Month: June 2019

In my opinion, yes. The difference is subtle, but there is a difference.

Now, labels can be just words, and, in the fitness industry, words (in this case, acronyms) often get distorted by clever marketing.

Before comparing the acronyms, let’s remind ourselves of the principle of specificity: The body makes specific adaptations to imposed demands. Now, I call it “pop” and my wife calls it “soda”, so, quite possibly, what I call “HIIRT” another may call “HIRT”. We have to look closely at what the exerciser is being asked to do, rather than what the exerciser/trainer is calling the exercise. We need to understand the intent of the exercise and the expected physiological response.

I define high-intensity interval resistance training (HIIRT) as a series of exercise super-sets performed at rather low intensities (I know this sounds a bit contrary) and high repetitions [e.g., ³ 10 reps or as many reps as possible (AMRAP) in a prescribed time-frame) with little rest between super-sets. The intent of this exercise is to burn calories and build skeletal muscle endurance. Cardiorespiratory endurance is only minimally affected. Some trainers refer to this kind of exercise as “metabolic conditioning”, which to most seems to imply the targeting of anaerobic endurance. CrossFit founder, Greg Glassman, actually defines metabolic conditioning as “conditioning exercises intended to increase the storage and delivery of energy for any activity”¹. His intent is to avoid “specificity of adaptation”, which is arguable, but it is clear from his definition that metabolic conditioning is a more general, albeit catchy, term for any type of conditioning workout. In the end, specificity rules and the exerciser will adapt according to the stimulus.

I define high-intensity resistance training (HIRT) further along the strength-endurance continuum. While both HIIRT and HIRT are, technically, “circuit training”, I consider HIRT to be more along the line of old school Nautilus training (1970’s). Nautilus training generally involved a circuit of roughly 12 machine exercises arranged from large muscles to small muscles performed to momentary muscular failure for just one set. The point was to totally exhaust the muscle and promote muscle hypertrophy and strength. It is an effective way to train, albeit with some limitations. HIRT can also be done with free weights, and is often in the form of high-intensity (i.e., heavy) weights lifted to near-failure (leaving 1-2 repetitions “in the tank”) in the form of 2- to 3-exercise super-sets (micro-circuits). Such training is better for hypertrophy than strength because volume is the focus over intensity (again, we slightly misuse the term “high-intensity”). These also add an element of time-efficiency to the workouts, as time spent resting between sets is filled with another exercise.

Consider the goals when deciding between HIIRT and HIRT. If the goal is strength and hypertrophy, consider “high”-intensity/”moderate”-volume HIRT. If you prefer less hypertrophy and more fat-burning, consider ”moderate”-intensity/”high”-volume HIIRT. Both will increase the post-exercise energy expenditure. HIRT, however, favors muscle hypertrophy, whereas HIIRT favors fat loss. Neither is likely to have a significant impact on cardiorespiratory endurance.

Whichever acronym you or your trainer uses, consider the goal(s) when selecting exercises, intensities (i.e., weights), repetitions, sets, and recovery times.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

¹ http://journal.crossfit.com/2003/06/metabolic-conditioning-jun-03.tpl

The common recommendation for kids (6-17 years) and exercise is 60 minutes a day. Again, I think our guidelines are blurring the line between physical activity and exercise. If we are to be strict on the definition of exercise then we are falling horribly short of these recommendations.

Beginning with Physical Education, we don’t come close to covering the 60 minutes of exercise on a daily basis—even at the rare (does one exist) school that has PE on a daily basis. Even adding in recess, most kids are not getting the recommended daily exercise.

Youth sports can be a boost to a child’s physical activity, but is still not exercise, per se. An important consideration in youth sport is how much time the young athlete spends moving rather than how long practice is. Standing on the sidelines is not exercise (and minimal physical activity).

At home, kids are prone to sit for long periods. Electronics, such as phones, tablets, televisions, and gaming, have replaced outdoor play. Fear (warranted or unwarranted) of outside danger has replaced the “free-range” play I knew as a child growing up in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Getting kids to move is a challenge. Getting them to exercise is an even greater challenge.

Let’s go back to the definitions of physical activity and exercise. Physical activity is any movement above resting levels. Exercise is physical activity the is performed for the purpose of improving one’s health, performance, and/or physical appearance. Not all physical activity is exercise. Of course, we begin with simply getting kids moving. It is unlikely that any child who is able does not move for at least an hour a day. The benefits of physical activity are cumulative, so it now becomes a matter of intensity. To have significant health benefits, the activity needs to be of moderate to vigorous intensity. So, the short walk to and from the bus stop (few kids have to walk more than a block or two, anymore) hardly warrants consideration as physical activity, let alone exercise. There is some walking to classes—particularly at the higher-grade levels—but this is minimal, as well. And considering that students will be expected to “sit still” in class, any activity between classes is pretty much negated by the inactivity in class.

Exercise should be specific and include an element of progressive overload. It must include elements of cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength and endurance, mobility, and neuromotor training. As such, a variety of moderate-to-high intensity activity needs to ne encouraged. This is best facilitated by quality physical activity—activities that are more than simply active play. Recess needs to encourage as much exercise as possible—not simply play.

As parents, we have the most important role in promoting exercise. We do so by setting the example and by providing access. When we exercise on a regular basis, our children are more likely to follow suit. It is not enough to buy your kid a bike. You have to teach them to ride and allow (force, if necessary) the opportunity to ride. Take young kids to the park and let them take risks. No one has ever been permanently damaged by being allowed to explore the challenges of the monkey bars and play structures at the park. Take kids hiking. Bike with them. Take walks to the store. Let them be active! Limit screen time.

As parents, most of us don’t have time for 60 minutes of daily exercise. I suspect that 60 minutes of actual exercise is likewise impossible for kids. They can, undoubtedly, get in a minimum of 60 minutes of quality physical activity. Some of this time (much of this time) should approach what might be classified as exercise.

Consider purchasing some home gym equipment that can be made accessible to your children. My 11-year-old daughter expressed recently how she missed our stair-stepper. We had a nice commercial-grade Tectrix Climbmax that lasted for years until the transmission finally went. It was replaced by a spin cycle that is slightly big for our daughter. To encourage her, I found a rather inexpensive personal stepper for $90 (Staminaâ SpaceMateâ Folding Stepper*) that we are able to place in the family room with a view of the television. (It can be folded and stored away when we have company.) So far, the novelty and easy access is encouraging her to climb frequently throughout the day. It is quite easy for her to accumulate 30 minutes of aerobic exercise throughout the day. Accessibility also entices me to climb on here and there throughout the day.

Physical activity runs a continuum from just-above-resting to all-out-effort. The 60-minute recommendation should involve as much moderate-to-vigorous activity as possible. Less-than-moderate activity should be encouraged, as well, but should be beyond the minimum guideline. Kids need to simply move more. Movement should encourage neuromuscular development and cardiorespiratory endurance. I must be progressive and challenging. Fight for more PE in the schools, support initiatives for green space and play structures in your local community, and hold politicians and school administrators accountable for supporting active communities. Be the example for your kids and encourage participation in a variety of youth sports (discourage sport specialization before high school). Take responsibility!

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

*not a paid endorsement

I am sure I have written on this topic many times before in varying fashion and from a variety of vantage points, but I will say it again, if I haven’t already, not all physical activity is exercise! Physical activity is defined as any movement above rest. Some move more than others. Exercise is a category of physical activity that is performed for the purposes of improving one’s health, performance, and/or physical appearance. In many cases, there may be a fine line between physical activity and exercise. The Guidelines that I have discussed in a few recent posts are physical activity and health guidelines. They are focused on the prevention of disease, e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc.

The distinction between merely physical activity and exercise is in the intention. Simply preventing disease is not improving one’s health. Thus, increasing accumulated physical activity (e.g., taking the stairs, walking more, standing rather than sitting, etc.), without attention to overload and progression, is not exercise—unless one is extremely sedentary. It is true that initially the progressive increase in volume will have some benefit in improving one’s health and, possibly, physical appearance, however, the return quickly becomes diminishing. At some point exercise has to be more intensive to promote an adaptation.

We should be stressing intentional exercise—exercise that benefits health and neuromotor function. We should be stressing the importance of improving cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength/endurance, flexibility/mobility, and body composition, as well as neuromotor function (i.e., agility, balance, coordination, power, speed, and reaction time), not merely maintaining. Maintenance is intended for high-levels of fitness and for areas of fitness that far exceed the other dimensions (i.e., to allow the other areas to catch up).

Accumulated physical activity is icing on the cake. Move more—always as much as possible—but do so in addition to regular exercise. Look for opportunity to be more active—e.g., taking the stairs that are next to the escalators, parking the car a bit farther away from your destination, etc. I am always fascinated by the people who will drive to a gym to walk or run on a treadmill. Let that sink in. Schedule time for exercise and be more physically active beyond this. Focus on improving. Consider specificity, overload, and progression. Allow your activity to be increasingly more challenging—even that which is intended for leisure. Choose to improve your health rather than to merely maintain your health.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“Isn’t it amazing that we are all made in God’s image, and yet there is so much diversity among his people?”
–Desmond Tutu

Some days, I just need the reminder of a single quote.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“I saw someone squatting using a Smith machine, while standing on a BOSU ball the other day.”—Ian M.

The above quote is in response to a comment I shared on social medial about a trainer having a client wear a weighted vest to do modified pushups. These are just some of the dysfunctional—albeit well-intended—attempts at being trendy in the gym. I reiterate my lack of love for the phrase “functional training” because this is what happens—inexperience and ignorance leads exerciser and their trainers to do dumb things.

Take just a moment and ask yourself, if this makes sense. Don’t simply do an exercise because a trainer say to or because the person on YouTube had great abs. Consider why you should (or should not do the exercise. If you are doing an exercise to improve balance, does it make sense to add weight like a strength exercise—or does it make better sense to progress the instability (e.g., decrease the base of support or decrease the stability of the surface)? Does it make any sense at all to stand on an unstable surface (e.g., BOSU ball) and move through a path that is fixed (e.g., Smith machine)? (Hint: the answer is “no”.) A basic understanding of levers might be required to understand why the weighted vest and modified pushups makes no sense. (Schools should be teaching this by the end of middle school.) Adding weight to a pushup before one can perform a correct plank-position pushup diminishes the effectiveness of the exercise. This is online with adding weight to the squat before doing a full range-of-motion squat (or any exercise for that matter. The list of examples can go on. Another favorite is walking with hand weights. Walk faster and engage more muscle mass (i.e., make the legs work harder). You’ll burn more calories and have a greater effect on the cardiorespiratory system.

Just because an exercise looks impressive doesn’t mean it is effective. Remember specificity and overload. Needlessly increasing the risk of performing an exercise? Well, as Forrest Gump said, “Stupid is as stupid does.” If you are inexperienced and a trainer or coach asks you to do something that looks a little “off”, ask “Why?”. If they can’t give a sound answer, it is probably not worth your effort. If the answer sounds more off than the activity, get a new trainer.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

I have alluded to the concept before, but a former student asked me recently about exercise “snacking”. I had never heard the phrase before. He was referring to the recent adjustment to the exercise guidelines by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) to allow for the accumulation of multiple short bouts of physical activity for cardiorespiratory health.

Specifically, the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans¹ reads:

“Adults should move more and sit less throughout the day. Some physical activity is better than none. Adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity gain some health benefits.

For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. Preferably, aerobic activity should be spread throughout the week.

Additional health benefits are gained by engaging in physical activity beyond the equivalent of 300 minutes (5 hours) of moderate-intensity physical activity a week.

Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity and that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these activities provide additional health benefits”(p. 8).

It is also suggested that “even 5 minutes of physical activity has real health benefits” (p. 11).

One very important thing to understand from these recommendations are that they are for cardiorespiratory health not performance. As such, one is not going to significantly increase one’s VO₂max by simply taking the stairs or walking more (unless, of course, one is extremely sedentary and has poor cardiorespiratory fitness). More activity, however, will benefit overall health.

This being said, the question remains whether one can improve performance with exercise snacking. I would conclude that one can, although with less than optimal results. I would not, however, go as far as to recommend frequent bouts of less than 10 minutes unless the goals are highly specific—I am thinking something like the Bulgarian weightlifting program where lifters performed specific lifts in 2-3 or more daily sessions 6 times a week. Few of us could possibly lift as such, but the benefits for strength are great should one have the flexibility in their schedule. Consider how your focus and motivation wanes knowing that you have numerous exercises to perform in a single 1- to 2-hour exercise session. One is usually more inclined to “save” a little for subsequent exercises. This works great, if one is a power athlete or training for Olympic lifting. For more general fitness or athletics that require multiple dimensions of performance, such “snacking” is likely to be ill-advised.

Snacking is ideal for general health-related fitness. A number of 10-minute workouts scattered through the day are better than nothing. Among the guidelines, however, “snacking”—i.e., accumulating physical activity in bouts of less than 10 minutes is specific to cardiorespiratory endurance and muscle endurance health-related physical fitness. It is not applicable, per se, to muscle strength. In other words, taking the stairs, walking more, and dropping down for a set of ARAP pushups throughout the day will benefit you, but not as much as longer planned system-specific exercise sessions.

I am increasingly inclined to recommend strength-specific training for the aging adult exerciser as a top priority. Two to three (or more) sessions per week per body part is warranted. Secondary would be some higher volume/lower intensity work for muscle endurance and body composition (as well as a mobility work) in the form of some form of HIIRT exercise 2-3 days per week. If possible, 2-3 sessions of cardiorespiratory-specific exercise should be included. These cardio-specific sessions need not be long, but should be longer than 10 minutes. Ideally, I would recommend 20-30 minutes of HIIT. Cardio “snacking”, as such, is added benefit. The more £10-minute “snacks” we can include throughout the day the better. Look, just because you do 30 minutes on the elliptical, that doesn’t give you permission to sit on you butt all day. Move! Move often. Such “snacking” will also serve to aid in active recovery for the intensive weight training you are doing. Movement has cumulative health benefits. So, move as often as possible.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

¹ Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2nd Ed). https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition/pdf/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf

“Mobility” is becoming one of those overused, misused, and misunderstood words in the fitness industry. There are programs that promote a mobility WOD; and trainers find “mobility” work to be the cure for all that ails you. Mobility training is what I put under the umbrella of “opportunity cost”. In other words, many exercisers are putting too much time into it at the expense of other training.

Dr. Mike Israetel (Temple University; Renaissance Periodization) suggests that mobility is an intersection of three abilities: the technique to execute a certain task; the flexibility to move through a full range of motion; and the strength to hold those positions with a functional ability. Thus, mobility is sport-specific, and it is not a stand-alone component of fitness. Remember, the health-related components include cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, and body composition (not mobility). So, when movement is limited, it is typically poor technique, a lack of strength, and/or a lack of flexibility.

When we say that mobility is sport-specific, it means that “any amount of that time spent becoming MORE MOBILE THAN THE SPORT DEMANDS is time you could have spent actually training (for the sport)” (Mike Israetel). If function is limited (as an athlete or nonathlete) then one should focus on correcting movement patterns (e.g., full range of motion, correct posture, etc.) and, if strength is lacking, get stronger, or, if flexibility is lacking, make time for joint-specific flexibility exercise.

Mobility issues can be corrected, but, if it ain’t broken, don’t sacrifice training what really needs work. Move through a full (necessary) range of motion when exercising. Start every workout with a brief (5-10 minutes) of dynamic movement, emphasizing the hips and shoulders. End the workout with general stretches—emphasizing areas of deficit. Foam rolling and the variety of popular compression techniques emphasized by many trainers have some benefits, but the effects are largely neurological (affecting the pain and stretch receptors in the muscle) rather than having a real effect on flexibility or fascial tissue. Moreover, any such effects are short lived, i.e., last for minutes rather than the duration of the workout. So, be wise in how these techniques are applied.

Don’t buy into the “mobility” hype. Be mobile, of course, but don’t go overboard. Do what makes you feel better and will aid recovery, but not at the expense of an effective training stimulus. Work on your limitations. Movement, itself, will improve mobility when done correctly.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“The Universe is one great kindergarten for man. Everything that exists has brought with it its own peculiar lesson.”
–Orison Swett Marden

What do you choose to learn from the experiences of today?

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”
–Vince Lombardi

Our purpose in life is not personal success, so to speak. Rather, it is to have an impact on the success of others. It is to be other-centered and to be (extra)ordinary. I spell the later as I do to emphasis what Coach Lombardi expresses in the above quote—to remind myself, first and foremost, the quality of one’s life is a reflection of the commitment to being excellent in the chosen field. “Excellence” is not necessarily the best. Excellence is being one’s personal best. Moreover, it is being excellent for others.

I was discussing greatness with my son recently. Naturally, being a native Pittsburgher, I brought up Roberto Clemente. Clemente is, in my mind, the greatest centerfielder to play the game of baseball—not because he was great positionally, though he was. Clemente will always be special in my mind because of how his career ended. He died prematurely in a plane crash, personally delivering aid to the people of Nicaragua following a devastating earthquake in 1972. Many gifted people, who have the resources, give to charity—and often contribute significant amounts of their wealth to help others. This is great, and is needed, but the message I tried to convey to my son and my family as we discussed this at lunch is that It is easy to give when we have much, but the greatest gift we can give humanity is to lay our life on the line helping others. Clemente did more to be remembered than entertain baseball fans. He did more than help people in need. (He did not have to board that plane, but he wanted to make sure that the supplied made to the people who needed them.) He gave his life doing good.

Few of us will live a life like Roberto Clemente’s. We are supposed to, per se. That was his life to be lived. We have our own (extra)ordinary to live every day. It may not be the life we want, but it is the life we are living. Commitment to excellence is a choice—it is a responsibility.

I personally struggle with my commitment to living the “I am third” philosophy (i.e., my God is first, family and friends are second, and I am third). It is not in our human nature to live this way. We are instinctively self-centered—self-preservation is natural. “I am third” requires sacrifice. It sometimes requires doing that which we don’t want to do for the benefit of others. I is living a right and just life.

(Extra)ordinary leaves a lasting impression. It has a rippling effect on the Universe. It is not to be confused with “extraordinary” which is merely greatness. Extraordinary is short-lived success. One is only extraordinary until talent fades or someone more talented comes along to unseat the king-of-the-hill. (Extra)ordinary remains as its impact is carried and magnified in the lives of others.

I grew up wanting to be like Roberto Clemente. I played but a few seasons of little league baseball. I was no Clemente in the outfield or batter’s box. I actually never really liked playing baseball and have no passion for the sport, but I will always remember hearing the news of Clemente’s death on the radio on New Year’s Day, January 1, 1973. I remember how he played the game—and he was amazing to watch—be I was shaped by how he died.

I am no Roberto Clemente. I am not (extra)ordinary at really anything, but it is a goal. It is a reason for being.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

To follow up on recent comments about lack time not being a valid excuse to not exercise, I want to highlight, as I have several times now, the concept of “opportunity costs” and exercise selection. There are over 650 muscles in the human body. Now, we don’t have to overload all of these and our emphasis is generally on a much smaller number (and we usually focus on muscle groups).

A simple tip in exercise selection is to “work from big to small”. In other words, prioritize the large muscle groups. The biggest muscles? The legs.

I am often bothered when I hear the first question asked of an athlete being: “How much do you bench?” Watch beginning “bodybuilders” in the gym and you will (unfortunately) often see them gravitate to the bench and bicep curls—“curls for the girls”. Guys who do this don’t grow. The bench, and most certainly bicep curls, play very little role athleticism.

Power for sports (and function later in life) is derived from the legs. Muscle consumes energy, so more muscle mass means higher metabolism (more fat loss). The legs should be the priority. If should on time, complex heavy lifts like the squat and deadlift will give the biggest bang for the buck. Not only are the legs being overloaded, but any muscle group that stabilizes the trunk of holds the bar is being trained.

I emphasize what I call the “basic 5” (squat, deadlift, bench, row, and press) not as the only exercises to do, but as the foundational lifts. As time permits, one can get creative adding “accessory lifts” (e.g., bicep curls and triceps extensions, etc.). Of these, the squat and deadlift should be done first.

Let’s be honest. Time is an issue (because we are usually poor at managing it). Before skipping exercise because you “don’t have time”, make time for at least a few sets of squats. Frankly, they can be done anywhere. If you need weight, look around. There has to be something you can hold in your arms to better overload the legs. Traveling? Use your suitcase in a modified goblet or Zercher squat. You might have to up the repetitions to reach your minimum effective volume or maintenance volume, but something is always better than nothing. Five minutes of squatting can jumpstart the metabolism—and is most certainly better than nothing.

Effective exercise need not be time consuming. Indeed, one might put a slight twist on Kenneth Cooper’s comment on running and say: “If you are exercising more than 30 minutes a day, you are doing it for more than your health.” (This is, of course, not to say that 30 minutes should be our maximal goal—it should be our minimal goal, as the health guidelines are actually more.)

Use your time effectively.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!