Functional Training Series: The Plank

The plank is a core exercise. Often people refer to this category of exercises as “ab” workouts. For years the most famous “ab” exercises were the sit up or crunch. Although these two exercises may have their place in an exercise program, the plank is the best “ab” exercise. 

The plank is not just an ab exercise. It does work the abdominals which run both vertically and horizontally, but also the oblique muscles and the spinal erectors. Today many people spend many hours a week in a seated position which is a flexion position similar to a sit up or crunch. Our bodies need extension, and the plank develops extension strength and proper posture. 

In many ways the body operates as a three link chain with an upper body, middle body and lower body. Clearly if there are only three links in the chain, the middle link is most important. The body works in incorporation and integration. The plank exercise is essential to developing the connected musculature to assist the bodies’ natural design to work in an integrated manner. 

The American Council of Exercise states that the plank is one the top three exercises all people should incorporate. It does not require any equipment other than one’s own body. Planks should be performed 2-3 days per week for 3 sets of 20-60 seconds. The plank can be modified to decrease or increase difficulty very easily.

These are the steps to the basic plank. 

1. Lie face down on mat resting on forearms, palms flat to the floor.

2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on elbows.

3. Keep your black flat, in a straight line from head to heels.

4. From the ankle joints to the shoulder joints the body should be one straight line without any sagging or rising at the hips / glutes. 

Refer to the following videos to observe proper plank technique as well as plank modifications:

Plank School with Jonathan Ross

Plank Variations - BodyResults.com

Recipe of the Week: Kiwi Smoothie

One of the best investments I have made is my Vitamix.  You can make hummus / bean purees, nut butters, soups and super quick and healthy smoothies.  The Vitamix is very easy to clean as well.  It is a quick process in the morning.  

I really like kiwi smoothies.  I buy kiwis in bulk at Costco because I get enough for a couple of weeks and they are inexpensive.  Kiwis are high in Vitamin C and provide just the right amount of sweetness and acidity.  My favorite smoothie is 2 Kiwis, 1 banana, a large handful of spinach, a handful of ice and 1/2 cup water.  It is plenty sweet for me, but if you like it a bit sweeter, just add a few drops of blue agave.  You can kick the nutrients up a notch by adding chia seeds and flax seeds to the smoothie.  This will drive up the omega three fatty acids!  

Just poor the smoothie in a travel mug and bring a handful of almonds in a zip lock to make your healthy breakfast-to-go complete.  

Visit the following links for great information and nutrient profiles for each of these ingredients:

Kiwi Fruit - The Worlds Healthiest Foods

Spinach - The Worlds Healthiest Foods

Banana - The World's Healthiest Foods

Enjoy!  

Functional Training Series: Deadlift

At Forte Fitness our focus is quality of life. A major aspect of quality of life is simply having a functional body. As we age we all lose degrees of functionality. There is a great deal of attention given to cardiovascular health – as it should; however, a healthy body composition and healthy heart is not enough. We need a body that can move freely in all planes of movement.  This freedom of movement involves the integration of strength, balance and flexibility. Often flexibility is perceived as touching one’s toes, but how often do we need to touch our toes to do daily activities? Functional flexibility is the goal, and it involves the ability to bend in full ranges of movement at the ankles, knees, hips and low back. 

A tremendous exercise to develop a functional body is the deadlift. One may perceive the deadlift as a powerlift that is beyond the need of every-day people, but this is a misconception. The deadlift is simply what the body does when one picks something up off the ground properly. It is the kind of movement that was common to all people in a more agricultural time. The deadlift builds strength in the majority of the major muscles of the body – quads, hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors, abdominals, obliques, lats, traps and delts. As you can see, many muscles of the body are being used in an integrated manner, and this is the best type of lifting to develop a functional body. The deadlift develops true core strength, range of movement and bone density.

There are several important factors to consider when deadlifting . All movement could potentially cause an injury. One should consult a physician, and it may be wise to use a trainer to learn to exercise safely and effectively before training independently. Always warm up first. Correct technique and proper load must be adhered to. Start light and build up.  Moving very heavy weights, although it can be done safely, is not the goal at Forte Fitness. Our goal with the deadlift is a functional body. 

When using the deadlift to build functional strength, it is important first to understand the correct technique. The teaching cues begin with the proper base. There are a number of bases one can use to safely complete a deadlift. The base most commonly used and that you will see in the video is roughly shoulder width. The bar should be close to the shins. One’s butt should be down and back with the chest up. The back should have no bend in it. The back should be straight and flat. The head should be in a neutral position facing forward. There are also a number of grips, but for our purposes a simple overhand grip with both hands can be used. 

In the following videos you will see a deadlift performed two different ways. The first video demonstrates a deadlift using an olympic bar.  An olympic bar weighs 45 pounds; however, there are also training bars that weigh 15 pounds.  It is always best to start light and master technique and then loads can be increased accordingly. Using the training bar allows people who are very deconditioned, older adults and children to learn to deadlift safely and effectively. The second video uses a special bar called a trap bar or hex bar. This bar weighs 45 pounds but is very useful because it allows for a higher starting point relative to the ground. This is helpful for people who have not developed enough flexibility or low back strength to get in the proper starting position. 

Incorporating a deadlift or a deadlift variation into one's workout once a week will have tremendous benefit in terms of developing a functional body.  A typical deadlift workout would include 3-5 sets of 3-8 repetitions.  

To learn more about the deadlift and its importance check out the following links:

Importance of Deadlifts

Why Women Should Deadlift

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

I recently read an excellent nutrition article by Amanda Carlson MS, RD, CSSD in the NSCA Performance Training Journal. The old saying "you are what you eat" is true. Everything we eat is either bringing nutrients or toxins to our cells. The average human being has 300 billions cells that need nutrition to function properly and to be repaired - Carlson's ten points will help keep those 300 billion cells healthy and happy.

Come Back to Earth 

This one is simple ... the less processed the better! Our bodies were designed to eat food, and when foods are processed they are no longer foods. They become chemical compounds working in isolation. Whole foods work in an integrated fashion which our bodies were designed to absorb and use for energy, repair, and growth. Another way to think about "come back to earth" is: if you could hunt it or gather it ... eat it!

Eat A Rainbow 

For years, "5 a day" has been the mantra and there is nothing wrong with that. But we need to take it another step. We need to eat as many colors of vegetables and fruits as we can a day. Five a day of different colors - green, red, yellow, orange, blue, and purple - is a great starting point. The more color the more nutrients delivered to your 300 billion cells. Variety and diversity!!!

The Less Legs the Better

Generally when it comes to meats - which are a great source of protein - the less legs an animal, has the leaner the meat is. Therefore, fish, turkey and chicken are great choices as they tend to be very lean. However, grass-fed beef and pork can also be very good choices. Grass-fed animals and wild caught fish have much healthier levels of omega 3 fatty acids.

Fats that Give Back

Vegetable oils, nuts, and fish contain heart-healthy fats. Use vegetable fats like olive oil to cook, season and make dressings. Nuts are a great snack as they are filling and are a good source of protein. Fish is low in unhealthy fats, high in protein and high in omega 3s. Omega 3s fight off inflammation which is a major contributor to heart disease, diabetes, cancer and many other common diseases. Fish should be a part of one's diet 2-3 times per week.

Be 3 for 3

You have to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner! This is key to getting the nutrients your cells need and to maintaining level blood sugar which will keep your energy levels up as well as prevent unhealthy weight gain. Each meal should include a protein, starchy carbohydrate, and fibrous carbohydrate.

Don't Skip Breakfast! 

Breakfast is breaking the fast after 6-10 hours without fueling the body. Breakfast jump-starts the metabolism and is key to maintaining a healthy body composition.

Hydrate

Water, Water, Water!!! Water is key to every body system functioning properly. Start the day by drinking a couple of glasses of water. When one awakes they typically have been at rest and without water for 6-10 hours, sometimes even longer ... the body has to have this most essential nutrient!

Don't Waste Your Workout

After a great workout it is time to replenish the lost glycogen to the muscle cells. This can be done easily with a nut butter, hard boiled egg, cheese or yogurt. Whey protein is another healthy choice. This should be done within 45 minutes of completing the workout to speed recovery and protect the muscles from cell damage.

Wise Supplementing 

Remember: "supplementing" is just that, in addition to a healthy lifestyle of eating. However, it is an inexpensive health insurance. Choose at least a healthy multivitamin that carries the GMP symbol. Beyond a multivitamin, a fish oil and calcium may be a good choice as well for some people. Always consult your physician or a registered dietician to come up with the right plan for you.

Get Back in the Kitchen!

Coming from an Italian home, this is my personal favorite. Cooking is good for us on so many levels - from family time to healthier eating. Enjoy growing food, shopping at the market, preparing and sharing your meals!

Make these 10 tips a part of your lifestyle and you are on your way to better health and more enjoyment of life! Remember ... You are What You Eat!

To your health, 

JULIAN

TEN STRATEGIES FOR BETTER WEIGHT LOSS

Adapted from Dr. Janet Brill of Fitness Together, here are ten strategies for promoting healthy eating and safe, permanent weight loss:

Eat Healthy to Stay Healthy

Everyone knows that what you eat has a major impact on your health. Americans typically eat an unhealthy diet loaded with fast food, sugar-based drinks, snacks that are high in fat and sodium, with lots of sweets but few vegetables and fruits. This has led to the epidemic of heart-related diseases, diabetes and cancers. The best advice is to EAT REAL FOOD. Avoid refined, processed foods and choose whole foods instead. If you are not 100% that what you are about to eat is real food, then don't eat it! Choose lean, skinless meats, nuts, beans, whole grains and lots of veggies and fruits.

Lose Weight at a Safe Rate

When it comes to losing weight and keeping it off, slow and steady wins the race. Weight that comes off too quickly with fad diets and gimmicks often returns, in greater amounts. The safest weight loss plans involve eating whole foods and exercise, which leads to 1-2 lbs. per week of weight loss. Those who take the slow and steady plan have higher rates maintaining a healthy weight for a lifetime.

Learn How to Control Emotional Eating

Nutrition experts suggest that 75% of overeating is caused by emotions. Understanding which emotions trigger your overeating is essential. Once you understand the "why" behind overeating, you can develop patterns and plans of healthful techniques.

Determine Caloric Need, then Count

There is a simple law of physics at work in weight loss. Consume more calories than you expend, and you will gain weight; burn more than you consume, and you will lose weight. This is true regardless of percentages of protein, fats, and carbohydrates that you eat. To determine your approximate goal weight, take 100 lbs and if you are female then add 5 lbs per inch; males add 6 lbs per inch. If you are larger framed, add 10%; if smaller framed, subtract 10%. Then take your goal weight and multiply it by 15.3 - this is your daily need for caloric maintenance. With exercise and caloric control, plan for a 500 calorie deficit per day, to lose a pound of fat per week!

Exercise Calories Count

As a general rule to record your exercise caloric expenditure, follow this: for light exercise, reward yourself 2.0, moderate exercise 3.0 and intense exercise 4.0. If you use an exercise caloric expenditure guide, simply move the count 2 decimal points and round up or down.

Journaling

Those who count calories for 12 weeks and record in a journal lose twice as much weight as those who do not. This is not a lifetime commitment - which would be insane! However, for a short time, equivalent to a semester of school, it will train you on how to eat for the future, making calorie counting unnecessary. If you use an online calorie counting service and your goal is 2,250 calories a day, then change this to 22.5 by moving the decimal point two places. Do the same for each food item you are recording, and round up or down - this will make your journaling faster, and just as effective.

Weigh Yourself Weekly

Those who weigh themselves weekly have more success losing weight. Make sure to weigh at the same time of day, and day of the week, each time - in similar clothes.It is typically best to weigh in the morning, before the day gets rolling. And remember, not everyone is going to lose weight immediately, because there are multiple factors such as the addition of lean muscle tissue, which weighs more than fat - so don't get discouraged! After 12 weeks, see where you are. If you've lost around 12 lbs, keep it up. If you have not, analyze your journal for how to make changes. If, however, you have done things the right way and are not losing weight, check with your physician to find other explanations, which could be hormonal in nature.

Get Support

If you struggle with maintaining a healthy weight, be sure to find support and accountability. This can be as simple as asking a friend or spouse to help you, joining an exercise group, and if necessary getting a trainer or registered dietician to help for a period of time. Spending a bit of money on these services for the equivalent of one school semester of your life could be the difference in your healthy and quality of life!

Reward Yourself

To reward yourself, create a caloric deficit beyond the 500 calorie per day goal by cutting a few more calories and/or through exercise. Then treat yourself to your favorite meal or restaurant.

Exercise the Right Way

Balancing cardio exercise with strength training is the best prescription for promoting health, fitness and weight control. Those who perform this combination 4 days a week lose the most weight. However, there is great value in exercising even 2-3 days per week. Strength training will increase your lean muscle tissue and speed your metabolism, as well as aid in preventing osteoporosis, arthritis, back pain, diabetes and depression. There are 168 hours in a week - make appointments with yourself, scheduling 2-4 hours of exercise every week.

To your health!

JULIAN

THE IMPORTANCE OF VARIETY IN EXERCISE AND EATING

It is often said that variety is the spice of life!  From an exercise and nutrition perspective variety is definitely an essential key.

Exercise should always be safe, effective and fun. One issue regarding safety in exercise is variety. Doing the same exercises the same way over months, years, and decades will cause overuse injuries. Often the disciplined exerciser performs the same exercises the same way for months, years and even decades. This may lead to a lean body but could be leading to some joint problems.

Think of it this way, if you had a sand pebble in your shoe it quickly becomes an annoyance. By the end of a whole day with that sand pebble you will have a blister. Change promotes safety and injury prevention. If someone exercises the same way continuing to expect new and better results, he or she will be disappointed. The

body will adapt; therefore, the chaos of variety is necessary to continue improving health by providing a continual and new challenge. Variety leads to better health related results.

Finally, variety provides the "spice" by keeping things interesting and fun and helping one avoid the doldrums of dreading the same old workout over and over again.

By now you are probably wondering, "So how do I get out of my 30 minutes on the treadmill routine?" Well think of your body in parts. The upper body pushes and pulls. The lower body squats, lunges, steps, runs, jumps and walks.

There are numerous full body and core exercises. Cardiovascular health does not have to be achieved simply by doing 30 minutes on the treadmill, elliptical or stationary bike three times a week. The key is simply to get the heart rate up for roughly 20 minutes 3 days per week, and this can be achieved in numerous ways.To determine if your heart rate is in the right range train at a pace that you cannot carry on a conversation but you

can continue to exercise. Intervals of time or distance, for example, jumping jacks for 90 seconds followed by 30 seconds rest or 800 meters on a bike followed by a 60 second rest, are excellent ways to develop cardiovascular health and add variety.

One may also use exercises like jumping jacks, mountain climbers, jumping rope, skipping, hiking, swimming truly almost any movement can be used to develop

cardiovascular health. Creating circuits of upper body, lower body, full body, core and cardio can keep it fun and different each time you exercise. There are many websites you can visit to find ideas for each category upper, lower, full, core and cardio. Just be creative!

Variety is also essential to eating healthfully. Anyone who has been reading my articles

understands that I promote a simple philosophy regarding nutrition: "Eat food!" This

simply means one should consume real whole foods that are not processed and / or refined.

As Americans we have access to so many different options to eat. However, just because you can eat it does not make it a food. When we consume processed foods or refined foods we deliver toxins, poisons to our 300 billion cells which promote disease, illness and death. Processed, refined foods are not foods at all. Real food promotes disease prevention, wellness and life.

As one consumes "real food" variety will insure a variety of nutrients and stimulate all your senses through the beauty of shape, color, texture, taste and aroma. For example, dark leafy greens are typically high in vitamin A and K, dark orange vegetables and fruits

high in beta carotene, citrus high in vitamin C, fish and nuts high in omega 3 fatty acids, beans are high protein, fiber and folic acid and it goes on and on. Just think of all the wonderful cultures and how they have discovered so many unique ways to prepare food.

Enjoy the "spice" of life in the diversity of foods and food cultures. You will have fun and be more healthy!

To your health!

JULIAN

CARDIO OR STRENGTH TRAINING?

I hate to pit one against the other. Both is certainly best. But if you only do one, it should be the strength training. Why?

Cardio training typically happens upright - walking, hiking, jogging, elliptical or on a bike non-weight bearing. These are good forms of exercise and we should do them. However, because most of these are performed upright they do not move the body through full ranges of movement and therefore do not develop truly functional strength & flexibility. Yes, you will develop good cardiovascular health, but we have to bend, squat, lunge, push, pull, get up, get down, and balance in real life.  

As we age we all want to maintain our quality of life - continuing to do the activities we have always enjoyed such as gardening, recreational sports, outdoor activities and the simple chores of life. We want to maintain our independence as long as we can. Losing our strength may be the single greatest factor in maintaining this independence. Nobody wants to feel trapped in his or her body.

Benefits of strength training:

• The Muscle-Fat Connection: Physical inactivity causes a loss of about 5-7 pounds of muscle per decade. This loss creates a 2-5% loss in metabolic rate per decade, which leads to gradual gains in fat. This weight gain and its connection to disease and loss of strength can destroy one's quality of life. A basic 3 month strength program can add 3 pounds of muscle, a loss of 4 pounds of fat while consuming 15% more calories in older populations (Campbell 1994).
• Osteoporosis Prevention: A Tufts University study found that strength training not only slows bone loss but even in our latter decades of life adds bone density.
• Arthritic Pain: The same study from Tufts University found that strength training decreased arthritic pain because it helps to lubricate and nourish the joint and develop strength around the joint to provide more stability and support.
• Glucose Metabolism: Glucose metabolism decreases with age making us more susceptible to diabetes. A four month strength training program has demonstrated an increase of 23% in glucose metabolism in older populations (Hurley).
• Functional Strength & Flexibility: Strength training develops balance which can help in preventing falls. It develops a body that can move in all ranges of movement.
• Cardiovascular Improvement: Strength training can be used in a circuit that keeps the heart rate up and kills two birds with one stone. 
• Confidence: Often, as we age, we lose confidence to move.  We stop moving. This creates a downward spiral in every measurable health index. If you don't use it you will lose it.  Very simply strength will give you more confidence to keep moving and the ability to. The end result is you will maintain and improve every measurable health index.

What should you do? Two days a week push and pull, squat and lunge. Do three sets of 10-15 per exercise and piece the workout together as a circuit and keep your heart rate up!  If you need some more specific ideas... let me know.       

To your health,

Julian

HOW TO PUT A PLATE TOGETHER

The basic daily habit of putting together a healthy plate is vital to good health. With so many Americans suffering from poor health, exercise is a the forefront of many people's minds - but even more important is making poor food choices.

Think of your plate in thirds. One third is protein: fish, poultry, pork, beef, eggs, dairy, nuts and beans. A simple way to remember this rule is any animal product + nuts and beans. The second third should consist of starchy carbohydrates: beans, sweet potatoes, beets, butternut squash, quinoa, whole grain rice, pasta, bread, and cereal. The final third includes vegetables and fruits.  

How much of each should you eat? First of all, serve your meals on a salad plate - you will eat less. For each third of your plate, serve about a handful, palm or fist size of food. No seconds. Now you are thinking, "But what if I am still hungry?" No problem - eat a salad, fruit salad or fruit and even all three if you like. The salad and/ or fruit is water- and fiber-dense and will satiate you and continue to nourish you. Salad and fruit also serve as necessary ruffage to clean your digestive tract and prevent colon cancer.

When possible, purchase products that are local, organic, antibiotic-free and in season. This is best for your health and for the environment. In season, local produce is more nutrient dense and tastes better. Don't forget to consume a variety from each group. The more variety and color, the more overall nutrients you will deliver to your 300 billion cells.  

Make your home a sanctuary of healthy foods! No processed junk foods in the house. And when it comes to Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays and other parties. Enjoy these festive times! There are 365 days in a year and the 20 or so holidays and parties are not the cause of our health problems. So take these simple tips, enjoy a great plate of food and improve your health.

To your health!
JULIAN

5 TIPS FROM HARVARD’S SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Stay Active 

The body simply needs regular physical activity. Thirty minutes of walking 5 days a week can be enough. It does not even need to be all at once. Ten minutes before work, ten minutes at lunch and ten minutes after work! 

Go With Plants

Eating a plant-based diet is healthiest. Make at least half of the food on your plate vegetables and fruits. Steam vegetables and add healthy oils afterward for flavor. Get most of your protein from beans, nuts and seeds.  

Pick Healthy Protein Sources

Beans and nuts are the best choices followed by fish and chicken. Avoid processed meats - bacon, cold cuts, and hot dogs which have a strong link to an increased risk of heart disease and colon cancer. Limit red meat - beef, pork, lamb - to twice a week. 

Make Your Grains Whole Grains

Grains are not essential for good health. What is essential is to make any grains you eat whole. Eating whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat breads, whole grain cereals, whole grain pastas) in place of refined grains (white rice, white breads, processed cereals, white pasta) makes it easier to control weight, lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes.  

Drink Water, Coffee, or Tea

What you drink is as important as what you eat. Water is the best choice. Both tea and coffee have health benefits. Avoid drinking your calories. Sugary drinks are the worst choice because they add calories devoid of nutrients. Sugary drinks lead to weight gain and increase the risk of both diabetes and heart disease. Limit both dairy and juice. Moderate alcohol consumption may have health benefits but it is not for everyone and there is no need to start.  

To your health,

Julian