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Today, as I sipped my coffee, I thought about the message we espouse at SRSW. After 10 years in business, our message can be summed up in two words, but has a far deeper impact on our lives than we are being told. People come to us for reasons that are varied, for we all have different desires, but ultimately our message remains the same to each and every person. Let’s look at the different experiences that might bring someone through our doors.
Fat Loss – In 1991, only four states in the U.S. had obesity rates of over 15-20 percent, but by 2006 only four states had rates of less than 20 percent, while 22 states had rates greater than 25 percent. Major health challenges arise in individuals whose body fat exceeds a certain percentage, yet many are unaware of these consequences and what can be done to avoid them. Is it any wonder that the majority of people walking through our doors would like to lose a few extra lbs.? There are many different styles of training and diets that may, with varying degrees of efficiency, work for everyone but every diet causes muscle loss, exacerbating the challenges faced by someone trying to win the battle of the bulging waistline. Do not try to lose body fat without strength exercise! If you want to keep body fat off forever you must perform strength exercise.
Manage age related disease – Many of the individuals we work with came to us hoping to regain the health and vigor that they have begun to lose. Most of them were unaware of the process of muscle loss, and therefore were slow to react. Only their wake up call from the Dr., where they discussed their type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s, to name a few, inspired them to make the call. Don’t be alarmed, but as you sit in your comfy chair reading this, and if you are not currently doing some type of Progressive Resistance Training, you are losing muscle and along with it a very important component related to energy production in the body; mitochondria. The mitochondrial theory of aging has been identified as a leading explanation of the aging process and describes a path leading to cellular senescence that includes electron transport chain deficiency, reactive oxygen species production, and the accumulation of mitochondrial DNA deletions and mutations. It is also quite clear that regular resistance exercise is a potent and effective countermeasure for skeletal muscle aging. The bottom line for a person who is experiencing aging is Progressive Resistance Training.
Increase Fitness and Physical Ability – Many people come to us seeking to improve their “game”. Now whatever your game is, you must know that the majority of top athletes in the world now do some form of Strength Exercise as part of their training regimen. Strength exercise has been shown to aid in endurance as well as explosive strength, while conditioning the body against the possibility of injury. If you want to get on top of whatever sport you love, or just want to improve your personal best, a little strength exercise goes a long way.
Rehabilitation from Injury or Sickness – OK, now your current reality is pain and discomfort brought on by the sum total of your activities. You want to get better, but you just can’t get past the pain. If you are amongst the individuals who have daily pain, such as chronic low back pain, you must begin the arduous process that will become a very important part of your pain management. Progressive Resistance Training has long been an effective tool in reducing daily discomfort, and if you can discipline yourself to get through the early, most difficult stages, you will find yourself in a better place.
There are many more reasons I have not discussed here that inspire people to walk through our doors, and most of them just want to feel better. As we move through life wanting to feel better, look better, and play better, it is important to take these two words with you; Muscle Matters.
Wes
Recently, Coke and the AAFP formed an alliance which would allow Coca-Cola Co. to “educate consumers about the role their products can play in a healthy, active lifestyle”. Huh? Coke has products that could be included in a healthy active lifestyle? Would a company sponsor such a thing that would tell it’s consumers that their products were, in fact, bad for you? Well, for the 6 figures Coke paid to the AAFP for this, I doubt if their is going to be a condemnation of their products on the AAFP information. I can see it now, “4 out 5 doctors recommend Diet Coke as part of an active, healthy lifestyle”. Next we will have Omega-3 Coke.
I believe this sends a mixed message to consumers that are already having severe health challenges associated with poor diet. Coke is not a company that represents improvements in health in any way. They are protecting their bottom line here, trying to associate themselves with a health organization, while benefiting from the buzz marketing that such a controversial alliance will bring. Many others agree with this line of thinking and have written a letter condemning the AAFP for allowing the sponsorship. This group of 22 prominent health and nutrition experts wrote:
“Because of the kinds of products it markets, Coca-Cola Co. is desperate to burnish its soiled reputation…which is why it is paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to have a relationship with your organization…We urge the AAFP to regain its credibility by rejecting the deal with Coca-Cola.”
Executive vice president of the AAFP Douglas Henley was quoted as saying:
“Our alliance with The Coca-Cola Company gives the AAFP the opportunity to provide consumers with fact-based information on beverages and how to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle via FamilyDoctor.org…The AAFP and The Coca-Cola Company share a commitment to inform consumers, as well as medical professionals, about best practices for good health. And we will move forward with this commitment together by providing educational materials on sweeteners and how to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle while still enjoying many of the foods and beverages consumers love.”
What we need most right now is change, in order to achieve better health as a community. This is a suggestion that we can achieve better health while still enjoying the foods and beverages that we have come to love. What? How does that work? I wish someone would clue me in as to how we can have better health without eliminating these products from our diets. Doing the same things while expecting different results is insanity. It’s time to put a stop to the insanity.
Whatever their recommendations are, if you are truly seeking better health to compliment an active lifestyle, stop drinking sodas or any other drinks that are tainted with chemicals that hasten the disease process. If you are thirsty drink water.
Please, write in and tell us what you think.
In the Health section of NewsWeek this morning is an article on the Flexitarian diet style that is rapidly becoming more popular among those individuals who are concerned with maintaining their health. Flexitarian is a word coined to describe the eating habits of people who most of the time eat a healthy, plant-based diet, and occasionally eat foods that are less than healthy.
Here at Santa Rosa Strength we follow a plant based diet and recommend it to those who are concerned with wellness. We support our clients’ efforts with a program called the “The 6 Steps to a Plant Based Diet“. This is an excellent program and can be easily integrated into a busy lifestyle. For some people though, a 100% plant based diet is too strict, and for them we suggest a more relaxed approach; Flexitarianism.
Take a look around and you will see many people walking around today that are suffering from obesity. Hidden among those individuals however, are a growing number of people trying to manage a condition, children as well as adults, called Type II Diabetes. We are looking at the tip of the iceberg however. In the U.S. today, we now have over 50% of the population experiencing some type of ill health. This is a potential health disaster unless we correct the course we are on as a culture.
Many of the health issues that people are trying manage today are diet related. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is one of the poorest examples of our contribution to the world, yet the world is following us down this disease ridden path. If you are reading this, take a moment and ask yourself this question.
“What makes me think that my experience with the SAD diet will be any different with those who have developed disease from it?”
If you continue to do the same things, you will experience the same results. This is a fundamental law. Now I know that everyone has a great aunt that has lived to be 97, who has eaten meat and potatoes everyday of her life, smokes like a chimney, and the only veggies she eats are found at the bottom of her Martini glass. “She just knows how to live”, you might say. “She laughs and smiles all the time, and has a great outlook on life” You are right of course. Your great aunt has some insight to life that we can learn from, and it plays a big part on how we age, called attitude. But, pay attention here, she is not the rule! She is what we would call an exception! People who live with no regard to their long term health, experience results called disease. This is the rule!
If one wishes to experience the potential of excellent health for the entirety of their life, there are many things to consider and diet is only one part. It is a major part, however, and we should not waste any more of our time eating the junky foods that are being passed off as healthy choices any longer. Stop eating processed foods whenever possible. Stop eating and drinking chemicals whenever possible.
The following is a list of things a person can do to follow in the footsteps of those individuals around the world who have lived healthy beyond 100 years of age.
- Eat a Plant Based Diet – Studies on centenarians have shown that consuming a plant based diet will contribute to a long healthy lifestyle. There are cultures of people in the world who do not experience heart disease, cancer, diabetes, sarcopenia, osteoporosis, macular degeneration, or any of the age related loss of function that plagues our culture.
- Strength Train – Do some form of Progressive Resistance Exercise, regularly, for the entirety of your life.
- Recreate – Take the time to enjoy the things that you love.
- Change your attitude – In some of the centenarian cultures that have been studied, the elderly are revered, and they often compliment each other on how old they look. When is the last time you thanked the person who told you, “You are looking very old today Mr. or Mrs. So and So. Are you 100 yet?”
- Love Your Family and Your Community – Strong family and community ties have been shown to be a major contributor to longevity.
- Manage Stress – Many of the oldest cultures of the world are focused on a lifestyle, free from the things that normally cause us stress. Get a massage, play music, or engage in amorous behavior with a loved one.
- Find Yourself – A strong, deeply rooted, sense of ones inner strengths (and weaknesses) will contribute towards ones self confidence and healthy lifestyle. In our culture there are many, many avenues for inner exploration.
It is our wish, here at Santa Rosa Strength, that our community can come together, work together, and help our loved ones learn the principles of living healthy to 100.
In a recent edition of American Medical News, an article titled Muscles Matter focuses on the need for resistance training beginning at the age of 40. In the article, Jeff Williamson, MD, clinical director of the J. Paul Sticht Center on Aging and Rehabilitation at Wake Forest University School on Medicine is quoted as saying,
“I like to say there are really only two reasons why older people end up in a nursing home. One is that their brains stop working, and the other is that their muscles stop working. Especially their leg muscles. While the loss of skeletal muscle inevitably comes with aging, no one should just sit still and take it. In fact, sitting still would be the worst thing. People in their 40’s and 50’s need to take prompt action to preserve what strength they still have.”
For years experts in the exercise field have been telling people that they need to exercise, but their has never been a clear message as to what to focus on. Should one walk, swim, bike, or do yoga? The message is becoming more clear, however, as the medical journals begin to provide enough information to physicians, so they may be encouraged to play a greater role in persuading their patients to strength train.
“Just being in the hospital for a few days can dramatically affect muscle mass, ” Dr. Williamson said. “So physicians, in addition to thinking ‘I’ve successfully treated this persons heart failure or pneumonia’ need to be thinking, ‘How can I help restore their muscle mass and function?’ “
In the past much of the challenge has been in determining when a person was actually experiencing this muscle loss, called sarcopenia, but W. Jack Rejeski, PhD, a behavioral scientist at Wake Forest, is quoted in the article as saying,
“Difficulty climbing stairs can be the first sign of functional decline. We’ve shown in our research that such problems are one of the first signs of early disability.”
Sarcopenia has been written about and studied for years but the action needed to do something about it has been lagging behind the volumes of information. It is estimated that only 21% of all men and 17.5% of all women in the United States engage in some type of strength training today. Something needs to be done to change this, and physicians are the ones who can have the greatest effect on their patients exercise habits.
“Assessing a patients physical functioning should be part of an office visit,” Rejeski said in the article. “One way to conduct an assessment of lower extremity function is by the Short Physical Performance Battery. It’s a very simple test, but it has been shown in large studies to be predictive of decline in function.”
It’s not only the decline in physical ability that becomes evident with sarcopenia, however, and their have been 100’s of studies to determine the role of muscle loss with diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, as well as complications from stroke, and chronic neck and back pain. A recent search for sarcopenia on PubMed.gov revealed 675 articles on many different subjects. A visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website will reveal the question, posed on the site, why strength train?
The answers to this question are numerous:
- A group of older men and women completed a 16 week strength training program focused on reducing arthritis pain. Their pain was reduced by 43% and demonstrated that resistance exercise was just as effective, if not more so, than medications, based on CDC findings.
- The CDC reports that lean body mass decreases 15% between the ages of 30 to 60
- In a 16 week study of Hispanic men and women with type II diabetes, improved glucose control was demonstrated, which was comparable the results produced by medication.
- The CDC reports that resistance exercise improves balance and flexibility, as well as improves bone density.
The advise of the of the AMA and the CDC is based on information that has become abundantly clear. Everyone, including those who have elite level athletic prowess, will lose muscle as they age. If one wishes to avoid the severe maladies and loss of function associated with sarcopenia, one must strength train. It is now imperative for physicians to monitor functional strength loss, and prescribe resistance exercise.
At Santa Rosa Strength, we specialize in the clinical application of progressive resistance exercise (PRE), and for years have helped our clients manage: sarcopenia, osteoporosis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, complications from stroke, chronic low back pain, Parkinson’s, obesity, and forms of arthritis. With 1 weekly PRE session, proper nutritional guidance, recreational activities, stress management, and organic, whole food supplementation, individuals have been guided to success time and time again. If you are reading this, and need to make a change in your life, please call, e-mail, or just drop by. We will provide whatever is necessary for you to take control of your health!
One of the main reasons we base our exercise protocol on the SuperSlow method is its inherent safety. Far too often, people who start a new exercise program hurt themselves. Even those of us who have more experience occasionally suffer from injury. To understand how to avoid injury, it is helpful to understand why injury most often occurs in the weight room. People often assume that injury occurs because of excessive weight, but this simply isn’t the case. The weights themselves are harmless, but the speed and sudden movement involved in lifting them is what opens the door to injury. Muscular skeletal injury must involve some type of force, which can be equated with Newton’s 2nd law of Physics; F=M x A. Since heavy weights must be used to garner the benefits of strength training, a slower movement speed insures safety by reducing the force that would be transferred to the joints and connective tissues of the body. There has been much discussion as to the perfect movement speed for force reduction, and studies have shown there to be a negligible difference between 5 second and 10 second movement speeds. Since force reduction is only one of the safety considerations, Santa Rosa Strength follows the “slower is better” principle. A slower, more deliberate movement speed, allows for more effective coaching in avoiding such things as the Val Salva maneuver, Exercise Induced Headache, and improper form.
Strength training injuries also often result from some type of sudden movement, such as loss of balance while lifting free weights on a Swiss ball. The topic of free weights vs machines has been hotly debated for years. At Santa Rosa Strength we use a machine based protocol because it is the most stable (therefore the safest) environment. The machines we use are specially designed for slow movement speeds, and they track joint and muscle function. This insures the highest level of safety while experiencing the demands of a thorough PRE session.
During exercise where high levels of intensity are desired there are many considerations beyond the movement speed. Some of these are climate temperature, air circulation, distraction, proper form, and proper coaching. We base our PRE protocol on the SuperSlow method simply because it addresses all of these, in a way that creates a very effective program that has been used by individuals of all ages and conditions at Santa Rosa Strength.
High Intensity Progressive Resistance Exercise has been around for a long time and can now be found in many different forms under many different names. SuperSlow, Slow Burn, and The Power of 10 are the most visible, but there are others. Most of what we see today has its roots in the work done by the late Arthur Jones, founder of Nautilus. Then came SuperSlow in 1982. The work that has been done by Ken Hutchins, founder of SuperSlow, has been both groundbreaking and controversial. Initially, the controversy came from theory and conjecture, but much has passed from then to now. It has been proven that High Intensity Progressive Resistance Exercise (which I will refer to as PRE) has the effects that were promised. If you read the book “Resistance Training for Health and Rehabilitation” by James Graves, PhD, and Barry Franklin, PhD, you will discover the volumes of research that has shaped a generation of resistance trainers using these methods. You will discover that this type of exercise has had success in the areas of sarcopenia, osteoporosis, hypertension and stroke, Parkinson’s, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal injury, chronic low back pain, organ transplant, etc. There have been hundreds of studies that all have pointed to one thing that remains a constant. Resistance training is an important part of ones long term health plan regardless of the style. If one were to visit pubmed.gov, they would discover the volumes of research projects that are ongoing in this field of PRE.
There is also anecdotal evidence of the effects of PRE found everywhere. In our facility in Santa Rosa, California, one can find all types of conditions that are being managed with this potent type of strength training. Most notably, we are turning back the time clock on the bodies of persons who do not want to suffer the ravages of sarcopenia, the gradual loss of muscle over time. We are one facility of literally thousands that have sprung up in the last few years. The growth of these types of businesses is due to both need and results. The Baby Boomer generation is taking notice of the effects of sarcopenia and is becoming more motivated to do something about it. They will drive a new generation of businesses like mine that will deliver these types of results in the most time efficient manner possible. The field of PRE performed in this manner is set to explode.
There has been much media attention focused on the exercise industry. Much of it has been in the area of weight loss, but that is beginning to change with the needs of the population beginning to evolve. There have been articles on sarcopenia in many major publications, and the industry is beginning to respond. We have seen articles in the Wall St. Journal, Time, The Economist, Newsweek, Us News, and Vogue. We have seen programs on television as well, and have been inundated with information on the need for proper exercise and nutrition. With so much information available it is difficult at times to decide what is right. If one takes the time to examine recent history, and visualize the future, I believe the answer will come. The answer will not be easy, for it will require faith and effort. But the results will speak for themselves.
Often, when we start something new, there are expectations and uncertainties that can make our journey fraught with difficulty. This is certainly true with strength training. In the years that we have worked with new clients, here at our clinic in Santa Rosa, CA, we have discovered what makes the difference between success and failure with PRE.
If you are about to start a new program, the first thing you should do is make a commitment. Too often, people believe that they should experience the 6 week miracle that is hyped by the media, and perpetuated by the fitness industry. If you wish to experience profound, life changing results, you need to make this program part of your culture. You need to make a commitment of 6 months at the minimum to accomplish this. Any less is a disservice to you and your trainer.
During the first six weeks you will experience the learning phase of PRE. The resistance is light at first, but quickly progresses to a level that is equal to more than 60% of what you could do in one repetition. As you move towards this amount resistance, it is common to believe that the weights are becoming too heavy. If you focus on your breathing and use good form, you will notice that the extra resistance doesn’t cause any more stress than is necessary. The goal is reach a point of maximum fatigue, or fail at moving the weights. The 2:30 seconds that you perform in the first few weeks quickly becomes less than 2 minutes, and at that time the progression of resistance slows. Push any thoughts of doubt from your mind, have faith in the program and your trainer, and you will grow comfortable at working with the amount of resistance necessary to create the results you desire.
As you begin to work at higher levels of intensity during these first few weeks, it is not uncommon to be a little sore. You might even be quite a bit sore. This is normal, and though you might not like it, the soreness is no reason for concern. As your body adapts to the skills you are learning and practicing weekly, you will experience very little soreness. If you are rehabilitating an injury, or trying to eliminate chronic pain (such as low back pain), it is possible that you will exacerbate the pain in the beginning. If you are cautious, but committed, you will be successful. Refuse to give up! Do not listen to the voices of doubt, which will only serve to deter you from the path to success and keep you in pain. As you gain strength, your body will become more resilient, and the general discomfort from your injuries or impairment will fade.
Once you are through the first 6 weeks of the program, you will be working at the intensity level that requires more rest. It is at this time that you will only need to strength train once a week. The progression of resistance, during this phase of the program, slows to about 1/2 lb. per week. At that rate of progression, you will continue to have excellent strength gains for 1 to 2 years, until you have reached your maximum genetic potential. It’s at this time that you will be maintaining the strength that you have attained for the entirety of your life.
After 6 months of strength training your body will begin to change, permanently, in ways that will be noticeable to you and others. You will have put on enough muscle to heighten your metabolism, therefore burning more calories at rest. Your muscle tone will have improved making your more firm, and less prone to soreness and injury. Your clothing will fit differently, and if you have followed the path of Nutritional Excellence, you will have lost (and continue to lose) some body fat. You will notice that your day to day activities, as well as your occasional recreational pursuits, will be easier. Overall, life will begin to change.
Soon the workouts will become routine. This is the first sign that you are beginning to make this PRE program a part of your life. It is not uncommon to desire change at this point, and again I will say, don’t listen to this voice. Although the workout will have some slight variance, there is no need for constant change. Your desire to change out of boredom will only sidetrack your potential results. The best results from this program come from consistent effort over time.
After 1 to 2 years of strength training, most individuals have put on all the muscle their bodies will allow. Once you have accomplished this, you will be in the management phase of PRE. This means you will need to strength train weekly to keep all the muscle you have. Experts in Sarcopenia (the gradual loss of muscle due to aging) all agree that people should put as much muscle on their bodies as possible before 40, and then keep it on for the entirety of their life, for a full, functional lifestyle. PRE is a very effective program for this need.
For those individuals who stick with PRE long enough to experience the results, a lifetime of strength is realized. We have seen people use this method for over twenty years who don’t seem to have aged a day. We have seen people experience the joy of rising from their wheelchairs and walk again. We have seen people end their low back pain.We have watched the magical transformation that takes place when someone combines this program with Nutritional Excellence. Strength. All it takes is a commitment, and it is yours…for life.
Wes Hardy
Santa Rosa Strength Blog 