FAQ
- What is the Paleo Diet?
- What is HIIT?
- I’ve heard that Pilates lengthens the muscles and weight training shortens them. Is that really true?
- What is Plyometrics?
- How does the foam roller work?
- What are the benefits of working with a stability ball?
- What is the 5-Step Primal Body Program?
- What’s the difference between balance and proprioception?
- Functional training seems to be the latest buzzword in the fitness world. How do I know if an exercise is functional?
- Why are intervals the best cardio for fat loss?
- I’ve heard that weight bearing exercise prevents osteoporosis. What types of exercises are considered weight bearing?
- What is aerobic capacity?
- Are high intensity intervals or longer periods of low intensity exercise better for fat loss?
- What are the essential fatty acids?
- What is target heart rate?
- Why do I want to do cardio? I’m not fat.
- What is interval training?
- I’ve heard bouncing isn’t good when stretching. How do you stretch?
- What does intensity refer to when they talk about cardio training?
- What is VO2max?
- Is it true that women bulk up if they lift weights?
- What is Lactate Threshold?
- Can you improve Lactate Threshold?
A diet based on the idea that the best human diet is comprised of foods to which we are genetically adapted. For most of our evolutionary history, we humans were hunter/gatherers—we hunted animals, fished, and gathered plants for food. Our ancestors of the Paleolithic era ate a diet of whole foods found in nature, like wild game, fish, vegetables, wild fruits, eggs and nuts.
The wild game was naturally organic and grass-fed, meaning the animals grazed on open ranges and ate wild grasses that were high in omega-3, the anti-inflammatory fatty acid, and low in omega-6, the pro-inflammatory fatty acid. The carbohydrates early humans ate consisted of non-starchy, fibrous plant food pulled from the ground or plucked from a bush. They ate none of the foods classified as carbohydrates today: starches found in grains; sugar; natural and industrial sweeteners, like high fructose corn syrup; and dairy products. Theirs was naturally a low-carb/high protein and fat diet that kept their bodies functioning optimally for millions of years.
HIIT is an intermittant cardiovascular workout performed at a high intensity. It consists of short, intense, bursts of movement followed by periods of rest, repeated X number of times. A classic example is to sprint up hill (or up steps) for 30 seconds then let your heart rate recover for 90 seconds. This is a basically a 20 minute workout consisting of ten 30 second sprints with one and a half minutes of rest in between. Keep in mind that the goal is intensity not duration. You want to sprint as hard and fast as you can, not hold back or pace to “save yourself,” so you can do more.
I’ve heard that Pilates lengthens the muscles and weight training shortens them. Is that really true?
Clearly, this belief is based on a lack of knowledge of muscle physiology. The truth is that all muscles contract and shorten when they’re activated; and all muscles lengthen when they relax. So if your muscles appear to lengthen and flatten with training, that would imply that you’re losing muscle which is not a desirable state for anyone.
And if you take this idea one step further, it suggests that the more Pilates work you do the longer your muscles become. This would mean that eventually your muscles would develop so much slack that you’d lose the ability to move your joints!
Plyometrics, also known as jump training, is a great way to develop speed and quickness. The technique involves stretching the muscle (think rubber band) before it’s contracted. The idea is that a muscle that’s stretched before contracting will contract more forcefully and more rapidly. A classic example is squatting down before jumping. By lowering your center of gravity before jumping, you quickly stretch the muscles involved, which results in a more powerful movement.
How does the foam roller work?
The foam roller is one of the most effective self-maintenance tools you’ll find for releasing tension and improving your overall range of motion. The technique, known as self myofascial release, involves slowly rolling across a particular muscle to release the knots, or adhesions. The idea is that just as a knotted rubber band can’t stretch to its full capacity, neither can a kinked muscle.
What are the benefits of working with the stability ball?
- The stability ball develops the deep segmental muscles that stabilize the spine
- The stability balls ability to roll in all directions makes it a great training stimulus for working in all three planes of motion (front-to-back, side-to-side, and rotational)
- The unstable quality of the ball develops the neutralizers (muscles which counteract the actions of other muscles) and stabilizers (muscles that surround the joint and hold it relatively still) involved in the movement.
What is the 5-Step Primal Body Program?
The 5-Step Primal body Program shows you how to be congruent with your DNA and gives you a step by step program to get you in alignment with the way your genes were designed to be expressed. The human genome evolves so slowly that our genetic blueprint is almost exactly the same as it was 40,000 years ago when we were hunter-gatherers. Scientists who have studied the remains of early humans tell us that our ancestors were in amazing condition—like that of Olympic athletes. The premise of Your Primal Body is that you have a birthright to be lean, fit and pain-free at any age, just as our ancestors were, and you can restore your body to their level of health and fitness when you learn how.
What’s the difference between balance and proprioception?
Balance is defined as the ability to sustain your equilibrium (not fall over) when you’re either stationary or moving. To maintain balance, you depend on three types of sensory information. The position of your head is perceived by an apparatus in your inner ear. The position of your body is perceived by the visual input of your eyes, which tells you about your environment, and the sensors in your skin, muscles, joints and tendons, which “sense” the position of all of your body’s parts in space (proprioception). When you close your eyes and lift your arm, and you know which way your hand is turned, that’s proprioception; it’s that internal sense of where you are in space.
Functional training seems to be the latest buzzword in the fitness world. How do I know if an exercise is functional?
- Basically, function is about purpose. So functional training exercises are purposeful; there’s a reason for them. They prepare you for a specific movement in your daily life or sports
- In most functional exercises, the foot or hand that’s working is in contact with the ground, or a stable surface. So the chain is closed; an open chain is when the foot or hand that’s working is not in contact with the ground
- Functional exercises train movements, not individual muscles, without the use of machines
- And, functional movements involve multiple joints in multiple planes (the three planes include front to back, side to side and rotational).
Why are intervals the best cardio for fat loss?
The main reason is that intervals are more metabolically demanding, which means you to burn more fat and calories in the 24 hours after you finish exercising, when the muscles are busy repairing, recovering and replenishing themselves. Intervals also protect your muscles so you don’t use them for fuel. This type of training drives your muscles to exert so much force that rather than use them for energy, your body burns more fat, thereby “sparing” your hard earned muscle.
I’ve heard that weight bearing exercise prevents osteoporosis. What types of exercises are considered weight bearing?
There are two types of exercises that are important for building and maintaining healthy bones: resistance exercises and weight bearing exercises. Resistance exercise refers to the use of free weights or machines to strengthen the muscles and the bones to which they attach. Weight bearing refers to exercises in which your bones and muscles work against gravity. Jogging, walking, stair climbing and soccer are all examples of weight bearing exercises. Aerobic exercises such as swimming and bicycling are not considered weight bearing.
Numerous research studies have shown that the effect of resistance exercise is relatively site specific to the muscles worked and the bones to which they attach. And, although aerobic weight bearing activity is important in maintaining overall health and healthy bone, resistance training seems to have a more potent impact on bone density. In particular, high intensity training methods (low reps) have the best effect.
Aerobic capacity is the term used to describe maximum oxygen consumption; it is a measure of the amount of oxygen consumed in one minute of maximum aerobic exercise and how efficiently the working muscles utilize that oxygen.
Are high intensity intervals or longer periods of low intensity exercise better for fat loss?
The most common recommendation for fat loss is low intensity, long duration exercise based on the fact that the body uses more fat as a source of fuel at lower intensities and more carbohydrate as a source of fuel at higher intensities of exercise. While it is true that a higher percentage of energy comes from fat during lower intensity activity, the energy expended is less at lower intensities. As the intensity increases, the amount of energy expended increases. Also, numerous studies have shown that high intensity intervals result in significantly greater excess post exercise energy consumption (EPOC) and fat utilization than lower intensity exercise. Therefore, considering the total energy expended may be more important than the predominant fuel used for fat loss.
What are the essential fatty acids?
While the body can synthesize many types of fats, it is unable to produce linoleic or alpha linolenic polyunsaturated fatty acids. Linoleic acid is from the omega-6 family and is found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds and can be supplemented with evening primrose and borage oils. Alpha linolenic acid is a member of the omega-3 family and can be supplemented with cold water fish, wild game, grass-fed meats, flax seeds, omega-3 enriched eggs, walnuts, dark leafy greens, cod liver oil and fish oil supplements.
Essential fatty acids are necessary for the manufacture of a series of hormone-like chemicals called prostaglandins. Controlling just about every cell of the body, prostaglandins promote injury recovery and immune defense and help to regulate inflammation. Supplementing the diet with these healthy fats may benefit the cardiovascular, reproductive and central nervous systems.
Target heart rate refers to the number of times your heart should beat per minute during a cardio training session.
Why do I want to do cardio? I’m not fat.
Cardio training activities (such as running, cycling, swimming, etc.) produce many physiological benefits such as:
- Improvement in the function of the heart
- Positive blood vessel and blood chemistry changes, which means reduced blood pressure, increased blood supply to the muscles and heart, improved blood lipid (fat) profile, more efficient exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide and increased blood volume
- Improved respiratory function
- Increased neural, endocrine, and metabolic functioning
Interval training is a cardio workout in which the exerciser alternates between high and low training intensities in one session. Studies have shown that intervals lasting a total of 15 minutes were more effective in changes of body composition than longer sessions (30-60 min) of regular moderate intensity exercise.
I’ve heard bouncing isn’t good when stretching. How do you stretch?
As you begin, move gently and gradually into the stretch. When you have reached the desired level of tension (accompanied by a feeling of discomfort but not pain), hold for 30-60 seconds. Never bounce or jerk while performing passive stretches. Breathe normally and visualize your muscles, tendons, and ligaments lengthening as you stretch.
What does intensity refer to when they talk about cardio training?
Cardio training intensities are percentages of your maximum heart rate:
- 60 – 70 percent of your maximum heart rate is considered low intensity and would be a good starting place for individuals who are just beginning
- 70 – 80 percent of your maximum heart rate is considered moderate intensity and is recommended for improved overall fitness
- 80 – 90 percent of your maximum heart rate is considered high intensity and is recommended for increased performance
VO2max is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen the body can consume and use in one minute of aerobic exercise.The VO2max test entails incremental increases in exercise effort until the participant is unable to continue increasing his or her workload. The test can be performed using any number of exercises: running, cycling, rowing, and even swimming. But because VO2max will vary between sports, individuals will generally perform the test in his or her preferred sport.
Is it true that women bulk up if they lift heavy weights?
Women don’t have the hormones to bulk up. Men produce ten times more testosterone (the hormone responsible for increases in muscle mass) than women and women produce ten times more estrogen than men. So it’s just not possible for most women to get big muscles, except for a very small percentage of women who have a higher level of testosterone.
Lactate threshold is the level of physical performance at which the muscles produce more lactic acid than can be removed. At rest and under steady-state exercise conditions, there is a balance between blood lactate production and blood lactate removal. The lactate threshold refers to the intensity of exercise at which there is an abrupt increase in blood lactate levels. This point is the beginning of the end of high intensity exercise. Excessive blood lactate and hydrogen ion concentrations combine to interfere with efficient and proper muscle contraction, and as a result, power output drops, suffering increases and you are forced to slow down.
Can you improve Lactate Threshold?
Lactate threshold is not as fixed as VO2max. Through proper training and commitment, you can improve the point at which the lactate threshold occurs. Research has indicated that interval workouts have the most pronounced effect on lactate threshold improvement.
