June 2009
As the summer approaches and the weather heats up, the buzz continues: What is the Human Motion Team up to now? Well, Cliff just got back from a month hiatus in his homeland, New Zealand, signing his book and delivering lifting workshops and most importantly, pursuing some continuing education in Naturopathy and Herbal medicine. Paul has been busy testing athletes with our state-of-the-art, Myotest power analysis system and teaching our BSF curriculum. Julien and I have just made our debut on www.easportsactive.com where Julien was the fitness talent in the new IP Carmen helped EA Sports develop for Nintendo.
And it is rated #1 on Amazon.com!
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Undertraining Leads to Overtraining
By Coach Carmen Bott
Yes, you read the title correctly. Believe it or not, undertraining can lead to overtraining (OTS). How is this possible you ask? Isn't overtraining defined by maladaptation to a training program that leads to a myriad of fatigue-related symptoms and eventually decrements in performance? And isn't undertraining, in reality, avoiding the principle of (progressive) overload altogether? How could that lead to OTS?
Well, it depends how deep you dive into the definition of overtraining syndrome. Sure, you can consult the text books and read the symptom-list, the neuroendocrine profile and draw conclusions from this. And if you have an M.D. working alongside of you, ready to draw blood samples for elevated cytokines and other inflammatory markers, you could evaluate the status of yourself, or your client (if you are a trainer/coach). But, this is unrealistic in the practical world of athlete strength and conditioning isn't it?
Let's examine the case-study: John Stott.
John is a 42 yr-old recreational badminton player. He has been playing since he was 25 years old after spending two years of his early career days living and working in Singapore. He is ranked among his age-group as one of the top players in the city and he balances his love for the game and his training sessions with his full-time job as a Litigator. John is a motivated person who has been active his entire life as an athlete and he loves to compete. He has hired a strength and conditioning specialist to help him get to the master's world championships and develop the physical side of his game further. Sounds like a dream client doesn't it?
People like John, are the quintessential 'weekend-warrior.' Although the jargon term has never really been defined (Wikipedia Source: People who do recreational activities such as golfing, skiing, snowboarding, or mountain biking solely on the weekends since they work Monday through Friday) and there are all kinds of fitness pros claiming to know how to train these folks, I am going to take a moment to shed some light on what my definition of the weekend warrior really is:
Weekend Warrior : Someone who sits at a desk approximately 50 hours per week, has a career with high mental & emotional stress, eats on the fly, uses training and competition as an outlet, DAILY and does not practice recovery strategies regularly.
This defines John and many other like him to a tee. John has only one gear: Full-throttle. But, let me explain how begin full-throttle all the time causes one to undertrain. If we look at John's schedule, he practices on Monday and Wednesday evenings with his coach for 2 hours. He competes on Fridays and Saturdays and has allotted Mondays (at lunch), Tuesdays and Thursdays as his time to work on his strength and conditioning, leaving only Sunday for a day off, where he often does all of his household chores (his wife kindly gives him a list) and gets ready for his work-week. I also forgot to mention that John works from home in the evenings and sleeps approximately 6 hours per night. John puts, (what he thinks) is 100% into his day at the office, his practices, his training sessions and his games.
Or does he?
As far as I am concerned, the 'John's' of this North American world we live in are a dime a dozen now. Sure, they are a real pleasure to coach and train - always ready to work and come in with a great attitude about fitness, but trust me, these people can be a royal pain in the gluteus maximus trying to convince that they are actually not working effectively, (or as the title of this blog reads: UNDERTRAINING).
Still confused? Basically, it is this simple. If you are training, as hard as you can 6 days per week and not sleeping enough, eating poorly, working long hours, you are tapping into your energy-bank too frequently and it is IMPOSSIBLE to work to your maximal capacity. In order to do that, you need rest and in order to see gains, you need rest. John needs to train LESS to gain more. It is a North American mentality to 'look busy,' to brag about how much work (volume) are handling, versus focusing on the quality of work you are doing.
It is sometimes tough for me to convince my clients that they need to rest and employ recovery strategies on a regular basis and that in order to make progress, both physically and mentally, they must work at an RPE of 3-4 some days. This is the only way the body can work at an RPE of 9-10. And a 9-10, my friend is TRAINING, not simply working out. Working out, or the "stim-zone" (I call it) is still stress on the body, but the stress is not high enough to elicit a positive adaptation and the only way one can be exposed to a high degree of stress is if they have banked their reserves and are ready for it.
Guys like John, will not often admit they are tired, or perhaps, they genuinely do not even realize it, or know what well-rested feels like. It is my to prescribe a multi-faceted recovery program and insist the client keep a training log like the one in our online store. The John's of this world can serve to be your best advertising if they buy-in and the education process is extremely important. And one more thing - as a coach or trainer, we need to practice what we preach and give our clients glimpses into our own lives and let the know we are human too and need as much recovery as the next guy/girl. Now, on that note, I have to go hit the foam roller. These muscles need some lovin' before my football game tomorrow! Happy Training! |
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Athletes of the Month:
Sam Livingston and Dylan Ainsworth are 'Going the Distance '
by Emily Beers
 They might only be in Grade 11, but Dylan Ainsworth and Sam Livingston both have the next few years of their lives mapped out precisely.
Ainsworth and Livingston attend South Delta Secondary School, where they play football together. Not only are they teammates, they are also workout buddies and close friends, and they're both striving to play football at the university level.
"I'm ultimately looking for a division I scholarship to a school in the States," said Ainsworth. "University football would be a great experience, so I'm really looking forward to that." Although only 16, Ainsworth isn't just talking the talk. He understands the meaning of putting in the appropriate time and effort, academically and athletically, to achieve his goals. He hopes to study business after high school.
 Livingston's priorities are also in order. "Since I was 11 and first had my braces, I have aspired to be an orthodontist...My marks will hopefully get me into the extremely competitive field," he said. His plan is to study sciences during his undergrad and, of course, to play football.
Instead of sitting back and waiting to graduate before making any big decisions, the two friends have taken their athletic fate into own hands. A few months ago, they started doing extra training with Human Motion's top-notch team. And already they have noticed a positive difference.
"The lifting form I've learned is unbelievable...it's just a world of difference," said Ainsworth about how Human Motion has helped him. One of the best aspects for Ainsworth has been learning a new way of working out. Before, he admits he did most of the basic kind of training. "Push-ups, sit-ups, the stuff that everyone has in the back of their head," explained Ainsworth. "Now we do a lot of Olympic lifts, free weights, a lot of interesting stuff."
Livingston, who currently plays on both the defensive and offensive ends, said that he's learned a lot about nutrition and proper lifting techniques. "They have given me a structured lifting program and motivation to be working toward my goals in gaining weight, while increasing my cardio and power output," he said.
Improving their weaknesses is one of the major goals the boys hope to get out of their training with Human Motion. "Most of my weight is in my legs and core, so with my new program I've been working on my upper body much more," said Livingston.
Seeing himself improve is one of Ainsworth's favourite aspects of the sport. "Hitting and all that is nice, but I love to see improvement, you know? Looking at game tape from Grade 11, and knowing all I have done in the off season has made me improve," he said. And he knows his off-season training will be key to his ongoing improvement. "Doing what Carmen tells me, trying to get ready physically, trying to keep my grades up," are other aspects Ainsworth says will help him land a spot on a good university team next year.
Their off-season training will also help them succeed this summer when they visit the University of Oregon for a kind of football recruiting camp, where they will be physically tested with hundreds of other high school players.
Next summer, both boys might very well be spending time packing their bags to head south again. But this summer, it's all about training. Ainsworth says the plan for the upcoming months is to be a gym rat, "That's absolutely all that I'm going to do this summer," he said.
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You're Killin' Me Smalls
I frequently receive forwarded emails from family, friends, and even strangers advising me of the latest information that will help me stay healthy and add years of longevity to my life. This information includes household products we should stay away from, the most recent virus (both health and computer-wise), or the top 10 ways to avoid cancer. While I am very thankful that loved ones are looking out for me (and I really do appreciate and use the health advise), I very rarely ever receive an email that addresses our everyday efforts to stay healthy. Yes, these emails tackle important issues such as avoiding too much radiation from microwaves, not drinking from plastic bottles, and washing your hands to avoid getting the flu, but it is amazing the impact that a little physical activity can have on your well-being. Steven Blair wrote a very inspiring article on how inactivity is now the biggest health problem facing our world in the 21st century: bjsm.bmj.com. It is incredible to me how little attention is brought to obesity. Afterall, obesity plays a major role in the onset of both obvious diseases (cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke) and less obvious diseases (osteoarthritis, depression, cancer, liver disease), and is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths (Barness et al., 2007; Mokdad et al., 2004; Allison et al., 1999). Not to mention the annual $80 billion spent on medical costs and roughly $100 billion on diet products in the U.S. alone (Finkelstein et al, 2003). It makes me more nauseous than when I watched Super Size Me. It always amazes me when I watch the news and see a doctor who doesn't look as though s/he has ever attempted to stay fit, has just revealed a new miracle drug that will help the "genetically pre-disposed" to lose weight. Some of you may be thinking that I have no idea what the doctor and his/her patients have been through; they may in fact be trying very hard to be healthy. This argument warrants a lot of attention, and you are right, I have no idea what that person has been through. I have also been very fortunate to never have had a weight problem and have been active ever since I could open my eyes. But the fact of the matter is we like to do a lot of talking and we also like things to come easy. Guess what? Staying healthy and fit comes at a price. As my colleague Cliff Harvey says, "Talk is cheap and dreams are free." We are judged by our intentions and defined by our actions." You would think that with all of the new technology and the latest commercials telling us about these diets and pills that we would have cured obesity by now. Yet, as a world, we are as big and unhealthy as we have ever been. It is such a gross over-simplification and extreme laziness to think that by cutting out one thing in our diet, we can lower our cholesterol and suddenly become healthy again. I can't tell you how many people have come to me after I have referred them to a dietician and said, "well, I already knew that, tell me something new." Or how many people come to me to lose weight in the gym but aren't prepared to put the effort in that we know it takes to do so. Because, we aren't just trying to lose weight, we are trying to be healthy, and develop life skills and actions that can lead to change. Leading a healthy lifestyle is not rocket-science...but it does take effort. Find someone who inspires you and find out how they got to where they are now. Surround yourself with positive people that will reinforce your healthy efforts, stop feeling sorry for yourself, and find out what it means to work hard. Finally, some of you may ask, why the title "You're Killin' Me Smalls". This quote is from one of my favourite sports movies, The Sandlot. If you haven't seen it, where have you been? Please rent it. Even if you don't like baseball, this movie seems to bear endless messages that can be carried over into real life. We can learn a lot from the fellas that fill the sandlot each day about teamwork, confronting and tackling our fears, playing for the fun of the game, tradition, and even a lesson in trash-talking. And for crying out loud...PLAYING OUTSIDE! But the quote itself seems to speak to the message that I'm trying to send. So many people are more concerned about making changes that require minimal effort, yet the changes that can have the biggest impact on our health are ignored because they are perceived as too hard....YOU'RE KILLIN' ME SMALLS!
References
Barness LA, Opitz JM, Gilbert-Barness E (December 2007). "Obesity: genetic, molecular, and environmental aspects". Am. J. Med. Genet. A 143A (24): 3016-34.
Dollman J, Norton K, Norton L (December 2005). "Evidence for secular trends in children's physical activity behaviour". Br J Sports Med 39 (12): 892-7; discussion 897.
Finkelstein EA, Fiebelkorn IA, Wang G (01 Jan 2003). "National medical spending attributable to overweight and obesity: How much, and who's paying". Health Affairs Online (May).
Mokdad AH, Marks JS, Stroup DF, Gerberding JL (March 2004). "Actual causes of death in the United States, 2000PDF). JAMA 291 (10): 1238-45. |
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Oral Contraceptives Impair Muscle Gains in Young Women
Re-Posted by Carmen Bott
ScienceDaily (Apr. 20, 2009) - Many active young women use oral contraceptives (OC) yet its effect on their body composition and exercise performance has not been thoroughly studied. A team of researchers has now examined the effects of OC on female muscle mass, and found that oral contraceptive use impairs muscle gains in young women, and is associated with lower hormone levels.
The findings are contained in a new study entitled Oral Contraceptive Use Impairs Muscle Gains in Young Women. It was conducted by Chang-Woock Lee and Steven E. Riechman, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX; and Mark A. Newman, Human Energy Research Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
The Study Design
Seventy-three generally healthy women between the ages of 18-31 were assigned to two groups and completed a 10-week whole-body resistance exercise training (RET). Group 1 consisted of 34 women who used oral contraceptives (OC). Group 2 consisted of 39 women who did not take birth control pills (non-OC). The women were encouraged to consume at least 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day (a third more than is called for by the U.S. government nutritional guidelines) to make sure they consumed enough calories and protein to promote muscle growth.
The participants exercised three times per week for ten weeks under the supervision of exercise physiologists. They performed a variety of exercises to include: chest press, lat pull down, leg extension, triceps extension, arm curl and abdominal crunch. Exercise was done using standard exercise machines and each volunteer performed three sets of 6-10 repetitions per exercise at 75 percent of their maximum strength. Body composition was determined using hydrostatic weighing. Blood samples were taken before and after the training and assessed to measure anabolic (muscle building) and catabolic (muscle breaking) hormone levels in blood. Resting and fasting blood concentrations were measured for three anabolic hormones: DHEA, DHEAS and IGF1.
Findings
The researchers found that:
- there were significant differences in lean mass gains (OC: 2.1±2.1% vs. non-OC: 3.5±3.2% / OC: 1.0±1.0kg vs. no-OC: 1.6±1.4kg, p<0.05). However, other muscle responses such as strength gains and arm/leg circumferences were similar between the OC and non-OC users.
- resting/fasting blood concentrations of the anabolic hormones were significantly lower in women taking OC vs. non-OC users throughout the study period. At the same time, plasma concentrations of cortisol (catabolic hormone) were elevated.
- those OC users had reduced DHEA hormone at the end of the training period. By contrast, the other participants' levels did not change.
Conclusion
According to the researchers, "We were surprised at the magnitude of differences in muscle gains between the two groups, with the non-OC women gaining more than 60% greater muscle mass than their OC counterpart." They added that even though the study has observed negative effects of oral contraceptive use on muscle gain in the context of resistance exercise training, "future studies are needed to help explain the reasons behind the results." | |
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PORTABLE TRAINING
SYSTEMS FOR YOUR
iPOD or COMPUTER
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| Fit Tip of the Month
Next time you need to jump high, clench your jaw. Subjects in a 2008 study who did so reached their max push-off power about 20 percent faster than those who jumped open-mouthed.
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| "The cutting edge training techniques and protocols provided by Human Motion Inc. were second to none and enabled our athletes to achieve outstanding physical improvements."
~ Deb Huband
Women's Varsity
Basketball
Head Coach,
University of British
Columbia Assistant
Coach, Team Canada |
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| Issue Contributors:
Editor in Chief:
Carmen Bott
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