Yep, you heard that right! The best method for weight loss aka a caloric deficit and/or restrictive dieting, now has some added benefits! In the article we are referencing today states exactly that and more! Research from both scientists from Yale and Pennington Biomedical Research have had a recent breakthrough when it comes to the caloric deficit front. In the article, their research states that “…cutting calories by a mere 14 percent for 2 years…” can have benefits that combat aging! That’s not so bad!

 

The article explains the science at play, mentioning that in the body “the restriction reprogram the pathways in fat cells…” All of that  proceeds through the mitochondria, which we all know is the powerhouse of the cell! Basically, all of this reprogramming helps energy production, improves metabolism and reduces inflammation which can all contribute to the anti-aging process. Along with those awesome perks, a vast improvement in the Thymus was observed. The Thymus is a key piece in the immune system as it produces T-Cells that aid in fighting off infection. 

 

These team of experts did an incredible job researching the benefits of a restrictive diet and we agree with a lot of major points. We would like to point out a few things to be aware of, the article mentions a few times that you can “have that extra piece of cake” or that “participants cut 14 percent in two years by eating whatever they want.” While this is very similar to the If It Fits Your Macros diet (IIFYM) approach, not all foods are created equally. Of course, each diet and approach to eating is different for each person and the results range from person to person. One thing that never changes is that an Oreo will never have the same nutritional value as a piece of celery. Believe me, we’re the last ones to tell you not to enjoy your desserts and enjoy yourself when you eat, but it’s important to remember it’s still important to prioritize foods that will give a substantial amount of both macro and micro nutrients. 

 

At the end of the day, you’ve got to do what’s best for your body. We will always encourage a diet that is both sustainable as well as unique to your particular wants and needs. Diets are a very personal thing and something that should be exclusive to you. If you are going to take anything away from this superb study make it this: a caloric deficit is going to help anti-aging and weight loss, but also listen to your body. Make your diet about you and you only! 

Link to article:

 

First Controlled Human Trial Shows Cutting Calories Improves Health, Longevity

Our precious gifts from above, our pumpkin munchkins, our little monsters! Whatever we call them, our kids tend to be our number one priorities. When it comes to their safety and their well-being, erring on the side of caution is typically the name of the game. Why? Well the maternal instinct kicks in and of course, we don’t wanna screw them up to be all weird and messed up like we are! Sound strategy, I know, but allow me to blow your mind! What if I told you that lifting weight could, in fact, be good for your kids?! Yes, I can hear the gasping from here, but hang in there and by the end of this, you may have your kid on the squat rack working a 5×5 all while filling out their consent form for their first powerlifting meet!

 

At some point we were all told “No kids should lift weights, it’ll stunt their growth!” That misconception all started with injuries brought upon by poor training in children. Believe it or not, proper programming and training can actually strengthen children’s bones while improving their body composition. That’s basically fancy talk for, your child that will tick all the healthy check boxes at the doctors office. So as a parent, isn’t it a good feeling to go into the doctor’s office and hear your kids are perfectly healthy?  You can go straight over to your PTA meeting and brag to all the other parents about how your kid is the fittest kid in their grade! Research shows that the only way that letting your kid lift weights makes you a bad parent is if you let that little turd out lift you! #parenting #winning 

That being said, we are not encouraging any training for a child that is not ready to take the weight room seriously. Goofing around in the gym is the best way to start your kid off on the wrong foot. Not only do you wanna avoid a negative first impression of the gym, you don’t want to start a kid in the gym until they are ready to take it seriously. Much like adults, every kid is different, but unlike adults, each kid is not gonna need to hit the gym right away. Simply put, they might just not be mentally ready for it and that’s okay!

 

Research has continued to support the idea that working out and lifting weights is great for kids, but where do you start? Well first off, no matter what, they need to be under constant, proper supervision to ensure that each rep, set and session is a safe one.

 

Now that our first rule of fight club is out of the way, we can help you get your kid on the right track! Make sure to emphasize the importance of warming up. If they’re not warmed up, you’re gonna break your kid, plain and simple. Unlike your brand new sunglasses, kids don’t come with receipts and you can’t exchange them for a new pair. Before lifting weights, try to perfect each movement that you plan on programming into their training at the base level first. So that means perfect their body weight squats, deadlifts, presses, pulls and everything in between. Once they’ve nailed that, start light with a weight they can crank out 10 to 15 reps safely with a couple reps in reserve. We try to do 3 to 4 sets, but feel out how they’re doing and adjust from there.

I wouldn’t encourage training going anywhere over an hour. Kids will lose focus after about 2 to 3 minutes per year of age. To put that into perspective, a 10 year old has about 20 minutes of focus in them. This is not the time to over-complicate things so keep it simple and somewhat short. Don’t overload them with information, if they’re not getting the squat mechanics in the first session, that’s okay, move onto the next exercise and build on it next session! After the workout is done, much like the warm-up, STRETCH! The thing we neglect now doesn’t have to be passed down from generation to generation. Your kid may move like a slinky now, but when they’re not frail and fragile like us at our age, they’ll thank you for making them stretch.

 

Still here? I hope you’ve got more of an attention span of your 10 year old because this has become quite the read. Don’t worry, we’re gonna wrap things up here with a couple exercise suggestions on where to get started with that sweet, precious angel of yours! The movements you’ll want to prioritize for your kid are gonna be much like yours. 

• Lower body pushing movement (We recommend Squats)

• Lower body pulling movement (We recommend Deadlifts to also master the Hip Hinge)

• Upper body Pushing movement (We recommend Dumbbell Bench Press)

• Upper body Pulling Movement (We recommend Standing Rows)

• Rotational Movement (We recommend Medicine Ball Rotational Toss)

• Split Stance (We recommend Lunges)

• Core/Bracing (We recommend Planks)

• Jumping and Landing (We recommend Broad Jumps)

Those seven exercises are great places to start for any program, but your kid is gonna be kicking so much butt that they’ll be kicking in the NFL every Sunday in no time! As they master those movements, you can mix and match while finding out what type of training is best for your little gym demon. Like we said before, each kid is different so find out what they like the most and after safety, the second most important thing is making sure they’re having fun to ensure a happy and healthy lifelong relationship with fitness. Plus, you gotta make sure your kids are in tip top shape to take care of us one day! They’ll owe us for making them super shredded kids, it’s their turn to change our diapers!

Nothing thwarts good intentions of working out like cold weather. But the decline in the climate doesn’t have to mean a decline in your health. Try a few of these cold-weather workout tips presented by Optimal Fitness to help bust through the winter blues.

Create a Home Gym

You’ve been wanting to have a home gym for years but didn’t think you could spare the room. The good news is a home gym doesn’t have to take up too much space or cost a fortune. With a few inexpensive supplies and a little floor space, you can have a full workout facility. For example, if you have a couple of sets of dumbbells, a yoga mat, and adaptable resistance bands, you can do almost any strength-training workout you can do in a gym.

 

If you live in an apartment, your building may have an on-site gym that you can freely use. This can easily help you save money on expensive equipment or gear. However, if your complex doesn’t have a gym, consider moving to one that does. Searching through sites like Apartmentguide can help you find a new place that has all the amenities you need.

Suit Up

If you decide to venture out, be sure to put on your compression gear, even if you plan to wear sweats over it. Compression clothing keeps your muscles warm and blocks wind and moisture. It also helps increase circulation, which keeps your body temperature regulated.

Upgrade Your Tech

A great way to motivate your winter workout is to make good use of technology. For example, there are many apps — both free and premium — that can help you track your activities, as well as calculate how many calories you’ve burned. Some people even opt to use fitness trackers that can monitor your vitals and present the data in real time.

Look for Indoor Opportunities

Nothing says you have to bundle up and head outdoors for a workout. There are tons of ways to tweak your everyday activities to give them a fitness boost. For example, take a trek up the staircase in your building once an hour. Stair climbing burns more calories than walking alone and helps firm the thighs and buttocks.  But even if you don’t have stairs, try getting up and walking up and down the hallway a few times during breaks. 

Take Up an Indoor Sport

There are lots of fun things you can do inside that will give you a workout. Consider inviting a few friends for a game of hoops. Or, if basketball is not your thing, try racquetball, indoor swimming, or spinning. But even if you don’t consider yourself athletic, a game of table tennis can burn up to 500 calories. Seniors can take advantage of programs like Silver Sneakers through their Medicare plan that make fitness memberships affordable, and there are plenty of gyms that participate. 

Intensify Your Workouts

Some studies indicate that “15 minutes of high intensity interval training burns more calories than jogging on a treadmill for an hour.” So, why not incorporate short intense workout bursts throughout your day. You don’t even need workout equipment to do it. You can find a few moves that work for you and do a short workout in your office or home every hour throughout the day.

Take a Class

Almost every community has a facility that offers aerobics or fitness classes. Check out your local gym to see what types of winter classes are offered. Most often, you will find classes like yoga, spinning, Pilates, or strength-training. Not only will you be warm and toasty indoors, you’ll also be working out with others, which will keep you motivated.

Join the Mall Walkers

There’s a reason so many senior citizens have taken to shopping malls for their fitness routines. They are not affected by weather, and the routes are usually mapped out so you know how far you’ve walked. Plus, when you go with friends, it feels more like a social event than a chore. 

 

Winter shouldn’t mean the end of fitness. In fact, you should be more mindful of your activity levels than ever since colder weather often means comfort foods and holiday treats. So, don’t find yourself without a plan. Bundle up and head outdoors if you must, or find a way to take your workout inside. Either way, don’t neglect your health with the change of the seasons.

 

Many Americans suffer from stomach ailments every year, some more serious than others. There are many common issues when it comes to our digestive tracts, but as far as remedies go, it’s important to ensure that you find the right one that works for your needs, not only for your comfort but to ensure that you don’t accidentally inflame the existing problem. Since your gut health is so closely linked to other parts of your body, which can often leave you feeling unable to complete daily tasks or take care of your responsibilities, it’s imperative to find ways to help your body heal and feel better overall.

 

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help things run smoothly. From natural remedies to making sure your diet and exercise routine meet your needs, there are several ways you can keep your digestive tract working well. Do a little research on the best natural remedies, especially if you already take other medicines, and talk to your doctor about how you can make healthy changes. Optimal Fitness invites you to keep reading for some great tips on how to treat common digestive issues.

 

Acid Reflux

 

Acid reflux — also called heartburn — is a common issue for many Americans after they eat certain foods or lie down to go to sleep. There are many things that can cause stomach acid to back up into the esophagus, ranging from the type of food you eat to the time you choose to go to bed, so it’s important to think about what triggers your symptoms. Many people have problems after eating spicy foods, while others find that avoiding starchy items such as potatoes can help. You can also avoid eating or drinking anything for a couple of hours before bed.

 

Learn About Gut Health

 

Your gut does more than break down food; it’s also home to a ton of different types of bacteria and organisms that help the immune system break down toxic compounds and synthesize certain vitamins for your body’s use. When any of these elements experience a breakdown, they can result in issues such as inflammation. To boost your gut health and combat inflammation, try adding probiotics like yogurt, sourdough bread, sauerkraut, and prebiotics like whole grains, apples, garlic and mushrooms.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

 

IBS is a condition many people share, but it can be difficult or embarrassing to talk about. Many people may be suffering from irritable bowel syndrome without a diagnosis, making it even harder to understand how to treat it. Common symptoms of IBS include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation and even nausea. And lots of things can contribute to this condition, from stress levels to diet, so it’s important to talk to your doctor about the best treatment options. In some cases, gallstones can cause IBS, so having a simple surgery to remove the gallbladder is an option.

 

Change Your Diet

 

Your diet can have a major effect on your digestive health, so it may be time to make some changes if you’re having gut issues. Dark, leafy greens, beans, whole grains, and fruit are great places to start when you want to eat healthier, as they provide essential vitamins and fiber. 

Finding treatments and cures for your digestive issues can take some time, so try to be patient as you find what works for you. Talk to your doctor about the best natural ways to feel better, and take a look at your exercise routine to make sure it’s working well for you. If you need to change up your regimen or even start one, connect with Optimal Fitness to create a fitness routine that can help you ward off digestive issues and find overall wellness.

by Cheryl Conklin

 

Image courtesy of Unsplash

 

Are you ready to challenge yourself with your very first 5k? Any time you’re undertaking a new fitness regimen, a little planning, preparation, and arming yourself with the right tech and gear can go a long way toward your success. Optimal Fitness offers the following tips to ensure your journey is a smooth one.

 

Establish a Baseline

 

Athletes need place markers in order to gauge their progress, but as a beginner, this alone can feel foreign. With that in mind, you need to establish some baselines. Start slow, and get a feel for the distance and speed most comfortable for you. Map a route that won’t take you too far from home to start, hit the treadmill, or head to nearby running trails to stretch your legs. Start slow and easy, noting some basic parameters like your speed, distance, and time. 

 

Keeping a running log can help you stay abreast of your regimen, although Verywell Fit points out if you head outside for your runs, it can be tough to monitor progress. For your nature-loving sessions, you might want to add an app to your smartphone designed especially for trail running. There are apps that not only monitor your stats, but they can also help you plan routes, check conditions, and even give you voice alerts when it’s time to make a turn to stay on course.

 

A Health-Conscious Plan

 

No fitness program is complete without a healthy diet. To achieve 5k success, you need to make sure you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals every day. Aside from eating nutritious foods, invest in a high-quality multivitamin to fulfill your nutrition requirements for the day. Your energy levels will improve if you get enough B vitamins, for instance, while vitamin C and other antioxidants will ensure that your body’s cells are protected from free radicals.

 

Tools of the Trade

 

As you move toward race day, tracking your overall progress can be daunting. Scribbling notes on paper is one way to keep track. However, in this era, you have options with more bells and whistles. Some runners make good use of the log method we mentioned, or you can invest in a fitness tracker or smartwatch. If you decide to go with the latter, there are ample options, so think about what features matter most to you. Alternatively, a more affordable option is to invest in a comfortable armband so you can use your phone to track your progress instead. 

 

The Long and Short   

 

When it comes to your actual workout sessions, there are different ways to approach your running program. Many new runners simply start with some stretches, a jog, and a cool down period. Stretching serves the purpose of limbering your muscles. The cool down allows time for the chemistry in your hard-working muscles to slowly disperse, helping to avoid soreness and cramps. This is a good program that can help you avoid injury, so long as you are consistent, take things slowly and gradually increase your duration and intensity.

 

Another way to build your program is to intermingle the kinds of running sessions you do. Runstreet suggests four types of workouts: intervals, tempo runs, and track/speed workouts like Fartleks or strides. While each type of session serves a different purpose, they build on each other toward improving your overall performance. By changing up speed, you work your muscles differently, and in time your stride and oxygen use improve. For your speed work, plan to hit a well-maintained track. If you’re brand new to running, the even terrain can help you avoid injury, especially during fast, short runs. 

 

Cross Train

 

It’s important to keep in mind that cross training is crucial when you start your 5k routine. Cross training helps you move your muscles in different ways, boosts your endurance, reduces the risk of injury and can be implemented on active recovery days. So maybe two days a week you practice yoga, and two other days you attend a strength training or barre class at Optimal Fitness. Over time, you’ll see and feel the difference cross training makes. New personal best, anyone?

 

Aiming for your first 5k is a wonderful thing. Establish your baseline, focus on nutrition, gather the necessary tools, decide how to monitor your progress, and choose the sort of program that is right for you. You’ll be ready to hit the ground running!

 

by Jennifer Scott

When it comes to health and mental wellness, most people overlook the importance of sleep. But the truth is that getting enough high-quality sleep every night is vital to our long-term well-being. Since the brain and body undergo essential restorative processes during sleep, sleep deprivation can contribute to a whole mess of physical ailments and mental disorders. Check out the below resources from Optimal Fitness to learn how you can improve your sleep and enjoy better days!

Rethink Your Sleep Environment

Making a few tweaks to your bedroom can help you fall asleep faster and reduce the frequency of night-time waking.

  • Do some redecorating to turn your bedroom into a calming sleep sanctuary.
  • Burn some sage to clear out bad vibes from your bedroom.
  • Your body temperature naturally drops during sleep. If your bedroom gets too warm at night, the heat can make it difficult to fall and stay asleep.
  • If you don’t have air conditioning, try angling a fan towards your bed so it can blow directly on you while you sleep.
  • Sleep in loose pajamas in breathable fabrics so you don’t overheat.
  • Pregnant women and new moms can find stylish options that simplify nighttime feedings to minimize disruptions in your sleep schedule.

Banish Stress From the Bedroom

If stress is keeping you up at night, look for ways to treat stress through healthy daytime habits like exercising and eating nutritious foods.

  • Consider hiring a wellness professional for help with meal planning, mental health treatment, and fitness guidance.
  • Exercise daily to reduce stress hormones, relieve muscle tension, and support your brain health.
  • Optimal Fitness has a variety of classes to help you break a sweat in the name of better health.
  • Eat foods packed with stress-fighting vitamins and minerals.
  • Wind down in the evening with a relaxing yoga routine. Yoga can also help alleviate back pain, joint pain, or muscle stiffness that’s disrupting your sleep.

Try Natural Remedies

If you could use some extra help relieving stress and relaxing for the night, consider trying some natural supplements like magnesium and l-theanine.

  • Research suggests that magnesium supplements can improve sleep quality while also enhancing the treatment of anxiety and depression.
  • L-theanine promotes relaxation by calming the body’s stress response.
  • If you need to treat occasional insomnia, trymelatoninbefore reaching for addictive prescription sleeping pills.
  • Taking steps to improve your sleep is the ultimate act of self-care. When you sleep well, you’ll find it much easier to cope with stress, anxiety, depression, or any other mental concern that you’re experiencing. Try incorporating some of these healthy sleep habits into your routine today!

By Cheryl Conklin

Forget Spring, We prefer year long Cleaning!!

Why do we clean?

Cleans are the most powerful barbell movement we will do. It requires you to derive power from the entire body which requires synergistic recruitment of muscles in both the lower and upper body, as well as posterior or anterior chains. The clean can help improve power in the body that can translate to other movements. It’s also a movement that requires bilateral symmetry due to the nature of the movement. If one side of the body works harder than the other, the bar isn’t gonna get up. The clean is a great movement to master because of the benefits you get either in preparation, building mobility as well as body mechanics and awareness or in the subsequent perks of building strength and power that translates to other movements to burning tons of calories while improving neurological function. We all need cleans!

 

Much different than a squat, the clean won’t look very different from person to person. While they are much more difficult for people with longer levers, each piece of the movement from the pulling to the catch, it should look similar on each person. 

 

Steps

  1. Foot Placement. Start with feet at hip width. (Why? A foot placement that is too wide can take away power from your jump and pull. Too narrow of a stance makes your pull much longer and requires bigger take off which will cause the bar to float higher.)                                                                                  
  2. Bar Grip (wrapped vs unwrapped). An unwrapped grip can help your catch with lighter weight. As the bar gets heavier, you’ll need a stronger grip to be able to catch the bar.                                                       
  3. Straight back and core braced – Like in a deadlift, a straight back is important for preventing breakdowns in the movement. (Why? Without a straight back, you lose engagement in both the glutes and core.)                                                                                                                                                              
  4. Shrug. The shrug commences the upper body portion of the lift and helps generate power from the shoulders. (Why? Without the shoulders and pulling portion you won’t be able to commence to a catch. The shrug helps pull that bar up to progress to the swinging forward of the elbows.)                                    
  5. Straight arms, elbows out and rotate in/forward. The straight arms are gonna help avoid the reverse curl movement. Elbows out helps keep the back straight as well as the arms straight, tightening the triceps to help keep the arms straight. Movement by beginning elbows out will make the upward movement of the bar easier to keep close to the body. Don’t bend at the elbows. The elbows should shoot straight up after the first pull. (Why? Bending the elbows makes the pull much more difficult. It’s easier to catch the bar lower than to pull heavy weight all the way up the body. Because the transition from internal rotation of the shoulder at the beginning of the movement, to an external rotation at the catching portion of the movement, keeping your elbows straight as well as the arms helps maintain an internal rotation of the shoulder throughout the crucial power output phase of the movement.)                      
  6. Hips/Jump – As the clean is a triple extension exercise, you’ll simulate a jump because you want extension in the ankles and the hips to properly generate enough power from the lower body. (Why? The hips are a lot like rubber bands, they generate a lot of power. Try to pop those hips and drive them forward to generate as much power as possible.)                                                                                              
  7. Punch elbows forward. The catch may be one of the most difficult parts of the clean. Elbows must remain high. (Why? Keeping the elbows high helps position the bar properly so that it is resting on your chest and front delt. If you catch the bar with elbows too low, you will catch the bar on your hands and in the wrists which puts unnecessary stress on the wrists. Plus with the elbows being too low, you’ll catch the bar in front of your body instead of stacked on your body which will leave more opportunity for a missed catch. Your body as a whole has more power for stabilization than the wrists and forearms.)

Helpful Hints

Think of swinging your hands and elbows under the bar. The hands will do a full 180 degree rotation around the bar so during the pull to the catch thing about swinging your hands all the way around the bar. This can also help get the elbows up high. 

 

Internal shoulder rotation the beginning and external in the end. 

 

Keep shoulders above the bar

 

Brace the core

 

Your hands DO NOT have to be gripping the bar in the rack position like they would be in the pulling phase.

 

Common Mistakes

On a hang, don’t drop bar to far beneath the knees

(Simple fix, just don’t drop the bar too far. Keep it above the knee)

 

Shoulders dropping with bar can lead to bar traveling further away from the body

(Tighten back and keep bar close to the body)

 

Gripping the bar during the catch and rack. 

(fix by trying to unwrap your thumbs when catching.)

 

Setting up with the bar over the toes.

(If you start over the toes, the bar path becomes rounded instead of straight, slide the hips back and start with the bar over midfoot)

 

Lifting the chest too high

(Keep the back over the bar, lifting the chest too high will lead to a backwards lean. Unlike that you’d do in a deadlift, lifting the chest can take away the power from the lower body and instead engages the lowerback)

 

Assessments

A simple rack position test, just simply place your thumbs on your collar bones and see what position your elbows rest in. Too wide is most likely lat tightness, too low is from shoulder tightness.

 

Sit on the floor with an x mark, sit with a straight back and put your hands across your chest and rotate with either a pvcp pipe or straight object and rotate your torso. The bar should cross across the front of the x of which you’re sitting on.

 

Sit criss-crossed on the floor against the wall. While holding a pipe or light, wide gripped object, see how far you can go back to assess tight lats for the rack position. Grip the bar in both a regular as well as reverse grip.

 

Improving The Rack Position

The rack position can be the trickiest part of not only a clean, but any front loaded bar movements. The rack position is what we see in the photo above, the position in which you put the bar on your front delts and chest. Due to a lack of shoulder mobility, wrist and forearm tightness or lat tightness, the rack position can be a tricky skill to attain. An important que to try to remember is get those elbows up as high as possible. By the time you catch the bar in the rack position you won’t have a full grip on the bar, the way you did in the pulling part of the movement. Here are a few ways to try and improve that tricky rack position.

Partner forced rack position hold. With the bar on the rack start in the rack position. From there, your partner will push your elbows up to force an exaggerated rack position. This will help you not only gain familiarity with the position, but loosen up those lats to get that position more comfortable.

 

Next we’ll need to try to gain some flexibility and range of motion through the wrists. To do this, we’ll start on all fours. Straighten the arms and shift the weight of your body forward moving from your shoulders starting stacked directly above the hands to the bottom of the chest being over the hands. We’ll perform this a few times and from there we’ll progress to your hands beginning sideways. From there we will shift the body weight side to side over the hands. After a few reps, we will finally rotate the palms backwards, fingers facing the knees. In this position, we will push our body weight backwards to bring a stretch to the bottom of the forearms.

 

After we loosen up the wrists we’ll go to another forced rack position. This time you’ll just need a band to wrap around your wrist. From there, face opposite of the band and lift your elbow up in a front rack position and just let the band do its job as it pulls that wrist down as well as bringing that elbow into your rack position.

 

The last thing is just simple front squatting. The front squat is the best way to practice the rack position as the bar holds you into that position throughout the movement. Simply put, squats fix everything

 

Mobility and Stretching

Lats

  • Rotated rack pull. Have the side of your body face the bar. Reach your opposite hand over top of your body to grab the bar. Pull your body away from the bar with your hand braced against the bar.

 

  • Foam roll

 

  • Cat cow. On all fours, round out your upper back and slowly push the chest down out of the rounded back into an arched lower back.

 

  • Down Dog. Start in a pushup position and with a straight back, push your butt straight back, while keeping the arms and legs straight. (To intensify the stretch, drive your chest towards your legs)

 

  • Elbows up stretch. Find a wall or bar and reach your elbow up vertically towards the ceiling and press your tricep against the wall. Press your weight into the arm or step forward past the arm.

Shoulders

  • Prone pipe Y raise. In a prone position on the floor with a straight object and arms extended, raise your arms up straight above you. Try to get the object above your head and shoulders. 

 

  • Hand on wall stretch. Find a wall and hinge at the hips. Straighten your arms out and brace the wall with your hands. From there sink your chest to the floor while maintaining your hand position.

 

  • Band on bottom of rack each behind your head as if you were going to perform a tricep extension laterally, but allow to band to pull your hand to stretch the shoulder and triceps as well as the lat.

 

  • With a pipe or strap, grab the object from the top behind the head and from the bottom below the waist with the bottom hand.

 

Hips

  • Squat to stand with hands on feet or ankles. Squat down and wrap your hands around your ankles or hold your hands above your feet. From there extend the knees and lift the butt.

 

  • In a deep squat, press your elbows out against your inner thigh.

 

  • 90 degree hip rotation and presses. In a seated position, put both legs at 90 degrees, rotate your torso to face the front leg, press onto your knees through your hips. Rotate your legs so the opposite knee is facing forward and repeat.

 

Thoracic

  • Start kneeling with your elbows on box or bench and curl pipe behind the head

 

  • In childs pose, forearms straight out in front of you on a foam roller and sink chest towards the ground.

 

  • In a seated position with a bar on your back, straight back and rotate.

Closing

Always remember that the clean is a very violent and aggressive movement. If you don’t attack it as such, it will fight back!

Now as we said before, we would be posting about the article pitting two of the most popular methods of training against one another. Total body training, training major muscle groups each day versus Split routines, dividing your workouts into a couple body parts a day, rather than the whole body. These two methodologies have been hotly contested lately and for good reason. Both have been proven to have incredible benefits in muscle development, but which training program is the cream of the crop? Lets find out!

 

We’ll start with Total Body. Total Body training is something that has recently grown in popularity as feats of strength have become increasingly captivating to some of us mere mortals. Seeing Power Lifting juggernauts such as Brian Shaw and Mountain deadlifting over a thousand pounds is something just about anyone can admire with awe, but how can they achieve such incredible power? Well, outside of their natural skills and freakish mutant gifts, their training programs require massive amounts of weights and repetitions of your major lifting movements. The age old principal in lifting is the more you perform and master a movement, the better you will become as well as seeing your strength gains sky rocket! By riding out the total body routine, you’ll be able to increase the frequency of your big 5 lifting movements; the squat, deadlift, bench, rows and overhead press. These movements are the foundation of strength development because the amount of muscles they recruit in order to perform the movement. The squat alone is going to activating muscles in the double digit range.

As the study in the article which we posted on our Instagram stated, Total Body training routines have shown to increase the one rep max of the bench and squat at a much more rapid rate than Split routines. Programming for the Total Body routines is a bit more straight forward as well. Efficiency becomes the most important thing and if you can be one thing, be efficient. Therefore selecting the exercises that recruit the most muscles is gonna give you the most bang for your buck. While this method of training does have a lot of great benefits, there are some things that will come at the Total Body routines detriment. For example, because of the amount of volume you’ll need to do of this primary movements, you’ll be missing out on more of your accessory that is very common in the aesthetically driven principals of the Split Routine, which we will go into further now.

 

Split Routines have been popularized since the glorious days of bodybuilding’s golden age, back in the 70’s when Arnold was roaming the west coast, making Gold’s Gym a household name. Now much like the training methods of the powerlifters in the Total Body routine, most bodybuilders are genetic anomalies who live in the gym. In the midst of all the macho and bravado, the split routine was born. Split routines grew in popularity because the aesthetically pleasing benefits they have on the individualized muscles that you are able to focus on during each workout. So instead of performing both squats and bench on the same day like you would during a Total Body routine, you’d be hitting chest and tri’s which require you to do not only bench, but incline bench, dumbbell bench, close grip tricep bench and every other benching movement you can think of. Basically, the mentality was to blast the major muscle group you were training that day, in this case it’s chest, then you’d burn out the accessory body parts that you’d be recruiting to assist in that movement. So for chest day, you’d be hitting triceps, as it assists in your pushing movements (Don’t believe me? Go push a door open and feel your chest and your tricep, you’ll feel those bad boys feeling HARD. Plus I just gave your permission to feel yourself up, you’re welcome.)

Now the big benefit in the Split routine is the muscular growth is far superior. In the study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, the benefits of Split routines were vastly superior in the realm of muscle growth because of the ability to work the muscles to greater fatigue, therefor stimulating greater muscle growth. Now Split routines aren’t without their flaws as a split routine is much harder to stick to if you are busy or may miss days. Your schedule becomes much stricter because missing workouts for certain body parts can cause over development, imbalances and can actually impair muscle growth.

 

So which is best? Ultimately, whichever routine fits your goals better is going to be what’s best for you. Total Body routines will get you a much stronger, more athletic and functional physique, while a Split routine while focus on more aesthetically pleasing and symmetrical body. Is one greater than the other? No, not necessarily as they both have benefits that the other doesn’t. If neither stands out to you, give them both a three week trial run and see which best fits into your goals and schedule! We have found that the Total Body routine has worked best for us, but that doesn’t mean that a Spilt routine won’t work best for you! At the end of the day, what’s best for you is what matters most! 

 

Happy Lifting,

Erin and Brady

Welcome to Optimal Fitness’s blog!

Let’s Learn To Squat

 

Why do we squat?

The squat is a movement we experience everyday! From sitting and standing to bending down to pick things up. Squats are essential for movement and are something we will continue to do throughout the entirety of our lives. It is a compound movement which burns more fat, it is a strength exercise that builds every muscle in the lower body and it is a functional movement that improves general body fluidity. The more you squat, the better off you will be!

 

A squat should always be performed to your comfortability. Not every squat will look the same because we all have different bodies. Some of us have longer legs, some have longer torsos, some of us might have tight hips or lack ankle mobility and some of us may be hyper mobile. The important thing is that we learn to squat to the best of our abilities with the bodies we have.

 

Step by Step

 

1. Foot Placement. Slight Toe out 11 and 1 o clock to 10 and 2. (Why? Alignment and range also helping with glute and hamstring activation) *don’t go 12 o clock or any further than 10 and 2

 

2. Breathing. Suck in, then brace core, exhale upon ascension. (Why? Helps engaged core, while maintaining a stable and neutral spine which is key to proper descent and ascension into a squat) 

 

3. Break at hips and knees simultaneously. Break at the knees as hips descend don’t overreach through the butt. (Don’t stick your butt out) Why? Hips slightly before knees  makes stability a breeze. Helps engaged hamstrings and glutes.

 

4. Equal weight distribution between heel, base of big toe and the base of the pinky toe. (Why? Helps maintain position, balance, stability and optimal power to drive straight up) *avoid “going on heels”

 

5. Keep spine straight. (Why? Keeps core engaged and avoids arching back. Arching back will cause low back pain.)

 

6. Drive knees out. (Why? Keeps knees from going in, activates hips and glutes, keeps knees in line with middle toes) *too much rotation moves foot and hips and can cause foot supination (weight on the outside of your feet.)

 

7. Break Parallel. Butt should go below the knees. (Why? Full activation of all muscles. Quad flexion happens when the knee bends. Muscle grows during flexion. Helps build more strength. Helps stability in lower back as well as improving flexibility.)

 

8. Keep head forward while driving up with shoulders on ascension. (Why? Looking up can slide the bar further down your back and put pressure on the shoulders. Looking down can cause the back to round there for breaking down core engagement.)

 

9. Bar should stay inline with midfoot throughout the entire squat. (Why? The quickest path anywhere is a straight line. By keeping the bar inline with the midfoot, you squat into a straight line from shoulder to foot while maintaining proper form and position with the rest of the body.)

                 

         High Bar                Low Bar

 

 

Tips

Try to line up inside of foot with mid shoulder

 

Hands are there for support, don’t white knuckle it. Squeezing the bar too hard during a squat could hurt your elbows when you increase your weights.

 

If your knees are parallel with your toes, your ankle mobility will be adequate. If your knee remains at mid foot or ankle, ankle mobility could be an issue.

 

Don’t stand too narrow because it makes it harder to reach parallel as it makes your levers much longer.

Bring hands closer together and squeeze shoulder blades to keep from bar pressing on spine.

 

Knees in line with toes

 

Don’t let the shins stay completely vertical. 

 

Drive up with shoulders

 

Always drive straight up

 

Common mistakes, break downs and fixes

Valgus Knee (Knee caves in) Most often caused by weak glutes

Corrective exercises:

  • Hip Thrusts
  • Band Walks
  • Squats with a band (Press knees out for extra glute work)

 

Hip shift (pushing to one side upon ascension) Often caused by tightness in certain parts of the body and adductor weakness.

Corrective exercises:

  • For hip tightness refer to mobility exercises.
  • Lateral lunges
  • Sumo deadlift
  • Spanish squats
  • Single leg deadlift to internal rotation of standing leg

Feet turnout on squat aka the Vinny. Is caused mostly by lack of mobility, but can sometimes be caused by weak calves. 

 

Butt wink. Posterior/Hips tucking under pelvis causing the lower back to round at the bottom of the squat due to tight hamstrings, mobility issues or weak core.

 

Corrective exercises:

  • Band crunches
  • Weighted V-ups
  • Paloff Press
  • For hips, ankles and hamstrings refer to mobility exercises.
  • TRX Squats

Assessments

 

For Ankle:

  • Foot five inches from the wall and push knee forward.
  • If your heel comes up before you hit the wall, your ankle mobility is poor.

 

For Hip:

F.A.B.E.R test (Flexion, Abduction, External, Rotation)

  • Lie on your back and cross your foot over the opposite knee.
  • Check if knees and hips are even.

 

Thomas Test

  • Pull knee to chest.
  • Opposite leg must remain flat and relaxed

 

Internal/External test

  • Lie on back in sit up position
  • Rotate hip inward and outward (leg should be able to reach at least 35 degrees)

 

For Butt Wink:

 

Horizontal Squat

  • Feet on wall, walk hands back until hips are slightly below parallel with knees 
  • Feel if there are any restrictions to see if mobility is sufficient.

 

Counter balance

  • Squat with weight in front of you
  • Feel if there is tightness in ankle or hip when straightening back

Back pain when squatting

 

Proper Warm-up

The most important things to remember for warming up is engagement of the core, mobilization of the hips and stabilization of the ankle. These warm-ups can help in each of those primary factors in a squat in more practical functions.

 

Light Goblet Squats. Extend a plate out in front of you to help keep the back straight.

 

Lunge with core rotation.

 

Side to side leans in a deep squat.

 

Squat hip raises. Wrap your hands around your ankles and focus on lifting up through the hips.

Stretches for mobility

 

Hip:

(internal)

  •  Get into a deep squat and press knees out with elbows.

 

  • Kneel down on all fours, spread your knees apart as far as possible and push weight towards the floor. Push butt back to intensify. 

 

  • On both knees, step one leg forward at 90 degrees. Push hip towards the ceiling. Lean back to intensify. 

(external)

  • Seated Cross leg hip hinge stretch

 

  • In a seated position cross one leg on top of the other. Keep knee in line with ankle and push down on the quad. To intensify, lean forward with a straight back.

 

  • Put both legs at 90 degrees in a seated position and raise back leg up and hold.

Glute:

  • Pigeon pose, on a box or on the floor. With a straight back, lean forward to intensive.

 

  • Knee hug and twist your upper body towards your leg.

 

  • Lie on your back, cross one leg across the opposite knee. Lift both feet off the ground and hug leg towards your chest.

Hamstring:

  • Lie on your back, wrap a strap or band around the bottom of your foot and pull your straight leg up as far as you can.

 

  • In a split stance, push weight into straight leg and lean forward with a straight back.

 

  • Lie on your back and put leg up straight onto a wall. Move Your body past the wall as far as you can while keeping leg straight.

 

  • Hands behind your back, keep back and legs straight and lean forward.

Quad:

  • Foot on wall with knee on the ground while the other foot is in front at 90 degrees.

 

  • Lie face down, wrap a band around your ankle and pull your foot towards your shoulder.

 

  • Start kneeling, put your hands on your heels and lean you body back into the heels.

Ankle:

  • Raised kneeling forward lean with band.

 

  • Seated elevated ankle rotations (clockwise and counterclockwise)

 

  • Ankle banded flexion (with band pull around mid foot point toe out with resistance and ankle extension)

 

  • With band on top of foot pull toes toward you with flexion at the ankle.

 

  • With  extended ankles push weight down and sit into heels.

 

  • Deep Squat with weight, side to side rocks leaning into ankles.