Visual Cues

For many of us the day to day activities in our lives keep us busy, distracted and sometimes unable to fully achieve or goals. It can be difficult sometimes to even know if you are heading in the right direction or if you are simply treading water. More or less trying to keep your head above water rather than working to grasp what is really important. The feeling of not knowing if you are making progress can be a frustrating burden to live with and is often prevalent when people examine their lives over very short periods of time. Considering that day to day trivial activities typically consume a large portion of ones day focusing on big wins is very important.

WHEN LIFE GETS IN THE WAY!!!

Let’s take a quick look at some easy ways to stay on track with your goals and achieve all you want and more while not getting caught up in the day to day minutia that often bogs others less motivated down.

ENTER VISUAL CUES

Want to stay on task, want to stay motivated, need a little kick in the you know what from time to time to keep you on track? Utilize visual cues.

The general idea behind visual cues is that “seeing is believing.” if you see something often enough it will enter into your unconscious train of thought and without even realizing you will gravitate towards that stimulus, activity or idea. (Think Golden Arches, an Apple, a swoosh, a bottle of cola) These companies without even naming names have used visual cues to such an extent that even mentioning their logo is causing neurons and electrons in your brain to start firing so rapidly, that you mouth may be salivating or you are reaching for your pocket to check your phone. Impressive and scary all at the same time.
If companies can use visual cues to such an extent that our minds make decisions for us, without us conscious of the implications why can’t we utilize the same visual cues to our advantage.

We have talked about this before at PERPETUAL GROWTH and I have proven it works.

• Smart Goals – Smart Goals are often the foundation of an exercise program and will lead to better success overall. Remember your goals should be SPECIFIC,MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, REALISTIC & TIMED. Utilize the visual goals theory by placing a copy of your smart goals where you spend the most time. Examples include (bathroom, fridge, office, bedroom, car). The more you see your goals the more likely you are to strive towards them.

• Posting wedding dress pictures – Girls use the wedding dress picture as a visual cue all of the time. Posting the wedding dress picture also relates to the Smart Goals discussed previously. Brides to be manage to lose weight, exercise more, and are often more conscious of their health because they want to look great on their big day! Just remember… you don’t need a wedding or special event to post a picture of how you want to look or feel. Visual Cues can be that powerful.
  

• Carrying a jug of water – It’s summer now and IT IS HOT!! Lack of hydration is a leading cause of fatigue, decreased performance and can lead to other health related concerns in the athletic as well as the elderly. Best way to visually cue yourself to drink? Go buy a big jug of water and fill that sucker up each morning with cold water and ice. Throughout the day you can continually cue yourself to drink water as your goal would be to finish at least 1 jug per day. Simple plus the extra trips to the bathroom make for easy NEPA. Just try it.
  

Utilize Visual Cues to keep important topics, tasks or ideas at the forefront of your mind and you will be well on your way to achieving PERPETUAL GROWTH

 

DELAYED ONSET MUSCLE SORENESS with IAN

Today we have another special guest contributing to Perpetual Growth. Tapping into the collective knowledge of experts in the field is an excellent resource when attempting to understand the scientific matters of exercise and fitness. We are lucky enough today to introduce Ian who will outline the importance of understanding post workout pain and the resulting impact on our musculature and central nervous systems.

     “Hey Ian, thanks for joining us here at PERPETUAL GROWTH, can you please provide a little background information about yourself and your current studies?“

Ian is a registered physiotherapist with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. Ian is currently a PhD student at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, where his research focuses on the role of neck strengthening and motor control of the head and neck in paediatric populations. Ian completed his BSc in Honours Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo in 2008. He recently completed his Master of Science in Physical Therapy degree in 2010 from Queen’s University. Ian is a member of both the Canadian and Ontario Physiotherapy Associations, and currently sits on the executive board for the Paediatric Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. Ian’s extra-curricular interests lie in competitive hockey, weight training, golf, hiking, wakeboarding, and snowboarding.

     “Sounds very interesting Ian, you are definitely well on your way to an established career in the field of physiotherapy or Kinesiology.” Without further ado DOMS with IAN!

Resistance training is a deliberate action we undertake with the intent of becoming bigger, stronger

Muscle Fibre

and faster or to lose weight.  However, some people may or may not know that when we perform resistance training, we are intentionally causing calculated amounts of damage to our muscles. This tissue damage is essential to making gains in size, speed and strength. Our bodies recognize and remember the type of stress that was placed on it, and automatically begins to adapt itself to resist these specific stresses in the future.  These adaptations can include, but are not limited to: increases in muscle fibre size, increases in motor output signals from our brains, increases in bone mass, etc.

As a physiotherapist, prescribing exercises is a big part of my treatment philosophy.  Prescribing exercises, shifts the control back into the patient’s hands, they are now responsible for a significant portion of their treatment plan.  It also serves to show the patient that they have all the tools to actually fix themselves through carefully prescribed therapeutic exercise.  However, one of the most common complaints I received from patients when they came back to see me a few days later, was “the exercises felt pretty good, I had no problem completing them, but today I am even more sore than I was before! I thought these exercises were supposed to help. What is going on??”

This phenomenon of muscle pain and tenderness days after the completion of an exercise routine is referred to as “delayed onset muscles soreness” or “DOMS”.  It is characterized by marked muscle tenderness and stiffness beginning 12-48 hours after exercising and usually last for 5-7 days depending on the amount of tissue

DOMS at work

damage (I quickly learned that I needed to warn patients of the risk of DOMS before starting the exercise programme…). You are most likely experiencing DOMS because you have stressed your body in a way in which it is not use to performing on a daily basis.  This is a good thing, as you will make bigger gains this way!  The main movement that results in the greatest amount of tissue damage is from the eccentric phase of your muscles contraction. The eccentric phase is when there is lengthening of the muscle fibres against resistance.  Concentric phase is when the muscle shortens against a resistance.  Let’s use a squat as an example.  When you are lowering the weight in a controlled manner, your quads are becoming longer – this is the eccentric phase of the muscle contractions.  Once you are at the bottom of the movement, you start to extend your hips and knees and rise, your quads are becoming shorter – you are now in the concentric phase of a contraction.

Since eccentric contractions work to forcefully lengthen the muscle, cross-bridges of muscles fibres are torn apart to a greater degree than during a concentric contraction. This is both good and bad (but mostly good). The good part is that this micro-tearing of the muscle fibres is integral to our bodies laying down new proteins, collagen and bone that will increase the size and strength of tissues. The bad part is that is can sometimes be uncomfortable.

DOMS is a complex phenomenon which is still relatively poorly understood.  There is no consensus in the scientific literature regarding the mechanism that causes the associated pain with DOMS. It is likely that there are a number of mechanisms that contribute to the delayed pain response after a strenuous workout. The resultant pain is likely a combination of structural micro-damage of muscles or connective tissues and inflammation. Fortunately, or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it…) it doesn’t matter whether you are the guy pushing the most weight in the gym or you are well into your golden years and just starting a walking programme, it appears that no one is immune to the effects of DOMS.  Anytime you perform a new exercise, sport or task around the house or yard, you can expect to feel the effect afterwards. Nor is there a way to effectively decrease the effects or duration of DOMS post-exercise.  Studies have looked at using ice, anti-inflammatory drugs, massage, stretching, further exercise, ultrasound, and electrotherapy. The results as to the best means of treating DOMS are equivocal.

Now I’m sure there are a number of people out there who have their own solution to DOMS after their workout routine. If it works for them, I say “all the power to them!” and encourage them to continue with whatever means they feel helps them. 

The goal of this post was to introduce the topic of DOMS and to let people know that it is normal to feel excessive soreness after a workout.  It should be noted however, that even though discomfort associated with DOMS is to be expected, there are certain symptoms that are indicative of a more serious injury. Any sudden onset of sharp pain during movement, any pain that lasts more than 1 week, unexplained bruising or swelling, any stinging, burning or loss of sensation anywhere on your body. These are NOT normal symptoms commonly associated with DOMS.  If you experience any of these symptoms, cease all aggravating activities and seek medical attention. Any of these symptoms could be indicative of SIGNIFICANT structural damage to muscle, connective or neural tissue. 

Now, I am the first person to admit that DOMS is not the most pleasant experience one can have. That being said, it is not the worst thing either.  So next time you feel stiff and sore following strenuous physical activity, take solace in the fact that although you may be sore today, you know that you reached a level of intensity that adequately stressed your body that will make you stronger tomorrow.

References

Cheung, K., Hume, P. A., & Maxwell, L. (2003). Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: Treatment Strategies and Performance Factors. Sports Medicine , 33 (2), 145-64.

Connolly, D. A., Sayers, S. P., & McHugh, M. P. (2003). Treatment and Prevention of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research , 17 (1), 197-208.

“Ian, great post and your scientific background information relating to DOMS is very informative. Anyone who consistently is looking for growth and improvement in the gym should be well aware of the delayed muscle soreness or “burn” often felt after an intense workout. Just remember DOMS is a good thing as it forces your muscles to grow and adapt to the new stressors place upon them. PERPETUAL GROWTH looks forward to additional blog topics from Ian again in the future.” Thanks Ian!!

 

Little White Lies

There are times in your life when sometimes it is necessary to tell a Little White Lie. Often it is a response mechanism used to save you from a bad haircut comment, impending firing, disdain from wife, or harmful truth your children do not want to hear.

Nice Haircut..................................Dress Looks Great................................................Santa Is Fine

I am not condoning the behavior but there are situations that arise that sometimes its easier to tell people what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear.

The fitness and health industry works remarkably in a similar way.

Most people enduring the cost of hiring a personal trainer for 2-3 sessions per week do not want to hear about how poor their cardiovascular health is, the lack of muscle tone they possess, the increased risk of various weight related diseases that go hand in hand with a high sugar/sedentary lifestyle.

I mean if I was paying you $150 bucks per week would I want you telling me everything I have done wrong??

I don’t think so….. I would want a confidant, a friend a motivator who will inch me along little by little hopefully in an effort to get me to finally change my ill ways.

The problem that occurs quite often however is this. The personal trainer can become just that: A FRIEND.

Friends are great and we all need them as social creatures but lets be honest for a second. Friends have an uncanny ability to not be as hard one you as you may need. If I am paying you for a service I expect results. I am not paying you to be my friend. I am paying you to whip my small, big or somewhere in between lumpy butt into better shape then we first met.

Find a trainer who wants to help you get fitter, not a trainer who wants to be your friend. Now I know you may feel more comfortable training with someone who is closer in age, looks similar to you or is of the same sex but we aren’t on the playground trying to find a friend. Get out there and get motivated by utilizing the trainers for what they are getting paid for….. TRAINING!!!!

Little white lies may be a necessary evil in the real world. But there is no place for them in the gym. If you aren’t working hard pushing yourself, your trainer has a financial obligation to you to incite change, progression and adaptation. If your hired help isn’t pushing you and is allowing for little white lies about nutritional slips, over eating, under training and general disregard to health to take center stage it should be time to both reevaluate your training reasons and trainers motivation.

And don’t worry Kid. Santa isn’t Dead. He’s just keeping the Little White Lies alive to keep his secret safe.

 

Goals-Write Em Down

Exercise, Fitness, Health, Nutrition, Meal Planning, Bodybuilding, Strength Training, Yoga, Pilates

Whatever you do to stay active, healthy and inspired it is pivotal to your overall success that you stay focused.

Writing your goals down makes them real. You want to be continually inundated with your goals. Everywhere you look you should see your goals. Place a copy of your goals, inspiration or dreams where you will continually see them and ultimately be influenced by them. Your fridge, bathroom mirror, closet, office and vehicle are all great spots to post your goals. The more you see something the greater the chances you will be inclined to think of that topic and will likely act upon those impulse. This can occur for both positive & negative influences.  Don’t believe me???

Stimulation Overload

Try driving down most American highways and this is likely the site you will have before you. The weak of heart or the easily influenced will be overwhelmed with options and their typical goals of healthy, are overshadowed by quick, convenient and unhealthy.

KEEP YOUR GOALS FRONT AND CENTER

 

Fitness Doesn’t Take Vacation

Planning a trip down south or planning on blasting off to Europe for a whirlwind trip of the European countries for some much needed Rest and Relaxation?

The typical vacation goer will pour over magazine pamphlets and vacation websites in an effort to find the whitest beaches, the biggest pools, the best nightlife to party their week away all the while soaking up the glorious rays of sun that change those pasty white winter bodies into bronzed works of art.

Soak up the Sun

Once the vacation is planned the next step is to work off that “excess” weight so the bikini or bath suit will fit. Proudly walking down the beach with that hard body is the goal of most people no matter what they say.

If you spend the majority of the year fully clothed and work so hard for that body, why shouldn’t you want to feel comfortable in your skin for that week in the sun.

We all know how hard it can be to maintain the gains in strength and overall physique that months in the gym requires so riddle me this.

When going on vacation shouldn’t you also look for a resort/hotel with great fitness facilities?

Spending a week on vacation shouldn’t include destroying all of the hard work you have spent months attempting to achieve through binge drinking on sugary concoctions and buffet binging. Vacations are meant for relaxing I totally agree but the feeling achieved after a great workout will entice you to continue having a great vacation.

Looking for a way to keep track of where some of the best hotel gyms are? Check out HotelGym Review

Release some endorphins early in the morning on your vacation by hitting the weights, running on the beach, completing an aquafit or swim class, surf, scuba dive and the rest of the day is free to explore.

Remember FITNESS DOESN’T TAKE VACATION so finalize your vacation plans, hit the gym before your fly out and keep you fitness goals in mind wherever you may land. The gym is calling are you listening?

 

TRX Part 1

Mix up your routine.

Try something different.

Think outside the box.

TRX training apparatus have just been installed in the gym I lift at. Is TRX for everyone? Can anyone benefit from the resistance training components and the group atmosphere that surrounds TRX? Why bother with TRX?

TRX is a form of suspension training that offers the trainee an opportunity to experience body weight exercises completed in multiple planes using various compound movements. Compound movements are those exercises that incorporate numerous muscle groups and are more beneficial to a workout program as they allow for more work to be completed in a shorter amount of time. Compound movements will also recruit the often forgotten stabilization muscles that can lead to injury or impingement from their neglect.

TRX works as it can cater to any fitness level. Fitness aficionados can work directly beside a newbie with both groups eliciting a workout to meet their needs. The level at which you push yourself will determine the overall effects the TRX have on your body. Not feeling like pushing yourself?… your workout will be only that good. Feel like digging deep and going all out?… TRX will leave you a sweaty, exhausted heap on the floor.

TRX can work for anyone. Young or old, adding a new component to your fitness repertoire will allow you to mix things up and keep your workout from getting stale. Repetition leads to ruts and ruts in the gym will lead to regression or at worst plateaus. Try something different if you don’t like TRX at least you can say you tried it.

TRX can be completed in small spaces. Limited space is often an issue in the gym during peak times. Nobody wants to be working out with someone breathing, sweating or stepping on them. TRX with its innovative A frame set up can accommodate a group exercise type class in a much smaller footprint in the gym. Additionally without requiring weights (your body is the weight) little extra equipment is required.

TRX allows you to get competitive. Group exercising can breed competition. Competition in life is positive. Push yourself to meet the skills of the person working out beside you. Team training and group goals are an added bonus of the TRX equipment. Nobody wants to finish last so finish first together.

The TRX training equipment can provide a great new workout opportunity. Will everyone try it? Will everyone benefit from it? Will everyone soon be walking around sporting 6 pack abs and chiseled physiques? Simply put NO. Only those of us who put aside misconceptions or fears of failure will truly feel the results. For those of you looking for an alternative to your current routine or needing an innovative idea for your active recovery days the TRX is a great fitness device to incorporate into your schedule.

Give the TRX a shot.

Sweat on the floor & a new appreciation for body weight supported exercises will be gained. 

 

Skinny Fat

LEAN, SEXY, TRIM, FIT,TONED

Ask any girl what their fitness goals are and you will likely hear at least one of these five words to describe the body they would like to have or the body they are currently working towards.

Seems reasonable, albeit that toned isn’t really a valid description of muscle. But we can talk about that another day.

With the world on a Kamikaze flight into the depths of obesity the desire to buck the “supposed norm” and ladies wanting to look lean and sexy seems like an admirable claim or goal. I mean if you think about it for a second if everyone around you is getting fatter, sicker and weaker and you continue to train then the disparity or gap between the rich (healthy) and poor (unhealthy) will only continue to grow.

Ladies this should be incentive enough as your training is working twice as hard for you.

Many new or beginners believe that weights however are destined to give you broad shoulders, a big back, huge arms, and ultimately change your genetic makeup.

Thus they toil away on spin bikes, treadmills and elliptical machines in an effort to achieve their previously stated goals of a lean, trim, sexy, fit bod.

All the while building a body that mimics a wet spaghetti noodle. Yes you may be thin, but muscle and bone strength is extremely important for all woman.

**NEWS FLASH LADIES**

If you don’t have Testosterone running wild through your veins like Hulk Hogan I can guarantee that no matter how hard you train your body will only grow to a certain extent. No need to worry about scaring the neighborhood kids with your beefy shoulders or getting asked if your guns have a license. 

Skinny Fat is not where its at. Ladies do not be afraid of the weights, the dumbbells and barbells can take that body and mold you into the LEAN, SEXY TRIM, FIT athlete you have always wanted to be.

Strength is Sexy

Trust me step off the treadmill for a while and give the free weights a try. You will be pleasantly surprised by the new found strength, energy and feeling of attractiveness you now possess.

For all you ladies who have already changed your mindset from the goal of skinny fat to strong and fit. Let other ladies know how the transition has changed your life!

 

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Finally ready to lose weight? Finally ready to stop feeling unhappy?

Anyone who starts a fitness program coming from being overweight is always worried about weight.

Fit.. or Fat..??

More importantly they are worried about the actual number that denotes their weight. In their mind, success relating to the diet or new fitness program is directly related to the number the scale shows each and every morning they step onto the scale. YES! I have clients who literally check their weight each morning and the level of their daily enjoyment is based on the number they see.

Lower numbers on the scale can mean you are living at a lower weight but it doesn’t tell the entire story.

The scale tells very little about the overall health and fitness levels of an individual and and therefore is usually misleading.

Do yourself a favor and toss the scale out. The day to day fluctuations in weight will add far too much stress to your life and will ultimately hijack the abilities to lose weight. Additionally you begin to see yourself as a number than as a person. I can guarantee that if you drop five pounds you will not be able to physically tell the difference so forget the numbers. Numbers can lie.

If you want to put aside the excuses, the lies, the false claims and actually beat the trap that is obesity,

GO BUY A FULL HEIGHT WALL MIRROR.

It is as simple as that. The mirror doesn’t lie. You can’t make claims about your weight. Look at yourself closely and honestly in the mirror. Don’t like your butt, have flabby arms, stomach sticking out like Pinocchio’s nose? You can lie to everyone around you but look into the mirror and the truth will stare right back at you.

You're Fat, Be Honest...

Muscle weighs more than fat so the scale will always mislead those who are basing their weight success solely on numbers.

Weight loss and the maintenance of a healthy body weight should be a life long goal rather than a day by day win or lose battle. Remember you may not win the battle with weight loss everyday but the goal is to win the war.

Everyone will carry weight in different locations on their body. Subcutaneous stomach fat or the infamous “beer belly fat” is far more dangerous to an individuals health than what the scale may indicate.

RECAP: GET A MIRROR AND THE POUNDS WILL START TO FALL AWAY -simple as that.

 

Practice Makes Perfect?

If you have ever competed in a team sport or for that matter participated in any activity that culminates in a competition you will have been preached this saying. Coaches love using this saying as a perceived way to motivate athletes when working through the tedious tasks associated with practicing.

We all know that practicing is not nearly as enjoyable as the game experience but if we plan on improving it is a necessary evil.

Practice allows for the chance to focus on fundamentals, recreate game like scenarios or dissect small sections of pieces of the game or activity that need to be improve upon. 

When does practicing however become detrimental to the overall improvement of an athlete and their associated performance on the field/arena/stadium/stage?

This is where it can get a bit tricky…

Practice alone does not make perfect!!!

I hate to break it to you but all those years that coaches were telling you that PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT they were more or less feeding you a line.

The reason being is this.

Athlete’s bodies and human beings in general work much better when working towards a goal. Therefore the training and practice should be catered to the ultimate goal of the sport. Whether it be a power lifting contest, bodybuilding show, playoff series or spelling bee. Yes even spelling bee’s are now competitive. Crazy I know but true Check It Out for yourself.

Practice schedules and training programs need to be adjusted and monitored as the training season progresses to accommodate increased demands placed upon the body. Peaking at the right time is pivotal to success and any athlete who has peaked too early or too late will easily be able to tell when the lights go on.

Don’t practice just for the sake of practicing or punching the clock.

Follow these tips and remember practice doesn’t make perfect. PERFECT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!

1. Practice like you play. You don’t play at half speed so why practice at half speed. Speed and agility should always be of paramount concern to any athlete.
2. Prepare for practice in the same fashion you prepare for a game. There are some crazy pre-game or pre-contest rituals. If you follow step #1 you should be preparing for practice in the same manner you get ready for game day. Lucky t-shirt, socks inside out, taped ankles or wrists, eye black under your eyes, ipod pumping out Lil Wayne. Whatever the pregame ritual is treat practice the same way, that way the transition from practice to game will be seamless.
   
3. Utilize game type situations in practice. I realize ladder work, cone drills and other agility work can have its place in a training regime my only problem is this. I have never seen a full hockey rink, football field or baseball diamond have cones, ladders or agility courses layed out on game day. A true sporting environment is always changing and a well adapted athlete must adapt on the fly to the changing stimulus around them. There isn’t always time to note the correct foot or hand placement during a game situation so try and you might practicing these situational plays often go right out the window during a LIVE game.
4. Full Speed Ahead. I know coaches often like to give their players a break by going without pads or without helmets. As a former athlete I appreciated the rest provided by pads free practices but I often felt that these practices were lackadaisical in nature and usually not very productive overall.
   

As an athlete if you want to improve just remember it is not always what you practice but how you practice that is important!

 

Get In, Get Out, Move On

Getting to the gym is half the battle. Once you are actually in the gym it becomes easy.

Well at least that is what people are told.

Excuses will run rampant for the average person who says “they don’t have time to workout, get healthy or find the time to change their current lifestyle habits.”

Lets for a minute take a look at the calendar and figure out what people are saying about the inability to make time for a healthier lifestyle, a better body a more focused mind, and how ridiculous these statements truly are.

7 Days in a Week, Each Day consisting of 24 Hrs = 168 Total Hrs in 1 Week.

Now anybody who tells me that out of 168hrs in a week they don’t have time to dedicate FOUR hours to busting their ass in the gym is delusional, out of touch, or stuck on level 8 in World of Warcraft.

Soooo…. let us put aside the ideas that we don’t have time to dedicate to the gym because we can all adjust or schedules to meet our weekly gym requirement. That’s right four 1hr gym sessions per week is going to get you on the right track towards improved physical condition, increased capacity for work, reducing susceptibility to sickness and improve your overall confidence.

Still don’t believe that you can find time in your week to squeeze in a workout? Read Automate your supplements and Cook Once Eat Twice these two activities will easily free up a few hours of your week.

Lets tap into our inner thoughts for a moment and get a better understanding of a little know Law that could be holding you back from realizing your potential and achieving more both in the gym and in your everyday life.

Parkinson’s Law

Basically means that the longer amount of time you give yourself to complete a given task the longer you will manage to fill that time with other activities, tasks or thoughts until there comes a point psychologically that the original task is so complex and intricate that it become daunting to even undertake.

Relating this to an exercise environment this happens all the time. People plan on starting an exercise program but somehow manage to fill their extra time in the week with stress, anxiety or unrelated work that eventually stops them from reaching their goals.

And then the Excuse Train rolls back into town and rather than striving to reach the goals of today they are set up as goals of tomorrow.

Remember goals of tomorrow are never reached while goals for today can be achieved.

If you plan on achieving your goal today is the best day to start!

So the next time someone tells you that they don’t have time to reach their goals, change their lives or begin exercising.

Stare them directly in the face…. and tell them Get In, Get Out and Move On….