Before Atlas Shrugged, He Strengthened His Core

In a previous entry I mentioned how strong abdominals can help in curing or preventing back problems. The operative word here is "help." Strengthening the core is an essential piece of the puzzle, but sometimes there are additional changes you may need to make. Many things can cause back problems; being overweight, disc disease, scoliosis (curvature of the spine), poor posture, poor seating, Xbox, laziness, and downward the spiral goes. It's amazing how many folks come to me and say their back goes out all the time, what can they do. The first rule is that YOU need to go out more than your back does. So on and on I go making a living being the Saint Lydwina of prolonged back pain, when all I really did was get them off their couch or Craig's List.

The first hurtle in conquering back pain is to determine its cause(s). Locating the cause of your back pain and developing a core training routine can help in eliminating some of its symptoms.

To find out what might be causing the problem take a look at these:

Do you have scoliosis or some form of disc disease? In many cases scoliosis can be corrected through proper therapy using, you guessed it, flexibility and core exercises.
How is your posture? Nearly all of us are born with good posture and proper execution of movements. Over time, we mess them up. As adults we don't squat to pick things up, we bend over. Big difference. Compare your posture and form to that of a child's. My 5 year-old son executes the squat perfectly. Neeeearly perfectly! Proof.


What kind of shoes do you wear? Your workout shoes need replaced more often that you think.
Were you ever in an accident that injured your back or neck?
Mattress need turned, replaced?
Are you under a lot of stress?
Do you sit for prolonged periods of time?
What type of chair do you use?
How is your body positioned at your desk?

Now, who can help you answer these questions?
A podiatrist. A podiatrist will help you answer all of those questions. He will perform a gait analysis, check how you walk, inspect your posture, and make recommendations for everything from therapy to shoes to an exercise program. A lot of back problems originate from the ground up.

The burning question: How does strengthening my abs help my back?

Any movements where you are pushing something, a door, shopping cart, a spouse, or pulling something, a door, a stubborn dog, or pulling yourself up involve contraction of core muscles. During a pushing type of movement your rectus abdominus (6 pack) and internal obliques must contract in order to stabilize your torso mainly from hyperextending or, leaning back. The same is true when you are doing any pulling type of movement. Your low back extensors and your obliques must contract to stabilize you from bending forward; another way the back is overstressed.




When your core is strong, stabilizing your back during push/pull movements is usually not an issue. When it is not strong the result is hyperextension in the back, and that causes excessive pressure on your spine. This pressure is further compounded when you have excess abdominal weight. A person with excess abdominal weight, tends toward hyperextending the back anyway simply to maintain "normal" posture. The more abdominal weight one has the harder their back muscles must work to keep them straight. This is why we see so many overweight people, mainly men, walking around looking like chemistry teachers, big belly out, arms back, wasting so much energy trying to offset the weight imbalance.
Solution: Change eating habits, get some good walking shoes, start walking, use my check list to see what's causing your back pain, and start a core strengthening program. You have a very good chance of eliminating some of the symptoms and looking better as well. Easier said than done, I know. But as Fernando Lamas said, "it's better to look good, than feel good." Maybe you can do both.

Walk, Don't Run?

I have yet to hear someone tell me they hurt their ankles, shins, knees, back or neck while walking. You don't get these types of overuse injuries from walking for exercise. Ok, you guessed it, I prefer fast walking over running for aerobic exercise. I used to be a runner so I am not anti-running, but you can accomplish just as much walking aerobically and greatly decrease the likelihood of injuries if you do it right.


Walking for aerobic exercise, and I mean fast walking, not window shopping pace, can burn just as many calories and increase your metabolism as running can. It might require a bit more frequency and time, but will be much easier on your body. How is it done? It starts with the shoes. Find a shoe store that has a staff who can determine the best shoe for you. Proper walking shoes will be gentle on your body. Set goals; if you are walking two miles, walk the second mile faster. Alter your pace so you walk fast for a while and gradually slow to a comfortable speed. You can add in jumping jacks, crunches or push-ups. This is great work for your cardiovascular system. Walk at a pace where you are slightly out of breath. Where you can talk, but it requires some effort. This will insure that you are in an aerobic zone. Use a pedometer to establish a set number of steps you want to take. Walk more, walk often.

Core Training – Strengthen Your Foundation

If you spend anytime in the gym, you’ve heard of core training. Core training is the key to a stronger midsection and possibly fewer back problems especially as you get older. To better understand what you are actually using when you are working your core, let’s look at the core muscles and their responsibilities.
The group of muscles from just below your chest to right above your waistline and all the way around your body is your core area; abdominals in front and on the sides, and extensors in the back. They maintain the structural integrity of your spine and assist in breathing. You use them every time you bend forward, to the side, twist, or lean back. They are active in virtually every movement you make, so you can see how important it is to strengthen them.




One of the best ways to work the core is with functional exercises. That is, working those core muscles through as many movements and angles as you can while involving other muscle groups at the same time. Do exercises that imitate movements you make in sports or your daily life. So instead of 200 crunches, do a crunch with a one-armed chest press, a lunge with a torso twist, or a shoulder press with a side bend. Isolated exercises are ok, but add in a few functional exercises to challenge your core even more. They burn more calories and help to create a stronger, more durable spine.

When Negative and Strength Unite

Weight bearing eccentric muscle contractions, also known as negatives, are an excellent method of increasing strength. An eccentric (ek-sentrick) contraction is one where a muscle is lengthening as it is loaded, or bearing weight. Examples include; the downward phase of the biceps curl, the downward phase of the squat, or the downward phase of the push-up. This is actually the contractile phase where your muscles are their strongest, up to 25% stronger than the opposite type of contraction - concentric, or, contraction while the muscle is shortening. This is also the area where the vast majority of injuries occur; when a person is stepping down a stair, bending forward to put on socks, reaching into the back seat, or merely sitting.

We tend to overlook the importance of eccentric contractions to instead lift more weight and trick ourselves into believing we are getting stronger. I see it all the time in the gym; guys on the bench, bouncing enormous amounts of weight off their chests in order to lift enormous amounts of weight. An effective method, until the sternum, or collar bones cave in, but brutally inefficient. This method is also very unfriendly to the spine. Lowering the bar, slowly, and instead raising it quickly is a much safer lift, and creates more strength and even some power.


Doing several sets of eccentric contractions to a muscle group will increase the strength of the muscle for both types of contractions. Try to work a set or two of negatives into your weight lifting routine. Do the negative sets in the middle of each group of exercises per body part. You will actually need to overload the weight, say, use your maximum, and do as few as one or two repetitions. Try to hold each negative repetition for 4-6 seconds. Remember, you are doing only the downward phase, not the upward one. Your core muscles are really being tested here due to the duration of the contraction, so pay strict attention to your posture and form. You are going to need to have a rack, or a strong spotter in order to set the bar down at the bottom of the contraction. Be careful, inhale during the entire eccentric contraction, and pay very close attention to your form. Do not compromise form in order to lift more weight. Be patient, the gains will come. Like the weed growing through a crack in the road; slow, persistent, strength.

Commencing Countdown, Engines On

"The point of departure is not to return."


There comes a point to a plane's takeoff roll where the pilot reaches something called the point of no return. The plane must takeoff no matter what. This is how I want you to look at your fitness plan. You have entered into an irrevocable commitment. You are going to do this no matter what. This is going to be as quotidian as bathing and brushing your teeth. (I pray you)
Let's have a look at what you need to do before you start this project.

- What is my body like now? Obviously I'm not totally happy with it, but what physical condition am I in? What do I like, what don't I like? What do I want to change?

- What factors might influence/hinder my ability to perform various exercises: heart issues, respiratory issues, medications, etc? There might be some contraindications to exercise you might not know about. If you are planning on using a personal trainer, they will need to know this information as well. These factors, combined with your present physical fitness level will help me determine what you can do in the gym.

- Get a physical exam, blood work included, to establish a baseline. Have your doctor explain those numbers to you. Most of you can improve your cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose levels and blood pressure, through exercise and proper eating. This is where genetics can influence the type and intensity of exercise you can do. Granted, there are genetic issues which may put restrictions on your methods. The ok from your doc will allow you to make tracks, not excuses. No more, "I can't do this because..."

- Rule: The more overweight you are, the more important proper nutrition is.
The exercise is important, but you have to rewire your thinking and break the poor eating habits. We form habits, then habits form us. You need to turn those bad habits on their head and re FORM yourself. Not easy, I understand, and a lot of folks are on medications which actually cause weight gain. If this is you, you need to factor that into your plan. For those of you on medications, make it one of your goals, with the help of your doctor, to be able to wean yourself off them.

- Write in a diary everything you eat and drink. You are going to hold yourself accountable for what you consume. Ahhhh, responsibility, what a concept! This method alone is effective for many people. Every couple of days, in red ink, yes, red ink, cross out all you should not have eaten and write in what you should have eaten. Your goal is to have as little red ink in your food diary as possible. How do you know what you should eat? Purchase these two books; Eating Well For Optimium Health and The New Glucose Revolution. These books will educate you on nutrition, what to eat, and how to read and interpret food labels. Following the suggestions in these books, and adhering to them, is at least half of your battle, and half of your solution.



- Set reachable goals. Set your goals incrementally; short, medium and long term. "I will to lose this much by......I will workout 5 days a week....." If you don't reach a goal, evaluate where you are lacking; still not eating properly, exercise intensity not enough etc. You don't want to over reach, that sets you up for disappointment. That is one of the last things an overweight person needs. Being in this business a while I have noticed that if people don't see results quickly, they bail. We live in an "instant gratitude" society. Unfortunately for those folks their endocrine system still has patience. You must prepare to be patient. This not a short-term commitment, but a life long one. Remember, you are rewiring, forming new habits. A three day a week workout schedule with Sunday being Mooshu Pork and Cinnamon Buns day will not cut it. SEVEN days a week. Anything less than that, if you have not done some form of exercise each day and have eaten healthfully, your goals wont be met. If you do it right, read, learn, execute and be consistent, you will get results. When you reach those goals you will set new goals.
Ok, looks easy on paper (on blog), now let's get back to the "core" issues.


Next: Somebody Set Us Up the Abs - Core training: How to, what to.

Welcome Back My Friends to the Belly that Never Ends

Myth #2

Sit Ups vs. The Fajita Tumor

The myth: If I really focus on working my abs, my tummy will go away. Or, I'm going to hit my abs to get rid of this pouch. Short answer, false. No really, doesn't work that way. So all those Ab Rollers and Body By Jake gadgets that look more like the Jaws of Life and artist easels are really good for is one more place to hang your laundry. I've seen apartment building gyms that look like repositories for these things. What's funnier is that all the flat, lean tummies in those infomercials were not even made by using these gizmos. They were made by people who, as least as far as their fitness goes, think with their minds, not their brains. What am I talking about? In terms of fitness, I mean, my brain says I want cheese cake, my mind says it's not good for me.

Enough with the psychology, let's understand the physiology of the fat and muscle and how to achieve a kinder, leaner core. In one of my previous entries, the "muscle will turn into fat" myth, I explained a bit of the physiology of fat and skeletal muscle cells. To expand on that, we have a finite number of fat and muscle cells. They either get larger or smaller depending on what the body needs them to do, or in the case of an overweight person, not to do. When a person is fit, lean looking, their fat cells have reduced in size and their muscle cells have increased in size. We can see the muscle, we can not see the fat. The opposite is true in an overweight person. Crunches and sit ups are excellent ways to train the abs, but they will not reduce what I affectionately call, the Fajita Tumor.* They will make that part of your core muscles stronger, indeed. They will also have a hypertrophic effect (increase in size) upon those muscles. This is good for the fit guy and bad for the fat guy who wants a quick fix. Fit guy will get stronger and leaner because he is using ab training as only part of his workout plan, fat guy will actually increase his waist size because he is increasing his abdominal muscle size, and not eating properly and aerobically training - Fajita Tumor not going away. *(I must give credit for that term to my guru Dr. Thomas Sattler, Ed.D.)


Why is this not happening? Every has heard the one about spot reduction; can't be done, in the gym, that is. It CAN be done in a surgical suite. Enter..... your dermatologist - they can perform liposuction, change all that, and you are all set, right? Here's what he wont tell you; we have a finite number of fat cells, yes? When you take away some of those cells, i.e. liposuction, your brain recognizes the loss of those cells, which your body really does need, and compensates by increasing the SIZE of fat cells elsewhere in your body to make up for that loss. This sets the stage for a Michelin Man look if you are not really on top of your diet, strength, and aerobic training. Your body is a network of systems which need each other in order to operate effectively and efficiently. If you take away fat cells, because it needs a certain amount, it will get them back somehow, and you wont be to thrilled about where the deposit is made. This is similar in physioLOGIC to the calorie cutter diet; your brain recognizes the caloric loss and actually slows metabolically in order to compensate for that loss. So now that we have taken Ab Rollers and elective cosmetic surgery off the table, let's look at an effective solution.


"Nope, not quite....what I had in mind was sort of a double-helix."


First, the immovable object: genetics. I am not a genetic engineer, but I do know that the human genome has not changed in 20 years. What has changed is our behavior. In that last 20 years Americans' waists have expanded like Chia Pets on steroids. Technology - email, XBox, On Demand, eternal shelf-life food engineering, and shoddy parenting have allowed us to become lazier and bigger. Genes do play a major role in the type of body we have, but they are not destiny. Genetics gives us the gun, but we can decide to pull the trigger. Sometimes, unfortunately, nature pulls that trigger for us.

"Each of us, a cell of awareness, imperfect and incomplete."

Each one of us, within our DNA, possess some proto-oncogenes. A proto-oncogene is a normal gene that can become an oncogene (cancer causer) due to mutations or increased expression. Scientists believe that oncogene expression can caused partly by a poor diet Proto-oncogenes can actually be expressed, or awakened through unhealthy living. Yes, you might be a candidate for heart disease or cancer because your father and grandfather and great grandfather had it, but there are ways to break that chain. In the words of Dirty Harry, "you've got to ask yourself one question;" do I eat well and exercise, live and act as if to prevent these genes from waking up, or do I want to give oncologists more work?
There's your genetics lesson. Keep the good ones awake, and keep the bad ones asleep.

Second, the irresistable force: Frappachinos and breakfast burritos.
Some of us are blessed with a very efficient metabolism and some of us are not. I have 18 personal training clients. One of them, ONE has got that fantastic efficient metabolism. She could drink whole milk, eat bagels for breakfast, pecan pie for lunch and toss a fifth of Jameson a night if she wanted. Yes, it would eventually burn out her liver and plug up her coronary arteries, but here's my point. She doesn't even bother touching ANY of that stuff. Maaaybe once in a while. Instead, she lives as if she IS a candidate for obesity, coronary artery disease and wants to prevent those things from happening. I call it PRE-hab. Pre-had good, re-hab bad. Pretty wise approach.
I've grown tired of clients telling me that this or that runs in their family. Maybe that's the problem - maybe nobody RUNS in their family. Assume that you are a candidate for "this or that" and get ready to make the changes necessary to create a more resistable (to those bad genes that is,) you.
The single most important factor in getting fit and shrinking that Fajita Tumor, is a plan of action based on the tools you have.

I'm going to add a new post, which will discuss a nutrition plan of action. Meanwhile, call your doc and schedule an exam.

On deck: Commencing Countdown, Engines On...........a old-fashioned nutrition plan, with new-aged ideas.

Fanfare for the Common Abs

This will be a three part entry to address two ab related myths, offer advice for core training, and a nutrition plan.

Myth #1 - Common client question: I need to train my abs every day, right?
First, just which abs are we talking about?
There are four compartments of muscle that compose the core/ab musculature. When most people refer to their core or abs they are talking about the rectus abdominus, the abdominals they see in the mirror, that six pack every one craves. This is the muscle that is working when you do crunches or sit ups, the torso flexor. It is responsible for about 25 degrees of torso flexion, or bend. That's it. Any more than 25 degrees of torso bend and that muscle goes into an isometric (static) contraction and then your hip flexors take over to bring you the rest of the way up into that full sit up. Quick tip: Don't crunch all the way up. You can train that muscle much more efficiently by bending no more than 25 degrees. What's 25 degrees? Crunch up until your mid back is off the floor or ball. That is a good gauge. 

Your abdominal muscles are skeletal muscles. They are intrinsically the same as all of your other skeletal muscles. They need rest as much as they need work. Therefore, when they are tired, they need to be rested. Proper rest is very important in increasing your fitness. In my training, with my clients, or when I workout, I usually work each muscle group to or near to exhaustion. This includes the abs (core). The abs are very crucial to the structural integrity of your spine. This is why we call them core muscles. They are active in virtually every movement you make, whether you're in the gym, coughing, doubling over in laughter or getting out of bed. They function not just to move joints, but also to support them, namely your spine. When you contract your abs, and I mean your entire core, bear down and exhale, your entire abdominal compartment contracts around your spine to support it. This is the main reason why your trainer tells you to exhale on exertion. In fact, if you are not breathing properly or holding your breath while performing an exercise, you are not allowing your core muscles to meet one of their key responsibilities; aligning and protecting your spine. If you isolate and exhaust these muscles one day and don't rest them for at least a couple of days, not only are they not capable of doing more work, i.e. stronger, they are not able to fully function as supporters of your spine. It is here that you are most prone to an injury. Weak, tired core muscles are the enemy of the healthy back. Rest. Take at least two days between isolated core workouts. Your back will thank you.

To be continued.....................


On deck:
Welcome Back My Friends to the Belly That Never Ends
Myth #2 - Sit Ups vs. the Fajita Tumor