Warrior Fitness » Mind

Muscle Confusion Got Ya Confused?

Jon — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:47:36 +0000

If muscle confusion has you confused, don’t worry because you’re not alone. There has been a lot of misinformation regarding this pseudo-scientific training method bandied about the past couple years over the Internet, as well as in local personal training studios, gyms, and bootcamps. Hopefully this article will help clear up some of the major myths and misconceptions surrounding muscle confusion.

First off, let’s define what the term muscle confusion means as it’s currently used. In a nutshell, it refers to the idea that one should constantly vary exercise selection from workout to workout in order to keep the muscles guessing and avoid the plateau that comes when muscles adapt to exercise. On the surface this seems to make a lot of sense. Gains remain consistently high and plateaus are avoided. So what’s the problem?

Let’s start with the part that’s true. Muscles do adapt to exercise and gains will slow down, level off, and then eventually stop if we continue to do the same workout over and over again. However, it does not happen overnight and certainly not from workout to workout.

Who SAID What?

In order for the body to produce an adaptation for improved performance in life, sport, or martial art, we must apply specific stimulus as per the SAID Principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand). This basically means that the body adapts with a specific type of fitness to any demand which is imposed on it. When the same exercise is performed for too long, the body adapts to the stresses of each set and the adaptations or returns get smaller and smaller. Once it has adapted to the stress, then it’s time to change or increase the stress or else we fall into that trap of diminishing returns.

Usually though it takes the body a period of 4-to-6 weeks to adapt and then it is advisable to begin changing exercises. This does not mean that we need to completely throw away everything we have been doing; far from it. An exercise or drill can be changed by increasing intensity, increasing volume, decreasing rest periods, or increasing complexity or sophistication.

What About Strength?

If your goal is to get stronger with muscle confusion, well then I’ve got some bad news for you. Ain’t gonna happen. Strength is a skill and must be trained as such. That means you have to practice, yes practice, the same set of exercises over and over again to get better at them – stronger. The nervous system becomes more efficient and allows the muscles to recruit greater and greater amounts of tension which result in an increase in strength. So, to get stronger one must work the same exercises as often as possible while staying as fresh as possible. Changing your exercises too frequently in order to confuse the muscles doesn’t result in an increase in strength. Nothing confusing about that.

Is Your Trainer Confused?

This pseudo-scientific concept of muscle confusion made popular by programs such as P90X and Insanity has opened the door for some less than scrupulous, or less than knowledgeable, trainers to take advantage of the unsuspecting public. By playing on the popular myth that exercises must be changed every workout or else you risk the dreaded plateau they can avoid doing the difficult, yet necessary work of properly programing workouts, sessions, or classes for their clients. They simply throw together a random bunch of exercises and call it a day without regard for whether or not these jumbled exercises meet the goals and needs of the clients.

Remember, it takes at least 4 weeks for your body to adapt to a particular program and for you to determine what is actually working for you and what is not. If you constantly change up your routine then you have no idea which exercises are giving you the best return on investment (ROI). As I always say, random exercise selection yields random results.

7 Mistakes You May Be Making at the Gym

Jon — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:43:31 +0000

Here are some simple ideas to help you maximize the use of your gym time. I’ve found that many hardcore gym goers routinely make the same simple mistakes in their training over and over again. This is a short list that highlights some of the big ones I see regularly. If you can avoid them, you’ll be far ahead of the curve. Remember – results matter!

1) Machine Based Training

This is a big one since machines restrict your range of motion and isolate your movement. All sports and life happen in 3 dimensions so why would you train in only 2?

2) Training Like a Bodybuilder (when you’re not one)

The body is not a set of isolated muscle groups to be trained independently of one another. Rather, your body is one interconnected unit which functions much more optimally when used as such. Train the body in all ranges of motions and train the whole body together.

3) Never Altering Your Routine

Some people fall in love with a particular exercise, or set of exercises, and never deviate from them. Unfortunately, your body adapts to the demands imposed by exercise within about 4-6 weeks. After that your super-awesome routine is no longer providing enough stimulus to create change so the results begin to plateau and then stop altogether.

4) Changing Exercises Every Workout

A lot of people think they will increase the speed of results by changing up the exercises every workout. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact of the matter is, random exercise = random results. Exercise selection is like every other form of goal setting, a planned out step-by-step process.

5) Only Focusing on “Cardio”

Cardio training is good, yes, but it’s not sufficient . Especially when it consists of just doing one thing (treadmill, elliptical, step aerobics, whatever) every workout (see #3); there are far better ways to program workouts (in shorter amounts of time) to see better results. Additionally, when it comes to training for fat loss, cardio is second place to high intensity interval training (HIIT).

6) Forgetting About Recovery

None of our gains happen during the workout. We must recover from the training we do in order to realize the benefits. This means using proper recovery strategies, varying intensity of training from day to day so as not to burn out, employing proper warm-up protocols as prehab, and using compensatory movement exercises as cool down.

7) Not Dialing in Nutrition

While this is not exactly an “at the gym” mistake, it certainly goes hand in hand with exercise and is something that must be addressed. Many people have the mistaken notion that they can somehow out exercise their poor nutrition choices; especially those who seem to think cardio and calorie counting are the be all and end all of fitness.

Warning! Read This Before Exercising Again!

Jon — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:53:11 +0000

Research has recently revealed that exercising may indeed have serious side effects for those involved. Individuals who exercise are advised to proceed with extreme caution when handling a tool this powerful and capable of creating extreme effects on its users. Highly transformative qualities have been reported when using exercise.

The following is a list of possible side effects as a result of exercise. Please remember that exercise should not be taken without a prescription.

Side Effects of Exercise Include:

Rapid Weight Loss
Healthy Self Image
Super Human Strength and Endurance
Increased Risk of Attraction to the Opposite Sex
Boost of Self Confidence
Increased Feelings of Well Being, Even Exuberance
Reduced Risk of Heart Disease
Reduced Risk of Type II Diabetes
Heightened Energy Levels

These are only some of the serious side effects that have been reported when using exercise properly. Additional effects of regular users turning flab into muscle have also been reported and are currently being investigated.

Use exercise with caution!

Exercise should only be used under the guidance of professional!

For a highly qualified opinion and an exercise prescription, please contact Warrior Fitness Gym.

Warrior Fitness Gym is an authorized exercise provider.

An Introduction to Yiquan: Part 2

Jon — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:25:04 +0000

What type of training methods does Yiquan utilize? For what purpose?

Yiquan practice has two aspects, health cultivation and martial arts. They are one in the same in that the foundation of martial arts practice is the health cultivation practice and a byproduct of practicing martial arts is a healthy mind and body. The two are inseparable.

Some of the basic principles involved are:

Developing profound levels of relaxation and understanding the relationship between relaxation and force. The use of the mind and imagination to coordinate the movement of the body. The balance of opposites in movement and for structural support in the body. Developing a whole body force that is equal on all sides and expresses force in all kinds of movement while maintaining flexibility and elasticity. The ability to maintain constant change while maintaing the whole body force.

The practice is simple and is very systematic. Because of this the concepts are relatively easy to grasp and progress comes easily. The training is divided into six sections.

Zhan Zhuang ( standing pole ) is the foundation of Yiquan practice and is the exercise which all else is built upon. It is a form of standing meditation and an exercise that conditions and coordinates both mind and body for building a healthy body and as conditioning for martial arts practice. Initially the focus is on gaining an understanding of relaxation and quiet with its relation to correct posture. As the whole body and mind are exercised, both mind and body relax and stimulate the nervous system, increase circulation, open the joints, and raise the energy level of the individual for a feeling of overall well being. With further practice and an increase in the requirements for the mind and body,

Zhan Zhuang teaches the practitioner to develop a whole body strength maintained within opposing forces. This whole body strength is the basis for Yiquan’s martial arts practice and informs the complete Yiquan curriculum.

Shi li ( testing force ) uses small movements to test the principles that have been developed through the standing postures of Zhan Zhuang. In terms of health some of the shi li movements are the same exercises you will find in Qi Gong and are useful for further opening of the joints and exercising the connective tissue. For martial arts, Shi li practice is used to develop various expressions of force and the ability to use it. Though it should be noted that if you have acquired any amount of skill with the whole body force of zhan zhuang, the previously mentioned forces will occur spontaneously within all your movements. Shi li is the first step to learning how to move while maintaining the whole body force developed in zhan zhuang.

Fa li ( releasing force ) practices the ability to express force with explosive movements. Fa li is similar to shi li in all ways except that shi li is usually done very slowly in order to practice maintaining the requirements of the mind and body through the movement. Fa li is practiced with explosive movements.

Mocabu ( walking patterns ) is the practice of proper stepping that develops the ability to move the body in a centered and balanced way while maintaining the whole body force developed in zhan zhuang. Practicing mocabu will develop strength and control in your walking and allow for the freedom of movement while under pressure in martial arts.

Tui Shou ( pushing hands ) is a way to practice many of the elements of self defense in a cooperative manner. Through pushing hands a practitioner learns to maintain their whole body force while learning how to neutralize, absorb, and redirect different forces placed on the body. An important aspect of push hands is learning how to change yourself without losing your balance. Push hands is the necessary first step to actual proficiency in Yiquan martial arts practice and the ability to integrate all the preceding stages of Yiquan are tested.

San Shou ( free fighting ) is a free sparring practice for those who want to develop skills associated with self defense. It is with free sparring practice that all the elements of Yiquan come together and one learns how to respond to uncooperative force using Yiquan principles.

What is “health standing” and what benefits does it offer the practitioner?

Health standing implies standing that is specifically used for cultivating health. It is used for building strength in the body, learning how to relax the mind, releasing the holistic creative energies of the body and to reorganize the nervous system for coordinated movement based on the principles of balance and harmony. It is the building of the mind /body connection that is the basis for martial art training.

There are five aspects of mind and body that can be exercised with Zhan Zhuang. They are based on the idea that mind and body are connected, as you exercise the mind you are also exercising the body and vis versa. In Yiquan they are categorized as Awareness (Shen), Mind / Intent (Yi), Vital Energy (Chi), Physical Forces (Li), and Form (Xing). (Dr. James Kan, personal communication)

Xing is all the functioning systems of the body and includes the nervous, lymphatic, endocrine, digestive and circulatory systems; connective tissue, bones, and muscles. Basically all things that have to do with the physical body. Xing also implies the postural angles at which the body is held during exercise. Li is the understanding of how physical forces are directed with the mind and manifested in one’s self and between two persons. It is an understanding of the physics and geometry of the earth forces and how they act on the body. Li directly relates to martial arts practice, but also pertains to how efficiently you carry the structure of your body. Chi is the holistic creative energies of the body and their connection to the universal. Yi is mind and is to exercise the mind with visualizations and to use mind / intent to set up the conditions for physical movement. Shen is awareness and it’s practice is to activate the rejuvenating qualities of stillness and the characteristics of the focused awareness of consciousness.

The benefits to a practitioner is a complete mind / body exercise capable of improving strength, posture, and flexibility; improving the functioning systems of the body, reducing stress through relaxation and an overall increase of energy with a feeling of well-being. Heath standing is also an efficient way of exercising the mind and increasing your capacity for sustained focus and awareness.

What role does the mind play in standing?

The first indication as to the role of the mind in Yiquan, is in the name. Yi means mind and quan is boxing. It is because Wang Xiangzhai rejected the use of elaborate forms and chose to focus on the relationship of mind and body both in martial arts and health cultivation that he named his art mind / intent boxing.

Generally speaking there are two ways to use the mind when practicing Yiquan, control/monitoring and excitation. ( Yu 177) The first is utilizing the function of awareness to quiet restless thoughts, seeking the rejuvenating qualities of tranquility and the benefits of a relaxed focused mind during physical activity. The second use of the mind is through mind activity; to use visualizations as an aid in further relaxation, with imagination to increase the quality of physical exertion and with an increase of the requirements of mind and body to acquire the whole body force of Yiquan martial arts.

The use of the mind through awareness and the activity of imagination and visualization is very important. It is the mind that monitors the required balance in movement, the connection of opposites inside and outside the body, and it is the mind that manages and guides the movement of the whole body force of Yiquan.

Why is standing better than seated meditation?

The only difference between standing and sitting meditation is that standing includes the requirement of the body, so simultaneously you are conditioning mind and body. Standing meditation is actually more difficult since the requirements to relax the body and gain an element of comfort is more difficult in the standing position. Because the untrained body has weakness and feelings of being uncomfortable while holding a static posture it is difficult to focus your mind and acquire a state of quiet. It is in quiet that the regenerative qualities of the mind and body are united.

Can “health standing” be used as recovery from other types of external exercise?

Yes. The basic premise of health standing is built on the principle of movement and non-movement within a foundation of relaxation in order to build the body and doubly improve physiological functions. (Yu 61) This way of exercise is beneficial in reducing limitations in all physical activity.

As stated by Wang Xiangzhai in Zhan Zhuang:

“This form of exercise is different from other methods. It combines training and resting. While training, you are resting, while resting, you are training. It brings effect of harmonizing functions of nervous system, so all organs and parts of body can harmonically work under its control.” (12 )

There is actually little to no recovery time in health standing. Initially you may feel some minor fatigue as you build up the necessary strength to hold the postures, but as you make progress you are invigorated with the energy of relaxation. Plus, the exercises of zhan zhuang are not concerned with building the strength of bulky muscles or bringing oneself to failure and fatigue. With zhan zhuang you want to condition the muscles through to the connective tissue, ligaments, tendons, organs and bones connecting the whole body to develop a specific kind of balanced force. This is expressed in the saying “when one part moves, all parts move. No single point is without elasticity, while simultaneously, the whole body has elasticity and all force is equal from the center out” Add to this the power of a focused relaxed mind with intent as the driver of all movement and the positive effect on the physiological functions of the body and you have a very different way of exercising.

Part 1 of this interview – An Introduction to Yiquan: Martial Arts, Health, and Physical Fitness

Complete Works Cited for Part 1 and 2

Wang, Xiangzhai. Central Pivot of the Way of Fist. Trans. Kalisz, Andrzej. Warsaw, Poland:
Yiquan Academy, 2005. e-book.

—. Essence of Combat Science.Trans. Kalisz, Andrzej. Warsaw, Poland: Yiquan Academy,
2005. e-book.

—. Zhan Zhuang. Trans. Kalisz, Andrzej. Warsaw, Poland: Yiquan Academy, 2005.
e-book.

Yu Nong Yian. Zhan Zhuang & the Search of Wu. Trans. Jarek Szymanski. Shanghai, China:
China Martial Arts Ltd., 2006. e-book.

About the Author

Jaime Morrell is a black belt in Aikido and has been teaching martial arts to adults and children for over ten years. He has had the opportunity to train under many of the original students of Aikido founder Morehei Ueshiba and has attended multiple seminars throughout the country with the foremost Aikido instructors from the U.S. and Japan.

For the past six years he has devoted himself to the internal martial art of Yiquan and his study has continued under the supervision of Dr. James Kan. It is through Yiquan that his previous study of physical fitness, qigong, meditation, and martial arts has come together into one discipline.

He has a BFA from the School of Visual Arts and is also a professional graphic designer.

Embrace the Suck!

Jon — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:56:57 +0000

No one wants to work hard for anything anymore. It’s true. Take a look around at our modern culture. Instant satisfaction is everywhere from fast food to movies on demand. We literally have to wait for nothing. And, while the convenience is great and quite useful for the most part, it has also has had a deleterious effect on our lives that is sometimes overlooked or unseen. It has eroded our patience and destroyed our work ethic – at least when it comes to the really hard stuff like physical development and skill acquisition. Why? Because these things are not and cannot be had instantaneously. They require consistent practice and drive. I mean, c’mon they now have pills to take that burn fat while you sleep? Are you kidding me? How lazy can we be? By the way though, if you get your diet correct and even skip a meal once in a while, you will burn fat while you sleep without the damn pills, but that’s another blog post….

As you may have noticed, martial arts training and conditioning to develop the proper levels of fitness, mechanics, technique, attributes, and that all elusive sense of flow can be difficult, repetitious, and sometimes downright boring, to be honest. So how do we keep going in our daily training? How do we push ourselves through the plateaus and dry spots with enough intensity and consistency to break through to our own personal greatness? (See what some of the historical martial greats had to say about it in this article here.) My advice is to embrace the suck – yeah, the suck. Learn to love it. Crave it. Become friends with it. So when it hits, you not only can push through it, but actually embrace it. Dostoyevsky said to “love your suffering.” The Chinese martial artists call it, “eating bitter.” We here at Warrior Fitness call it “embracing the suck!”

Does this make you weird? Well, yes, but only in some circles. But for the most part it earns you respect. Why? Because most people can’t do it. Being able to embrace the suck and keep going distinguishes you. It differentiates you from the pack. It makes you a leader. If you want to be a leader, there’s only one way to do it – lead from the front. That’s the only way to inspire people – by your own example. What example do you set for your students, your family, your friends, your kids?

Learning to embrace the suck allows you to, as the great method acting coach Stanislavsky once wrote, “make the difficult habitual: what is habitual will become easy, and what is easy will become agreeable.” So even embracing the suck is a process which allows us to continue to train with greater intensity and focus, and thus push through even greater levels of suck.

However, the best part about embracing the suck is when the suck ends and you come out on the other side. You’ve fought the good fight, pushed through the barrier, and overcome the adversity once again. You’re a stronger person for it. You know it. I know it. So go out and live it!

The Warrior Fitness Guide to Striking Power is Here!

The Sanshin of Warrior Fitness

Jon — Thu, 05 May 2011 14:16:48 +0000

A short introduction may be necessary for those readers not familiar with Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu. Sanshin no kata is a basic training exercises within the system that templates movement patterns for Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu. In English, it translates to “form of three hearts”. These three hearts are mind, body, and spirit. All three must be united for technique to come alive for the martial arts practitioner. Without all three aspects of body, mind, and spirit unified the kata become empty shells of movement, devoid of essence.

Bujinkan martial arts are the wellspring from which my concept of Warrior Fitness sprung as a natural outcropping. So as my philosophy of Warrior Fitness continues to evolve, it naturally gravitates to this type of structure for me to express it. In keeping with the trinity of mind, body, and spirit, here is how I see it for Warrior Fitness:

Mind -Concentration and focus along with an understanding of the interrelationship of the exercises and how they integrate with and enhance the way we move in the world.

Body - Forging a strong body to carry us through the challenges we face.

Spirit - Pushing the edge to consistently increase resistance to failure.

The Sanshin no kata consist of 5 forms which are called, Chi no kata (earth form), Sui no kata (water form), Ka no kata (fire form), Fu no kata (wind form), and Ku no kata (void form). Those who have read Miyamoto Musashi’s famous work, Go Rin No Sho – A Book of 5 Rings, are most likely familiar with the terminology as well. Here is how each is expressed in Warrior Fitness:

Earth - Building strength, stability, and structure in movement and stillness

Water - Freedom of movement through all ranges of motion, flow state

Fire - Metabolic conditioning to ignite fat loss and sculpt lean muscle

Wind - Breathing exercises to vitalize every cell in the body

Void - Pushing the edge of our limitless potential

Hone Your Mind, Invigorate Your Spirit, and Make Fierce the Body with Warrior Fitness!

Create Your Own Adversity!

Jon — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:26:13 +0000

“Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course.” ~William Shakespeare

Philosophers and sages throughout the ages have consistently extolled the virtues of facing adversity for the purposes of becoming a better, stronger person. No matter what form this adversity takes, wisdom dictates that it must be faced head-on, weathered through, and successfully beaten by coming out the other side, maybe scarred, but assuredly battle-hardened and spiritually tougher. Oftentimes, adversity comes to us unbidden simply due to the path we choose to follow, or even for no fathomable reason at all. It tends to be one of those things life throws at us unexpectedly to “help” us prove our mettle and forge our character.

It has been said that “God comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable”. If this is so, perhaps creating your own adversity isn’t a bad thing at all.

The goal in creating your own adversity is to design a challenge that will push the limits of your physical strength, mental toughness, and spiritual fortitude in order to propel you forward to the next level in your training. For the warrior, this process is known as Shugyo. Shugyo (修行) may be defined as “conducting oneself in a way that inspires mastery”. These periods of severe training were usually undertaken by warriors to achieve a type of enlightening experience which opened their minds by destroying their concept of previously perceived limits. It is the same for us today.

Ueshiba Morihei, the founder of Aikido, was well known for taking his students up into the mountains for periods of Shugyo.

“Once a year, Morihei took several of his best disciples to train with him on Mount Kurama, located near Kyoto. The small group lived on rice, pickles, miso soup, and wild herbs. Morihei would rise at five AM to pray. After morning prayers and misogi, they would swing heavy swords five hundred times and then practice footwork. From ten AM to noon they trained in body techniques. Afternoon training ran from three to five PM; the disciples took turns acting as Morihei’s partner as he ran through series after series of techniques. In the evenings the disciples would review the day’s training. Every three days, Morihei would announce at midnight ‘time for night training’…”
Excerpt from “Invincible Warrior”, by John Stevens pg. 125

Now, do you have to seclude yourself in the mountains for several days in order to practice Shugyo? No. For most of us, that’s not realistic or practical, but that doesn’t mean we can’t create the same type of experience for ourselves. So, how do we do it?

Create Your Own Adversity!

Caution:This type of training is not for everyone. Before you begin, there are a few common sense type precautions you should take. First, prepare adequately. For example, you would not go out to run the NY Marathon tomorrow if you’ve never run more than 5 miles. Second, if you decide to conduct your Shugyo outdoors, let someone know where you’re going, what you’re doing, and how long you’ll be gone, or better yet, take them with you! Third and most importantly, think before you do and plan accordingly.

1. Pick a time or day that has personal significance to you – it can be your birthday, New Years Day, or the anniversary of something important in your life. Is this absolutely necessary? No. You can pick next Tuesday if you’d like, but I think tying your Shugyo to a significant day makes it more special.

2. Decide what form your Shugyo will take. This must be unique to your goals and capabilities. Choose something that is currently beyond your reach, but not so far as to make it completely unattainable. You want to focus and hone your physical, mental, and spiritual abilities, not your imagination. Some examples are:

Run a marathon
Climb a mountain
1000 cuts with a heavy bokken (wooden sword)
1000 Kettlebell snatches
1000 reps of any basic techniques or combination of techniques
Sparring 20 opponents in a row, nonstop
1000 Push-ups/Squats/Sit-ups

While any of the above would more than qualify as Shugyo, my personal preference is to plan an entire day where the whole becomes greater than the sum of the individual parts. Some recommendations for the parts are:Junan Taiso warm-up, run (distance TBD by you), practice the basic strikes, kicks, and footwork of your particular martial art, Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu for me (high reps to push your limits, of course!), weapons practice (sword cuts, spear thrusts, bo swinging, etc.), high repetition bodyweight exercise(s) or workout with weights (dumbbells, kettlebells, clubbells, sandbags), end with an extra long yoga session to wring out all the tension accumulated throughout the day followed by meditation and rest.

3. Create a training program to get you there. Let’s face it, most of the above examples are not something most people can decide to do in a day, they take time, preparation, and work to bring the goal within reach. Remember the “6 P’s”: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance!

4. Get to work!!

Creating your own adversity through Shugyo has the effect of focusing not just your mind, but your entire being for the purposes of expanding your potential. Push yourself harder than you ever thought possible and blow through your preconceived limitations – remember, the only limits that truly exist are those set up in your own mind – there are no limits!

“God brings men into deep waters, not to drown them, but to cleanse them.” ~John Aughey

So Ya Wanna Be a Ninja?

Jon — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:25:29 +0000

Masaaki Hatsumi, Grandmaster of the Bujinkan Dojo, once stated, “endurance is of primary importance for the ninja.” One definition of endurance is the ability to resist fatigue. Looking at the kanji (Chinese character) for Nin, there is the ideogram for “sword” over the ideogram for “heart” giving Nin a meaning of, “even though you hold a sword over my heart, I will endure.”

How many of us training in the Bujinkan, or any other martial art, can truthfully claim that ability? How long can you train? How far can you push yourself? In martial art, endurance, or the ability to “keep going” is defined in years, not minutes, hours, or days. How can we create an effective training program that will instill in us the ability to continue, to endure?

Physical Endurance

Let’s begin by examining the concept of physical endurance. There are 3 basic types of physical endurance:

Aerobic endurance
Anaerobic endurance
Strength endurance

We discussed the body’s 3 energy systems and how using the Tabata Protocol can effectively improve both the aerobic and anaerobic systems here. Strength endurance is defined as the ability to effectively maintain muscular functioning under work conditions of long duration. There are two basic ways to increase the ability of your body to do more physical work. One is the continuous adding of weights, sets, reps, and time to push the body to create an adaptation to allow it to perform more work for a longer duration. As we discussed previously in the article on GPP, the body’s capacity is expanded. Progress is incremental and continuous for as long as one is able to keep increasing driving forces in the body. The next one, however, is often overlooked in our “just add more volume” culture. More is always better, right? If one vitamin is good for you, take 4, that’s even better (please dont’!). But, there is another way to allow the body to continue training in addition (no pun intended) to adding more work. By removing restrictions in your body, like unnecessary tension or extra body weight or lack of flexibility/mobility in a particular area, you then free up resources in your body that were spent holding that tension that you weren’t even aware of on a conscious level. These restrictions, once removed, allow even greater leaps in performance than simply adding more work. When the 2 are combined, it’s a powerful combination!

How Do We Program It?

By programming our workouts so that we effectively build in both the removal of restrictive forces, while also increasing driving forces, we can maximize our progress. This idea is present in traditional methods of Hatha Yoga in the form of balancing strength and surrender. Contrary to popular opinion, yogi’s do not simply work to become more flexible. They actively work to increase both strength and flexibility as complimentary opposites in order to achieve a state of balance. Now, I’m not asking you to become a yogi here, merely pointing out that this is not a new concept at all, but has been used by traditional arts for thousands of years. Our program for developing ninja-like endurance will utilize both joint mobility exercises and yoga asana (poses), as well as breathing exercises, to aid in the removal of restrictive forces binding your training and slowing your progress. Next week I will be putting out an article on breathing exercises that can be used for relaxation, stress management, removing residual tension, and also for increasing energy – keep your eyes out!

For an example of some easy yoga postures that can start helping you right now, head over to my good friend Josh Sager’s excellent blog, Fretterverse, and check out my article on Yoga for Guitarists. A free sample joint mobility training program can be obtained simply by signing up for the Warrior Fitness Mailing List at the top right of the page. Sign up now and begin working on removing restrictive forces today!

And, don’t forget to check out Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Artists for more exercises, options, explanations, and program design!

Stay tuned for a sample Strength Endurance Workout coming soon!

Training as You Grow Older

Jon — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:53:23 +0000

One of the greatest challenges a long term fitness enthusiast faces is the debilitating impact of age. Certainly everyone understands the concept but what does it actually mean? The average person has a higher metabolism when they are younger, a faster recovery rate, greater use of energy stores and suppleness around the joints. So why exactly do we age? Well did you know that for the average person the maximum heart rate is 220 – age? That means when you are 20 your heart can go up to 200 bpm, whereas at 60 your max is 160bpm. That’s a big difference. Essentially like all human tissue the heart is constantly in a state or recreation, cells die and new ones are created. However as the body gets older this ability to replace old cells with new ones becomes less efficient. In a sense it is not the body that ages, but the ability to rejuvenate decreases over time.

That is the bad news. The good news is that a lot can be done to counter-act the effects of ageing via exercise. This can be divided into circulatory, respiratory, structural and the nerves.

How Does Exercise Help?

As mentioned the heart output decreases with age, generally a very fit endurance athlete has developed a large heart capacity. That is the volume of blood per pump has increased as a result of training. If age means that the heart will pump less frequently and become less powerful then what can be done? Quite simply the best thing to do is make better use of the blood that is being sent around the body. Exercises that improve blood circulation to the extremities are extremely beneficial at all ages and very useful for combating age. Joint rotations, light resistance frequent repetition exercises are excellent for this. Walking is perhaps the best of all.

As many biology students know, a major purpose of blood is to transfer oxygen around the body so focus should also be paid to the respiratory system. It should also be mentioned that the oxygen in the body is very useful for cell reproduction too. Breathing exercises not only help with good quality respiration but also assist with the structural stability of primarily the upper body but also the body as a whole.

Structurally speaking the body may be divided into bones, connective tissue and muscles for simplification. As stated good blood flow and breathing will already provide a boost to these systems. Perhaps we must accept that due to age repetitive actions will not be maintained to the same count as was possible in youth. But what about strength? Scientists have been studying muscle strength and age for at least the last 15 years and concluded that muscles can grow and remain strong at any age. This means resistance exercises such as moderate and heavy weights will be very useful for maintaining structural strength. Also bone mass is related to muscle mass directly, so strengthening muscles reduces the risk of damage to bones and increases calcium absorption. Studies have shown that laboring women in areas with limited calcium in the diet have less cases of Osteoporosis than sedentary women with high calcium diets. In other words resistance exercise not only maintains more youthful strong muscles but also increase the utilization of chemicals like calcium in bone tissue. Joining the muscles and the bones are connective tissues which get stiffer and less elastic if under utilized. Lack of flexibility results in lack of mobility, this in turn impacts the benefits of exercise and increases the risk of injury. Flexibility training such as Yoga or Makko-ho is very useful for combating decreased flexibility and also rejuvenating connective tissue.

Stretching and structural organization is beneficial not only for maintaining mobility but also because it opens up an often forgotten part of the body called the nervous system. It is not possible to strengthen nerves directly and again age will deteriorate nerve function. But, by using muscles and working on flexibility the nerves can be stimulated to be more effective in function. This is important for not just general co-ordination but also the non-voluntary nervous system which is responsible for among many things, yes, the heart.

Taking the Holistic Approach

We have come full circle and this is an important point. When we are younger we can focus on weights, or marathons and any kind of activity we like. This is because our general health is fine and we simply pursue excellence in whatever activity we choose. As we get older however the general health starts to decline if not maintained. That is why aging persons should take a holistic approach to training to ensure all the important body systems are being stimulated. The circulation, the breath, the structure and the nerves must all be improved upon. It is very tempting to wait until the effects of age are experienced before reacting to change. Of course it is fine to start exercising and focusing on health at any time. However the best solution to aging is to prepare early on for the kind of body you will need as you do age. Combine light exercises and breathing with heavy exercises and stretching now and save making major adjustments tomorrow.

About the Author

Tony Notarianni has been training in martial arts since the age of 12. Up to this point, although quite active, he had very little interest in sports and fitness but that all changed over the coming years. He started studying Sport as a subject at school and finally graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Sport and Exercise Science in 1998. Although not a typical sportsman and not a great fan of any one sport, Tony was always keen to try new activities and considers the world to be literally full of physical experiences to explore. Before graduation he was working at a sports complex where he was a lifeguard and could join and observe many different forms of exercise. He also taught circuit classes and was a qualified personal fitness instructor. After graduation he chased the dollar and ended up working in Software Development. Although becoming more sedentary he still has a deep rooted interest in improving himself physically and developing his knowledge.

No related posts.

Applying Six Sigma Principles to Your Fitness Plan

Jon — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:18:08 +0000

Six Sigma is a process improvement methodology that has its origins in the manufacturing business. It has been adapted and expanded to cover a wide variety of business products, services, and help foster solutions in terms of reducing costs, removing defects, and continuously increasing efficiencies.

Today, we are moving from the boardroom to the gym and looking at ways to apply a scaled-down version of Six Sigma methodology to improving your health and fitness. Right now, you are the product and we are looking for ways to foster continuous improvement in you!

What is DMAIC?

Let’s look at one of the basic methodologies for Six Sigma projects called DMAIC and see how it can be applied to improve your fitness program.

DEFINE the problem and project goals specifically.

What are your fitness goals, right now, today? Whether it’s to lose a certain number of pounds in an allotted timeframe, or be able to do a one-arm push-up at 40, it doesn’t matter. Here is where we define our objective.

MEASURE key aspects and collect data.

What is your current weight or dress size or waist size?
How many push-ups can you do in one session?
How many calories, carbohydrates, and grams of protein do you eat daily?
How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you eat daily?
What is your resting heart rate? Blood pressure? Cholesterol numbers?
How fast can you run a mile?
Or, any other measurements that pertain specifically to the goal you outlined in the Define section above.

ANALYZE the data to investigate and verify cause and effect relationships. Determine the root cause of the problem.

Do you have 3 sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches from Dunkin Donuts daily and notice that your cholesterol has sky-rocketed, your blood pressure is too high, and your waist line has expanded?
Do you run out of breath climbing a flight of stairs?
Or, not have enough energy to play with you kids in the park?
Do you aspire to run a marathon this year, but can’t get motivated?
Look closely at the data you gathered above and figure out what is holding you back from achieving your goal.

IMPROVE or optimize the process based on the analysis.

Here is where all the real work gets done, but also where you may encounter a stumbling block. You’ve defined your goal, measured key aspects as they relate to your goal, analyzed all the data and determined the root cause of the problem, but what do you do now? This is where having a knowledgeable fitness professional comes into play. You need someone who can review the findings above and determine the best possible solution for you. This includes:

Knowledge and understanding of exercise methodologies and how to apply them on a case-by-case basis.
Ability to design an individualized fitness plan for you.
Ability to communicate, break things down, and respond accordingly to questions and concerns.
Ability to motivate and keep you on the path.

CONTROL future state process to ensure any deviations from the target are corrected before they result in defects.

Here is where your progress is charted and tracked to make sure slippage does not occur. If slippage does occur, it can be noticed and corrected for immediately to assure the project – a fit and healthy you – remains on track!

Many companies and organizations have applied these principles to better their businesses, increase production, reduce costs, and improve their overall business processes. Why shouldn’t you be able to take the same ideas and apply them to your health and fitness?

Want to know more? Check out Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts!

No related posts.