Exercise | Life Health Fitness

Lunge Progression: Start Easy and Progress Over Time

You need lunges in your lower body routine! They’re a basic exercise that works the muscles in the front and the back of the thighs as well as the glutes. They also offer a balance challenge to help you improve your proprioceptive skills. You can choose from a variety of lunge variations that are more difficult than a standard lunge. Here’s a simple lunge progression from easiest to hardest to help you get started with this lower body exercise.

Pulsing Lunge

The easiest way to get acquainted with lunges is to do a pulsing lunge. This movement targets primarily the quads but also works the hamstrings, glutes, and calves to a lesser degree. It’s a good introduction to the exercise because it will teach you the appropriate movement patterns you need to progress into more advanced lunges. Here’s how to do one:

•Step one foot forward and descend into a standard lunge with your legs at a 90-degree angle.

•Keep your weight on your front heel as you pulse up and down.

•Do ten pulses and switch legs.

Backward Lunge

Why begin with a backward lunge? It might sound a bit “backward,” but there are reasons. The backward lunge is a safer movement if you have knee pain Lunging backward places less stress on the knees since the momentum is shifted back rather than forward. Yet, it still strengthens the muscles in your lower body, including the quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Plus, you’re generating the power to lunge from the leg that stays on the ground. This makes backward lunges easier to perform, as you’re in a more stable position. So, start with backward lunges before tackling a forward one.

Here how to do one:

•Stand upright with your hands on your hips and spine neutral.

•Step your right foot back behind you as you descend into a lunge. Your right knee should almost touch the floor at the bottom of the lunge.

•Use your right foot to push yourself back to the starting position.

•Repeat the same sequence stepping your left foot back.

•Keep alternating legs.

Forward Lunge

After you’re comfortable with pulsing and backward lunges, get ready to try a full, forward lunge. As mentioned, it’s more of a balance challenge as your body is less stable when you step forward than when you step back. It’s also harder on the knees as it increases the compressive forces on the knee joint. You can lower the risk of knee injury by not letting your knees go over your toes. On the plus side, the added instability means your core muscles get more of a workout. Nothing wrong with a little extra core work!

Here’s how to do one:

•Stand upright with your hands on your hips and your spine neutral.

•Step your right foot forward as you lower your body into a lunge position. Lower your body to the point that your left knee almost touches the floor.

•Use your right foot to push your body back to the starting position.

•Repeat the sequence by stepping your left leg forward as you lower your body into a lunge position.

•Use your left foot to push your body back up to the starting position.

•Keep alternating legs.

Lateral Lunge

Once you’ve mastered the forward and backward lunge, tackle a lateral lunge. Lunging laterally offers benefits you won’t get from forward and backward lunges. This move works your inner thighs more, a muscle group that often gets neglected. Here’s how to do one:

•Stand facing front with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.

•Shift your body weight to the right leg as you lower your body as far as you can to the right side. Your left leg should remain straight.

•Use your left foot to push your body back to the starting position.

•Now, shift your body weight to the left leg as you lower your body to the left. Keep your right leg straight.

•Use your right foot to push your body back to the starting point.

•Alternate back and forth.

Forward to Backward Lunge

This is a more advanced variation that’s more dynamic and requires greater agility and coordination. Don’t try it until you’ve mastered the forward and backward lunge. Here’s how to do it:

•Stand upright with arms by your side and spine neutral.

•Step your right foot forward and do a full, forward lunge.

•Push off your right foot and immediately bring your right leg back behind you as you do a backward lunge.

•Return to the starting position and switch legs.

•Continue to alternate legs as you complete a forward and backward lunge on each side.

More Advanced Lunges

These aren’t the only lunge variations you can do. For example, you can create an added balance challenge by placing your foot on an unstable surface, like a BOSU ball, when you do forward lunges. The foot that moves forward lands on the rounded portion of the ball. You can also make the move more dynamic by doing walking lunges where you step forward with your right leg and descend into a lunge. Then use your right foot to keep you stable as you bring your left leg forward into a lunge on the opposite side. Keep switching back and forth as you move across the floor. But, master the basics first!

Tips for Safer, More Effective Lunges

Always begin a lunge workout with a dynamic warm-up. Good exercises for getting lunge-ready include leg swings, butt kicks, and high knees. Since the emphasis is on the lower body, you want the muscles you’re working to be warm and ready to work. If you have knee problems, stick mainly to backward lunges as they place the least compressive forces on the knees. If you do forward lunges, decrease the depth to which you descend. In other words, don’t go all the way down.

Conclusion

Lunges are an ideal exercise for the quads and they also target the hamstrings and glutes. Start with the basic moves, and prioritize backward lunges over forward ones if you have a history of knee pain. They can also help improve your balance.

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4 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Results From Your Strength Workout

You’ve been lifting weights for months. In fact, you’re a regular at the gym. But despite your efforts, you’ve yet to see a bicep ripple or even a hint of a six-pack. Frustrating, isn’t it? Some people genetically have difficulty building lean body mass, but most commonly, lack of progress comes down to ineffective training and diet. Here are some of the reasons you’re not building muscle definition.

You’re Lifting for Endurance rather Than Strength

To gain lean body mass and definition, you need to lift a weight that’s heavy enough to fatigue your muscles after eight to twelve reps. If you’re lifting heavy enough, it should be a struggle to complete the last rep in a set. If you’re using weights you can easily lift more than 12 times, you’re training for muscle endurance rather than strength and definition.

Muscles grow on the basis of progressive overload, when you force them to deal with greater loads over time. Once you can lift the weight you’re using eight to twelve times, and you’re not struggling to do the last repetition, it’s time to increase the weight. Good form is important too. Don’t just go through the motions. If you’re swinging or jerking the weight, you’re using too much momentum, which makes the exercise less effective.

You’re Not Getting Enough Calories or Protein

Some people become so obsessed with losing body fat that they don’t take in enough calories to support muscle growth. Use an online calculator to find out how many calories you need a day based on your activity level, and make sure you’re getting that amount from whole foods, not junk foods.

Protein can be an issue too. Sedentary people need about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, but if you’re lifting hard, you may need as much as 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Protein is often a problem for people who restrict calories. If you don’t give your muscles the building blocks they need to grow, you won’t get definition. Exercise is only one part of the muscle-building equation. If you’re not seeing results, take a closer look at how you’re eating.

You’re Doing Too Much Cardio

If you’re doing an hour or more of cardio and spending 15 minutes lifting weights, don’t expect to see muscle definition. Doing that much cardio, especially if you’re not getting enough calories, sends your body into a catabolic state that makes it almost impossible to build lean body mass. When you do long periods of cardio without getting enough calories and carbs, it leads to muscle breakdown as your body looks for alternative sources of glucose to fuel your workout. Your liver supplies through a process called gluconeogenesis, but it uses amino acids that come from the breakdown of muscle tissue. Too much cardio and inadequate nutrition cannibalizes muscle tissue – and that’s not a good thing if you want more definition.

You’re Overtraining

Muscles not only need to be stimulated, they need time to recover too. More isn’t always better when it comes to strength workouts. If you’re working the same muscles without giving them at least 48 hours to recover, you won’t get the definition you’re looking for because you’re not giving them the time they need to repair before breaking down muscle fibers again. If you’re lifting hard, you’ll get results by working each muscle group only once or twice a week. At the very least, give each muscle group a two day rest before challenging it again.

Other Tips

Make sure you’re getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night. This is time for your body’s time to repair, and that’s when you release much of your growth hormone. Don’t skimp on sleep.

The Bottom Line?

Most failure to see muscle definition stems from improper training and inadequate nutrition. Keep these factors in mind if you’re not getting results.

References:

Exercise Physiology. Fifth Edition. McArdle, Katch and Katch. 2001.

What is Proprioception and Why Are Good Proprioceptive Skills Important When You Exercise?

Exercise places a significant amount of stress on your body. It’s a good kind of stress, but if you’re not properly trained and haven’t developed a certain level of fitness, your risk of injury goes up. Using good form during resistance training and doing a balanced workout that targets all the major muscle groups helps lower your risk for injury. It also improves muscle strength in a balanced manner. But there’s another aspect of training you may not be as familiar with. It’s proprioceptive skills. You need effective proprioceptive skills if you play sports, especially sports that require quick movements and rapid changes in position. It can even help your performance when you strength train.

What is Proprioception?

What is proprioception? It’s the ability to tell how your body and limbs are oriented in space without looking at them. Having the ability to do this allows your body to make the necessary adjustments needed for you to stay stable when you move around. You make these adjustments constantly throughout the day without conscious awareness. For example, you walk down the street and encounter an object in your path that threatens to send you tumbling on to the sidewalk. Hopefully, the pathways involved in proprioception will react quickly enough to keep you from taking a nasty fall!

Another time strong proprioception works in your favor is when you try to find your way in the dark when you don’t have visual input. Normally, you depend on visual markers to help you navigate through a dark room. If you don’t have visual cues because the lights are out, you need proprioception to help you reach your destination safely. The systems that help you successfully get around safely are threefold–proprioception, visual, and vestibular. They all work together, but proprioception and your vestibular system have to work overtime when you’re operating in the dark or with your eyes closed.

You might wonder how proprioception works. Your muscles, tendons, and joints have receptors called mechanoreceptors that are highly sensitive to position changes and changes in tension. If these receptors detect even a small change, they send a signal to your brain and your brain makes the appropriate compensation to keep you stable and upright. This goes on “behind the scenes” without you having to think about it.

You Need Good Proprioception

Having strong proprioception is obviously important if you play sports. Knowing where your body and limbs are positioned in space helps you move more efficiently and accurately. It also lowers your risk of a potentially catastrophic injury. When you play sports, your environment is constantly changing and the quicker you can react the better your performance will be in your chosen sport and the lower your risk of injury will be.

As you can see, proprioceptive skills are vital for success in sports, but you also need them to safely carry out the activities you do daily. You use proprioception every time you change positions, rise out of a chair, or move across a room. Unfortunately, proprioceptive abilities decline with age. That’s one reason the risk of falls goes up with age, especially when you combine poor proprioception with declining vision and loss of muscle strength and power. It’s a bad combination! Changes in proprioception with aging also contribute to joint degeneration and arthritis.

Fortunately, you can improve your proprioceptive skills with consistent training. Doing so will positively impact your performance when you train and your functionality in daily life. How do you know if your proprioceptive skills are weak? Here’s a simple test:

From a standing position, place one foot in front of the other so that the heel of one foot touches the toes of the other and your feet form a straight line.
Raise your arms straight out to your sides at shoulder height as you hold this position.
Hold this stance as long as you can while someone times you.

If you can’t hold this position for at least 30 seconds, your proprioceptive skills could use some work.

How to Improve Your Proprioceptive Skills

Plyometric drills are helpful for improving proprioception. One that’s particularly beneficial is lateral jumps where you jump back and forth across an invisible line. Here’s how to do them:

Stand on one side of an imaginary line or a line you created with tape.
Lower your body into a quarter squat and jump across the line to the other side. Land in a squat position.
Continue jumping back and forth across the line.

Another way to improve proprioception is to remove visual input from the exercises you do. In other words, close your eyes when you do exercises like squats and lunges. When you do this, you force your proprioceptive pathways to work harder since there’s no visual input. Try doing on the final set of an exercise. It may be difficult at first, especially lunges, but as it becomes easier, you’ll know your proprioception is improving.

You can even work on proprioception when you’re standing at the sink brushing your teeth or washing dishes. Raise one leg off the ground and hold it as long as you can. Then, try it with your eyes closed. Much harder, right?

Another way to enhance proprioception is to do some exercises on an unstable surface, like a BOSU ball. When you perform your last set of squats or curls, do the exercises while standing on a BOSU ball. Working on an unstable surface, like a BOSU ball, has other benefits as well. It forces your core and stabilizing muscles to work harder. Some people even invest in a wobble board to work on proprioception, but you don’t need to do that. If you use the techniques above, your proprioception should improve over time.

Conclusion

Getting strong, powerful, and building muscle endurance and cardiovascular fitness are important, but so is strong proprioception. Improving this skill will help you in every aspect of your training and your daily life. You’ll also have a leg up on the aging process, as the loss of these skills is a common cause of disability in older people. Now, you have a better idea of how to improve proprioception when you train.

References:

Stack.com. “Why Athletes Need Balance and Proprioception Training”

Front Hum Neurosci. 2014; 8: 1075.

Elevate Your Exercise: 11 Tips for a Better, Brisker Walk To Help You Lose Weight

Walking is one of the best exercises for bone strength, cardiovascular health, and weight loss, plus it’s easy and convenient to do. But walking can get boring day in and day out, especially if you follow the same routine. That doesn’t mean you have to switch to a new form of exercise. There are many ways to boost your walking routine so you’ll be energized every day to hit the pavement–and endure. Try these 10 tips, and see how easy it is to give your step more pep:

Alter Your Route

If you stick to the same walking path every day, you’re bound to get bored. Try alternating your route for a more inspiring walk that will get you moving at a quick clip rather than a tired saunter. Find a new trail that’s scenic and diverse, or explore a different roadway or sidewalk. Always keep safety first, though. Avoid busy streets as well as dangerously isolated paths.

Hydrate Well

Sometimes a tiresome walk is simply the result of not being well hydrated. Water does more than satiate thirst; it provides energy and a clear mind to help prepare you for exercise. Hydrate before you head out the door, but also take a water bottle along to sip on while walking. Be sure to empty your bladder before you begin to exercise to avoid discomfort and disruption.

Bring a Peppy but Quiet Partner

Enlisting a walking partner can be a great way to improve your walk, as long as the partner inspires you to exercise at your best. Optimal exercise partners are those who don’t chatter and who share similar fitness goals. Walking with someone who’s even more fit than you can motivate you to work harder. Dogs in good physical shape make excellent walking partners, too.

Invest in a Good Walking Shoe

If your feet aren’t comfortable, walking can be tedious, painful, and unproductive. Don’t let your shoes downgrade your walk. Investing in a good pair of walking shoes is well worth the cost. You’ll keep your feet be happy, be able to move at a faster pace, and endure longer on your walk. For the best results, get fitted for a walking shoe with an athletic shoe specialist.

Get Plugged In

Listening to music has many benefits, including energizing you. Put together a tape of your favorite songs and get some comfortable ear buds for a walk that will lift your spirits and hasten your gait. When listening to music outdoors, be sure to keep the volume at a level that allows you to hear noises on the street. Playing music too loud can harm your ears and threaten safety.

Incorporate Other Movement

All you may need to do to get more bounce in your step is to change it or add a few new steps. Incorporating movement into your walk can increase the intensity of your routine. Try skipping, hopping, or even dancing while you walk. Include arm extensions or circles for variety. Changing the way you move will work other muscles and turn your walk into a workout.

Pick the Morning

Mornings are generally the coolest time of the day, which is important for outdoor walkers because you’ll have more energy exercising in cool weather than the hot sun. But mornings can be the best time to walk indoors, too, since your mind and body are refreshed after a night of sleep. Avoid walking within a few hours of bed; late night exercise can contribute to insomnia.

Satiate Hunger First

Some people prefer to go walking as soon as they get out of bed. But doing any kind of exercise on an empty stomach can be draining and cut your routine short. You don’t need to eat a full meal to get the energy you need for an invigorating walk. In fact, eating a small protein snack like a handful of nuts, cup of yogurt, or banana, is best before beginning exercise.

Dress the Part

All-over comfort has a big impact on how fast you walk. If you’re too cold, too warm, itchy, or painfully aware of your clothing, it will affect the speed and quality of your walk. Wear layers that can be peeled off, choose clothing in comfortable fabrics, and make sure your walking wear is loose fitting and unnoticeable. Dress the part for a brisk, energizing walk, and your chances of getting one will improve.

Choose a Walker-Friendly Surface

Whether you prefer the treadmill, a sidewalk, or a hiking path, make sure the surface is walker friendly. Walking surfaces can make your gait lively or sluggish, depending on the ground condition. Choose terrain that is easy on your feet, while still giving you a challenging walk. Inclines are fine and help boost exercise; just make sure there are no hazards in the way, like rocks or branches.

Use a Walking Pole

You don’t have to be disabled or have an injury to use a walking pole. There are plenty of walking poles on the market that you can use to in your walkout for safety and for fitness. Some of the benefits of using a walking pole are increase calorie burn due to arm movement while using the pole, increase posture and back strength.

Walking is an ideal form of exercise, but don’t just walk the walk. Follow the above tips, and you’ll feel inspired and energized to hoof it as briskly as your feet can go.

What’s the Difference Between Running and Jogging?

Do you head outdoors and pound your heels against the pavement to get a workout? You’re in good company! You might describe what you’re doing as running or you might call it jogging. People sometimes use these words interchangeably without understanding what they mean and how they differ. In general, running is more intense than jogging. Jogging, for a fit person, is a somewhat relaxing activity that affords the chance to get outdoors and breathe in fresh air while burning calories and getting cardiovascular benefits. In other words, jogging is a bit “lower key” than running. But there are other differences. Let’s see what distinguishes running from jogging.

Is there a set speed you have to attain to switch from jogging to running? Although there isn’t a standard definition of what constitutes running, most sources say you’re running if you reach a speed of at least six miles per hour. Jogging corresponds to a slower speed of five miles per hour or less. If you run at six miles per hour, you’re running a 10-minute mile. Depending upon your fitness level, this can be a rather leisurely pace or a somewhat challenging one. Both will give you a decent workout.

Running vs. Jogging: Do the Health and Fitness Benefits Differ?

Both running and jogging offer health benefits, particularly for your heart. Yet, in general, research suggests more intense exercise boosts cardiovascular fitness more than a light jog. Cardiovascular fitness is measured in terms of aerobic capacity, the maximal amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise. More intense exercise, like running, improves aerobic capacity faster and to a greater degree than jogging or brisk walking. Why is this important? When you have a higher aerobic capacity, you have more stamina and endurance. In other words, you can maintain sub-maximal exercise longer than someone with a lower aerobic capacity. Research also links greater aerobic capacity with a reduction in mortality.

Both jogging and running burn calories, but running burns more calories per minute than jogging. That’s because you expend more energy for each minute you exercise when you pick up the pace. Running and jogging are also high-impact exercises that help preserve bone density. High impact exercise is movement where both feet leave the ground at the same time. Jogging and running are better for preserving bone than walking since walking involves less impact on the bones.

To burn the same number of calories, you have to jog longer than if you run. So, if you’re trying to get leaner, running is a better choice. The disadvantage of jogging is doing it frequently or for longer periods of time can lead to repetitive stress injuries, including Achilles tendonitis, inflammation of the tendons in the lower legs. These issues are a common problem for joggers and runners, especially those that put in too many miles. Picking up the pace by running offers some advantages, as you can get similar calorie-burning benefits in a shorter period of time.

Running in Intervals

One way to get the benefits of running, if don’t want to run for sustained periods is to do an interval running workout. Interval training is where you exercise at a high intensity, like running, for a specified period of time and then recover by doing a low-intensity movement for a set time period. For example, you might run for 30 seconds and walk or do a light jog for 30 seconds to recover. Then, keep repeating this structure for the length of your workout.

If you pick up the intensity during the active intervals, you can get the cardiovascular and calorie-burning benefits of a 40-minute jog in as little as 20 minutes with interval running. The high-intensity nature of running for short periods taps into anaerobic energy pathways that cause your body to burn more calories once your workout is over. The after-burn effect, as it is called, is a well-described phenomenon. Your body becomes overheated and energy is depleted during the running intervals. Due to the extra stress running places on every system in your body, it has to expend more calories for hours after a running session is over to recover. You don’t get the same degree of after-burn after jogging.

Both Running and Jogging Have Health and Fitness Benefits

Both running and jogging can positively impact your cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure and by having a favorable impact on blood lipids. Some studies show regular running or jogging raise HDL-cholesterol, the form of cholesterol linked with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. But you’ll improve your aerobic fitness faster and to a greater degree if you pick up the pace. That’s where interval running comes in. You get the benefits that running offers without having to sustain it.

Jogging has benefits too. A gentle jog outdoors is an excellent stress reliever. Studies show running and jogging boost the release of feel-good chemicals called endorphins. It’s these chemicals may be responsible for the well-known runner’s high. Why not do both? Twice a week, do high-intensity interval running, but reserve a day or two each week for a relaxing jog You’ll get the best of both worlds!

References:

Time Health. “Is Running Bad for Your Knees?”

On Fitness. September/October 2011. page 15.

Does Heat or Ice Work Best for Sore Muscles?

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

When you first begin a new exercise routine, it’s quite common to experience a type of muscle soreness known as delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS. This is a common phenomenon that isn’t serious but makes your muscles feel stiff and sore for a few days.

Delayed onset muscle soreness happens because you work your muscles in a manner they’re unaccustomed to. If you just started exercising, every movement you do is unfamiliar, so DOMS is almost a given. As you progress in your training, you typically won’t experience muscle soreness unless you increase the resistance or volume of your routine or add new exercises. This is due to the “repeated bout effect,” muscles adapt to repeated stress placed on them so they’re more resistant to injury.

Delayed onset muscle soreness is more pronounced after workouts that emphasize eccentric contractions, contractions where the muscle lengthens against resistance. An example is when you bring the weights back down to the starting position during a biceps curl. You’re lengthening the muscle in a controlled manner with weight in your hands.

In most cases, the muscle soreness associated with DOMS comes 24 to 48 hours after a workout your muscles are unaccustomed to. When delayed onset muscle soreness strikes, your muscles feel stiff and movement causes discomfort, especially when you first get out of bed in the morning. However, the soreness often eases a bit when you move and the muscles warm up a bit. That’s why it’s best to do a light workout when you have DOMS rather than skipping exercise entirely. The soreness and stiffness usually last from four to seven days, but during that time, it feels uncomfortable. That’s when some people whip out a cold or hot pad to get relief. You might wonder whether it’s best to apply heat or ice to those sore muscles. What does science say?

It’s not clear what causes DOMS, but research suggests that tiny tears in muscle fibers may play a role. According to some studies, the tears create an inflammatory response that triggers muscle soreness. The inflammation is most pronounced in the first 24 to 48 hours after a DOMS-inducing workout. That’s when the application of cold is most effective. Why does cold work? Ice or a cold pack constricts the blood vessels. This constriction reduces the number of inflammatory cells that reach the injured areas. This diminishes the release of inflammatory chemicals called cytokines that cause swelling and soreness.

Does science support the use of cold for delayed onset muscle soreness? A review of 17 studies published in the Cochrane Database, an esteemed site built around evidence-based medicine, found immersion in cold water reduced muscle soreness at one day, two days, three days, and four days after exercise that induced delayed-onset muscle soreness. However, they point out that the quality of the studies wasn’t high.

Another Variation on Cold – Cryotherapy

Another “cold” approach, whole body cryotherapy also may also reduce delayed onset muscle soreness, although studies are limited. The evidence, thus far, isn’t strong enough to recommend it. Cryotherapy consists of repeated exposure to very cold, dry air in a special chamber for a few minutes at a time. Athletes sometimes use this approach, but it’s not practical for the average person. However, you may get benefits from using ice packs or taking cold baths the first 48 hours after a workout that causes muscle soreness. If you don’t have an ice pack, grab a bag of frozen vegetables from the freezer!

What about Heat?

After 48 hours or so, there’s evidence that heat may help muscle soreness. Most studies suggest that moist heat works better than dry heat as it penetrates the tissues better. Why does it work? Applying heat opens up the blood vessels to the muscle so that nutrients and oxygen can reach the tissue. Plus, it helps to relax and relieve muscle spasms.

What’s the best way to apply heat? A heating pad, a hot water bottle, or a special pad you heat in the microwave are options. Sitting in a warm sauna, if you have access to one, or a hot bath can be beneficial as well.

Conclusion

Depending on the timing, cold or heat can modestly make sore muscles due to DOMS feel better. Be careful though. Avoid using temperature extremes that can damage your skin. Also, if you have certain medical conditions like peripheral artery disease, Raynaud syndrome, or diabetes, don’t use hot or cold packs without talking to your physician.

Fortunately, whether you use a hot or cold pad or just wait it out, DOMS is self-limited. It’ll subside in less than a week. But don’t be surprised if it shows up again the next time you do a challenging strength-training workout.

References:

Cochrane Database. “Cold-water immersion for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise”

J Clin Med Res. 2013 Dec; 5(6): 416-425.

Medical News Today. “Heat and cold treatment: Which is best?”

5 Signs You’re Overreaching and Training Too Hard

Fitness gains come from placing more stress on your body than it’s accustomed to. In response to that stress, muscles adapt. The way they adapt depends on the type of exercise you’re doing. Muscle fibers increase in size in response to strength training. In reaction to aerobic exercise, they become more efficient energy producers. But there is a point of diminishing returns. If you stress your body repeatedly without giving it time to recover between training sessions, your body may rebel. Pushing your body too hard is sometimes referred to as overreaching. Unlike overtraining, a more serious and sustained type of excess training, overreaching can usually be corrected quickly if you know the signs and take action. Here are some signs that you’re pushing too hard and not allowing your body enough recovery time between workouts.

Your Mood and Motivation Are Down

No one feels energetic and motivated every time they work out. We all have days where a workout feels more difficult than it should, or you have a hard time getting started. But repeated days where you can’t muster up the motivation to exercise or your performance is sub-par, can be a warning sign that your ratio of exercise to recovery is too high. Overreaching can manifest as anxiety or feelings of sadness too. When you push your body too hard, the two components of the nervous system, the sympathetic and parasympathetic, are out of balance. That can lead to mood changes. Longer term, overreaching can elevate levels of the stress hormone cortisol. That can dampen your mood and have other undesirable effects as well.

Your Heart Rate Has Changed

One of the best indicators of overreaching or over training is an elevated early morning heart rate. In fact, coaches often tell athletes to monitor their heart rate in the morning and you should too. Check your resting heart rate a few mornings in a row before getting out of bed and record the number of beats per minute.

First, establish a baseline morning heart rate. Then, monitor your heart each morning when you wake up. If you notice a rise in heart rate of more than 7 beats per minute for a few mornings, you are probably pushing too hard when you train. Early morning heart rate is a good indicator of whether your parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system is balanced. Overreaching can also manifest as a rise in blood pressure due to over activity of the sympathetic nervous system.

More Soreness or Recurrent Injuries

Muscle soreness is a sign that you’ve worked your muscles harder than they’re accustomed too. That can lead to muscle adaptations and growth. But you shouldn’t feel sore every time you work out. If you’re always feeling sore or repeatedly nursing an injury, you’re not giving your body enough rest and recovery time. You may also not be doing a balanced workout. Every workout shouldn’t be a high-intensity one. It’s best to limit high-intensity exercise to a few times per week and give yourself at least 2 days to recover in between hard training sessions.

You’re Catching More Colds

Are you getting the sniffles more frequently? Overreaching and over training can suppress your immune system, thanks to the immune-suppressing effects of the stress hormone cortisol. The rate of colds and upper respiratory viruses goes up in runners after a marathon due to the stress of the race and the training beforehand. The same can happen if you train hard and don’t give your body enough rest and recovery time between sessions.

Changes in Sleep Patterns

Overreaching can also trigger sleep problems, including insomnia, early morning awakenings, and poor quality sleep. In fact, changes in sleep patterns, particularly early morning awakenings can be the first sign of overreaching. Just as you monitor your heart rate, keep a sleep journal and write down how many hours you sleep, the time you went to bed, and the time you woke up. Note any awakenings during the night. Also, document whether you feel rested. Reflecting back on this information can help you see whether you need to modify your training.

Conclusion

Listen to your body. If your motivation and mental outlook have changed and you’re experiencing physiological symptoms of overreaching, like a change in heart rate, poor sleep, or more colds, scale back your training. Even better, take a few days off and let your body recover. Then, alter your routine to include some low-intensity exercise to balance out the high-intensity training you do. On some days, take a break entirely and go for a walk outdoors. A dose of nature will help get your nervous system back into sync. Also, make sure you’re getting at least 7 hours of quality sleep per night and eating a balanced diet that contains sufficient protein and calories to support your training.

Reference:

J Athl Train. 2015 Feb; 50(2): 217-223.

Research Methods in Physical Activity. Jerry R. Thomas, Jack K. Nelson, Stephen J. Silverman. Seventh Edition.

Are There Additional Fitness Benefits to Doing Cardio in the Morning?

What’s the best time to do cardio? You may find it more convenient to fit a cardio workout in first thing in the morning as soon as you wake up. The activity will wake you up and get the blood pumping. Plus, some research suggests that people who work out in the morning are more likely to do it consistently. If you wait until later in the day, other things can come up that interfere with your plans to get leaner and healthier. Beyond convenience, you might wonder whether there are physiological advantages to doing cardio in the morning and whether you should do it before or after breakfast?

The Pros and Cons of Fasted Cardio

Fasted cardio is where you do a cardiovascular workout without eating first. In other words, you hop out of bed, hydrate, warm up, and launch into your workout. Some research suggests that fasted cardio, in the morning before breakfast, can work in your favor if you’re trying to get lean. After an overnight fast, carb levels are low, and your body must tap into fat as its primary fuel source. Therefore, you burn more fat if you do cardio before eating breakfast after an overnight fast.

It makes sense, doesn’t it? Your body is carb depleted and has to access fat stores to fuel exercise. In support of this, one study discussed on Science Daily found subjects who ran on a treadmill at a moderate pace burned 20 percent more fat when they skipped breakfast before their workout. They also didn’t eat more later in the day. Sounds like a winner, doesn’t it?

If you’re trying to maximize fat loss, doing cardio before breakfast may give you a slight edge but this approach works best for moderate-intensity cardio. If your morning cardio is a high-intensity interval session, exercising in a fasted state may work against you. During high-intensity exercise, your body is more dependent on carbohydrates as a fuel source than it is during low and moderate-intensity exercise. Launching into a high-intensity session in a carb-depleted state can limit your performance. You may not be able to exercise at the same intensity you would if you had eaten a pre-workout snack.

Fatigue can also be a factor and some people experience lightheadedness or a headache when they take on an intense workout without eating beforehand. It depends on how well adapted your body is to using fat as fuel. People who regularly consume a low-carb diet are “fat adapted “and may have an easier time doing fasted cardio than people who eat a higher carbohydrate diet.

Another concern is about muscle preservation. When you wake up in the morning, your cortisol level is usually at its peak relative to other times of the day. Eating something with carbohydrates tends to bring cortisol down. When you exercise in a fasted state, cortisol stays up. Why is this bad? Higher cortisol can lead to the breakdown of muscle tissue. This is mostly a concern if you do long-duration cardio, like running five or more miles.

Cardio Before Breakfast?

Whether you do cardiovascular exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach depends on your goals. If you’re trying to lean down and your cardio for the day is a brisk walk or other moderate-intensity exercise, fasted cardio may give you a slight fat loss advantage. Moderate-intensity exercise is exercise where you can still speak in complete sentences when you train. If you’re huffing and puffing so hard, you can only get out a few words, you’re working out at a high intensity.

If your go-to cardio is high-intensity interval training, it’s best to have a pre-workout snack to maximize your performance during an interval routine, unless your workout is very short. High-intensity exercise or exercise of long duration in a carb-depleted state can lead to muscle loss due to the impact of cortisol. Also, if you have certain medical conditions or take some medications, it may not be safe to work out in a carb-depleted state. Talk to your physician if you fall into this category.

Fat Loss Differences Are Likely Small

Don’t expect that fasted cardio will have a dramatic impact on fat loss. A 2014 study found that subjects who adopted a low-calorie diet and did cardiovascular exercise in a fasted state and non-fasted state experienced similar degrees of fat loss. So, you may not need to fast before a workout to get leaner.

Conclusion

Know your goals. Are you trying to lose body fat or are you most concerned about maximizing muscle gains? Fasted cardio works better for the former. If you’re trying to work as hard as possible during a high-intensity session, you’ll perform better if you don’t do it in a fasted state.

References:

Metabolism. 1999 Sep;48(9):1152-6.

J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2014; 11: 54.

Science Daily. “Lose Fat Faster Before Breakfast”

How to Do a Bodyweight HIIT Workout at Home

Home is where the fitness action is, and HIIT training is a way to get a home workout quickly. If you’re not familiar with the concept, HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. What’s so special about it? A high-intensity interval workout is one of the best ways to get a full-body workout without equipment or much space. It’s versatile too. HIIT training enhances both aerobic and anaerobic fitness due to the intense nature of this workout. It helps with fat loss too since vigorous exercise creates an after-burn that promotes fat burning for hours after the workout is over.

Research even suggests high-intensity training is more effective for reducing unhealthy visceral fat, the kind that accumulates around your waistline and tummy and is strongly linked with health problems, like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

What do you need to get started? Very little. An exercise mat will some of the exercises more comfortable. It’s also helpful to have a few sturdy benches or risers for certain exercises, although these aren’t necessary when you first start out. Be sure you’re wearing a good, supportive pair of exercise shoes!

With HIIT training, you’ll work out at an intensity that makes it difficult to talk in complete sentences. If you can speak easily when you carry out these exercises, you’re not working hard enough. High-intensity interval training trades duration for intensity.

To structure a bodyweight HIIT workout, choose two exercises from the list below. These are cardio exercises designed to boost your heart rate. You’ll alternate these exercises with bodyweight exercises that build strength and muscle endurance in a back-and-forth sequence:

Cardio Movements

•Burpees

•Mountain climbers

•Jump rope or shadow jump rope

•Squat jumps or box jumps

•Jumping jacks

•Lateral jumps

Decide whether you want to do an upper or lower body HIIT routine. For an upper body HIIT workout, choose two exercises from the upper body bodyweight exercises below:

Upper Body Exercises

•Push-ups or push-up variations

•Pull-ups

•Triceps dips

For low body HIIT, select two exercises from the lower body column. For abs, two from the abdominal exercises listed:

Lower Body Exercises

•Bodyweight squats

•Bodyweight lunges

•Glute Bridges

•Hip thrusts

•Calf raises

•Step-ups onto a platform

For an ab and back HIIT workout, choose two from the list below:

Abdominal and Back Exercises

•Planks and plank variations

•Abdominal crunches and variations

•Hanging knee raises

•Leg lifts

•Prone back extensions

After selecting your exercises, warm up for 5 minutes by doing dynamic movements, like leg and arm swings, high knees, butt kickers, jogging in place, and arm punches. No static stretching at this stage.

Then use the sequence below to structure your workout. Do the exercises in order, only resting long enough to set up for the next exercise:

•First cardio exercise for 30 seconds

•First bodyweight exercise for 1 minute. You made need to rest briefly if you can’t do a minute without stopping.

•Second cardio movement for 30 seconds

•Second bodyweight exercise for 1 minute

Then, rest for a minute and repeat 5 times. Don’t forget to do a 5 to 10-minute cool down beforehand. During the cool down, do a light version of the exercises you performed during the warm-up. Conclude the work-up with gentle static stretches to lengthen the muscles you just worked.

The whole HIIT routine will only take around 20 to 30 minutes. Yet, it’s challenging due to the lack of rest between exercises. If one minute of a bodyweight exercise is too challenging, start with 30 seconds and gradually work your way up to a full minute. As you get stronger, do more advanced variations of the exercises listed. For example, there are lots of push-up variations that are more challenging than a standard push-up. Tackle some of these once you’re ready.

If you’d like to focus exclusively on cardio-inspired exercise, select four exercises from the cardio list and cycle through the exercises in the same manner.

HIIT Training Is Customizable

As you can see, you can easily design your own HIIT workout that targets the upper body, lower body, abs, or works mainly cardio using the workout structure above. Change the exercises regularly for variety and do different variations of the basic exercises as you advance your training and become stronger and develop greater aerobic fitness.

Don’t Do HIIT Workouts Every Day

High-intensity interval training isn’t meant to be done every day. If you’re doing them correctly, they should be exhausting enough that you don’t feel like doing them more than two to three times per week. You need a minimum of 24 hours of rest between sessions and if you did a particularly intense session 48 hours or more. So, give yourself a rest day or a low-intensity day between HIIT sessions.

Conclusion

High-intensity interval training is one of the most time-efficient ways to improve your fitness level and build greater muscle strength and endurance. Plus, they’re relatively quick and never boring. Take advantage of what this type of workout offers!

References:

Metabolic Effects of HIIT Training. Len Kravitz, Ph.D.

HIIT vs Continuous Endurance Training: Battle of the Aerobic Titans. Micah Zuhl, Ph.D. and Len Kravitz, Ph.D.

Sports Med 2002; 32 (1): 53-73. 0112-1642/02/0001-0053

How to Gain Muscle Fast without Weights

It may have been ingrained in your head that you need weights to build muscle. Not the case! You can build muscle size with little or no equipment in the comfort of your home. The key is to do body weight exercises. In fact, body weight exercises have benefits you don’t get from working with weights. They work your body in a natural way so that they improve the way your muscles function as a unit. Body weight exercises are ideal for building functional strength greater functionality while boosting the size of your muscles. Here are six tips to build muscle fast without weights.

Do Mostly Compound Body weight Exercises

Building muscle is easiest when you focus on compound exercises, those that work more than one muscle group at a time. These movements also involve the coordinated motion of more than one joint simultaneously. Bodyweight exercises that do this include push-ups, pull-ups, triceps dips, lunges, and squats. Doing these exercises works almost every muscle group in a time-efficient manner.

To focus on your core and glutes, add a few isometric exercises, like planks, glute bridges, and hip thrusts. With these exercises, you’ll get a well-rounded workout that will, over time, hypertrophy your muscles and help you build muscle fast without weights.

Do Harder Variations of Certain Exercises

When you first start training, get the basic movements down. It’s challenging to do exercises like triceps dips and squats with good form when you first start out. Once you’ve mastered the basic moves, modify the exercises to make them harder. Depending on the exercise you can do this in various ways.

For triceps dips, elevate your feet when you do the exercise. You can also elevate your feet when you perform push-ups to force your muscles to work harder. Do wide push-ups where you place your hands further than shoulder-width apart. Also, add narrow-grip push-ups where your hands are close together when you do the exercise. Both variations are more challenging than a standard push-up. Wide push-ups work the chest more than a standard push-up while a narrow-grip places more emphasis on the triceps. Then try staggered push-ups. These will prepare you to do an ultra-hard variation, one-armed push-ups.

With challenge comes change! Muscles grow in response to progressive overload, gradually increasing the stress you place on the muscles in a controlled manner. Doing harder variations challenges your muscles by forcing them to adapt to new movement patterns. Controlled change is what leads to continued muscle growth.

Vary the Tempo

If you always work your muscles the same way every time you train, muscle growth will eventually plateau. One way to promote greater muscle hypertrophy and build more strength is to vary the tempo of the exercises. Do some sets with a fast, explosive tempo. When you pick up the speed, you recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers right away, the ones designed for strength and power.

At the other end of the spectrum, you can slow the tempo down for exercises like push-ups and dips. Slowing the tempo increases the time the muscles are under tension. Studies suggest that more time under tension is a stimulus for muscle protein synthesis. Take advantage of it!

If you normally take two seconds to raise your body during a push-up, double the time to four seconds. Pause for a second at the top and take five or six seconds to lower your body back down. You should quickly feel the burn in your muscles. Try to increase the time even more as you get stronger. Some super-fit people do super-slow push-ups where they take 10 seconds to raise their body and 10 seconds to lower it!

Don’t Stop until Your Muscles Are Exhausted

To maximize muscle gains, do enough reps to thoroughly exhaust the muscles you’re working. Muscle failure is where you do enough repetitions that you’re unable to do another one with without your form falling apart. You don’t need to train to muscle failure every time you work out. In fact, that can be detrimental to muscle gains. But, take at least a few sets to near muscle failure each week to “shock” your muscles. During other sessions, stop a few reps short of muscle failure.

Add Some Power Moves

Moves that use explosive power activate fast-twitch muscle fibers too. They also get your heart rate up for cardiovascular benefits. Start with a basic plyometric move like squat jumps and do a set between your other exercises to keep your heart rate up. Once you’ve mastered basic squat jumps, increase the challenge by doing box jumps, an exercise where you jump on and off a sturdy bench or platform. Start with a low platform, as the risk of injury is higher.

Focus on Nutrition

Don’t neglect nutrition if you’re trying to gain muscle fast. Make sure you’re getting enough protein. Sports dietitians recommend 1 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight if you’re highly active. Don’t skimp on calories either. You need a slight calorie surplus to maximize muscle hypertrophy gains. If you get those calories from whole, unprocessed foods and are consistent with exercise, you’ll gain more muscle than you will body fat.

Conclusion

You don’t need a gym membership to build muscle fast. You have your own body weight to work against and you can do it at home. Use these tips to maximize your muscle gains.

References:

“The Mystery of Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy” Richard Joshua Hernandez, B.S. and Len Kravitz, Ph.D.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Protein and the Athlete — How Much Do You Need?”

J Physiol. 2012 Jan 15; 590(Pt 2): 351-362.