Articles

Muscle Elasticity

When talking about the elastic properties of muscle they can be split into two different components.  These are known as the series elastic component and the parallel elastic component.  These two components work together along with contractile components of muscle to help produce force.  The series elastic component is the more important of the two when turning stretch into force.  The elastic muscle energy produced by these two components enhances force development known as the stretch-shortening cycle.  A contraction of a muscle immediately proceeds the stretch of that particular muscle.  The stretching phase aids in force production to the contraction phase.  An analogy I like to use is a rubber band.  When a rubber band is stretched then released (or in the case of a muscle “contracted”) it snaps back to its original shape.  The farther the rubber band is stretched the more force that is generated when released.  Muscles in the body work the same way.  Take for example the squat.  When an individual begins lowering their body toward the ground the muscles in the leg begin to stretch loading up for the contraction.  Once the muscles are stretched to their capacity then they contract to create enough force to raise the weight back to its starting position.  Almost every movement created by the body uses this cycle.  Therefor it is extremely important when talking exercise and especially strength training.  In every lift there is always a stretching or “loading” of the muscle before contraction to move the weight.  If an athlete can harness the stretching of the muscle to his advantage and use it to help produce force he will immediately see gains in strength and power.

During exercise many trainers would advise against rapid movements, but rather slow concentrated repetitions.  While these slow reps have their place it is important for athletes to remember there are many benefits to training the elastic properties of muscle.  The major benefit of using the stretch-shortening cycle to one’s advantage is its ability to increase muscle force and ultimately muscle size.   Power athletes should always consider the muscles elastic components in order to produce the most power possible in their specific sport.  A golfer can most certainly drive the ball harder and further by using the stretch-shortening cycle paired with the muscles of the upper body than he/she would be able to with just the muscles of the upper body.  While the research on this concept is limited athletes at a minimum should make a conscious effort to work on timing exactly when to “explode” in a movement once the muscles have been stretched to their full capacity allowing for the maximum amount of force to be applied.

Paleo Week 1

Last week I wrote a short blurb about me reading the Paleo Diet book and my interest in changing my eating strategies.  So below is the strategy that I decided to adopt and the outcomes I have seen already from a few small changes.

One week ago today my girlfriend and I decided to change our eating habits.  We have started an individualized version of the Paleo diet that I created for us.  We have already started to see some impressive results.  Physically she has lost approximately six pounds this week from our minor changes to our eating routine.  Granted I am well aware she is just shredding off some excess in the beginning and is going to see a platue in her weight loss.  I personally have not seen a lot of difference in weight, but I can attest to the fact I have 100% more energy than before.  My workouts have been amazing with my new ability to focus even more. 

In short after reading the book I took and modified the program to better suite our lifestyles.  We have gone to eating only lean meats, vegetables, and fruits.  We decided to leave potatoes, rice, and cheese in our diets for now.  With the goal of eliminating them one by one as time goes.  Cheese is the only dairy product that we are consuming, no bread at all, and only sugar and salt found naturally in the foods themselves.  One aspect about the new routine we have enjoyed is that it makes us become creative with our choice in foods.  Not only does it make us find ways to season our meals so that they are not bland, but also forces us try new things that we may not have if we were not on the diet.

One thing to remember when creating your own diet is take small steps.  I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as a diet.  Individuals go on and off of diets and for the most part never make any progress and in some cases end up gaining more weight than when they started originally.  If you do not make a lifestyle change and commit to something for a lifetime then you are doing yourself an injustice.  By starting slow you can begin a lifelong transition for the better.  You would not simply start a training program trying to be an Olympic power lifter.  You would start light and gradually progress to that level.  The same concept applies when changing your eating routine.  If you eat fast food everyday and tomorrow you wake up and say I’m never eating fast food again you will not succeed.  Whereas if you wake up tomorrow and say for the next month I plan to only eat fast food every other day you will increase your chances of sticking with the plan.  Maybe the month after that you say “ok I am now only going to eat fast food once a week”.  This sets the conditions for you to in the future have the ability to never eat fast food again.  Anything is possible if you set a major goal and short term goals to achieve that standard.

Personal Tie-Ins for Life!
Below is one of many tie-ins that was written by LtCol Shusko (Retired), Deputy Director of the Martial Arts Center of Excellence, Quantico, Virginia.  Mr. Shusko has dedicated his life to serving his country and making it a better place touching lives all over the world.  One way he manages to do so is by daily passing a bit of wisdom on to others in the form of "Tie-Ins".  I believe the tie-in below really relates to today (Sunday).  Often we find ourselves caught up in this fast paced life and we sometimes need reminded to slow down and not let it pass by. So today take a break from your normal workout routine and spend a little quality time with the one's closest to you.


THE BRICK – Slow Down, life is too precious!
 A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, 'What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?' The young boy was apologetic. 'Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do,' He pleaded. 'I threw the brick because no one else would stop...' With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. It's my brother, 'he said. 'He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up.' Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, 'Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me.' Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. 'Thank you and may God bless you, the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: 'Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!' God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.

Where are my Abs?
I wanted to take a moment and address a question that I receive quite often in regards to abdominal fat.  It seems as if at least once a week I have someone approach me and ask the question “What abdominal exercises can I do to lose my stomach fat?  I constantly train my midsection and can feel my abs, but are unable to see them due to this layer of fat.”  Fortunately for these individuals there is a very simple answer to their question, there is none! 

There is a common misconception amongst our population that by doing different abdominal exercises I can reduce my levels of subcutaneous fat in that area.  The truth though is spot reduction is merely a myth.  By doing strength training you are building the muscles under the layer of fat.  To put it simply is you are creating an optical illusion.  The abdominal muscles temporarily push against the layer of fat making look as if you are losing it.  Most individuals in the fitness community would agree that one cannot reduce fat in one specific area of the body.  When you lose fat your entire body is losing fat. 

There are several factors that go into shredding fat from your body.  The two most important factors are diet and aerobic training.  Through intense cardiovascular training one will begin to burn away the excess body fat they have stored.  For sedentary or mildly active individuals this may just mean starting to walk a few miles every evening.  For the more physically fit or active individuals this may mean jogging several miles or conducting sprint intervals for time.  When intense cardiovascular training is coupled with a healthy diet one will begin to see tremendous changes.

 A simple approach to diet is the best for the average individual looking to just live a healthy lifestyle.  One such approach, as explained by the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), is the 1-2-3 diet.  Basically this diet states a person should break their food intake down into six parts.  One part of my diet should then come from fats, two parts from proteins, and three parts from complex carbohydrates.  A basic guideline for fats is to take in minimal saturated fats and try your best to consume zero trans fats.  Below I have laid out an example of the process for how to calculate how much of each I should take in.

Fats 1 Gram = 9Kcal

Proteins 1 Gram = 4Kcal
Carbohydrates 1 Gram = 4Kcal

Total Daily Calories: 2000

2000 divided by 6 parts = 333Kcal per part

Daily Intake of Each:
Fats: 333Kcal or 37 Grams
Proteins: 666Kcal or 167 Grams
Carbohydrates: 999Kcal or 250 Grams

The bottom line is that by one conducting a strict strength training program they should not expect to see a great amount of fat loss rather an increase in muscular hypertrophy.  For individual looking to trim down especially in the “abdominal area” they need to focus on training the cardiovascular or endurance system and maintain a well-balanced diet. 



Fighting Fire with Fire:
The two Marines depicted in this picture are modern day heroes.  I served with these two in 2008 while deployed to Ar Ramadi, Al Anbar Province, Iraq.  If it were not for their actions on April 22, 2008 there are many people who would have not made it home to their families.  These two obviously believed in something larger than themselves, and are the definition of selflessness.  So please take a moment to remember their families who have suffered so much so that you may spend quality time with yours.

"You will not be forgotten"

Memorial Day!
As another week draws to an end, most of us are off work tomorrow due to a very special holiday.  Memorial Day!!  This is a time that we should all take time out of our schedules to reflect on how our country got to this point.  We are here today due to the sacrifice of many men and women wearing our country's uniform.  This is their holiday that they have proudly earned. 

Tomorrow's Daily Challenge is to contact a friend or family member that is a past or present service member and thank them for their service.  If you have time to contact multiple people than please do, these men and women deserve the country's support and admiration.

To all the members of the Military past and present we here at HITFIT would like to THANK YOU for what you do!  Know that we support you.


Break Off!!
Today we had our Saturday HITFIT session where we completed the workout from 16 May.  Let me start by saying when we created this workout we knew it was going to be a break off, but we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into!!  As most of you know HITFIT was founded on the principles of keeping workouts 20 minutes or less and keeping your heart rate above 85% of it maximum at all times.  Needless to say when we create our workouts we take this into consideration and then test them ourselves.  Well today we learned first hand that this workout was a little harder than we initially thought!

I personally was only able to complete three rounds of the daily challenge in the 20 minute mark (actually 24:30 to be exact).  My partner in crime finished three rounds in 25:00.  After the workout we took a break stretched out and started debreifing the workout.  While we were unable to complete all four rounds in 20 minutes we decided this situation actually matched our slogan "Strive for progress, not perfection".  We have made it our personal mission to complete this workout in the time alloted.  In a few weeks we will be doing this one again with a vengence. 

Moral to the story is we realize not everyone including ourselves sometimes can complete the workouts that are posted with the pre-determined reps and weights.  So please take it upon yourself to adjust the workouts accordingly to what best suits you and "strive for progression". 

If anyone decides they would like to come out and participate in a Saturday's workout please let us know and all are welcome.  It doesn't cost you a thing except for a little blood, sweat, and tears.  You can leave us a comment on here or call me at 740-352-5639.


Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise Health Benefits

The terms aerobic and anaerobic are commonly confused within the fitness industry.  By definition they solely relate to the use of oxygen in the body, with the largest misconception being we train them independently.  In all actuality we are always using both, just transitioning between the two as your exercise becomes more or less intense.  Typically lower intensity exercises fall within the aerobic threshold and higher intensity exercises normally fall under anaerobic exercise.   During aerobic exercise the body uses oxygen to remove the waste products and free radicals in the body caused by exercise in order to prevent fatigue.  Once an individual crosses their metabolic threshold into anaerobic exercise (higher intensities) the oxygen intake cannot keep up and the body/muscles begin to fatigue more quickly. 

So which system should I focus on for the best health benefits?  This alone can be a tricky question.  First, one needs to identify their goals.   If a person were just trying to be like a majority of the population, wanting simply to be healthier and maybe lose a few pounds then they might stick on the side closest to aerobic exercise.  Whereas an athlete trying to meet certain physical demands in a given period of time might train on the side more closely related to anaerobic exercise.  It is important to remember that no matter what you cannot just train one or the other.  You can however do more aerobic training vice anaerobic.  Aerobic exercises such as jogging, walking, bicycling will allow you to train for longer periods of time without fatigue, but will typically take a little longer to achieve the objective you have set for yourself.  While on the other hand people who train using more anaerobic type exercises might get faster results, these results don’t come free.  Anaerobic exercises such as sprinting, weight lifting, etc are typically harder on the body such as the joints and bones causing pain and/or injuries. 

In closing there is no right or wrong answer to this question.  It all depends on the individual and what they look to accomplish.  If you are just the average human looking to live a healthy life then most would agree that a good mixture of the two would suit you fine.  Remember doing anything is better than nothing, and always listen to your body.  If it hurts stop doing whatever it is that is hurting you.  Don’t get me wrong there will always be a level of discomfort when exercising, but one needs to learn the difference between discomfort and pain. 

Define Fitness:

What is Fitness?  Is it a lifestyle, a sport, or a hobby?  Fitness is defined as the condition of being physically fit and healthy, the quality of being suitable to fulfill a particular role or task, or an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.  These definitions allude to the fact that fitness can in fact be all three.  When referring to fitness you could lump the average individual trying to remain healthy and live out as many years as possible, the athlete training to a specific task or goal, or those individuals looking for a release or getaway from reality for an hour or so a day all in the same category.  Although all three types of people are engaging in a fitness program for completely different reasons.

If I were ask to define fitness in one sentence I would define it as one’s capacity to maintain the body’s ability to conduct the daily activities of living throughout the span of a lifetime.  On the other hand Reebok has teamed with Crossfit and coined the slogan “The Sport of Fitness has arrived”.  Are they wrong?  No, I would not say that they are, but I would also take into consideration they are still in the business community and need advertisement that will sell their product.  Many people throughout the world are striving to achieve varying levels of physical fitness.  It is my belief though that being physically fit means I have taken the time to train and maintain my body, not injuring it.  Coming from an athletic and martial arts background I can attest most individuals who partake in these activities are without a doubt in great shape.  On the flip side I can also attest to the fact even though a majority of the population would consider these athletes physically fit, they undergo such rigorous training regimens that are not necessarily good for their body, but good for the sport or particular art they are training for.   I personally would not classify this as fitness, but rather training. 

Does fitness have to be viewed as how much weight I can lift or how far I can run?  Can fitness also encompass my overall wellbeing such as mental and physical fitness? I don’t honestly think there is a right or wrong answer to all these questions all I am left with are my opinions on the subject.  I am writing this article to solicit feedback from those who share these same thoughts.  Overall I feel any active lifestyle is healthier than a sedentary one!