RKC Here I Come!

After several years of waiting, I am excited to FINALLY be taking the RKC (Russian Kettlebell Certification) Course. Afterall, my twin brother Franz is a team leader as is my friend Josh Henkin. This upcoming course will take place in San Jose, CA from February 15th-17th.

One of the things I respect about this course, is that it is the only fitness certification that actually has practical fitness tests to pass. For one, you must demonstrate the ability to teach a total beginner how to use kettlebells safely. Additionally, you must complete a rigorous fitness test called the "Snatch Test." The snatch is an exercise with the kettlebell that involves bringing the kettlebell from between your legs to an overhead position in one fluid movement. It is a derivative of the Olympics lift of the same name.

Depending on your weight and sex. there's a specific amount of snatches you must complete between the two arms. For me, I need to be able to perform 56 between my two arms, switching only once during the test and never placing the bell on the groud.

On Saturday (November 24th, 07) I tried the snatch test after a few weeks of slowly ramping up my kettlebell lifting. The results were not overly impressive as I completed 24 reps on the right and only 20 on the left. I was a little fearful of ripping open my calluses on my hands so that stopped me from going to total fatigue on either arm (as a massage therapist, I can't afford to have ripped open hands). I really pooped out though while doing the second arm. However, I felt like I could of easily performed 30 reps on the first arm (right arm)if I had really pushed it.

All in all, the test was very humbling as I'm not too versed in performing feats of strength endurance since my forte is all out efforts (sprinting and maximal strength training mostly). However, I like the challenge; and the deep burning in my lungs let me knew just how much of a stress this movements places on the entire human organism. The 10 minute nausea after the test was nice too!

I plan on testing again next Friday to see if I can improve upon my first test. After that, I'll test every 3 weeks or so until I go to the certification in Feb. This strength endurance feat for me falls slightly out of specificity for my goals of sprinting some fast times this upcoming 08 track season; therfore, I always do my kettlebell lifting after my general strength work (max lifting with barbells). However, I feel that the snatching will build up a kind of work capacity that I've never really had before; and that I am excited about and will have to see if it helps my sprinting.

Staying Healthy During The Fall and Winter

As winter approaches (well, not really here in Phoenix, it's still been in the 90's for the past 2 weeks!), and more and more people spend time indoors, it's fairly commonplace to start seeing a lot more colds and flu's going around. In fact, nothing put's a damper into one's fitness training like a nice sinus infection or influenza virus!

So what is one to do? There's always the flu vaccine, and for many, that's a good choice as the influenza virus routinely kills around 30,000 Americans each year. Who should get the vaccine?
Well, basically anyone who wants to reduce their risk of getting the flu. It is generally encouraged that young children (over 6 months of age), the elderly, pregnant women, those with chronic diseases and medical conditions and anyone working in the healthcare field (and thus in contact with many people) get the vaccine each year. However, anyone with allergies to chicken eggs should NOT get the flu vaccine as that is how the vaccine is created, through chicken eggs. For more information on the flu, vaccines and treatment for the flu, check out the Center For Disease Control's informative website: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm

A More Wholistic Approach?

While the flu shot sounds like a logical choice, many millions of people will opt not to get the vaccine each year and instead rely on more "natural" choices such as herbs and specific "immune-boosting" nutritional products. Some of the more popular immune products that sell like hot-cakes during the cold & flu season include Zicam (a Zinc nasal spray which apparently can make some lose there sense of smell when over-used!), the herbs Echinacea and Goldenseal, vitamin C, a product called Airborne (created by a teacher who was tired of getting sick), Cold MD, Cold-FX, and too many other products to mention. I won't even give the homeopathic remedies a mentiond because there's really nothing in them to test(mostly water).

Of all the products mentioned, the only substances shown to have any effect on cold durations are vitamin C (may decrease colds by a day or so) and possibly Echinacea. However, a recent study by the National Institute of Health showed that Echinacea had no appreciable effect and cold and flu durations. I've taken Echinacea and Goldenseal in the past when I was getting sick and felt at times it helped me and at other times it didn't. It's really hard to determine how much of the effect you get when taking a nutritional supplement is just in your head (i.e. the "placebo effect"). All of the other products (including the very popular Airborne) have been studied and shown to do nothing substantial to merit their use or cost.

So What To Do Then!

Short of having a healthful lifestyle (eat well, exercise, sleep enough, control your stress, etc...), the best way to avoid getting sick is:

1) avoid sick people of possible, and
2)don't touch your nose, eyes, or mouth without first washing your hands!

Regarding hand washing, research shows that plain old soap and water work just as well as the anti-bacterial soaps (which apparently are causing bacteria to become more and more resistant to antibiotics!).

Great, Sick; Now What?

If and when you do get sick, stay home if you can while resting more, drinking lots of fluids, and counting the money in your bank you didn't waste on supplements that don't do anything to help you get better. I think good old-fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup is probably more effective that many of those products.

To end this blog, it is important to understand that when resuming your training post-illness, start with lower volumes and slightly reduced intensities for at least a week to allow your body to re-adjust to the workload. Too much too soon can hinder your immune function and send you back to bed. No bueno!

Thoughts About Acupuncture

I've always been interested in so-called "alternative medicine." Growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which in my opinion is a mecca of alternative and supernatural belief systems, I was exposed to a lot of various treatments and approaches to healing and wellness. One such system that I had performed on me while in high school for some sports injuries was acupuncture.

What Is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is the ancient Chinese medical technique of inserting needles into so-called "acupuncture points" to unblock the flow of a vital life force the Chinese referred to as "chi." In the ancient Chinese medical system, chi is the natural energy of the universe and is said to permeate all things including living organisms like the animals and humans. The end goal of acupuncture treatments is to balance yin and yang, the two primal cosmic principles of the Universe. Yin is referred to as the passive, feminine principle, while yang is the active, or masculine principle (see symbol at beginning of post). Balancing the yin and yang is akin to the Western Medical principle of homeostasis.

When a person is healthy (or in "balance" from the ancient Chinese medical standpoint), the chi is said to be flowing smoothly through 14 primary pathways known as meridians. On the other hand, if a person is sick or injured, this so-called chi is said to be blocked somewhere in the pathways of these meridians. When acupuncture needles are then placed at key points of blockage (acupuncture points), the chi is supposedly unblocked and can once again flow freely, restoring health and balancing yin and yang. While this sounds nice, is there any proof to back up these ancient (anywhere from 2000-4000 years old) Chinese medical principles?

What Does Science Say About Chi?

According to Scientific inquiry into acupuncture, the concept of chi has yet to be proven. It seems as if chi is more of a supernatural understanding of health in the body, and this makes sense to me since 2000 years ago they probably didn't have a very good understanding of the body like we do now. As a massage therapist, I am frequently asked by clients what I think about acupuncture. I usually answer:

"acupuncture (and the concept of "Chi") is just a 2000 year old explanation of

what we now have many different theories and understandings into how the

human body functions."

Take the concept of trigger points for example. 50-70% of known trigger points actually lie on or near specific acupuncture points. To me this proves the Ancient Chinese were on to something, but we've greatly surpassed their knowledge level of anatomy and physiology. Instead of mystical blockages of chi, disruptions in blood flow have been found in trigger points as well as changes in internal muscle cell chemistry. This disruption of proper blood flow in and out of tissues can result in ischemia (lack of blood which leads to lack of oxygen or hypoxia). This often leads to some levels of pain or discomfort in the affected tissues. Proper massage techniques and/or stretching can often relieve the ischemia and the resultant discomfort.

Perhaps this is what the Chinese were unknowingly referring to; not some mystical universal energy (kind of reminds of the "force" in Star Wars movies), but blood and the good stuff it carries: oxygen, nutrients, immune cells, hormones, etc..

What Does Acupuncture Do?

OK, if the general consensus in the scientific community is that chi does not exist, then what does acupuncture actually do? Clearly there is some kind of physical stimulus as needles enter the body (although only very superficially) and surely all the people who sear by acupuncture can't be lying about the benefits they've received from it. When looking at the scientific research, most of the health claims from acupuncture fall short and fail to provide ample evidence to recommend acupuncture as a form or treatment for various conditions. However, there does appear to be some limited evidence that acupuncture can be effective in the treatment of pain. But get this, it really doesn't matter where you put the needles! That's right, just put the needles anywhere and you can stimulate an endorphin release in your brain that may help chronic pain. Additionally, there may be a placebo effect associated with acupuncture that makes it useful to continue to

More On Acupuncture

I want to end this blog post by giving you some excellent evidence-based critiques of acupuncture:

Watch this excellent clip I found on YouTube by Skeptic Michael Shermer for a critical review of acupuncture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=866YvYJRvWw

Check out this web page from Robert Caroll's The Skeptics Dictionary on acupuncture:

http://skepdic.com/acupunc.html

Also, check out another of Caroll's pages on Chi: http://skepdic.com/chi.html

Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see a YouTube clip on chi and martial arts....very interesting!

Sub 11 Here I Come!

Training for me this summer has been pretty hit or miss. Like my twin brother Franz, I've had some health complications that have really interfered with my training process.

It all started in May when I decided to have a vasectomy. You see, my wife and I have two incredible and beautiful boys, Soren (age 3) and Aidan (age 6). You can see there pictures below in their new Halloween Costumes. Star Wars, as you can tell is a big hit in my house! Anyway, we felt that two boys was enough for us so off I went for the snip-snip!

All in all the procedure was not that big of a deal. A little valium before and I was pretty much out of it. After the procedure though, I stayed inflamed and in pain for three weeks; It basically felt like I had kicked in the sack all day and all night! I was in so much pain that my doctor put my on Naprosyn, which is basically prescription strength Aleve. I took it for 2 weeks to help with the pain The day after I stopped taking it I started feeling an incredible fullness and tightness in my upper stomach and esophagus area; I actually thought I was getting sick!

A month later (it was July now), I couldn't take the pain and pressure in my chest (and mid-back as well) that I went into my regular doctor (a D.O.) . She told me that I most likely had an a acid reflux problem (aka GERD) caused from the prescription Naprosyn. GREAT!!!

So then I started taking Prevacid to help with the acid reflux problem...it never helped. Two weeks later I was back in my Doc's office and off she sent me to a GI doc for a scope down my esophagus and stomach. I got this procedure done in August and was diagnosed with BILE REFLUX. Apparently, there was a large pool of Green Bile in my stomach (which shouldn't be there-big connection with esophageal cancer). The doc put me on an Ulcer medication (Sucrulfate) which has actually helped. He also put me on another acid reducer (Aciphex). My chest discmofort and back pain have improved by about 60-80% depending on the day but the side effects have been distressing.

Since taking the drugs I have had problems with sleep, headaches, shortness of breath, constipation, bone pain (achy all over), and just feeling exhausted all the time; not a great recipe for training. Needless to say my training has suffered. In the last 2 weeks however, I 've decided I've had enough and started training anyway, regardless of how I feel. I have goals to run in the 10's again for the 100 meter dash and at 33 (34 in November), I know I can still reach it. But I gotta train if I want to improve. So slowly and surely I'm beginning my fitness process agan.

Here was my training for today: (sprints done with my 58 year-old client Pat V. at her house)

AM Sprints:
Warm-up and dynamic stretch
3 x 10, 20, and 30 yards respectively with farily short rest periods since sprints were performed on a slight incline grass field; perfect for off-season training!

Weights: in the afternoon

Power Snatch and Overhead Squat- light weights up to 95 lbs; used mostly as a dynamic stretch and warm-up. I'm also trying to learn and get more comfortable with the full versions of the Olympic lifts.

Clean pulls- triples and doubles up to 205
Deadlifts- 3 @ 225, 2@ 255, 1@ 275, 1 @300.

Basically I was just trying to work up to an easy single without a lot of emotional strain.

No upper body work today as right shoulder had been tweaky for the last week; need some soft-tissue work. Did a little High-Volt EMS on it which has seemed to help.

Asafa Powell runs 9.74 in the 100m!

Coming off a dissapointing 3rd place finish in the 100m at the recent World Track & Field Championships in Osaka, Japan, people were starting to right off the 24 year-old Jamaican sprint sensation Asafa Powell. He just hasn't been able to win in the big events.

So what does Asafa go and do at a IAAF Grand Prix meet in Italy? He smashes the world record by 3 hudredths of a second in a wind legal 9.74seconds!

Check out the race: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeCdXaKVgIU

Record Del Mundo!
Record Del Mundo!
Record Del Mundo!

It's scary how easy that race looks for him after 50 meters; like a walk in the park! And imagine this, he ran this time without Z-Health! Sorry guys, had to throw that in! With Z-health, 9.0 seconds flat for sure:)

A Review of NMT Torso/Pelvis Seminar!

This past weekend, I attended (along with my twin brother Franz and RKC John Vandenbrink both from the San Diego area)) my 5th seminar from NMT Center, the premeire company teaching NMT in North America and now even in Europe and Japan (http://www.nmtcenter.com/). I have also trained in Neuromuscular Therapy from the St. John's Methods in the late 90's and early 2000's and am now pleased to soon be certified from this other prestigious organization.

The seminar covered soft-tissue techniques for the torso and pelvic areas and included soft-tissue release techniques for the following muscles:

*Trapezius

*Posterior Mid-Thorax

*Latissimus Dorsi

*Intercostal Group

*Lamina Groove (on either spine of the spine)

*Pelvic and Sacral ligaments (those that are accessible)

*Erector Spinae (including deeper muscles such as multifidus, etc.)

*Sacrotuberous ligament (part of posterior oblique muscle-sling system)

*Gluteal Group

*Quadratus Lumborum

*Lateral Abdomen (obliques)

*Rectus Abdominus

*Respiratory Diaphragm

*Psoas/Iliacus

In essence, this seminar covered what many today call the "core."

The seminar started on Friday at 1Pm and is the same lecture given before all NMT Seminars that explains the foundational principles that NMT is based upon. It is always open to guests for free to help educate others what NMT is all about. The intstructor for this course was a man named Don Kelley, who has decades of experience in massage, teaching, cadaver dissection, and much more. To say he was a wealth of knowledge would be an understatement. Fortunately, he was also hillarious and had a great sense of humour which made the long weekend much more enjoyable.

One of the first things that these Friday lectures always emphasize is that the body is not a collection of individual "parts," and that the teaching of the NMT techniques as individual muscles is only to aid in learning. Throughout the weekend Don kept mentioning that is important to think "globally" when dealing with specific painful areas and I couldn't agree more.

Many painful conditions are the results of some tightness/restriction or dysfunction often far removed from the site of pain. Trigger points, nerve pain, and visceral dysfunctions come to mind here.

One concept that Don mentioned that really stuck with me was that next to basic survival needs (food, shelter, water, etc.), the body will always try to achieve

and maintain the following:

1)Ease

2)Comfort

3)Pleasure

Additionally, the body always tries to maintain some semblance of balance with the head and neck so that the visual field lines up with the horizon. The body doesn't want to feel dis-oriented or dizzy as this is a threat to survival.

So when one is injured for example, he or she will position him/herself to try to achieve the most amount of ease, comfort, and pleasure (as well as maintain eyes, ears and teeth level with the horizon); even if this leads to compensations elsewhere in the body that can cause pain and injury later. By the time someone comes into your office, they have had so many life "incidents" that will have led to multiple compensations/adaptations that you really don't know how much of the iceberg is looming under the water (see picture at top!).

In essence, "life is cumulative." When adaptations and compensations (which are healthy in a biological sense) cannot occur anymore, de-compensation occurs and eventual injury and/or disease processes will take place.

Another key tenet of NMT is that there are three primary types of stress that are always affecting all of us all the time. They are:

1)Biomechanical Stressors (overuse, misuse, trauma, disuse, congenital, etc.)

2)Biochemical Stressors (nutritional deficiency, ischemia, dehydration, inflammation, toxicity, endorcine imbalance, immune disorder, etc.)

3)Psychosocial (anxiety, depression, unresolved emotional states, somatization, etc.)

All of these factors converge to create our own individual reality of health and living. Often, when trying to improve health/performance and decrease pain, it is necessary to take steps to improve factors in each of the above-mentioned categories. Massage by itself is not always enough. Doing exercises, stretches, joint mobility work, eating better, staying euhydrated (adequately hydrated), fixing ergonomics and movement habits, improving breathing habits, (I could go on and on...) are important. But focusing on just one aspect (i.e. joint mobility work is the current craze right now) of health often misses the "Big Picture."

I mean, who cares if one's joints aren't as mobile and coordinated as possible if that person is de-hydrated, eating a diet of pro-inflammatory foods, not sleeping well and is stressed beyond belief from a bad divorce for example. Isolated joint exercises aren't gonna be my focus with that person. There may be several things this person needs that I CANNOT provide; this is where referal to another practioner comes in handy. Of course I will preach maintaing at least adequate levels of exercise as well as optimizing food and water intake as these key health habits are essential to support the body in a time of distress.

Hopefully, what is starting to become evident is that NMT is based on a big picture approach as well as acknowledging the following six principles (the Friday lecture really explains these thoroughly):

1. Ischemia- this is basically a lack of oxygen (hypoxia) that results from increased vascular constriciton in stressed/strained muscle tissue. Ischemia is a major reason for much of the pain that people experience on a day to day basis.

2. Trigger Points- areas of hyperirritability (usually found in muscles and tendons) that when stimulated, refer various sensations to distant areas of the body. These referal sensations can include pain, burning, numbness, tingling and even itching. It is important to rule out more sinister causes of these symptoms since certain visceral problems will often masquerade as muscle or joint problems.

3. Nerve Compression/Entrapment/Tension -pressure on nerves by either soft tissues (muscle, tendon, ligaments, fascia, skin, etc...) or by osseous structures (bone).

4. Postural Distortion and Movement Imbalances- genetically acquired imbalances (i.e. short leg, hemi-pelvis) and/or poor postural/movement habits (sitting too long in a slumped posture, wearing high-heel shoes) can over time lead to dysfuncitonal compensations that lead to increased pain syndromes. Over time, chronically stressed/strained tissues can become tense, shortened, and fibrotic resulting in permanant changes in bony alingment of the body.

5. Nutritional Factors- deficiencies in essential nutrients (water, protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals) needed for optimum cellular metabolism or inclusion of substances that are toxic (excessive alcohol, smoking, pesticides, etc..) can increase inflammatory processes in the body leading to increased pain and general poor health.

6. Emotional/Psychological Wellbeing- this refers to how well people mange the stress in their lives. Excessive or poorly managed emotional stress can intensify pain in the body.

One of the things I really love about NMT as a system, is that it acknowledges ALL of the possible factors that can be involved in a person's pain or dysfunctions. It doesn't claim that massage is the answer for everything and actually goes a long way into explaining all the times and circumstances where massage is NOT appropriate.

All in all it was a great weekend and wonderful learning experience. I picked up a couple of techniques that I know are going to be particuarly effective for my clients (especially an easier way to release the diaphragm)!

Organic Versus Conventional Foods

This post is bound to stir up some deep discussion, as the choice of whether to purchase and eat organic versus conventional foods is a hot topic these days.

First off, let's define what "organic" actually means. Basically, organic referes to foods and crops that are grown or developed (in the case of animals) without the use of synthetic hormones or antibiotics, chemicals, or fertilizers. The USDA states the following in their informational brochure for the general public (http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Consumers/brochure.html ):

"Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too."

All this sounds pretty good to me. Based on that description, I can't see why anyone wouldn't want to eat and support Organic agriculture and products. When you dig deeper however, it is evident that Organic foods are not always the best choice for various reason which I will discuss next.

1) Do Organic farmers use Peticides? First, most people assume that Organic farmers do not use pesticides; this is NOT true. They do use pesticides, only ones that are from "natural" sources which means they have to use a lot more to get the same effect as the modern day "synthetic" variations which are more efficient.

According the Brian Dunning, a skeptical consumer advocate who creates some very informative podcasts from his free website (www.skeptoid.com):

"Since the organic pesticides and fungicides are less efficient than their modern synthetic counterparts, up to seven times as much of it must be used. Organic pesticides include rotenone, which has been shown to cause the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease and is a natural poison used in hunting by some native tribes; pyrethrum, which is carcinogenic; sabadilla, which is highly toxic to honeybees; and fermented urine."

(Remember, small amounts of the above-mentioned "natural" chemicals doesn't mean increased health risk for consumers any more than the allowable and tested "synthetic" and conventional pesticies used today).

Also, many organic crops are grown in composted animal feces (manure) which adds to the risk of bacterial contamination. Brian Dunning (mentioned above) also stated the following noteworthy statistics in his podcast:

"In the United States, 2006 brought two major outbreaks of E. coli, both resulting in deaths and numerous illnesses, ultimately traced to organically grown spinach and lettuce. According to the Center for Global Food Issues, organic foods make up about 1% of all the food sold in the United States, but it accounts for 8% of E. coli cases."

The lesson from this: WASH YOUR FOODS CAREFULLY AND BE LEARY OF BAGGED LETTUCE AND SPINACH.

2) Are Organic Foods Healthier? Organic fruits, grains, veggies, etc. are actually genetically identical to their conventional counterparts. The only thing that differs is the manner in which they are grown and cultivated. It does appear that SOME tests show slightly higher levels of certain nutrients in certain fruits and vegetables (probably due to the better soil but are these effects going to mean much superior health and wellness compared to conventional foods? I'm not sure). If you really believe that Orgainc foods are going to keep healthier, than by all means spend the extra money. The problem is when someone who can't afford to buy Organic fruits and vegetables ends up eating none.

PLEASE, AT LEAST EAT THE CONVENTIONAL, THE BENEFITS OUTWAY THE RISKS.

3) Are Organic Farming Methods better for the environment? From my research, it actually seems as of Organic farming methods take up more land and yield fewer crops per acre. This is essentially how all farming used to be done before modern agriculture. It was very inefficient and that is why so much of the population used to be involved in the farming industry compared to just a few percent of the population today. Also, fewer people would be fed if we relied exclusively on Organic farming methods.

4) Organic Foods Give a Blow to Big Evil Food Corporations. This is more than false. Actually, more and more big food corporations are getting into the Organic food market becasue of higher prices that can be charged. These are the same companies that sell the conventional food products, so either way, they win. But you gotta eat something. If you really want pure, nor coporate food, then grow your own and have your own farm (not a bad idea for some).

THE BOTTOM LINE: Organic foods may be a little more nutritious (how significant this is I don't know) and do promote less synthetic pesticides being entered into the environment. However, they do seem to come with a slightly higher risk of bacterial contamination (read: E. Coli) and are significantly more expensive and less efficient in food volume produced per acre. I guess it's really a personal decision but the science doesn't really support the notion that Organic foods are significantly more nutritious or better for the environment for that matter (less efficient crops means more land needed and more de-forestation). I occasionally buy Orgainc produce and meats just for the "health" of it, but I'm not sure I'm anything more than a little more broke in the bank department.