Secrets of Lasting Fat Loss- John Madonia, CPT, TPI, FMS

As a trainer, many of my clients have a common goal in mind. LOSING WEIGHT. In fact, I would argue that the majority of people that workout do so with the intention of looking better, becoming healthier etc. And many times achieving these goals has everything to do with shedding some pounds. What I try to make clear to my clients, however, is that getting fit is not about an arbitrary loss in weight. The “loss” we all strive for needs to come in the form of FAT and fat alone. That being said, here are a few suggestions that will definitely make the fat battle more efficient, and more successful.

1. YOU MUST SETTLE ON A GOAL, HAVE A PLAN, AND GET TO WORK I will get to the more “concrete” tips in a minute, but this is one concept that needs to be addressed before all others. The most common mistake people make when it comes to fat loss occurs before they even step foot in the gym. There is no way to succeed at torching fat if there is not an all out commitment to the goal. A scattered game plan, or no game plan at all is a recipe for frustration and failure. Usually the people who tell me “I don’t understand why I am not losing weight,” fall into this category. They may think they are doing everything the right way, but oftentimes they are missing a few pieces to the puzzle. Whether it’s for 4 weeks, 12 weeks or longer you will be left with more confusion and disappointment if you do not plan your success.

2. NUTRITION IS EVERYTHING, THERE IS NO WAY AROUND IT

This is an area that has been clouded with hundreds of concepts, theories, and shortcuts. Here is my approach to nutrition: try to view it as a means to a healthier, happier lifestyle. The keyword here is LIFESTYLE. I could write a book on this topic, and many people have, so instead I’m going to leave you with a few things to chew on. 1) Do not skip breakfast, and plan to eat every 2-3 hours. This often times requires some preparation, especially with our hectic lives. MAKE time on Sunday to prep your food for the week. It won’t just guarantee you get your meals and snacks in; it will also save you money. 2) Make healthy choices. Eat veggies more than fruits but have both. Drink water over everything and drink lots of it. Eliminate sugars as much as possible. Eliminate the white flour products; get in your fiber and whole grains. 3) Do not under eat. This will be a crushing blow to your metabolism. 4) Eat well-rounded meals (Proteins, Carbs, and Fats), and if you do take in simple sugars make sure you do it post workout. 5) You want nice abs? Ditch the sit-ups and work on your nutrition.

3. SORRY ALL YOU CARDIO LOVERS. RESISTANCE TRAINING IS THE BEST WAY TO ELIMINATE FAT. This concept more often then not would target women more than men. Women tend to favor a lot of cardio and the light weight/high rep lifting schemes. Men, while extremely inefficient in the weight room tend push themselves a little more with the iron. I am not saying cardio is not important. I am only making the point that metabolic resistance training is your ticket to success. We are obsessed with calories!! This may sound crazy but no matter how hard you work in the gym, the amount of calories you burn is really inconsequential. What is more important is what your body is doing the other 23 hours of the day. Without going into boring detail, the more active our high maintenance muscle tissue is the more efficient our metabolisms will become. By creating a metabolic disturbance in our bodies through weight training, our recovery period actually becomes a prime time for burning fat. Some suggestions. 1) We are NOT bodybuilders so do not train like one. This goes back to training toward one goal. One of my mentors in the industry, Alwyn Cosgrove notes that bodybuilders are among the most disciplined people he knows, and dedicate hours to looking how they do. Most of us do not have that kind of time. This means no more single body part lifting days. 2) Lift 3 times a week. Hit ALL body parts using multi-joint, compound lifts. These do not include bicep curls, calf raises etc. You lift the right way, those parts will still look great 3) Use heavy resistance (8-12 reps, Ladies you will NOT get big because you lack the large doses of a little hormone called testosterone). Superset non-competing body parts. For example, pushups/squats. Keep the rest periods short (45s-60s). 4) PUSH YOURSELF!!! Get off the machines. Get on the free weights. And try to set new personal records every time you lift. Remember, pushing yourself is all relative. YOU are your only competition.

4. INTERVAL TRAINING: LESS TIME SPENT AND A GREATER PAYOFF I think marathon and long distance runners are incredible. I respect their drive and I am amazed at their ability. BUT, I hate to run long distances and I would much rather look like a sprinter. This is similar to the bodybuilder point I just made. Endurance runners train with a specific goal in mind, and it is performance based. When it comes to fat loss it is time to stop spending an hour on the treadmills and ellipticals. Most of us are reading, talking, watching TV, texting, singing and who knows what else on the cardio equipment. And if you are one of the few forcing yourself to log in the miles every week, there is another way that doesn’t involve pounding the body quite so much. Again, without going into too much detail, the fat burning zone is a MYTH. At slower paces you may burn a higher percentage of fat, but trust me it is not nearly enough to make any difference. And if you walk or jog until the treadmill tells you 300 calories have been burned, this also will do little for you. Like I said, we want to create that metabolic disturbance for the other 23 hours of the day. We want to turn our bodies into fat burning machines even while we sleep!!! Try bumping up that speed or incline. Try increasing that resistance on the elliptical. Give it everything you have for 30 seconds. Then ease the pace for 90 seconds. Do that for 20-25 minutes. And every few weeks, try lengthening those all out work periods, and shortening those rest periods. Then it may be time to increase the pace again. Do this after you lift or on your off days from lifting. In one study I read, steady-state cardio, which is what most gym goers are doing, burned twice as many calories as interval training. BUT high intensity interval training burned 9 TIMES the amount of fat. That’s 9 times the fat loss in half the time.

5. FIND ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO TRAIN; INCLUDE THINGS YOU ENJOY This one is more in your hands. If there are things you love doing, but haven’t done in recent memory it’s time to get back into it. Whether it’s playing sports or enjoying the great outdoors, find active things to do that you enjoy. If you want some suggestions on alternative forms of cardio or working out I would recommend checking out some of the products by Alwyn Cosgrove, Robert Dos Remedios (Cardio Strength Training) and Craig Ballantyne. I hope some of the information I have provided helps in your quest for a healthier and happier lifestyle. Enjoy the journey.

Special thanks to John Madonia for taking the time to inspire and inform our readers. John is a successful strength coach and personal trainer serving clients in northern New Jersey. John is currently pursuing a Fellowship in Applied Functional Science  through the Gray Institute. Contact John at drivefandp@gmail.com

Barefoot running

If your into running you have to check out this site on barefoot running. Check out www.discovermovement.com and http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/index.html.

Harvard provided a great acticle on foot strike and its impact on injury and pros/cons of barefoot running. Check it out.

The “Core” of the shoulder

The shoulder blade or scapula serves a crucial role in shoulder motions and can be the limiting factor in many athletes or individuals with shoulder pain. On a number of occasions, I’ve had patients come in after attempting physical therapy with no relief of symptoms. When asked about their exercise routine, many times they report they focused on strengthening the rotator cuff muscles and no emphasis on the scapular muscles. The scapula is the “CORE” of the shoulder joint meaning that it provides a stable or unstable base from which the shoulder moves. The scapula moves up and down, out and in and rotates around the rib cage allowing the shoulder joint or glenohumeral joint to function. If the posture of the shoulder blade is rotated, winged or excessively protracted, the shoulder is placed at a disadvantage to move and can cause unwanted impingement, pain and discomfort.

 “Mom always knows best” I learned at an early age how important posture was especially when my mother would tap me on the back between my shoulder blades, telling me “sit up straight”. Little did she know how smart she was. She was giving a tactile cue to my rhomboids to wake up and help me sit in a better alignment.

Many muscles stabilize the scapula however the main stabilizers are the levator scapulae, rhomboids, serratus anterior and the trapezius. The four rotator cuff muscles all attach to the scapula so depending on the scapular position, all of these muscles can be placed in positions that can excessively stretch or shorten these muscles causing pain or compensation. The most common weak links/muscles in the scapular-humeral chain are the lower stabilizers including the serratus anterior, rhomboids, middle and lower trapezii.

Specificity of Training

 Although many of the main stabilizers of the shoulder contract during many upper body movements such as pushes and pulls, their main job is to stabilize the shoulder joint. Our first goal in neuromuscular retraining is to get the muscles to wake up. In the following video, a sequence known as SHARCing or Short-arcing is performed to increase neurological input to the muscle and wake it up. Each exercise is performed for 6 repetitions as fast as possible. Perform 2-3 sets before any shoulder or scapular exercise.

Once activated, the scapular muscles can be trained in quadriped position in the following video.

Progressions of the quadriped exercises can be found at www.discovermovement.com. I’d love to hear your feedback and questions. Please leave a comment or email me at bodydynamixpt@gmail.com

Sorry to my viewers about the wait. My next blog will be up shortly. I’ve been busy studying and attending an Active Release Technique certification. For those who don’t know about active release technique, its a unique form of soft tissue work that reliefs pain and increases range of motion very quickly. Check out http://www.activerelease.com for more information.

Most overlooked muscle in Back Pain. “The So As muscle”

Psoas pronounced as “SO AS” may be the most overlooked muscle in back pain. The psoas muscle is a strong hip flexor, which blends with the illiacus to form the illiopsoas as it attaches to the inner part of the femur.

 

Most Americans spent a great portion of their day in a seated position either working at a computer, sitting in a classroom or at a desk in a meeting. Due to poor posturing, excessive sitting, poor flexibility and core weakness causes the psoas muscle to shorten and become fibrotic and weak. This tightness pulls the lower back forward into a hyperlordotic position or excessively arched position.  From here, the body is at a disadvantage and will limit hip extension and cause compensations throughout the body. The final result is increased compressive forces through the lumbar spine, otherwise known as lower back pain.

For example, just look at a person’s belt line from the side. Does the line point forward and down? If so, it’s most likely the tight psoas is the culprit. So as the spine becomes more hyperlordotic, it shortens the lower back muscles or the paraspinals causing them to become shortened and weak. Many of my patients who suffer lower back pain report increased pain after getting up from a seated position or excessive sitting. Although there may be many reasons for this, a major one is that the psoas is in a very short position and then you stand quickly which lengthens the muscles causing it to reflexively contract causing back pain. Many patients with tight hip flexors believe they have tight hamstrings which cause lower back pain. This is a common misconception. When the psoas is shortened it pulls the pelvis down as shown in the image above. This overlengthens the hamstrings similar to a pulley system. This can set a patient up for a hamstring strain as well because the hamstrings are asked to do their job from a weakened stretched out position.

“PSOAS and the Nervous System”

Three peripheral nerves feed through the psoas including the femoral, genitofemoral and lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. Each of these nerves can become compressed or entrapped causing symptoms in the groin, inner and outer thigh.

3 steps to decrease incidence of psoas injury and prevent/reduce lower back injury.

Before sport or exercise activity

1. Myofascial release the psoas and quad with tennis ball/lacrosse ball or foam roll.

2. Stretch your hip flexor/ quad with the following stretches

1. Drop your inside elbow to floor

2. Keep back leg as straight as possible

3. “Feel”: you should feel the stretch in the front of your back leg and groin of your front leg

4. Hold staticly for 15-45 seconds or perform actively with 3-5 second holds.

Rectus femoris/Quad stretch

1. Start in lunge position with back knee on the floor.

2. Drive the hips forward

3. “Progress” the stretch by reaching arms up and away from the back leg

4. “Activate” the glute of your back leg. “Squeeze your butt”

3. Activate the antagonist. In order for a muscle to shorten or flex, the opposite muscle needs to relax. This process is reciprical inhibition. By activating the gluteus maximus, the psoas muscle needs to shut down and relax.

My favorite glute activation exercise is a single leg bridge

1. Begin on your back with one knee bent  and other leg lifted in the air as in the image.

2. Push through your heel and squeeze your butt as you lift your hips up as shown in the image

Welcome to the road of recovery…

“The pronation epidemic”

Overpronation is characterized by excessive flat feet or foot pronation, which causes compensation up the kinetic chain. Compensations include knee flexion, hip/tibial internal rotation, and knock-kneed or valgus knee positioning during functional movements such as running, squatting, and lunging. The kinetic chain is a combination of soft tissues and connective tissue which all work together to produce functional movement.  So how do you know if you’re an overpronator?

 1. Significant callus on inside of the forefoot and breakdown of the outside heel and inside forefoot sole of shoes.

2. Low to flat arches in your feet.

Common injuries related to overpronation

1. Plantar fasciitis

2. Posterior tibialis tendonitis or medial shin pain

3. Anterior knee pain

4. Low back pain.

View the following video for visual understanding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIwAMtdYcg8

Self treatment techniques:

Foam roll or self myofascial release to:

• Gastrocnemius/soleus or calf
• Adductors/groin
• Rectus femoris/quad
• Illiopsoas/hip flexor
• Illiotibial band

 

Corrective exercises

• Deep squat with hip abduction
• Sidelying hip abduction
• Sidelying hip external rotation
•  Sideways walking with theraband around ankles
• Single leg balance exercises

Perform all exercises barefoot to allow the small intrisic muscles of the foot to wake up and start supporting the fallen arch.

Hello world!

I’m Anthony, a physical therapist and performance specialist working out of  northern new jersey. As a physical therapist, I have the unique opportunity to combine both my academic  and clinical knowledge and creativity to tailor to every patient’s needs and goals. Treating patients is what I love and I want to open my mind and the minds of blog readers to the world of rehabilitation. This blog gives me the opportunity to use my passion for science and exercise to help thousands of people achieve fitness and health success.  Thank you for stopping by…

Runners and self myofascial release

Every runner can benefit from some form of self myofascial release prior to a run to increase blood flow to tissues, break up muscle adhesions and scar tissue to aid in recovery from previous activity. Using a foam roll, tennis ball, lacrosse ball or other myofascial tool can help improve gait patterns, muscle performance and decrease repetitive overuse injuries. To get the most from self myofascial release, roll and find tender areas of restriction and hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Using your own body weight, the restriction/muscle knot will diminish and allow the muscle to separate from the fascia and work more effectively during a run or exercise. This should be done for 8-10 minutes prior to every workout with emphasis only on tight/hypertonic muscles. Be careful and stay away from joints and bony areas.