you are working to fulfill.  Until you define the applicable qualities this fitter version of yourself must have, any training you do falls into the category of aimless fitness, or what I call the danger zone.

Road to the Fitter You or the Highway to the Danger Zone

You are now sitting at a metaphorical fork in the road.  You can put some thought into defining a clear vision of the fitter you, or you can take the onramp leading to the highway to the danger zone.  The choice is yours.

If you choose to define a fitter you, the road less traveled will be illuminated for you. Envisioning a fitter you will give you clarity and purpose.  It will guide your training and force you to get on a consistent schedule to reach your goal.  It will hold you accountable, staring you dead in the eye when you look into the mirror first thing in the morning and last thing at night before you go to bed.  On the days you don’t feel like training that image of your future self will either inspire you like a hero or shame you like a nemesis, but either way it will get your butt into the gym (somehow it always knows which one you need).

If you take the highway to the danger zone you can expect to wind up on an endless cloverleaf onramp that leads to nowhere like the old Looney Toons cartoon. The danger zone is tricky because it doesn’t feel dangerous at all.  You will be totally unburdened by any commitments or accountability, which may feel good for a time.  Consequently you will also be free from the burden of progress and dealing with the better version of yourself.  You may not even realize you are there until one day you go to the gym for squats and deadlifts and instead find yourself doing a 45 minute “workout” on some cockamamie cardio machine because you got hooked on whatever show was playing on the built-in tv screen.  Or, maybe it is the day you realize that solid hour at the gym you used to do is starting to become a half-ass half hour.  You can try to rationalize that you are just trying to maintain, but the fact is that you are either getting better or you are getting worse. There is no middle ground.

Choosing the road less traveled doesn’t need to be overwhelming.  A fitter you should be achievable.  The great thing about taking the road less traveled is that the destination can change as many times as you see fit.  Once you’ve reached that first goal, move on to the next one.  Stop in as many towns as you can.  Just make sure your destination is one that you can get fired up about.

Hill Sprinting, The Lost Fat Burning Secret

ripped-sprinter

People tend to make exercise, particularly fat loss, so much more complicated than it needs to be.  My goal is always to make the most efficient use of my time and energy.  If I can get results in 30 minutes I don’t want to workout for an hour.  I would rather spend that time playing with my daughter. And, If one exercise works for the job why use three?  The goal of my workout is to get results, not entertain me.  Less is more. The most common questions I get revolve around the best workouts or exercises for fat loss. In these situations I always start by saying that the simplest methods are the most effective.  I would rather you focus all of your energy on executing a basic workout plan perfectly than waste it on a confusing complex plan resulting in poor execution.  This is both a statement of my philosophy and a preface to help brace the person I am talking to for the sometimes ridiculously simple advice to follow.

I would rather you focus all of your energy on executing a basic workout plan perfectly than waste it on a confusing complex plan resulting in poor execution.

It is interesting how people are often disappointed with simple advice.   It is like being disappointed with easy equations to solve on a Calculus test.  People expect a complex answer from me and are disappointed when I suggest that the best thing they could do to burn fat is neither a workout nor an exercise, but an activity that is as simple as running…very fast.

That’s right, sprinting intervals, are in my opinion, one of the single best ways to burn fat. It is also a fantastic way to build core and lower body strength, conditioning, and even hypertrophy in the lower body.  Add a hill to the equation and now I can’t think of a better way to accomplish those goals.

Why hill sprinting?

1. Hill sprinting is both high intensity anaerobic interval training (HIIT) and explosive plyometric style training for the lower body.  With the addition of the hill your legs are getting an extremely tough resistance workout.  The combination of intense anaerobic resistance intervals and explosive plyometrics is the magic formula for fat loss.  Hill sprinting is by nature interval training because once you have sprinted up the hill you have to get back down. Just walking down is a good start.  The sprinting up is plenty hard enough to constitute a full workout for even the most advanced trainees.  There are also a lot of other ways to get down the hill that can add to your workout.  You can walk backwards with an elongated step back to work the calves and glutes or side step to stretch the groin and bring in an element of lateral movement.  Downhill primal movement patterns like quadruped walk or bear crawls make for a particularly brutal interval workout. Tip: Don’t get too caught up in difficult intervals going down the hill in the beginning.  You want to be fresh for each sprint up the hill so that it is actually an all-out sprint instead of a survival shuffle up the hill.
2. It teaches proper sprinting mechanics because it forces you to exaggerate your running technique.  The pitch of the hill forces you to lean forward, which is an ideal body position for sprinting.  It also forces you to flex your hips, knees and ankles into greater ranges of motion while keeping a braced core.  When done with consistency these movement patterns will carry over to running on flat surfaces and to other explosive movements like jumping.
3. Sprinting in general is an excellent core workout. The primary function of the core is to stabilize the spine by preventing movement.  The hard arm swing and movement of the legs during sprinting creates opposing rotational forces on the thoracic (upper) and lumbar (lower) spine.  The abs are responsible for balancing the power generated by the arms and legs to maintain a safe, stable spine and efficient sprint mechanics.
4. Hill running is low impact compared to running on a flat surface because the hill comes up to meet the descending foot so the landing is lower impact.  Lower impact workouts allow you to train harder and longer without beating up your body.  Yay, more work capacity!
5. Hill running promotes toe running.  Too much time jogging in traditional running shoes teaches a heel strike that is jarring to the knees, hips and lower back.  Learning a new foot strike can be tough.  Hill sprinting is a great and forgiving teaching tool for the reasons listed above.

Now you are ready to go out and conquer.  Look for a hill with an even surface and closely mowed grass.  During your warm-up I suggest passing over your sprinting lane to make sure it is free of obstacles and pot holes.  In the past when I couldn’t find a nice grass hill, paved inclines like the ones found in parking garages and graded ramps were a good substitute. Pick an area with a traffic situation that is safe for sprinting.

Walk off 40 paces to a maximum of 75 paces for your sprint distance.  Anything more than 75 paces and you are long past being able to accelerate through your sprint.  Form will begin to break down and things will get ugly including the look on your face.  As a coach I would prefer that you run more sets of intense, near-max effort sprints that are shorter in distance.  The intensity of the sprint interval is the secret sauce that creates the fat burn, not the length of the interval.  I suggest you heed my less is more philosophy the first few times you try this workout.

The intensity of the sprint interval is the secret sauce that creates the fat burn, not the length of the interval.

Once you have a place to sprint I would suggest shooting for 5-10 sprints up the hill with a long enough break between sprints to allow you to sprint with a close to max effort on the next rep.  If you have a HR monitor I would suggest waiting until your HR has gotten back down into the 120’s.  Over time you can add sprints, increase length and decrease the rest interval.  Adjust these variables one at a time and slowly over time.

I do not recommend running on an incline treadmill or stadium steps as a replacement for a hill.  Treadmills in general are not good options because they promote poor running mechanics and increase the risk of injury when training.  Stadium steps or stair workouts have their place, but are nowhere near as effective as hill sprinting.  You can never really cut loose sprinting super hard on stairs because you have to be aware of foot placement and the fact that the stair width may not fit your natural stride length.  If stairs are all you have then do your best.

6 Sprinting Tips:

1. Arms are your accelerators.  If you want to sprint faster pump your arms faster.
2. Stay relaxed.  Don’t tense your face, neck, chest, abs or clench your fists.  Check out a video Olympic sprinters to see how relaxed their faces are during the race.
3. Keep your arms swinging relatively straight ahead parallel to the line on which you are running.  Arms crossing in front of your body when you run is a very inefficient style of running.  A good rule of thumb is to make sure your hands swing in line with your shoulder joint.
4. Pick your knees up.
5. Lead with your chest.  Image some force like a magnet is pulling your chest to the end destination of your sprint.
6. Don’t tighten your abs when you sprint because it limits the natural rotation needed to maximize your stride length.