Man--cation

Continuing eduction is a part of my profession, and I am lucky enough to be on Hilton Head Island, SC.  The Cincinnati Sports Medicine group puts on an excellent course every year at this time.  I look forward to these opportunities for many reasons.  Sometimes the whole family comes with me, but it is usually just my wife and I who have a mini-vacation.  However, I am flying solo for this one.  I am able to catch up on much needed sleep, and get plenty of exercise.  Today, I was able to log a 6.5 mile run.  I did not focus on my pace, but instead had a goal to log my first long run of the summer.  It went well.  I stretched for 10-15 minutes following my jog, and then went to the hotel's gym.  It was minimal as far as space and equipment.  I was able to get a chest and back session in using some 55 pound dumbbells, a swissball, a 8 pound medicine ball, and a single-stack cable column. 
I used the cable column to do 1)  3 level (high, mid, low) pec cable cross...one arm at a time  2)  Immediately following each pec movement I performed the exact opposite movement working my back and really focusing on what my scapula (shld blade) was doing...the latest thing in sports medicine rehab is how important the muscles are that stabilize the scapula  3)  I did push-ups with my hands on the 8 pound medicine ball followed by close grip rows from the high position on the cable column 4)  I also did a bench press on the swiss ball followed by lat-pull downs
Two to three sets of all the above were performed and took me no longer than 30 minutes.  It was a good day.

More interval training

I was not looking forward to more interval training after doing my 800 meter repeats about a week ago, but I was pleasently surprised how much I enjoyed doing mile repeats.  I have a twisted sense of "enjoyment" I know.  My family thinks that I might be a little bit crazy (just a little?).  I set a personal goal before starting yesterday's training of completeing each mile in under 8 minutes.  I finished my first mile in 7:14 and jogged about a lap and a half for rest, grabbed a sip of powerade and logged my second mile in 7:17.  Feeling my gastro-soleus (lower calf) musculature tightening up I had fear that my third mile would be a real challenge.  I jogged about 2 laps and finished the third mile in 7:38.  I was very happy with my effort and level of fatigue (I crave soreness after a workout--again... just a little crazy?).
I am pretty happy with my how my training is going.  However, I have to get out of spin class and on to my bike.  It is in need of a tune-up, and I have been stalling for a while.  Writing about it will inspire me to take care of this issue.  And I am stating publically that I will be back in the pool starting in June.  I am still planning on doing well (not just finishing) in the sprint triathlon in August.  This event brings up a question that my wife posed to me; "where do you go to sign up for triathlons and running events?".  I most often visit http://www.active.com/ to register for various events.  There are other sites like http://www.gamultisports.com/ (GA events) and http://www.setupevents.com/ (NC, SC, VA events) that have more detail about various triathlons/duathlons.

"I've heard them all" (EXCUSES)

You have to hand it to Nike (well at least their marketing firm).  They put out some great commercials/ads.  Here are a couple that help motivate me.  The first video I feel like showing all my patients who complain about an injury from which they will fully recover.  Sometimes, I even need to watch this video when I am having a bad training day or some minor soreness.  The video helps give me some perspective on life in general.  I celebrate human movement and the wonderful machine that produces it.

The second video is just plain motivating.  The best video I have found that combines all types of athletes doing various agilities, plyos, and strength training.  I tell patients, friends, and family all the time..."To be a weekend warrior, you have to be a weekday exerciser". 

Brick

No, the title of today's blog does not refer to a Ben Folds song.  Bricks are a very important part of triathlon training and they are sometimes overlooked. Bricks refer to training two disciplines during the same workout, one after the other, with minimal or no interruption in between them.  This is an effort to ready your body for race day  (I am sure that many of you already know this). Usually when people talk about bricks they refer to a bike/run workout, but bricks could also refer to a swim/bike workout or to a run/bike workout (if you are training for a duathlon). These last two are often overlooked but still important to fit here and there in your training plan. 
So, why am I discussing bricks?  Yesterday I did my first brick of the triathlon season.  I attended 30 mins of an intense spin class.  Then, with quads burning and legs feeling heavy (like bricks--hence the name), I went straight to the treadmill to complete one mile in 8 minutes.  I may could have legged out another mile, but I wanted to do some lower body strength training too.  Finished my workout session with 2 sets of each of the following:  1).  lateral lunges holding a plate (25lbs)--see previous blog for video  2).  single-leg calf raises into pogo jumps  3).  step-ups with dumbells (explosive for speed training)--demo 4).  hamstring circuit--see previous blog for video  5).  burpee- box jumps--see previous blog for video  6).  deadlifts with dumbells
With the combination of the brick and strength training session, I imagine I will be feeling this workout for a couple of days.

Floyd Landis--trying to crush my HERO?!

With recent headlines, one of my heroes has been accused of blood doping.  I am not sure if the various testing committees will ever have a definitive answer.  Time will tell.  Despite how I or others view his accomplishments and ethics, one has to respect his level of dedication to training.  Today, I wanted to share a great overall strength routine for cyclists.  It focuses on power generation and core stability too.  Enjoy.  The maillot jaune will forever be associated with Lance Armstrong.  Every endurance athlete should have the book to the left on their shelf.  It is a roller coaster ride of emotions and human experience.

Lance Armstrong Strength Training Workout -- powered by http://www.livestrong.com

Interval training

Every now and then, something in life acts as a harsh reminder that "I am getting old".  Interval training served as this cruel reminder yesterday.  I ventured to a local high school to use their track for some 800 meter repeats.  I strapped on my Polar heart rate monitor (used to gauge workout intensity...as if my breathing rate was not good enough) and began my first 2 laps.  Pleased with my 3:25 time frame, but being realistic, I set my goal to do the remaining 3 x 800 meters in under 4 minutes each.  My rest intervals were spent jogging until my heart rate lowered between 120-130 bpm.  Although labor intensive, I am happy to report that I reached my goal.  The thought that I knew I would be blogging about this training session provided good motivation to "leg out" the last 200 meters of the final 800.  Fairly spent, I started thinking about the mile repeats that I want to work up to in training for the half marathon that I plan on doing in October.  To recap:
1.  4 x 800 meter repeats
2.  Rest intervals (jogging until HR= 120-130 bpm)
3.  Total mileage= 3.25 miles

Bi's and Tri's (with emphasis on grip)

Taking into account my desire to work antagonist vs. agonist, I like to group my biceps and triceps work together.  I also like to incorporate grip strength with this workout too.  I once heard Brett Jones, RKC say "If the hand can't grip it, the shoulder won't move it".  Below are a few great examples for increasing grip strength while working the bi's and tri's.  Pyramid push-ups are another great tricep exercise.  I am not a big fan of dips.  I see horrible form with this in the gym all the time and it puts a lot of stress to the anterior (front) portion of the shoulder.  I will use a mixture of the exercises below, but never the same exercises every arm session.  The body will respond to the stress you place upon it...just don't let it get comfortable with the same exercises and resistance time in and time out. 

Lower extremity plyometrics

According to Wilkipedia, plyometrics is a type of exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system, generally for the purpose of improving performance in sports.  Wilkipedia goes on to better define it as a training method designed to produce a maximal muscle contraction in the shortest period of time.  A plyometric contraction involves first a rapid muscle lengthening movement (eccentric phase), followed by a short resting phase (amortization phase), then an explosive muscle shortening movement (concentric phase).  I have attempted to find a few good examples of such events.  This discussion leads into my workout session for today.  I will be doing a 30 minute elliptical warm-up (I prefer the Pre-cor with adjustable incline and do not use arm attachments in order to mimic running for the upper body).  I will do some quick dynamic stretches and move into lateral lunges holding a 45 lbs. plate at my chest alternating from right to left.  I will then move to step-up jumps holding a dumbell in the opposite hand of the leg I am working.  I will use about a 16-24 inch step.  I will progress to what I call alternating jump lunges while I hold a 25 lbs. plate at my chest.  I am then going to move to the plyo-burpee/ squat jumps using a standard flat bench.  I will finish up the leg session with single-leg calf raises off a step/ledge/ or other piece of gym equipment.

Plyometric Burpees -- powered by http://www.livestrong.com

FEET!

I get questions all the time about over-the-counter inserts for athletic shoes, and also questions regarding what type of shoes to buy (the latter is a lengthy discussion for a future post).  Of course, I have a few favorite inserts and will discuss them at this point.  One of the web sites that I send a lot of athletes to is http://www.yoursole.com/.  I personally have a pair of the heat moldable inserts in my cycling shoes.  Both the Superfeet and Sole inserts have a deep heel cup and semi-rigid arch support.  The Sole inserts have the added benefit of being heat moldable in your oven at home.  Majority of the time, you get what you pay for.  There are cheaper inserts found at any Wal-Mart or pharmacy.  Both of the inserts I have mentioned range between $35-45, but custom orthotics carry a much heftier cost ($300-450).  In no way am I claiming that these inserts treat all foot deformities or severe over-pronation (plano-valgus feet), but they do assist with plantar fasciitis, posterior-tibialis dysfunction (sometimes diagnosed as "shin splints"), and mild over-pronation.  I also think it is important for athletes to have full length inserts in their running shoes or cleats.  I have seen 3/4 length inserts cause blisters, slip around in shoes, and just cause general discomfort.  I hope my experiences and tips are helpful.

Chest and back

In the field of Physical Therapy, we often use the terms agonist and antagonist when discussing contrasting muscle actions.  Definition: The antagonist muscle opposes the agonist muscle during an exercise. For example, during the lifting phase of a biceps curl, the triceps muscles lengthen as the biceps contract, making the biceps the agonist and the triceps the antagonist.  I really enjoy setting up my workout sessions to work an antagonist immediately followed by the agonist or vice versa.  To simplify things for today's discussion, I like to work "pushers" with "pullers" or my chest and back on the same day.  I feel like this gives the body better balance to both the anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions.  Far to often, we step into the gym to work our mirror muscles neglecting those less visible.  The first combo that I will hit today is the standard bench press coupled with the reverse push-up (Smith machine).  The second combo will consist of inclined feet push-ups and pull-ups.  The third combo will consist of cable work--standing/alternating cable flys in combination with kneeling low reverse "X's".  The final combo will be made up of the swissball flys and standing high reverse "X's".  I'll conclude with some abdominal work and it will be complete.  I realized after spending some time on youtube that a lot of people are doing a few things right, but everything is not sound and safe either.  Therefore, I do understand a need to have this videoed and will look into it in the near future.  The final word on this workout involves resistance, sets, and reps.  I do not focus so much on how much weight I use but repping out until I reach volitional fatigue.  Volitional fatigue is the point in the set where you can't lift one more rep without cheating it up (using poor form).  I like doing at least 3 sets of everything and usually will do somewhere around 8-15 reps depending on level of difficulty.  Enjoy!

Coming Around to Yoga

Countless magazines (Bicycling, Runner's World, Triathlete) have touted the value of yoga for athletes.  As a Physical Therapist, I have known the importance of flexibility for over a decade.  However, personally, I have ignored yoga and its benefits.  This was true until about a year ago.  I finally stumbled onto the yoga DVD for endurance athletes.  My wife had been involved in yoga classes and even had a few DVD's at home that I had seen, but the workouts seemed too slow and unchallenging for me.  She swore that yoga improved her well being and flexibility, but I just found it boring.

I will admit that like my patients, I tend to neglect areas of my body until there is a small nagging injury that makes me focus on stretching.  Over the years, I have encountered plantar fasciitis, ilio-tibial band syndrome, and quadriceps/ hip flexor tightness that resulted in "squeaky" knees when climbing stairs at home.  So, I will be honest, when I truly adhere to my yoga practice (which is greater at times than others) I feel great.  My runs, bikes, swims, and weight workouts feel better.  I am more "in tune" with my body, better balanced, and, not to mention, injury free.  The best thing about this DVD is its interactive menu.  It allows you to design a series and customize your routine.  This enables me to get a yoga session in if I only have 10-20 minutes.

So, learn from my mistakes.  No matter how tough or fit you are-regardless of how much you can bench or squat, don't neglect your flexibility.  Your body will thank you later.

Core stability defined

I first heard the correct definition of core training come out of the mouth of Gray Cook, PT, OCS, CSCS while attending a conference in Rhode Island.  He made quite an impression, and I purchased his book.  The take home message is this according to Gray,  "The best core training programs require the spine to be held in a neutral position while breathing and while moving the arms and legs in motions that mimic the functional ways the core will be stressed in a given sport or activity."  It is not about who can complete the most crunches in a day or buying the latest ab lounger, but instead; one has to bridge science and sport to properly enhance core stability.  I have a couple of examples below of core stability exercises specific to the sport pictured above them.

 

My wife's back

From the title of today's post, one might think that it is time to clean up the house because she has been out of town.  No, she has not been out of town and my clothes and shoes are not all over the house with empty potato chip bags everywhere.  Not to mention, probably my worst habit, I have not left wet gym clothes on the furniture or floor.  However, my wife has a chronic low back condition.  She recently asked me (which is a really big step for her) for a 10 minute program that she could perform anywhere.  By anywhere, she meant in her office, outside, or on the floor at home.  The pressure was on me.  I had to pick 3-4 exercises that would address her weaknesses/ problem, not use any fancy equipment, and be able to be completed in 10 minutes.
A little history on my wife...a MRI confirmed two bulging discs in her lumbar spine shortly after the birth of our second child.  To complicate matters, the bulges were at separate levels of the spine and bulged in opposite directions.  She was able to avoid surgery, but she has to stay "in tune" with her body in regards to her back health.  Here is what I came up with for her:
1.  Prone "superman" (start with diagnol pattern 3 sets of 15-20 reps each side)

2.  Side plank (10 reps x a slow 5 second hold (in touch with breathe) on each side)

3.  Bridge progression (begin with doulbe leg and work on slow decent in touch with each spinal articulation)
Do 20 reps and hold 5 seconds

4.  Yoga cobra flow (flow smoothly, slowly, pay careful attention to spine/ hand/ foot changes--do this for 3 minutes)

Leg day

A lot of things have to go right over the course of the day to allow for a high-quality workout.  First, it starts with an adequate night's sleep the previous day, a good breakfast and lunch, and proper hydration throughout the day and during the workout session.  These ingredients mixed with what follows provides an excellent warm-up (exercise prep) and strength training session with focus on core stability in a limited amount of time.

GYM (Total time = 65 mins)

1.  Treadmill (30 mins)

2.  Dynamic stretching (Mark Verstegen; Core performance...see link below)

3.  Power cleans with Olympic bar and plate weights

4.  Split squats (dumbbell held in opposite hand of leg being worked--will illicit greater core muscle
     recruitment)



    5.  Dead-lifts (one heavy dumbbell held by both hands in an upright position--will avoid scraping shin with straight bar)
    6.  Calf raises (using inverted leg-press)

Soreness?

As the intensity or resistance of one's exercise increases then you are bound to get sore.  Soreness is not a bad thing, and it usually peeks about 48 hrs after exercise.  This leads to the term "delayed-onset muscle soreness" or DOMS for short.  It is debated in the literature what exactly causes this sensation.  It is believed that micro-trauma to muscle tissue leads to chemical mediators being released that irritate nerve endings resulting in the "soreness" sensation.  I bring this up because yesterday I played in a soccer match which has left me a little bit sore.  One of my favorite (massage would be my favorite...buy pricey) tools for working out soreness and muscle spasms is the stick roller.  It works great on the quadriceps, ilio-tibial band, and calf musculature.  It can also be used on the hamstrings and back, but may require some assistance by another.  Some fitness professional argue that 4-5 mins of stick rolling can be almost as beneficial as traditional stretching due to the relaxation of "trigger points".  Various stick rollers are available on the Internet, but this is the one I use and my stick of choice: The Stick-Self Roller Massager - Travel Stick

A total body experience

It had been a few days since I was able to get to the gym so I took a slightly different approach to my workout.  My body was feeling like it needed a "once over" or a total body workout.  Therefore, I set out to do a little cardio, and then hit upper body and lower body.  I only had about an hour and I chose to do 3.25 miles in 30 mins on the treadmill.  Followed this up with an upper body circuit consisting of cable bicep curls, cable chest flys on a stability ball, plank position rows and plank position reverse flys with dumbbells (see video below).  The latter two exercises are great for core stability and gleno-humeral stability (shld joint stability).  I also threw in some lateral raises for the deltoids on the cable column.  The upper body/core work was coupled with some single-leg deep squats with a greater than 90 degree angle, and what I call the "hamstring circuit" (see second video below).  I did at least 3 sets of everything for 10-20 reps.  I exited the gym approximately one hour after hopping on the treadmill.  I felt energized upon leaving the gym and not totally wiped out.  On a bit of a sidenote, I have decided that the race calendar for 2010 will consist of a sprint triathlon on August 29, and a half marathon through downtown Athens, GA on October 24.  Follow my training with workouts such as this one and more to come.  I promise lots of variety and always plenty of sweat.