Work in an Office & have Back or Knee Pain? Here’s why

If You Work in an Office and have Back or Knee Pain, then this blog post contains my four most popular blog posts that provides solutions for how to survive.  This will help you understand and deal with back or knee related symptoms you may be experiencing.

If I may, I would like to say a big thank you to you readers first before jumping in:  a couple of days ago ago my blog site https://jamieatlas.wordpress.com hit the 85,000 hits mark.

Imagine that – 85,000 hits on a website that contains nothing but my own content?  People coming to my site with nowhere to turn but to read the twisted meanderings of my own mind?  Surely there is something in the Geneva convention humanitarian laws that stops me from making people suffer like this 🙂

So to try and make up for my lack of obnoxiousness, here are 4 of my favorite posts on my blog website for you to read, should you feel the urge/courage to see the written carnage these poor readers have had to endure 🙂

Copy and paste the below links into your browser to read the actual blog posts:

have you seen my workout card? It's a red workout card...

A blog article for my officebound peeps:

Six ways to stop your office job from killing you

Sandra felt strangely suspicious that her boyfriends advice of 'walking around the house topless' would not actually do anything to help her back pain, but she tried it nonetheless...

Why high heels can play havoc with your lower back:

High Heels are Ruining your Posture and Feet: Here’s Why

"Well Doc, the knee hurts a little bit, but to tell the truth I am more worried about this strange red glow coming out of it!"

Ever wondered exactly how knee pain can come about?  Here’s a bit of information you might not have known about:

https://jamieatlas.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/knee-pain-often-comes-from-foot-problems-an-explanation/

"they may take away our lives.. but they'll never take... our right to read the Fitness Insights by Jamie Atlas blog! Rrrrhhhaaaaaaaaayyyy!

A personal favorite for anyone who has tried to change something in their lives but felt judged by others:

https://jamieatlas.wordpress.com/2009/05/20/your-weight-loss-mindset-pt-1-fk-you-for-judging-me/

Warning: this last ‘judging’ blog article in have listed above includes the word f**k – it’s kind of like the word f*$k or the word f$@k but not like the word s&*t or $#&^ (wow, don’t know what that last one even means…  Must be really bad if I had to block out all the letters though!)

Of course, if by some strange masochistic tendency you would like to read other posts I create, you could always be a good net citizen (netizen?) and subscribe to my blog…  ahhh, the strategy unfolds 🙂

If you are one of these folk, just click the link below to get an inconspicuous email in your email inbox whenever I write a new fascinating insightful blog post (don’t panic, it usually happens about once every week/2 weeks)

http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=wordpress%2FyQXQ

Thanks for checking out my blog and being a reader!  It makes me feel like you understand me a bit better… Now, if I can just get you to open up and talk more about your mother and why she doesn’t call me anymore…

Jamie Atlas

PS Oh, you clicked on this subscribe link, right?  Just double checking 😉

PPS Have I told you the new official webcam personal training website is up and running now?  You can personal train from your very own house and not pay high priced rates!

Orbis LifeFitness:  $5.99 Webcam to Webcam training and free orientations now available.
www.orbislifefitness.com

The Last Exercise Workout Program & Routine You Will Ever Need.

Are your results in the gym starting to stagnate? Feeling like you aren’t improving despite your best efforts? Losing motivation?

This youtube video explains how to get 52 workouts and 52 how to videos for each workout:

Is your workout feeling like it is not giving you exercise or results you need to keep your routine fresh?

As an exercise physiologist, I have had the opportunity to work with a large variety of athletes and people just beginning to exercise. I have noticed that many people do not change their workouts frequently, and when they do, they tend to change the workout in a way that actually increases their chance of injury! Not changing your workout is inefficient and potentially dangerous for the following reasons:

Your body adapts to the workout and your results fade

By not changing the exercises, your muscles adapt and your body uses less calories with each workout. Simply increasing the weight or changing an exercise is not enough. The science of program design is an exact one that requires certain elements to be changed at different times through your workout cycle.

By doing the same exercises over and over again, you use the same joints in the same way and increase wear and tear

If you use the same machines and cardio equipment, you can increase the risk of injury by overusing your joints in certain ways. You also ignore other muscles that do not get trained by certain exercises. It is important your joints can adapt as the body strengthens – if your joints are not working properly, working out will only increase the risk of injury even greater. To make sure you have a clear, scientifically structured path for peak results, I have designed 52 workouts that are to be done each week and progresses in the correct way to ensure proper progression and maximal results.

An example of one of the exercises used in the 52 workout program

Exercise workout programs are usually done incorrectly due to lack of/absence of correct instruction – go too hard for certain exercises and you may decrease your total calorie output due to over-exhaustion of key muscles preventing you from peak performance.

With each workout you get an easy to follow instructional video (in ipod and online format) explaining how to do the workout – every exercise and every stretch features important technique tips.

an example of one of the workouts offered

Purchase in the month of May and receive a bonus video that explains how to ‘tweak’ each of these programs to get the very best results, whether it is improving muscle tone, burning fat or working on your posture.

How much for 52 workouts and 52 how to videos? $104 – exactly $2 per workout.

If you are interested please email jatlas@orbislifefitness.com or respond to this post.

Yours in health,

Jamie Atlas

Physical Therapist vs Personal Trainer pt 4: Building a bridge

The past few posts I have been writing about physical therapists and personal trainers quite loosely and have ruffled some feathers, it would seem.

I have received about 500 hits in the past 24 hours on just this post alone:

https://jamieatlas.wordpress.com/2009/05/07/the-ugly-truth-about-personal-trainers-and-physical-therapists

It got some people rather outraged – enough to write some pretty strong criticism of my non-physical therapist perspective.  But I welcome this.  I appreciate any comments people make.. just leave my mother out of it next time, ok?  😉

Here’s how I see the roles of physical therapist and the personal trainer

Right now there is a problem (and you can’t blame it on me – phew!)

I (as a personal trainer) have people asking for help with problems a physical therapist should be dealing with and physical therapists I refer out to who are dealing with clients that should be seeing a personal trainer instead (a qualified one, not some dumbbell jockey with a weekend cert).

It’s a problem because personal trainers and physical therapists are getting annoyed with each other…  Like ‘egg your house at halloween’ kind of annoyed (yep, that bad).  So rather than put myself under the microscope again, let me ask for help from YOU.

We need to connect the two worlds so they can know and trust when to pass off people and to who.

But I want you to help me (and any others) to build a bridge between the therapists and the trainers (and others perhaps).

I need your opinion on:

What personal trainers / physical therapists need to do to improve their communication with each other.

The two groups don’t really talk with each other, but rather tend to talk at each other.   If there is to be a smooth transition back and forth (which means more business and better outcomes for us all) then we must have communication.  Let’s talk in a way that helps us connect and improve rather than criticizes and encourages hostility between the two.

Let me open the batting and say this:

Any physical therapist in the Denver area is more than welcome to one of my personal training sessions for free & I will take you through a workout while we discuss theory, technique and all matters physical & personal,then have a nice cup of tea afterwards.

Who else wants to tell us what personal trainers and physical therapists need to know about ourselves (and each other!)
Bring it!  We need to know these things!

Personal Trainer vs Physical Therapist pt 3: the Deathmatch

So in the philosophical debate between physical therapists and personal trainers, it would seem that there are either two choices:  a Deathmatch or a team hug.  Personally, I prefer hugs.  But for the sake of healthy argument lets have a few swings before we buy each other a beer and call it evens…

One of my readers ‘Selena’ wrote an excellent response to my last post (see my responses in blue below)

There isn’t an “ugly” truth between physical therapists and personal trainers.

Truth #1: Physical therapists are licensed providers of care.

Very true!  Physical Therapist are licensed providers of care and also jolly good fellows (which nobody can deny).  But aren’t personal trainers licensed at some level of care?  Even if it is just checking to see if they can touch their toes or if they have any history of heart disease?

Truth #2: The educational background for physical therapists has evolved to the point where physical therapists graduate with a doctorate in physical therapy.

100% agreed – a huge issue is that personal trainers nowadays can have a degree or a weekend cert and the public does not know the difference.  Point to you Selena, well said!

Truth #3: Fellowships and residencies are now post-graduate options for physical therapists.

Ok so this is an extension of #2, so let me ask if these physical therapists are going to actually make their money back on their education or just become professional students.

I mean, any physical therapist will tell you that if they accept insurance then they live according to what scraps the measly, scrooge-like insurance company will begrudgingly toss their way after treating the client with all their heart and soul.

So I will give you a point, yes – they can be very very educated.  But is that to a point where they become so specialized that they become true experts at one very small range and not necessarily what their true market might need?  Educational point to Selena, Philosophical point to be further discussed I think.

Truth #4: Literature indicates that physical therapists are just as well-versed and qualified at evaluating patients with orthopaedic complaints as orthopaedic surgeons.

Ok so I dont want to sling mud at anyone, but are you trying to say that PT’s are as good as Orthopaedic surgeons?  Or are you saying that orthopaedic surgeons are not very good at evaluating patients?  I know the surgeon that wanted to operate on my back after three visits wasnt really helping me feel the love.  Especially since on his desk he had magazines of luxury cars..  I still swear I heard him say ‘I think we need to get you into leather upholstery.. I mean surgery!’

Besides which I am not trying to say that injured people should use personal trainers, but that physical therapists generally are not taught how to get a person to peak fitness – just to ‘not in pain anymore’ fitness.  There is a difference, right?
Truth #5: Physical therapists are knowledgeable about the impact various co-morbidities have on pain and function (i.e. diabetes, congestive heart failure, multiple sclerosis, dialysis, osteoporosis, balance deficits, cerebrovascular accidents, post-operative healing, pharmacological side effects, osteoarthritis, central versus peripheral pain mechanisms, depression anxiety, fear…)

Ok I gotta contest this one.  I can agree that they study it, but I would argue that they dont use it to help people get to their healthiest.

Now I agree that personal trainers should know all of the above.  I think the industry is moving towards that.   So although physical therapists may know more, they dont necessarily get to use that knowledge nor do they use it to help people achieve peak fitness.
Truth #6: Exercise is easy… the skill is in knowing what exercise, when, at what intensity, at what duration, how often, in what manner and the effect the exercise will have on the sometimes multiple co-morbidities.

Now come on.  Exercise is easy?  Have you been to a gym recently?  Did you know that only 16% of the population belongs to a gym?  That we have never had more opportunities to exercise but have record obesity across the globe?

I say that the skill is not in the mechanics you outlay, but in the application to the person behind the flesh and bones and finding the motivation within them to rise to a level greater than they had previously acheived. But I recognize your point in regards to multiple co-morbidities (nice word by the way!  I am totally going to use that one if you don’t mind) however for people with no ‘morbidities’, does a personal trainer become the right option?  (ahh, the moment of zen, where we can consider things in a different light, if ever so briefly).

Truth #7: Physical therapists also aim at educating patients to such a degree that patients can be safe and can independently exercise within their abilities taking into consideration any co-morbidities.

Nup.  You lost me.  When I work with personal training clients I often ask what they do and they show me an old photocopy of some textbook exercises that the therapist gave them to do… 6 months ago.  Now, you may be an exception Selena (and I am sure you are, with all the excellent points and arguments you are making) but I think we can both agree that Physical therapists educate as much as their budget will allow and that they dont necessarily teach them that they need to keep progressing their exercises past whatever black and white rotator cuff handout they have slipped into their workout folder.

In my opinion, public safety is at risk with the lack of regulations on personal trainers – no substantial education and the lack of consistency in certification. Personal trainers can spew out “optimum health” but reality is personal trainers don’t measure “optimum health.” How does a personal trainer measure “optimum health” to ensure clients are optimally healthy? They don’t.

Selena, with all our back and forth – well, all my back and forth 🙂 I agree 100% with the statement of “public safety being at risk with the lack of regulations on personal trainers”.   We need trainers to be better organized in their knowledge and to have standards of care that we all meet and agree on – we dont necessarily have to agree on those standards, but there must be standards nonetheless.

But let me ask you this:

If the physical therapist is not going to ensure the client moves past a level of ‘pain free’ and into ‘optimal health’, then who will?  Are physical therapists taught about exercise periodization?  Do they know the different systems that burn fat?  Do they understand which machine will help with which movement pattern and which wont?  Do they know the difference between the cardio machines and are they willing to train people for free while they build up their business?

Personal trainers are not the best choice for consumers.

I agree that personal trainers are not the best choice for injured consumers.. But I also feel that personal trainers are currently the best choice for those that dont show ‘co-morbidities’ and want to get to a new level of health.

But as I have said in the past, this is changing.  The lines between personal trainer and physical therapist are starting to cross and soon both will have similar skillsets and interests.  And then all we need a marraige between the two and lots of drinkies to realize that we aren’t that different after all (awwwww).

Selena

Thanks Selena for your comment on my post!  I truly appreciate where you are coming from and am truly grateful for your thoughts.  If anyone else would like to comment lets keep it civil and work towards a new understanding of each other, not a division of doctrines, ok? (wow, division of doctrines!  That one sounds awesome!  Selena, I get the co-morbidities and you get the division of doctrines, ok?  Deal!)

Why Personal Trainers Love (but also HATE) Marisa Miller

Marisa Miller is probably one of the examples of what keeps many personal trainers in business:

Marisa sometimes has to go to extremes to get away from the paparazzi

The never-ending quest to look like someone that others look up to (or just be someone that others look at for an awkwardly long period of time even though their girlfriend is jabbing them in the ribs).

The truth is, personal trainers probably wouldn’t have the lucrative trade they have if it weren’t for girls like Marisa Miller.  Sure, she has a sexy butt, beautiful face and amazing curves.

It would be completely acceptable if it weren’t for the way her beauty is warped into a tool by which personal trainers build their trade.

Here’s how the formula often goes in our younger, more impressionable years:

Girl sees other girl get attention

Girl realizes that hotness is (A) relative to attention from boys and (B)envy of other girls.

Girl creates a vision of what she might want to look like – of which this vision is influenced by (A) the televised and print media, (B) the images that other boys look at and (C) an innocence of understanding the change that might be possible without genetic or surgical alteration.

Girl proceeds to visit personal trainer once or repeatedly, then irrelevant of professional advice but preferring that of shape, cosmo & other tabloid-oriented magazines begins to overexercise, skip meals and generally punish herself repeatedly for not looking like the girl in the picture (even though on rare occasion she might actually get there!)

Here’s where things get really scary:

What do the following supermodels all have in common.

Marisa Miller looks great here - what does she have in common with the other two models? Stay tuned!

This girl has a much more natural beauty about her...

Did you guess it yet?

So now let me ask you this:

Is it just me or do these three photos of Marisa Miller all make her look completely different than each other?  Maybe the lips didnt get fixed, but man oh man tell me there wasnt some serious photoshop magic going on.

But I have to be honest, she is very thin and is blessed with maintaining her ‘upper torso circumference’.  But without the photo magic she just looks… well, kinda thin:

So why do personal trainers love her?  Because she drives women crazy wanting to look like her (even if the pictures they are looking at aren’t necessarily an accurate representation of her)

But why do these personal trainers also hate her?

Because the same women come in asking to look like her – which 90% takes more work than they are willing to do.  It also sometimes is not genetically possible – there are always exceptions to the rule, but generally speaking, the rule is a rule for a reason.

Those guys are good, huh!

I will save you the anguish and tell you that the butt on the left is real.  I just wanted you to see how good these guys can be:

And then papa bear said... this Marisa Picture is photoshopped juuuust riiight.

Want to know what I want?  I want someone to come in to see me and when I say ‘what are you looking for’?

My dream client would walk in and say this:

“I am looking to be as fit and healthy as I can possibly be”

That might not mean being a size ‘zero’

It might not be running marathons

It might mean not getting sixpack abs (they aren’t necessarily healthy at a certain point)

But it would be striving to reach your potential – your own personal best and not anybody elses.

Because the truth be told, maybe Marisa could look better… But it doesnt matter if you can look as good (or better) than Marisa.  It matters that you can look and feel and be healthier and fitter than yourself right now at this moment in time.

Think about that…  What would it look like if you were to just focus on you – not any sisters or brothers or friends or role models or sports heroes or supermodels or non-existent airbrushed figments of some photographers imagination.

What if you compared yourself… to you?

What if you took the you right now as a starting point and tried to improve upon that?

With dedication and devotion, you might find that you gain not only change in a positive direction, but a feeling that can only be described as pride in ones self.

Instead of shame for not looking like Marisa Miller.

Do you dare to keep up to date with other articles I post?  Subscribe to this blog by clicking here!

Treadmill Running vs Outdoor Running – Which is Better? The Debate Continues

Running on a treadmill promotes muscle imbalances and hurts your ability to run in the real world.

I should probably lead off by explaining that I don’t particularly hate treadmills. I do however believe that the humble treadmill is probably one of the most misunderstood pieces of equipment in the gym today.

It is of course, hands down the most popular piece of gym or home equipment known to mankind.

However, successful as the treadmill might be at helping people exercise and catch up on Oprah or Ellen at the same time, it is not without its faults.

Used properly, the treadmill can be great way to burn fat and even works well for a getting the blood flowing before a workout. With it we can exercise any time of day, in any weather.

Live in Denver?  Go to WWW.FITNESSBYATLAS.COM to get a free pass to one of our classes

Thanks also to this running technology we can take our workout indoors where our own HD surround sound media center ensures maximal distraction from the actual physical pain and distress of doing the task at hand. But don’t think that you are getting the same workout as if you were running outside…

Running on a treadmill is not the same as running outside or on a track

In fact, it’s not even close.

This picture and blog is brought to you by the letter ‘O’.

I think of treadmill running and running the same way dairy farmers compare cows milk to soy milk (I like soy milk, really I do – but it isn’t really milk, is it? But to be fair to the soy farmers, I might not be so keen to put it on my cereal if it was called ‘crushed soybean residue’ now, would I?)

Running on a treadmill actually develops imbalances in your running style and muscular development, which will lead to improper form and increased risk of injury.

Here’s why:

If you would, think briefly as to how the belt beneath your feet works.

If you place a foot on a moving treadmill it gets thrown back along the line in which the treadmill is moving – the treadmill is moving your foot back, not the foot moving itself back…

I will resist the urge to place a video here of people falling off their treadmills (although it was extremely tempting).

As you walk/run on a treadmill, the main difference your body experiences is related to the moving belt beneath you feet.

A treadmill moves you in a different way than regular running

Real world running

As you run in the real world, you are using a series of muscles combined with your momentum to create forward motion.

The crux of that last statement is ‘create forward motion’ – more specifically, your hamstrings and glutes pull back to drive your body forward relative to your planted foot in stride phase.

Whoah – I think I just accidentally channeled my college kinesiology textbook. Let me put that in terms my more-often-used primal brain can understand.

You use the back of your legs to help drive your body forward as you run. You propel from the back of the legs to keep yourself moving.

Non-Real world running

If I am on a treadmill, I no longer NEED to pull my body forward with the back of my legs. My left foot lands, the treadmill drags it behind me and I land the right foot before the left gets dragged back too far. I am essentially lifting the back foot forward then cushioning the impact with my knees without needing to pull the leg back (since the machine does that for me).

To simplify in a different way, we can break the lower body down into three major phases of a running movement:

1. The impact on the foot on the ground
   
2. The swing through of the back leg to the front
3. The pulling back of the planted leg to drive the body forward and into the next stride

Here it is again with the major muscle groups being used for each phase:

1. The impact (Quadriceps and Calves)
   
2. The swing through (abs and hip flexor)
   
3. The pulling back (hamstrings and butt muscles)

Starting to understand my sick and twisted mind? If you are with me so far (and kudos to you if you have managed to read this far down the post without falling into a state of catatonia) then you now understand why I believe this to be the truth:

When you run on the treadmill, the treadmill robs you of #3 (the pullback phase)

Where this really becomes a problem is when have been running on the treadmill for a while then decide on a nice day to go for a 5K jog outdoors instead… The result is a run that puts your joints and muscles into an exercise they have not been truly prepared to do.

Be creative with your cardio

So mix it up, people – or at least add some more hamstring work to your exercise routine. I am of course referring to the exercise routine that you say you are going to do but always end up running again on leg day because you don’t really know what to do and those sweaty jock dudes are always hogging those machines anyway.

No more excuses. Go work those hamstrings and butt muscles to balance out your overdeveloped quads and hip flexors! Need help with ideas? Get yourself a free introductory session with a personal trainer (or if you are really desperate, ask me).

Or just go running outside as much as you run inside. Hows that for a happy compromise?

Yours in health,

Jamie Atlas

Live in Denver?  Go to WWW.FITNESSBYATLAS.COM to get a free pass to one of our classes

Do you dare to keep up to date with other articles I post?  Subscribe to this blog by clicking here!

The missing aspect in your flexibility and yoga class

Gumby - ain't no Fascia gonna hold him down!

How do you move?  Is it smoothly, or tightly?  Is it gracefully, or as if one of your wheels needs to be rotated?

Just as with your car, you may not know that you are due for a ‘full-body-wheel-alignment’.

The truth is, your body is not held back by muscles, tendons, bones or joints.  It is something much more simple.

It has something to do with optimal results coming when our muscles are lengthened in the way we are naturally designed to move.

There is a factor that is often overlooked that overcomes any muscular ability.   An excellent example of this factor can be clearly seen in the full body motion that is the golf swing.  This factor simply must work in sync to allow a full swing to operate smoothly and without flaw. If this factor is not working smoothly and through a full range of motion, the swing becomes an erratic and unpredictable outcome.

The factor that determines the predictability of a golf swing (and any other movement) is your fascia.

Fascia envelops every muscle to connect the entire body together

If you have not heard about the concept of fascia before, imagine it to be a covering that wraps your muscles much like sausage casing. The important thing to note is that this fascia covering wraps the entire body, connecting every muscle… to every muscle. Fascia can vary in toughness and thickness through the body, but the important point to note is that there are certain chains that work together to help achieve daily movements and (yes, you saw it coming) the golf swing.

if we fail to address the Fascia as part of our training for golf, we fail to address the true function of the body.

In some places the fascia is thinner than nylon pantyhose, but in other places, such as the Iliotibial band on the outside of the leg, it can be much thicker. Fascia is extremely strong.

Let me explain briefly but without fancy words so I don’t lose myself here. Remember the old song ‘the hip bones connected to the knee bone… The knee bones connected to the, thigh bone’. Well, it seems the 60’s crooners must have been part time cadaver specialists because they were right on. The fascia wraps around the muscles in our thighs and stretch, shorten and react according to their neighbors and other muscles connected to their path.

Do you dare to keep up to date with other articles I post?  Subscribe to this blog by clicking here!

How does your fascia work?  There are a few different ways to find out:

1.  Become a kinesiologist (about 7 years of schooling, if you have the time)

2.  Go see an experienced Rolfer or bodyworker (this can be a religious experience for some depending on how tight your fascia already is)

3.  Do some research online (maybe that’s how you found this article – smart cookie!)

Have you ever had someone work on your fascia before?  Was it painful?  Did it leave you bruised and battered but flexible like Gumby?

Yours in health,

Jamie Atlas

Top three all time blog posts:

how to get the perfect butt

the key component missed by 90% of flexibility classes

which is best:  treadmill, bike or elliptical?

Do you dare to keep up to date with other articles I post?  Subscribe to this blog by clicking here!

Yoga and Crosstraining can Slow Down your Running speed: Here’s Why

Sure, your body has trained hard to be a running machine, but what else do you do to improve your bodies ability to hurtle itself forward?  If you were to take conventional wisdom, you might believe that one of the following would help:

• Crosstraining
• Yoga
• Working out
• More running

What happens if you eat too many skittles.

All of the above can certainly help to improve the bodies ability to run, but do they specifically improve the bodies ability to run?  Even more specifically, do they improve the bodies ability to absorb impact?  This is key to consider, since we can improve our bodies ability to accelerate through each stride, but what about how the body reacts and responds when it hits the ground?

So lets go through your options for what conventional methods would have you do.

CrossTraining:

Positives:

• Depending on activity, probably one of the best options
• improves general strength
• Focus on different muscle patterns not already overloaded by running

Negatives:

• Fails to address potential weaknesses that may already exist in the body

It was then that Janet realized that she had discovered the 'reverse charlies angel' pose

Positives:

• Improve flexibility
• gain inner peace

Negatives:

• Are you stretching muscles that are already loose, increasing muscle imbalances?

Working out:

Positives:

• Chance to work upper body
• Improve power, speed and strength

Negatives:

If done incorrectly, can:

• tighten up the body
• shorten stride length for running
• increase chance of injury

More running:

Positives:

• You already know how to do this very well

More practice on technique

Negatives:

• Joints do not get rest
• Muscles do not get rest
• Strong muscles get stronger, weak muscles stay weak
• Traditional workouts have you working out in a completely different way to which you run

Confused?  Don’t be – make the best, more informed decision based on your schedule and do what works for you.  Remember that every body is different and that your training should be different for you.

Yours in health,

Jamie Atlas

The Bench Press is a Useless Measure of your Strength pt2 (the juicy stuff)

It seems my functional approach has raised the shackles of some weightlifting traditionalists.

While I appreciate the value of this exercise for aesthetics, I disagree that it has any purpose other than to keep shoulder and elbow rehab specialists in business.

Agree?  Disagree?  See how the inspiration for this post began:

The latest comment on a bench press article “The Bench Press is a Useless Measure of your Strength pt1″ made some really good points.  It also got me thinking about the things I didn’t say in my last article about the bench press.

See! Even fitness models do these exercises! Now if I could just get him to start wearing a shirt to the gym...

So when I received the comment from ‘Dokola’ taking contention with my approach, I I was encouraged since he/she also asked some really good questions and made some common statements I hear a lot with my work teaching personal trainers.

So good were these questions, that they (and my responses to them) ended up as enough information to warrant another post with a deeper explanation of a modern functional vs a traditional approach.

Dokola’s comments in italics with my comments in blue below are as follows:

IMO a power lifting total would be a better measure of strength, bench press is but one of the lifts that make up that total.

1. It is a compound exercise that can be used to increase strength in the muscles involved. It is up to the athletes sport specific training to transfer that strength in to athletic performance.

1.  “Can be used to increase strength in the muscles involved.”
No argument from me on that point.  My key beef is whether that strength has any crossover to the actual sports activities.  If that strength comes with coordination, then you have an athlete.  This activity doesn’t really teach that.

2. The shoulders are most stable in the shoulders back and down position it is best to press from a stable position unless you are in a fitball dumbbell pressing competition (joke).

2.  “The shoulders are most stable in a back and down position.”
Again, no question.  But when ever again do you use them in a back and down position?  If they naturally move in all positions when being used, shouldnt the exercise allow the shoulders to move somewhat freely?  (kind of like when on a fitball where you are supported through the middle of the back but have at least some space to move on either side).  Pretty sure your joke is right on the money, there are no fitball dumbbell pressing comps.. but how cool would that be to see?

Here is correct technique for bench press to avoid shoulder issues. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUcjOIZc80c

3. Balance pressing exercises such as bench press with pulling exercises such as barbell rows, problem solved.

3.You could balance pressing exercises with pulling exercises – I totally agree.  It might take more than just barbell rows to balance out the muscle and functional symmetry though.  I might also argue that barbell rows might not solve the internal rotation issues that come with heavy bench pressing.  Simply reversing the exercise can work in some cases, but not necessarily in this one.  The exercise you are suggesting (I love barbell rows, especially when done from an unsupported position) is an excellent one, but does not necessarily address the massive flexibility issues through the chest, shoulderblades and thoracic spine.

So not quite ‘problem solved’ – but if more bench press lovers did more back work, it would certainly help, no denying that!  If only they could see their backs in the mirror they might be more motivated to work them 😉

4. Get a spotter, you can use a squat rack or a training partner.

4.  Not being able to proprioceptively control the weight you are handling = risk of injury.  I agree, for heavier weights on a dumbbell press on fitball get a spotter or training partner – just as any heavy lift, thats what friends are for. I dont think it matters if you are on a bench or a ball for that issue.  Of course, it seems to be that everytime I lose balance and need help that my spotter seems to be distracted with a new range of skimpy underwear that passes for ‘workout gear’ in gyms nowadays.

Barbell/Dumbbell Press on Fitball = Unsafe with heavy weights, progressively increasing the weight is essential for building strength.Forgive me if I don’t look on youtube to see if there is a 600lb fitball barbell press.

I wouldn’t look on youtube either for a 600 lb press on fitball. The kind of stuff we are talking about here is based on new science, which usually takes a good 5-8 years to sift down to the basement gyms that would likely post such a video.

If you are pushing 600 lbs then you are certainly stronger than most at the bench press, no denying that.  I do wonder how much less you would lift when you had a ball underneath you and your core had to control and stabilize the weight.  If you are benching 600lb, I would be suprised if you could push out more than 150 lbs in each hand.  You certainly would want to work up to that as well, because muscles other than your chest would be worked to the max as part of that movement.

There are fitballs out there built to take the job on as well:  click here to see one

The above fitball is good for up to 1200 lbs.  Should be enough for even the biggest muscly fellas, right?

Chest fly on fitball/Standing one arm cable press = Isolation exercises are hardly an alternative for a compound exercise (don’t care if you do them on a fitball its still an isolation exercise).

I appreciate your perspective, and I often find the proof is in the practical.  I would request you to try doing (with a decent weight) a one arm dumbbell press on a fitball and you tell me if it is an isolation exercise or not.  I will be impressed if you dont feel a whole world of extra muscles (all the way down to the opposite foot of the hand that is pressing) working to stabilize you.

In fact, I think you will find a standing cable 1 arm press can work so many other muscles you might wonder if it is a chest exercise at all!

Push-ups with different hand positions = Quickly grow out of these, adding weight is difficult.

say hello to my heavy friend...

Pushups in different positions?  True, they are easy to grow out of for the tough guys – tried one arm pushups with different hand positions?  with a hand on a small medicine ball?  with feet on a raised platform?  while wearing a 60 lb weighted vest? That oughta keep you busy at least for a few workouts 🙂

I would suggest dips and overhead press as reasonable alternatives although doing bench press along with overhead press and dips would be ideal IMO.

Please remember  readers (and Dokola) that I am coming from a functional standpoint and the points raised are extremely valid if aesthetics and improving my bench press for bench presses sake were the sole focus.

If that is your goal then you are right on the money to bench press your world away and all of the above is irrelevant.  If you are talking function/ability on the sporting field/healthy interactive joints that stay that way for a long time… well then hopefully you will try some of the above ideas and let me know if you feel anything different working.

Thanks sincerely for your comment Dokola!  Love your input and thank you for asking such great questions.  I talk about things that are off the beaten track and sometimes these perspectives are not always explained as well as they could be.

By Dokola asking me the above questions I had an opportunity to further explain where I was coming from in regards to the excessive value given to the bench press exercise.  Which is just part of the reason it is great to get a variety of perspectives on this since it opens up the discussion to answer different people based on perspectives they are interested in.

While I am at it, thanks to all for your comments on this forum of my thoughts and findings..  I welcome any and all perspectives on my work as long as we can promise to be friends and have a whey-free protein shake together afterwards 🙂

Jamie Atlas

https://jamieatlas.wordpress.com

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Pregnancy / PostPartum Fitness Workouts are Sadly Lacking: See Why

There is a massive deficit in the fitness programs being given to post-partum and pregnant mothers right now.

Free Launch Party for colorado fitmoms is happening April 18th  – click here to get more details:

This exercise is certainly beneficial to health - but is there a more effective way to prepare for real movement?

Whether you are pregnant or just had your child, chances are the workouts you have been seeing have not thought for a second about your daily functional needs in your workout.

When my wife became pregnant with our child, I looked high and low for effective workouts so I could see what had been done before. No matter how hard I tried, every workout looked as if it had been lifted straight from the pages of a Shape Magazine.

The key question to ask yourself/your trainer is this:

Should a workout be something that gets me in shape, or something that gets me in shape for what I want to do?

Current workouts for pregnant and post-partum mothers usually consist of traditional exercises such as the following:

Insufficient exercises usually recommended for pregnant women

• Chair Squats
• Assisted lunges
• Hip lifts
• Modified pushups
• Back extensions
• Overhead presses

My preggo wife and her simultaneously preggo sister - must be something in the water!

The above workout is no different than a classic beginner workout given in gyms around the world every day.

Living in Denver, I can find Yoga Pregnancy classes everywhere I look, but even these wokouts fail to hit the mark when it comes to real needs for real mums.

If we think about the activities that a new mother must go through, it becomes quickly apparent that these exercises strengthen them in completely different ways than is actually required! I will not argue that the above exercises are not beneficial. Can you do better? I think so.

I will argue that the regular gym or pregnancy exercises recommended are a far cry from the real world functional exercises that a new mother needs

We only need to look at the daily movements of a mother caring for her newborn to realize that the traditional gym workout is no comparison to the 3 dimensional requirements of a mothers plight.

5 truly functional movements a mother must have in order to take care of her kids:

This movement is REAL: The baby hold

If the kid cries, you need to be able to hold them. You also need to be able to position them appropriately. Ever tried holding a 10lb dumbbell for ten minutes while shaking up and down and side to side? Wondered what it feels like to have your bicep go numb from exhaustion?

This movement is REAL: The crib reach

You need to be able to put your baby gently into their crib. And lift them out again. You need to be able to do it without hurting your low back. You will likely need to be able to lift the baby over the edge of the crib and down. Imagine an pick-weight-up-and-move-arms-out-away-from-the-body-and–then-down move. Ever done that in a gym before? Didn’t think so.

This movement is REAL: The cleanup / pickup (lunge to ground)

Babies love to throw things. Sometimes with their little flailing arms they can give themselves little black eyes. They don’t have motor control skills yet. And still we give them bottles, toys, rattles, pacifiers and other fun soft things to hold. Then they drop them. If you watch any experienced mother, she has mastered the ‘kneeling reach and hold baby’ drill. If this is where she needs to be to clean up vomit, pick up toys and lower the baby to the ground – then she needs to start practicing NOW!

This movement is REAL: The Pelvic floor muscles

You need to work your pelvic floor. Kegels are your friend and although there are other better exercises out there, these are a great fundamental movement you need to embrace. Do them lying, kneeling, standing and as you walk. Your fear of incontinence will thank you.

This movement is REAL: The car seat carry / step

The baby transport is the overlooked component of this new arrival. Add the weight of the car seat and a 3 month baby together and you have a good 22 pounds (10kg) of baby weight to carry. You need to be able to walk up and down hills, up and down stairs, and carry this seat in and out of a car.

All of these movements come with their own challenges and chances of injury.

The last thing you need on top of a new baby is an unnecesarily increased risk of injury along with it.

The following video contains a series of exercises related to the above list.

The exercises in this video speak to the real needs of a modern mother.

Yours in health,

Jamie Atlas

Living in the Denver area? Keen to do an outdoor workout with other fellow preggos/post-preggos? Or maybe you just are interested in a functional small group workout that gets results (hey, us non-pregnant people need exercise too, right?!)

Free Launch Party for colorado fitmoms is happening April 18th  – click here to get more details:

http://fitchickscolorado.wordpress.com/2009/04/10/sign-up-here-for-free-launch-class/

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