Should I stretch? Part I

Happy Friday everyone! I want to talk about a topic that is always being debated in the fitness world. Stretching is a very widely misunderstood by most folks. They believe it is a necessary evil that is perhaps boring at best, and painful at worst. I hope to shed a little light on this subject today, and will have follow-up posts that will dive farther into the topic.

When you think about stretching, the word flexibility usually comes to mind. No one seems to have enough of it, and it is like finding a unicorn for some. They believe it is largely unattainable. Too time-consuming to pursue. For a simple definition, flexibility might be described as the quality of our soft tissues and their ability to stretch. Hence the term stretching. The problem with this definition is that mostly describes a passive use of our bodies, meaning that we aren't engaging in an active movement. Mobility is a more helpful definition that means we have a combination of flexibility and control of our body through space and multiple planes of motion. 

So back to the question; should I stretch? Most people would identify areas that are "tight" or "painful" as targets for their stretching enthusiasm. This is not always a helpful course of action, and in many cases can worsen the problem. Some of the most common issues plaguing the average person working at a desk all day are back and neck problems. They will complain of aches, tingling, and numbness throughout these areas and the upper extremities. They sit in a forward fold all day long, and seek relief by stretching these areas. Then you get the occasional hour-long massage, which of course focuses on the "problem spots."  If you look at the presentation of their posture you will see that the posterior side of the body is actually very overstretched in specific areas, and the anterior side of the body is actually shortened significantly.

The body is actually in desperate need of strength and relaxing the overstretched tissue in the back half, and more flexibility by lengthening the muscles in the front half. Think of it this way- it you compress a rubber band there is still force being applied to it. If you stretch it with the equal amount of force it will create more wear and break sooner. So we want to create an optimal relationship between counteracting muscles and tissue surrounding our joints.

Flexibility and strength are two sides to the same coin. Your body will only allow you to use a range of motion that is not restricted by these soft tissue limitations. It also will only allow movement when the nervous system feels safe and sure that allowing you to access that motion will not cause injury. Tightness is often a sign of poor strength and stability in that joint or range of movement. It is your body's ways of trying to protect you from injury. In the short term it is better to have limited motion than risk injury. Unfortunately, in the long term this can create uneven joint wear and soft tissue changes that can be very damaging. We need to identify specific areas that need better soft tissue quality, and areas that need more strength. In many cases you need both!

In the next post in this series I will cover some general strategies to combat common problems. Have a great weekend!

Should I trust my supplements?

Hello again,

This past weekend, I was debating which topic I was going to write on among several I have lined up. Then this story conveniently made headlines in the last couple of days. Now I have my post! 

Edit: The study in the article is being reviewed, as questions have been raised if the procedure and theory for testing is valid. The following recommendations are not affected by any future reversals or conclusions.

Many people swear by supplements, claiming everything from improved energy to curing cancer. Others say they are harmful and to be avoided at all costs. So who do we believe? 

Supplements are often purchased based on cost consideration. While more expensive doesn't always mean better, cheapest always reminds us, "You get what you pay for." Quality ingredients come at a cost. You may ask how can you know what the quality of ingredients are? Here is a quick breakdown.

• Pharmaceutical grade- Highest quality available. They can be available without a prescription, but they are usually sold by healthcare practitioners and verified by an outside party. 
• Medical grade- High grade, but fall below pharmaceutical grade standards.
• Cosmetic or nutritional grade- Typically found in health food stores (like those in the linked article above). May not be tested for purity or that they contain the active ingredient listed on the bottle.
• Veterinary grade- Only for animal use.

Get the good stuff

The higher the quality of the supplement the better the outcome will be on your health. In addition to the information in the categories above, here are some things you don't want to factor in to your supplement purchases.

• Overly extravagant claims, packaging, and marketing hype. Quality speaks for itself. Don't fall prey to the outrageous claims and slick marketing or celebrity endorsements.
• Stay away from proprietary blends. This is a term that is normally used to hide filler and worthless ingredients, or play into the marketing hype. 
• Multi level marketing as the business model. Nothing sells like a personal testimonial right? Many of these companies exist, and have thousands of devoted "distributors." MLM may be appealing if you are the one making money, but in most cases it is a model used to disguise a subpar product.

So what do you want in a supplement? What type of results will you get? Here are a few things that you should look for.

• The bottle has a GMP label. This stands for good manufacturing processes. It ensures that ingredients and amounts are consistent with the labeling. This certification is developed from guidelines set forth by the FDA.
• The supplements are sold through healthcare providers. You would rather trust what a health professional uses, rather than take the word of the guy at the local Vitamin shoppe. Med school vs 2 weeks training. Enough said. 
• There is a tangible marker of change that can be tracked. Blood tests measuring Vitamin D levels are an example. If the product is worthwhile you should have improved markers the next time you test.

Supplements can be a wonderful added component to a healthy lifestyle. Insist on hight quality products. I hope this post gives you a few things to keep in mind for your next purchase!

Get a Grip!

Today's post is a quick hitter. For those of you who don't know what the red and blue grips on those dumbbells are, this post is for you! They are called Fat Gripz. They are removable and work on any standard cable attachement, dumbbell, or barbell. They are virtually unbreakable and have a number of benefits for any trainee from beginner to advanced. If you are training to rip phonebooks, or improve hand strength for rehab purposes you need specific grip exercises. If you are looking for variety and a bit of a spark to your normal routine consider the following.

1. They reduce the L vs R asymmetry in the upper body. No peer reviewed research to prove this, just observation as a coach and conversations with other coaches. 
2. They improve movement patterns- Beginners often struggle with the timing and sequence in pressing movments. By keeping the weight centered in the hand and good balance during the lift these grips force good technique. Be prepared to use 15-20% less weight or more the first time you use these.
3. Great for reducing wear and tear- 2 reasons. You must typically lighten the load, and you must have better technique. Older lifters with elbow and shoulder issues can often lift pain free with the thicker grip.
4. More motor unit recruitment- These make you "turn on" more motor neurons and the muscle fibers associated with them. You are forced to use more of what you have. 

If you are a frequent gym goer grab a set of these and sub them in place of a standard grip in a few exercises each workout. Prepare to be humbled!