It's A Girl!

I just wanted to give a huge CONGRATS to my twin brother Franz and his wife Yoanna!

On Saturday, December 29, 2007, Yoanna delivered their first child together; a beautiful baby girl named Marriana! She was 7.2 lbs. and 19.5 inches long!

I'm sure my brother will be posting more photos of the entire family soon on his blog!

Congrats again!

Happy New Years everyone!

Not Your Average 58 Year-Old! (Volume 1)

I wanted to blog a little about one of my clients, Patrica (Pat). Pat is 58 years old and for about a year now , has been training under my guidance for Masters Track & Field Sprints (100 & 200m). She's been a client of mine for almost 2 years. About 7-8 weeks ago we started her off-season sprint training, though she has been strength training semi-consistently all year. She's stronger than she's ever been and all the strength training is really starting to pay off in the sprints.

Because Pat has a very sizeable back yard, we are able to do all of her off-season sprint training at her house (along with her strength work). The grass field is also on a slight incline making it ideal for the off-season goals of improving acceleration and drive mechanics. Here are some videos of her sprinting lately; a great inspiration for ladies of any age!

On this particular day, we (I often sprint with her) performed 4 x 20 yards and 3 x 40 yards with 1.5-2.5 minute recoveries respectively. Our rest times are a little less than they would be on a track since 1)this is grass, and 2) it's a slight hill. Both of these lead to slightly slower sprint times which reduce the intensity of the runs and thus, lower the recovery requirements.

In this next video series, you'll see Pat performing some contrast sprints with a weighted sled; very effective for improving acceleration mechanics and strength for the start. The first and last sprint on our sled day is always performed without resistance. The distance here is about 25 yards.

The Importance of Words

Words.....have you ever thought about the power of words? Personally, I have been very affected (both positively and negatively) by another person's words; espescially when coming from an authority figure (a coach, teacher, or parent). This post will highlight the importance of thinking carefully of the words we use when dealing with clients, friends, loved ones, etc.

As a Fitness professional and a bodyworker, I am constantly dealing with many different types of people. Some are often in great pain or in a state of dis-stress. After studying the work of Australian-based Physiotherapist, David Butler, I have again been reminded of the power of words when it comes to explantions, especially with my clients in pain. But let's face it, who doesn't have some sort of regular aches and pains? And just because you have some discomfort, does it mean that you're necessarily injured?

Often, clients of mine will come in with laundry lists of medical diagnoses that have completely demoralized them. Phrases like "degenerated," "herniated," "compressed or slipped discs," "arthritis" and "bone on bone" to name a few can conjure up terriffying images for people of their present condition. For many, these descriptions can actually set up a worsening or "awfulizing" of the condition that lead to restrictions in movement due to fear of re-injury. This leads to de-conditioning that makes the person more susceptable to further injury; not good!
I often combat this information (epsecially if it is based on imaging studies: X-Rays, MRI's, and CT Scans, etc...) by mentioning the credible research that shows that many non-symptomatic individuals have the same "horrible" and "grusome" stuff show up on imaging studies; and that "wear and tear" is a normal and inevitable part of aging, yet it doens't have to hurt that much.

While watching a Mel Siff video a while back of a talk he gave at the 2001 or 2002 SWIS conference in Canada, I was taken by a study he mentioned done by an Italian researcher. The study basically concluded that any exercise that was perceived by an individual as dangerous, makes it that much more likely that he or she will get injured or have pain when performing the exercise; sort of a self-fullfillng prophecy of sorts. The same kind of thing happens with food: people don't look at food anymore and think food; they think "trans fats" and "good carbs" and "bad carbs" along with proein, fat, fiber issues. While some of this nutritional education is needed (given the present dietary state of the Western World), some of it has probably led to more and more grief and less pleasure when eating even healthier foods.

This is why we need to be very careful with how we word our statements because they can have either very positive or very negative effects. An example of this is taking the corrective exercise stuff too far...Back in the late 90's, my brother and I were really sucked into the Paul Check stuff, which is actually great stuff minus a few parts. The few parts that really stuck out as negative were the ridiculous all day assessments that the Chekerians performed which basically showed how messed up (and therefore dysfunctional) you were. It was kind of demoralizing and made some people paralyzed (paralysis by analysis), depressed, and utterly afraid to move.

Now from this information you were then given the supposed Holy Grail of exercise to help your problem, but the results were not always so great (those who've done lots of corrective exericse know what I mean). In reality, many people do need some "corrective" actions for helping certain physical (and mental) issues/problems. These actions need to be made in a postive and supportive context however for the effects to be postive.

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.