Pierce Family Wellness

Want to shed fat and keep it off?

The common thought today is that Biggest Loser style boot camp workouts are the key to burning fat and they are....for a while.  The reason this style of workout has become so popular is that it gets results quickly, unfortunately the long term (2+ years) results are less publicized and far less glamorous.  The reality is that this modality of exercise relies heavily on the sympathetic nervous system which is also the stress hormone system.  The main hormonal players are adrenaline and cortisol.  An overload of these hormones leads to adrenal fatigue, muscle tissue wasting, and  thyroid suppression to name a few.  Boot camp style workouts also lead to/exacerbate musculo-skeletal issues, largely due to excessive loading and repetitive motion injury.  These injuries create a new motor engram leading to more complex injuries.  Please understand that I am not against working out hard, the question is, or at least needs to be "is this beneficial long term"?

So how do we prepare our bodies to shed fat without sacrificing our health?  First we must learn how to breathe properly.  For our purposes we will refer to proper breathing as maintaining an optimal balance of oxygen to carbon dioxide.  When one is constantly functioning in a pre-hyperventalative state (usually due to poor posture caused by excessive sitting and poor exercise technique) leads to a loss of CO2 which in turn leads to a loss of O2 diffusion, which leads to a lower level of cellular energy.  For this and more great information on the importance of breathing properly please visit the normal breathing website.

Once you have established a funciton breathing pattern, it is time to fix any musculo-skeletal issues with corrective exercise and manual therapy.  This is important if you want to exercise consistently and long term.  Otherwise you will constantly be battling injuries and the inflammation they cause your system. The next step is to make sure you are eating for your metabolic type and getting at least 8 hours of sleep at night. 

So if you really want to burn fat and keep it off follow these steps.

1. Learn how to breathe properly.

2. Fix any musculo-skeletal issues.

3. Eat the right foods.

4. Get plenty of sleep and water.

 

Be wary of any program that sells you the idea of a quick fix, as it will not be permanent and you will most likely suffer long term repercussions.

 

Train Intelligently,

TJ Pierce

BS Exercise Science

CHEK 2

MTA1

www.piercefamilywellness.com

Back pain in contemporary society.

Back pain is a constant complaint of many people not only in the U.S., but worldwide.  This pain is not suffered exclusively by the person with pain, but also on all of our pocketbooks.  In fact, according to one European study in the journal Pain:

The paper reports the results of a ‘cost-of-illness’ study of the socio-economic costs of back pain in the UK. It estimates the direct health care cost of back pain in 1998 to be £1632 million. Approximately 35% of this cost relates to services provided in the private sector and thus is most likely paid for directly by patients and their families. With respect to the distribution of cost across different providers, 37% relates to care provided by physiotherapists and allied specialists, 31% is incurred in the hospital sector, 14% relates to primary care, 7% to medication, 6% to community care and 5% to radiology and imaging used for investigation purposes. However, the direct cost of back pain is insignificant compared to the cost of informal care and the production losses related to it, which total £10668 million. Overall, back pain is one of the most costly conditions for which an economic analysis has been carried out in the UK and this is in line with findings in other countries. Further research is needed to establish the cost-effectiveness of alternative back pain treatments, so as to minimise cost and maximise the health benefit from the resources used in this area. (Vol 84, Issue 1)

 

It is in everyones best interest to reduce these cost .  It is my opinion that much of the pain and economic cost could be alleviated by following a few basic principles administered in a regular low intensity exercise program.  With my clients I utilize many of the ideas set forth by R. A. McKenzie.  According to McKnenzie there are three main factors in the etiology of low back pain:  sitting posture, loss of extension range, and frequency of flexion. (The Lumbar Spine: Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy, RA McKenzie) 

 

Lets start with sitting posture.  What is it about sitting for extended periods of time that leads to pain and dysfunction?  If we remain seated for more than a few minutes the lumbar spine relaxes into a fully flexed state, this reduces the tension being held by the muscles into the ligament.  This constant tension on the ligaments leads to excessive stretching and loss of pliability.  Further this fully flexed position pushes the the fluid from the center of each lumbar disk towards the back which is the weakest point of the annular rings.  This is important due to the fact that when the annular rings fray and split nuclear fluid is leaked into the surrounding tissue creating a pain sensation.  Doing an office ergonomics assessment can greatly reduce to strain incurred at work.  The assessment includes creating and maintaining the appropriate height of your chair, keeping an appropriate height and distance from your computer screen, making sure that you are not rotated to one side more than the other, and simply standing up and stretching every 20-30 minutes can go a long way towards easing office posture pain.  For those who endure the rigours of a daily commutes take notice of your hips.  Often times you will find yourself carrying your weight to one side creating strain on the loaded side.  A lumbar support can also be a lifesaver for long car/plane trips.

 

Another major factor in back pain is loss of extension range.  In fact studies in 1972 and 1979 reveal that seventy-five and eighty-six percent of patients with low back pain had a loss of extension. (McKenzie 5).  As we lose any range of motion in our body, the rest of the joints compensate.  When we lose the ability to perform extension of the lumbar spine it starts to become flat.  This causes a compensation pattern in both the thoracic and cervical spine.  This reduction of curvature impedes the ability of the spine to distribute forces.  This results in an increase of intradical pressure (the pressure being applied to the vertebral disk) as well as to degeneration of the vertebra themselves.  This can in turn can be associated imbalances in the muscular system.  Simple extension exercises can remedy this problem.  Yoga offers many such movements, remember to start slow and incorporate these movements throughout the day.

 

The third major component in back pain is frequency of flexion.  This simply means the greater amount of time you spend in flexion the more likely you are to experience back pain.  Flexion positions include sitting, bending over, stooped posture, and often times sleeping in a flexed position.  If you have poor posture and spend a lot of time sitting you are at a high risk for developing repeated back pain.  Addressing your overall postural balance can alleviate many of the ailments from excessive flexion patterns.  Try setting a timer on your watch to go off every 15 minutes.  When the timer goes off check your posture and make any needed adjustments.

 

These repeated flexion patterns have become deeply ingrained motor engrams in our society and carry a heavy burden for us all.  The solution is daily movement to reprogram your nervous system which controls your muscular system.  Exercises do not need to be vigorous, but they do need to be done consistantly and with proper technique.  Over exertion and poor form are worse than doing nothing at all.  Find a modality of exercise that you enjoy and perform it frequently.  Not all back pain is the same and sever back pain should be treated by your Physical Therapist, D.C., or M.D..  Sever back pain includes but is not limited to burning (usually from fluid displacement) and sharp pains (often times from neural impingement).   For more information on back pain check out my previous blog.  Taking responsibility for your own health is not only empowering, it is a necessity!

 

Train Intelligently!

 

TJ Pierce

BS Exercise Science, CHEK 2, MTA 1

Coming unglued, treating myofacial pain syndrome.

According to the Mayo Clinic myofacial pain syndrome is described as "a chronic form of muscle pain. The pain of myofascial pain syndrome centers around sensitive points in your muscles called trigger points. The trigger points can be painful when touched. And the pain can spread throughout the affected muscle. Nearly everyone experiences muscle pain from time to time that generally resolves in a few days. But people with myofascial pain syndrome have muscle pain that persists or worsens. Myofascial pain caused by trigger points has been linked to many types of pain, including headaches, jaw pain, neck pain, low back pain, pelvic pain, and arm and leg pain. Treatment for myofascial pain syndrome can bring relief in many cases. Treatment options include physical therapy, trigger point injections or medications".

To understand myofacial pain syndrome we must first understand what myofacia is.  Myofacia (facial system) is essentially the glue that holds the body together.  The facial system connects the skin to muscles, muscles to tendons, and tendons to bones.  The facial system is made up of a variety of substances including, but not limited to collagen, adipose cells, elastin, fibrin, capillaries, and is dense with nerve endings and proprioceptors.  Pick any spot on your body from head to toe (including your organs) and you will find a component of the facial system.  This is important to understand because it helps us to see the holistic nature of the body. 

One can look at the facial system as an interconnected web weaving throughout the body.  Much like a spiderweb, pulling on one part of the system has an effect on the entire system.  This is why the site of pain is not always the etiology of the pain and why site specific therapy is not always the best treatment.  The following video (courtesy of Gill Hedley) is the best/simplest definition of how facia works.  Please take a few minutes to watch the video before reading on.

 

 As a corrective exercise specialist I deal with restricted range of motion on a daily basis.  Most often this restriction is due to an old injury.  Once an injury has occurred the body limits the movement of the joint(s) that are injured as a protective mechanism.  This is a very good thing as it prevents further injury.  The problem comes once the initial injury has healed, but the lack of range of motion is not addressed.  This is why someone can initially have a foot injury, spend 6-8 weeks in a boot to allow the foot to heal, have the boot removed, begin to resume old habits (exercise, sports, work) and find that the foot pain is gone, but now the opposite side shoulder hurts?  Why does this happen?  Facia!  Anytime we take a step the opposite shoulder protracts to help stretch the facia and propel you forward.  If the range of motion is limited do to a build up of facia at the injury site the contra-lateral (opposite side) shoulder now has to over protract to make up for the lack of movement at the foot/ankle joint.  A kink at one end of the web leads to dysfunction at the other end of the web.  Over time this process leads to all sorts of degeneration throughout the kinetic chain.

So, how do we treat myofacial dysfunction with movement therapy?  First we mobilize the restricted area.  This can be done with foam rollers, hands on manual therapy, and isometric exercises.  Once the range of motion is restored the joint(s) in question must be integrated back into the system in all movement patterns (squat, bend, lunge, push, pull, twist, walk, jog, sprint, and all combinations of these movements).  Far to often (especially with athletes) we get in a hurry to get back to our activities and miss foundational aspects of the rehabilitative process. 

When dealing with chronic pain and tension secondary to an old injury we must not get caught up in treating the painful site exclusively, we must take into account the entire facial web.  The body is a holistic system and treating it in any other way is bound to create more dysfunction and pain.  Take care of yourself by following the four pillars of wellness: Purpose, Recovery, Nutrition, and Movement.  Until next time.

 

Train Intelligently!

TJ Pierce

BS Exercise Science, CHEK 2, MTA 1

Owning or Renting?

   

According to the National Institute of Personal Trainers:  "Personal trainers today are in increasing demand, and generally well compensated for their expertise. U.S. Department of Labor Statistics shows that the middle 50 percent of trainers, including part-time, earn between $20,000 and $44,000 while the top 10 percent earn $62,000 or more. And it is important to bear in mind that these figures do not reflect self-employed trainers which make up approximately 10% of the over 260,000 fitness trainer jobs in the U.S., as of 2008. Projections of 29% growth in the fitness industry have held true since 2008, which mean that over 330,000 trainers are expected to be working in this market by 2018." 

With such tremendous growth one has to wonder if the quality of personal trainers will decline.  I have run the gamut when it comes working as a personal trainer.  I have worked at a large corporate facility, a small independent facility, and owned a couple of gyms myself.  I can tell you for a fact that finding a trainer that is not only educated, but continues their education and has the ability to apply their knowledge on a case by case basis is very hard to come by.  So this begs the question "How does a trainer decided what exercise(s) is appropriate for each client?". 

 

Unfortunately very few trainers have the understanding of anatomy and physiology to understand and own an exercise program.  Most of the industry simply rents the latest fads found on the internet and in the various fitness (and I use the term loosely) magazines.  This lack of understanding leads to an increase in injuries and pushes many people away from exercise in general.  So how does a trainer go from a renter to an owner?  The answer is quite simple....STUDY.  My goal as a trainer and as a business owner is to help lift our industry from its current fly by night certification standards to an industry that gets results based off scientific principles of anatomy, kinesiology, and physiology.  

One of my favorite and most rewarding study habbits is to read an article, a chapter in a book, or listen to a podcast on a subject that I am lacking knowledge in and just try to absorb it.  Don't worry if you don't know what a word means, or if you can't grasp the concept right away.  Simply absorb it and put it away.  Soon you will start to see bits and pieces of what you studied show up in your clients.  Grab the same article, book, or podcast three months later and take note of how much of this information you recall and have been applying.  Look at it again in every three months until you own it.  

So what's the difference between owning and renting an exercise program?  Experience.  Once you can intellectually understand a concept then you can apply it.  You can experience it directly in you own body and vicariously through your clients bodies.  Once you have experienced anything it becomes a part of you.  You don't have to look it up, you don't have to ask someone else, it is yours; you own it.  So, I emplore all my fellow trainers, lets all make ourselves more valuable and lift our country out of this health care debacle that we are in.  We must be more than trainers, we must be students, educators, motivators, and most of all leaders.  Lets all take ownership for what we create in ourselves and in our clients.

 

Train Intelligently!

TJ Pierce

BS Ex Science, CHEK 2, MTA 1

 

 

Nutrition and Physical Degeneration in review

 

 

One of my favorite books on nutrition is Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr. Weston Price.  I encourage all of my clients to read it, but due to the length and oftentimes dry nature of the book it often goes unread.  So, I thought I would do a little book review on it in hopes that it may inspire you to take a serious look at the link between the foods we eat and the current health situation in our country.

About the author

 Dr. Weston price was a dentist by trade, after losing a child to illness he made it his life's work to study health from one end of the world to the other.  He studied Irish fishermen, tribal Africans, Pacific Islanders, Eskimos, North and South American Indians, Australian Aborigines and many others.  As you can see he studied people with a wide variety of both genetic make up and environmental conditions.

What he found

Dr. Price discovered two major things.  First he discovered that vastly different ratios of macronutrients all produced healthy bodies.  For instance the South American Indians ate primarily vegetables with small amounts of lean protein.  On the other hand the Eskimos ate upwards of 90% saturated fat.  Despite the differences in what they ate both cultures showed robust health with no cavities, tuberculosis or genetic deformities in the subsequent generations.  This information proves that there is no one universal diet that works for everyone.  We each have our own Metabolic Type based on our heritage and our environment.  If you are interested in learning your Metabolic Type let me know.

The second thing Dr. Price discovered occurred while studying the members of the various tribes who had moved to the ports and cities where processed foods were available.  He discovered that the more sugar, white flour, and processed grains people consumed the less robust they became.  They were rife with cavities, tuberculosis, and sadly, malformations of the subsequent generations.  Many of the cultures were sterile after three generations of eating processed foods!

Conclusion

Living in the melting pot that is America foods from cultures around the world are readily available, unfortunately many of theses foods are not right for your metabolic individuality and sadly most them are heavily processed.  If you are looking for more energy and less body fat take a serious look at what you are consuming 3-5 times per day.  If what you eat is not right for your metabolic type you will continue to be malnourished and have trouble losing fat.  To the degree a food is processed is the degree it will leach minerals from your body in order to metabolize itself leading to......malnourishment.  We live in the paradox of plenty, plenty of calories with minimal nutrients equals a society marred with obesity and medical drugs.  Eat unprocessed organic foods that coincide with your metabolic type and you are well on your way to improving your health and vitality.

 

As always questions and comments are encouraged.

Train Intelligently!

 

TJ Pierce

BS Exercise Science, CHEK 2, MTA

TRX Push-ups with alternating hip flexion.

 

 While no one exercise is better than another, combing movement patterns can be an excellent way to challenge your entire nervous system.  One of my new favorite exercises is a TRX push-up with alternating hip flexion.  This movement challenges many of your bio-motor abilities including: strength, balance, anaerobic endurance, and flexibility.  Try 3 sets of 45-60 seconds the next time you workout and let me know what you think.

 

Train Intelligently,

TJ Pierce

BS Exercise Science

CHEK 2

 

 

 

Do you train like a baby?

The old adage "crawl before you walk" is a perfect starting point for understanding infant development patterns.  Motor engrams develop in a hierarchical pattern, so if you have a faulty motor engram at a developmental level you are likely to see a faulty pattern in a higher  level movement pattern.  This occurs due to imbalances in the tonic/phasic properties in the muscular system.  These imbalances can occur for a number of reasons.  If you do not spend enough time in the crawling phase, the tonic (stabilizing) properties of your oblique musculature can be underdeveloped which can effect your gait pattern due to an inability to stabilize your pelvis.  Other causes can be viscero-motor inhibition, trauma to the muscles/nerves, or simply from disuse.  If the cause is viscero-motor you must first address your diet, then you can follow a developmental motor engram program.  In the video below I demonstrate three developmental movement patterns.  The first exercise is inchworm, this pattern recreates the scoot pattern.  The second exercise is fetal flip, this pattern recreates the roll pattern.  The last exercise is a crawl pattern, which is self explanatory. 

 

 

 

 

 

These movements are more than just rehabilitative, they are a killer core workout as well.  If you are healthy start with 2 sets of 1:00 of each movement with no rest in between.  Good luck and any feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

Train Intelligently!

 

TJ Pierce

BS Exercise Science

CHEK 2

The Rule of 5's, making better choices.

 
Today I would like to share with you a technique for making better decisions that was taught to me by my high school english teach Mrs. Meyers.  She taught me the Rule of 5's.  The rule of 5's is simply taking a look at any decision you are about to make and think about how it will affect you in 5 seconds, 5 minutes, 5 hours, 5 weeks, 5 months, and 5 years. If we take the time to see how each choice affects us and those around us both short and long term we are more apt to make decision that is more beneficial to helping us achieve our goals.  Lets all take 5 to think about it.

 

As always comments are welcomed and encouraged.

Train Intellegently!

TJ Pierce, BS Exercise Science, CHEK 2

Tissue blending.

 

When studying human anatomy we often compartmentalize the various bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles into individual sections (ie a biceps muscle, a pateller tendon).  This system allows us to develop an in depth understanding of the individual properties of the given tissue we are studying and has led to miraculous advances in surgery and rehabilitative modalities.  While I can't emphasize enough the importance of understanding the individual roles of various tissues we must not forget that there is no true separation and that the human body is one interconnected organism.

 

 
Lets do a quick review of human cellular development (I'm sure its been a while since biology class, so I will keep it simple).  We start with a fertilized ovum, the ovum splits into stem cells, stem cells develop into specialized cells (nerve cells, muscle cells, etc..), specialized cells become tissues, tissues become functional units (nephron loops), functional units make up organs (kidney), organ make up organ systems (urinary system), and finally organ systems make up an organism (human).

So how does this apply to bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles?  If we look at outermost layer of the femur (upper leg bone) we will find the periosteum.  The periosteum is just bone tissue with a lesser concentration of mineral salts (Calcium, Carbon, etc..).  As we continue on to the facial layer we find more of the same base material with a slightly different mixture from the periostuem to allow for more elasticity.  This trend continues to become ligament and muscle tissue.

Whether we are providing manual therapy or  movement therapy we must treat the body  as a holistic model.  When we can accept the fact that you can not seperate tissues we can start to understand that everything you do effects everything else in your being.  Eating the wrong food for you metabolic type can inflame your colon, your colon can inhibit your abdominal wall via viscero-motor inhibition, an inhibited abdominal wall can put more strain on your back.  A traditional approach would be to stretch the tight back muscles, a modern approach would be to strengthen the abdominal muscles, a holistic approach would be to clean up your diet, then strengthen the abdominals, then maybe stretch the back muscles to correct any adaptive shortening not eliminated by an increased tonus of the abdominal wall. 

The more in-depth ones understanding of the holistic nature of the human organism the more likely you are to live a healthy, vibrant life.  As always comments and questions are encouraged and appreciated.

 

Train Intelligently!

 

TJ Pierce

BS Ex Science

CHEK 2

Going in feet first.

 
 

The foot consist of  26 bones (28 if you count the sesamoid bones) and 20 different muscle that attach to the bones of the foot.  When properly functioning the foot and ankle joint is capable of triplanar movement easily allowing the body to transfer forces from the earth into coordinated movement patterns and astonishing feats of athletic accomplishment.  When the foot/ankle incur an injury it can cause havoc on the entire kinetic chain.  So why is it that plantar faciaitis can make your neck hurt?

The human body is designed as a system of relatively mobile to relatively immobile joints stacked on top of each other .  For instance, if we look at the hip joint (ball and socket joint) it can disperse forces in all three planes of motion making it a relatively mobile joint.  If you take a short trip down the leg to the knee joint (hinge joint) and apply the same transverse (rotational) forces that the hip easily dispersed you get a very different result, usually ligament and meniscus damage.  This is because the knee is relatively immobile compared to the hip.  The knee is also relatively immobile compared to the ankle joint.  This means that any forces not dispersed by the ankle are past onto the knee, a job it is not capable of performing. 

 Far to often we focus on the site of the pain, and not the cause of the pain.  If you are currently experiencing joint pain start taking a look above and below the painful joint and you are likely to find restricted ranges of motion in the neighboring joints.  Spend some time addressing the limited ranges of motion and you are likely to see an improvement in the painful joint. 

A functional foot/ankle joint allows all the joints above it to work in their optimal axis' of rotation.  This can not only improve athletic performance, but also greatly reduces the risk of injury.  So spend some time working of your feet/ankles and watch your performance improve.  As always feedback is appreciated and encouraged.

 

Train Intellegently!

 

TJ Pierce

BS Exercise Science

CHEK 2

Sick and Tired!

Living in the US we have endless opportunities as to what we can do with our lives. Career choices are limited only by one's imagination and desire. We are the captains of our own ships and are continuously shaping our own realities. This opportunity comes with a great deal of responsibility. We are responsible for what we create and it all starts with choices.

Each day we choose how to spend our time and each of these decisions have a direct effect on our physiology. If you work too much your immune system weakens and you get sick. If you work too little you can't afford the lifestyle you desire, you get stressed and once again your immune system is suppressed and you get sick.  If you put too little of the right foods in your body your immune system becomes suppressed and you get sick.  The examples are endless, and all have the same results.  So we must must find a balance to live a life that fulfills our desires, yet leaves us with the energy to enjoy them.

We find balance by developing and executing a plan.  Your plan should be based on what you want for your life, anyone else's plan for you will inevitably end up in a failure because it is not your creation.  Everyone's plan will be as different as our fingerprints, but should contain at least one commonality, Meditation.  Meditation can be whatever you want it to be: quite time, nap time, fishing, walking, whatever gets you to a place that you are alone, quite, and can breath deeply.  This time allows you to activate you parasympathetic nervous system which allows you to digest food and build new tissue.  This time also frees you from the noise of everyday life that distracts you from hearing your own inner voice.  The TV distracts you, the internet distracts you, the radio, books, anything that is outside of you will distract you from creating your plan.  So if you find yourself suffering from a lack of energy and motivation, if you miss more than one day a year to illness, if you are just not happy with where you are at in life give yourself 20 minutes a day free of distractions.  You will soon find yourself more focused and rested so that you can pursue the life you were born to live.
 
As always comments are welcomed and appreciated!
 
Train Intelligently!

T.J. Pierce
BS Exercise Science
CHEK Practitioner 2

Back Pain and Abdominal Dysfunction

Back pain strikes most of us at one time or another in our lives and when it is of a chronic nature it can be debilitating to your social life and to your bank account.  According to a recent article in Newsweek, "In 2005 Americans spent $85.9 billion looking for relief from back and neck pain through surgery, doctor's visits, X-rays, MRI scans and medications, up from $52.1 billion in 1997, according to a study in the Feb. 13 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). That money hasn't helped reduce the number of sufferers; in 2005, 15 percent of U.S. adults reported back problems—up from 12 percent in 1997.  So what is casing all this back pain?

Often times weak abdominals can be the culprit for back pain.  The abdominals have attachments to the pelvis.  These attachments help to keep the pelvis balanced during both static posture and movement.  If the abdominals do not engage or do not stay engaged the pelvis then anteriorly rotates (tips forward).  This rotation of the pelvis causes the musculature of the low back to shorten.  If left in this position the muscle adopt this posture (see my previous post Practice Makes Permanent: Motor Engrams) and begin to report a position of strain to your brain and you are left with a constant sensation of pain until the muscles are returned to their proper length.

You may be wondering how do my abdominals fail to function.  There are a number of possibilities, but amongst the most common are: trauma, viscero-motor inhibition, and length-tension imbalances.  Trauma can include surgery, childbirth, a fall, car accidents, really anything that produces enough force to activate the Golgi tendon organ which inhibits muscles as a safety response.  If ones back pain is due to trauma often times manual therapy can provide relief by addressing any scar tissue and manually stimulating the dormant muscle tissue, this should be followed with a corrective exercise program targeting abdominal coordination, strength, and endurance.

Viscero-motor inhibition occurs when an organ is inflamed and inhibits the musculature that it shares innervations with.  If you find yourself with consistent abdominal bloating, loose stool, constipation, or abdominal cramping to go with your back pain, you are probably suffering from viscero-motor inhibition.  If you fall into this category you need to take care of your internal organs prior to attempting to address you muscular dysfunction.  Getting tested for food allergies/intolerances is a good place to start.

Length-tensions imbalances tend to be the product of postural habits (see my previous post Practice Makes Permanent: Motor Engrams).  If you fall into this category an ergonomic assessment of your work place combined with a corrective exercise program based on your specific imbalances will get you on the road to recovery.

Keep in mind that if you are suffering from chronic back pain there are lots of treatment options out there and that it probably took a long time for you to develop you current condition and it is not going to change overnight, be patient and be consistent.

Train Intelligently!
T.J. Pierce
BS Exercise Science
CHEK Practitioner 2

Balance Training 101

What's the best way to train to improve ones balance?  If you Google balance training you will find all the latest and greatest devices, Bosu balls, dynadisk, rocker boards, along with hundreds of websites filled with thousands of exercises utilizing the aforementioned devices.  These devices allow us to challenge our bodies in some amazing ways, but before we jump into the world of balance training we may want to ask...what is balance? 

Balance is essentially ones ability to maintain a constant center of gravity regardless of position.  In order to maintain a center of gravity or an optimal axis of instantaneous rotation (OAIR) ones muscular system must maintain optimal length-tension relationships.  So, what does all this mean?  Let's take a look.  As you read this you will likely notice your shoulders being rounded and your head protruding forward.  This is termed forward head posture (FHP), and is very common in our technology driven society.  When one has adopted FHP as a motor engram the head leads the body and puts undo strain on the neck, as a result of the neck strain the shoulders start to round and so on down the body.  This constant strain can make balancing very difficult secondary to joint instability.

If we look at the fact that instability + instability = more instability we have to ask, is the current trend in balance training increasing or decreasing our balance.  Current balance training trends focus on putting the body on an unstable device and asking the body to compensate in an effort to increase neural output and hence balance.  This is great for someone who already has a solid foundation and good balance, it can be a nightmare for someone with joint instability secondary to postural imbalances.  Take a quick test, get up and see how long you can balance on one leg, then the other.  You will probably notice a couple of things.  You will likely notice that one leg is easier than the other and that you probably can't balance for more than one minute an either.  If this is the case then you will want to take a look at your posture and see if your body is out of balance.  Look for your head being out in front of your body, look for one hip sitting higher than the other, and for any side bending.  These will all affect your balance relative the the degree you are out of alignment.  So, if you are really looking to improve your balance you should address your postural imbalances and save the instability training for another day.

Train intelligently!

TJ Pierce
BS Exercise Science
CHEK 2

Don't Forget Your Isometrics!

As boot camps, cross fit, and many other HIIT training methods continue to saturate the fitness industry it is easy to get caught up in the harder is better mentality.  The fore mentioned HIIT training techniques are great ways to to increase fitness and strength levels, but can also lead to injuries due to imbalances of tonic and phasic musculature.  These injuries can often be relieved/prevented with the inclusion of isometric exercises into your routine.

Isometric exercise simply generate a force through the muscular system with out changing the length of the muscles.  These isometric contractions strengthen the alpha motor response that initiate/sustain muscular contractions.  Any given motor unit that does not receive an alpha response is likely to call on surrounding motor units to do its job (for example anyone doing a push up and experiencing back pain is likely missing the alpha motor response from the transverse abdominals (TVA). 
When the TVA does not receive its signal it ask the low back muscles to do its job, a job they are poorly equipped to perform and hence the production of pain).  Isometric exercises increase the stability of the joint(s) that the involved musculature crosses.  This increase in stability leads to an increase in force production and a decrease in the likelihood of injury.  So try adding 20-30 minutes of isometrics 2-3 times per week into your current routine (even if you have to cut back on some of the dynamic moments for a while) and experience more strength and flexibility than ever before.
 
Train intelligently!
TJ Pierce
BS Exercise Science
CHEK Practitioner 2
Pierce Family Wellness

Practice Makes Permanent - Motor Engrams

As a corrective exercise specialist I spend a lot of time assessing how people stand and move which gives me insight into ones motor engrams.  A motor engram is nothing more than a learned movement or postural pattern.  With repetition these patterns become more deeply engrained regardless if it is beneficial or detrimental to function. I like to refer to motor engrams as movement/postural habits.  For instance, if you sit with "slumped" posture 8 hours a day, 5 days a week it only takes a matter of weeks before your body will adopt that posture as "sitting".  The opposite also holds true that if you sit with "erect'' posture for the same time periods your body will adopt that posture as "sitting"  Remember that practice does not make perfect, but it does make permanent.  Like most things in life your habits will dictate your health and thus your happiness.  So if you find yourself with constant tight and achy muscles/joints take a look at your posture both sitting and standing.  While many factors go into your posture (breathing patterns, nutrition, sleep, attitude, etc..) gaining awareness that there is a problem is the first step towards a solution.  If you fall into this category I suggest you set a timer on your watch or phone for every ten minutes.  When the timer goes off check to see what muscles feel tight and change your posture to a position that gives you relief, hold that position for 90 seconds then slowly come back to a "neutral" position.  Do this every waking hour for 2-3 weeks and watch your postural engram change right before your eyes.

Train Intelligently!

T.J. Pierce
BS Exercise Science
CHEK Practitioner 2

Nutritional Facts of Life

Taken from an Article Posted on the Selene River Press

Confused by the many mixed messages of nutrition? Don’t be. The original nutrition researchers found the keys to good health and optimal weight to be very simple. Just remember:

1. Food is Holistic in Nature
2. Processed Foods Are the Main Cause of Degenerative Disease
3. Fat is Not the Problem!
4. Organic Whole Foods Are Crucial for Good Health
5. Whole-Food Concentrates Can Help the Body Restore Balance Naturally

1. Food is Holistic in Nature. The nutrition pioneers understood that vitamins and minerals as they appear in nature are not single substances but are groups of substances that work together in a unique way to support the body. This isn’t some metaphysical whim but a biochemical fact.

Vitamin C, for example, is not just ascorbic acid, which is how it is defined today; it is a complex of compounds that includes—in addition to ascorbic acid—bioflavonoids, rutin, the all-important enzyme tyrosinase, and doubtless additional compounds we’ve yet to identify.

Vitamin C always exists this way in food, and isolating a single compound from the C complex, such as ascorbic acid, and then taking it in mega doses is like loading up on a drug. You may feel good at first, but eventually it’s going to cause an imbalance. Simply put, human beings cannot approximate nature.

2. Processed Foods Are the Main Cause of Disease Today. In the 1930s, Dr. Weston A. Price traveled the world to study various isolated “primitive” peoples who had yet to succumb to the “diseases of modernity”—heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, etc.

From the blubber-loving Eskimos of Alaska to the agricultural tribes of Central Africa, Price found that those who stuck to their traditional diets were virtually free of degenerative disease, while those in the groups who had begun to eat processed foods developed the same killer diseases that plague the Western world to this day.

The biggest culprits among the processed foods, Price observed, were always white sugar and white flour. This is not particularly surprising, since neither of these fractionated products resembles anything our bodies have historically metabolized. For instance, today Americans eat about 160 pounds of refined sugar in a year. The healthy primitives in Price’s study? Zero.

3. Fat is Not the Problem! Or rather, natural fat is not the problem. Whereas artificial trans fats—a synthetic, processed food—have been shown to be a significant contributor to heart disease and other degenerative conditions, natural saturated fat has not.

Nor does eating natural fat lead to weight gain. This claim has never been shown scientifically, and in fact a much stronger argument can be made for refined carbohydrates such as white sugar and white flour being the true culprits behind America’s mind-boggling weight gain over the past three decades.

The graphs below show how the obesity rate has changed as we’ve switched to a diet with more carbohydrates and less fat.

You can see on the left that as the obesity rate (blue line) has climbed, the percent of calories that men and women eat as fat has decreased. The percent they eat as carbohydrates, as shown on the right, has increased right along with obesity. Fat is not the problem!

4. Organic Whole Foods Are Crucial for Good Health. The natural human diet was built on foods grown in soil that is rich in minerals and bacteria, both of which are tragically depleted in land that is conventionally farmed.

Moreover, artificial pesticides and fertilizers contribute to toxicity and imbalance in both the human body and the ecosystem. By eating organically raised plants and animals, you supply pure, “full-strength” nourishment to your body and help restore the land to nourish others.

But keep in mind that organic foods can still be processed. Even if what we start with is organic, we cannot fractionate food, cook it to death through pasteurization or refining, throw a few isolated vitamin fragments in it, and expect it to nourish us. This is like smashing a watch and gluing a few of the pieces on your wrist to tell the time.

Nutrition’s early researchers greatly stressed the importance of eating foods that are as close to their natural state as possible, that is, minimally processed and raw or lightly cooked.

5. Whole-Food Concentrates Help the Body to Restore Balance Naturally. Americans get two thirds of their calories from processed foods. Un-coincidentally, we are an extremely sick nation. Years of consuming processed foods has put our health square behind the eight ball.

To right this imbalance, many people reach for prescription drugs or synthetic vitamin fragments. But these artificial antidotes are foreign to the body, and they create more problems than they solve. Just as processed foods are the chief cause of degenerative disease, whole foods are the chief cause of health.

Eating better is often not enough, however. When a person’s biochemistry is out of whack to the level that is common today, concentrated raw-food supplements provide a needed jump start to return the person to balance. Combined with a real-food diet, whole-food concentrates supply the body the nourishment it was designed on, so that it can heal itself.

By learning the true principles of nutrition—by preparing real whole foods and working with healthcare practitioners schooled in the use of whole-food supplements—Americans can achieve a state of health few people realize is natural.

Obesity is a Disease: Are Refined Carbohydrates the Cause?

The article below by Patrick Earvolino is an eye-opener! The fact is that calories in vs. calories out is about as relevant as the government recommended "food pyramid" for a healthy body. A lot of the truth about nutrition was (re)discovered in the 1920's and continued on until World War II.  The reasons there has been such a dramatic change is a very deep and complex subject, if you are interested in learning more shoot me a message or put a post up on the Pierce Family Wellness Facebook page, and I will give you the info I have and point you in the direction you need.  You can also visit the free archives at selenriverpress.com to access all the original studies from the 20's to present day. I hope you enjoy the article and would love to hear some feedback!

Enjoy!
TJ Pierce
Pierce Family Wellness
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Burn more calories than you eat, and you’ll lose fat. This belief, known as the calories-in calories-out theory, is an unquestioned principle of nutrition. We all buy it. And it makes sense—if we assume all calories behave the same in the body, or as the dietitians like to put it, “a calorie is a calorie,” whether it comes from fat or carbohydrate or whatever. The only problem with this seemingly sensible idea is, well, it’s not true.

Back in the early 1960s, Dr. George Campbell was working at a hospital in Natal, South Africa, where he was studying a local population of Indian immigrants. Although the Natal Indians were utterly impoverished, living on as little as 1600 calories a day and toiling for hours on end in the local sugar plantations, many of them were “enormously fat,” as Campbell put it. How could this be, when the calories-in calories-out theory says the Natal Indians should have been deathly thin?

Whole Lotta Carbing Goin' On
Since the caloric theory couldn’t account for what was going on, Campbell looked for clues in the specific foods the Indians were eating. Their diet was very low in fat, so that didn’t appear to be the issue. They did, on the other hand, eat about 80 pounds of sugar each year—or about 25% of a 1600-calorie diet—as well as lots of refined complex carbohydrates such as white flour. One can imagine Campbell wondering whether there was something about sugar and other refined carbohydrates that was messing up the metabolism of his patients and making them store fat they couldn’t burn off. Now if one is looking for a connection between fat storage and carbohydrate consumption, the hormone insulin is a great place to start. Insulin not only dictates whether fat is to be stored by the body or used as fuel, its production depends how much glucose, the end product of carbohydrate digestion, is in the blood. So we have a connection: Carbohydrates — > Insulin — >

Fat Storage and You Thought Fat Just Sat There
While it’s often said in nutrition that carbohydrates are the “preferred fuel source of the body,” this is incorrect. Metabolism researchers have known since the 1960s that the body gets the majority of its fuel from fat tissue, which continually releases fatty acids that circulate through the blood, ready to be utilized as energy or returned back to the fat cells if not needed. Fat tissue is like “money in the bank” when it comes to fuel production in the body.

If fat cells represent our savings account, then glucose is our ready cash. As soon as it hits the blood, it causes the pancreas to secrete insulin, which in turn moves some of the glucose into the cells for use as fuel. Much of the rest of the glucose is converted to fat and sent to the fat cells for storage, reflecting the importance the body places on having money in the bank.

Glucose and fatty acids work in tandem to keep the supply of energy to the body steady. When glucose in the blood is high, the body’s cells use it as their main fuel and draw little from the fat supplies. When blood glucose is low (like when you’re asleep or haven’t eaten in a while), the cells use fatty acids as their main fuel. In other words, when there’s cash (glucose) in the wallet, we use that to pay our cells. When cash is tight, we draw from our savings account (fat). Yet under certain conditions, as we’ll see, we can’t access the fat in our savings account regardless of how much glucose is in the blood. It’s as if someone took away our debit card and put us on a cash-only plan.

The Trouble With Insulin
The chief regulator of the whole glucose-fatty acid operation is insulin. This hormone is most famously known for its function of moving glucose from the blood into the body’s cells. But here’s the key to this whole discussion: Insulin also prevents fatty acids from leaving the fat cells. So if there is too much insulin in the blood for too long a time—a condition known as hyperinsulinemia—you can’t access your fat savings. This is what we meant about having your debit card taken away. All you can use to pay your cells when insulin is high is glucose.

So how does insulin become abnormally high in the blood? You probably guessed: through the consumption of refined carbohydrates. Something about the way these foods are digested promotes hyperinsulinemia. The persistently high amount of insulin in the blood denies us access to our fat supplies and puts us on a glucose-only metabolism. As long as we continue to get most of our calories from refined carbohydrates, insulin remains high and fat storage continues. “Carbohydrate is driving insulin is driving fat,” in the words of Harvard endocrinologist George Cahill.

Calories In…But Not Out
This carbohydrate-driven dysfunction of insulin behavior explains why the Natal Indians were overweight in spite of eating so few calories, and why the calories-in calories-out theory doesn’t hold for the human body: in eating sugar and other refined carbohydrates as our main fuel source, we shut off access to our fat stores. Calories go in, but they don’t come out. This also explains why a person on a low-calorie, high-carbohydrate diet is often fatigued. The person takes in less fuel than normal yet is unable to access energy from the fat cells to maintain the normal operations of the body’s cells. So the cells respond by slowing down their metabolism, and instead of burning fat, the dieter just gets tired.

Most of all, hyperinsulinemic weight gain forces us to reconsider the nature of obesity. In most cases it isn’t a matter of gluttony—the inability to keep from the dinner table—but rather a glitch in a basic hormonal system of the human body by which calories are shoved into fat cells and made unavailable. That this should occur isn’t particularly surprising, since refined carbohydrates don’t remotely resemble the foods our fuel production system evolved on. The surprise is we continue to believe “a calorie is a calorie” and “calories in, calories out” in light of all this.

Exercise for Beginners: Intensity vs Consistency

I am often asked what is more important for a successful exercise program intensity or consistency.  First let’s get clear on the definition of each term.  Consistency means the frequency of participation (how often you are doing your program).  Intensity refers to the percentage of work you are doing relative to your maximal effort (if you can squat 200 pounds, a 100 pound squat would be at 50% intensity, if you can run 20 mph, 10 mph would be 50% intensity).

The short answer is consistency; the whole answer is that eventually doing the same modality of exercise consistently at the same intensity will fail to yield further results in 3-4 weeks if the intensity is not modified.  The reality of the situation is that if you are doing nothing, something will be better.  I encourage anyone who has not exercised consistently in a year or more to start out with an activity that is easy enough on the body that you can do it 4 times a week without overexerting yourself.  For some this may be a 20 minute walk 4 times per week for others it may be shooting hoops in the back yard.  It does not matter; just move your body consistently.

Once you have established the discipline to stick with a program for a month it is time to increase the intensity.  You can increase the intensity any way you like, by going faster or further, but not both.  If you did not include any resistance training in your initial 4 week program now is the time.  Again start slow, maybe 2-3 days per week (in addition to your chosen 4 days of cardiovascular activity) of bodyweight exercises (squats, lunges, push ups, etc…)   The resistance training will increase your lean muscle mass which utilizes fat as a fuel source throughout the day.

Though this is only the tip of the iceberg that is exercise prescription, and very general advice, it is a place to start your journey to a healthier you!

Best of luck and train intelligently!

TJ Pierce
BS Exercise Science
CHEK 2

Pierce Family Wellness NOW has JEN Bars!

JEN Bars are a unique energy bar unlike any other on the market. The JEN Bar (Just Energy Nutrients) is made with a unique blend of natural and organic ingredients designed to sustain a body’s energy for several hours. The energy packed recipe includes the most politically correct nutrition according to Sally Fallon, Author of Nourishing Traditions Cook Book, Robert Atkins, Author of The Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, and Paul Chek, A Holistic Health Practitioner and Author of Eat, Move, and Be Healthy.

JEN Bars only contain raw nuts, as roasting causes fats and oils to go rancid, increasing free-radical damage to your body. They also contain ingredients such as butter and walnuts to boost the body’s omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which our bodies can’t produce yet must have in order to maintain and repair the adult brain and nervous system. The combination of sesame and flax seed meal helps reduce the body’s high blood serum cholesterol value. And buckwheat  is a source of natural fiber, magnesium, and vitamin B. We have designed our bars to be Gluten Free. Each bar is made by hand, and should be refrigerated to preserve the nutrient value.

Boxes of 12 for $24.00, Flavors include:

• Almond White Chocolate
• Walnut Peanut Butter Chocolate
• Cashew White Chocolate

JEN Bars are a great organic,all natural healthy snack
THAT TASTE AMAZING!
Stop by today and pick up yours!

 

For additional information about JEN Bars, please visit www.JENBars.com.

Is there such a thing as low abs?

Video courtesy of Paul Chek live

The fact is that neurologically you do have lower abdominals. Though you can not completely separate upper from lower abdominals you can perform exercise to emphasize each.  The "lower abdominals" are largely responsible for pelvic stability both statically and dynamically.  Weak/uncoordinated lower abs can play a major role in back pain.  When training your lower abs the most important thing is to.........make sure they work!  You can do all the best low ab exercises in the world, but if the muscles do not fire due to SMA (sensory motor amnesia) you are wasting time.  Corrective exercise with a biofeedback device and MAT (muscle activation technique) have worked for my clients time and time again. 

So why does this matter?  The bottom line is if you can not utilize the lower fibers of your rectus abdominus and transverse abdominals and the lateral fibers of your external obliques you can not efficiently stabilize your pelvis.  If you can't stabilize your pelvis the law of reciprocal inhibition will take over.  This means that the rest of your phasic muscles (legs, glutes, lats, etc..) can not produce their maximal amounts of power due to the instability of the pelvis.  If phasic muscles are to fire at their maximal capacity in spite of pelvic instability (say due to adrenaline which allows you to override the laws of reciprocal inhibition) the pelvis can over rotate and cause muscular tears, ligament strains and tears, spinal shear and many other injuries.  SO, the importance of pelvic stability comes into play anytime you move, and especially with loaded movement (sports, picking up a child).  To reach your potential in any sport as well as to decrease the likelihood of injuries from everyday activity make sure your low abs work.  Until next time, train intelligently.

TJ Pierce

BS Exercise Science

CHEK 2

Shoulder Training

Great tips for shoulder training.

Courtesy of Paul Chek

The shoulder is capable of roughly 180 degrees of motion among it's three joints (glenohumeral, acromioclavicular, and sternoclavicular).  These three joints work together to achieve this range of motion.  All to often we overstimulate one of the joints and its surrounding musculature to the exclusion of others. This is often due to repetitive motions both static and dynamic.  Whether you are throwing a football or sitting at a desk you are susceptible to repetitive motion injury. This can lead to imbalances amongst the muscles crossing the shoulder joint which in turn leads to a loss of the optimal instantaneous axis of rotation (OIAR).  The loss of OIAR leads to excessive strain on the joints, joint capsules, and ligaments of the shoulder girdle which eventually become neck and or back problems.  This type of dysfunction is common and can often be treated by corrective exercise and/or manual therapies like MAT (muscle activation technique).  Train safely and intelligently!

TJ Pierce

BS Exercise Science

CHEK 2

The Best Exercise Program?

In my ten years as a trainer I have received thousands of questions about diet and exercise. Though the questions vary there are some that I hear again and again. Each week we will look at one of theses questions in depth moving away from the generic quick fix answers in pursuit of the truth.

Today we will discuss the “best exercise program.” You can ask a hundred different trainers what the best exercise program entails and you are likely to get a hundred different answers. Many times trainers will focus on what has worked for them and accept that as the truth. It is not that trainers are being dishonest, but only misinformed. I know this because I have done it. It is essential that those of us involved in the fitness industry constantly and vigorously pursue continuing education so that we may truly help those who seek our help.

Why is it that there are thousands of books on exercise programs, thousands of infomercials selling the next quick fix, hundreds of gyms filled with personal trainers, yet we have an ever-growing obesity rate? With so much information or in many cases misinformation it is no wonder people are confused about the best training program. The answer is quite simple; the best exercise program is the one that has been designed specifically for you! To truly design an individualized program we need to look at the person as a whole and assess what their physiological load. Physiological load is the sum of all stressors on an individual. Exercise, nutrition, physical pain, emotions, thoughts, hydration, and posture are just a few of the stressors that can determine the success of any given exercise program. Once all the relevant information has been gathered we can determine someone’s physiological load. Higher physiological loads are usually indicative of autonomic nervous system imbalances. The autonomic nervous system is the master controller of metabolism.

Let’s take a quick look at the autonomic nervous systems two branches, the sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PSN) branches. The sympathetic branch is also known as the “fight or flight” branch. The SNS is the catabolic branch which is responsible for tissue breakdown and energy expenditure and is associated with such hormones adrenaline and cortisol. The SNS becomes active whenever a threat is perceived; this could be mental or physical. In preparation to fight or flight the blood is shuttled to the extremities getting the body ready for action. The heart rate increase and the body is flooded with adrenaline along with many other stress hormones. This is not a problem if adequate rest and nutrition follow the bouts of stress. Proper rest and nutrition will activate the parasympathetic nervous system which is the anabolic or tissue building branch and is associated with such hormones seratonin and dopamine. When the PNS is activated blood is brought back into the organs allowing digestion of nutrients and assimilation of cells. Keep in mind that you are composed of over three trillion cells some of which are replaced every second!

If you have an imbalance in your autonomic nervous system your ability to recover from exercise and build muscle is slim to none. The best exercise program is the one that balances your nervous system. It may be high intensity exercises (sprints, power lifting, martial arts, etc.) that kick your SNS into gear, or it may be low intensity exercises (breathing exercise, yoga, tai chi, light resistance training, etc.) that activate you PNS.

So how do you figure out what type of exercise program you need? I recommend seeking out a CHEK practitioner. CHEK is an acronym for Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiologist. CHEK practitioners are equipped with extensive questionnaires and physical assessment methods to help you determine your physiological load. Once your physiological load has been determined a very specific program can be designed for you based on your physiological needs, budget, equipment accessibility, and personal preferences. A program will only be successful if it addresses your individual needs, and more importantly if you will stick with it! To increase the likelihood of success the individual must become educated. With out understanding why you are doing what you are doing, long term success is rare. Give a man a fish and you have fed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime.

TJ Pierce
BS Exercise Science
CHEK Practitioner 2