Coulee Region Bootcamps

Almost everyone wants 6-pack abs or a flat abs.  For decades most people have believed that doing a few thousand crunches a day will get us a magazine model midsection.

I want to speak out against crunches.  They will not get you the tight stomach you desire.  Yet they are the go to exercise for almost all “core” training in gyms and fitness classes today.  So why does this happen?

Because people are lazy.  It’s much easier to just lay or your back and bob your head up & down.

That needs to stop now!

Here are several reasons to never do a crunch again in your life.

They are Dangerous – check out this article that mentions Stuart McGill, who is one the the worlds leading spine biomechanists.  He has been studying the spine for 30 years and has seen or recreated every injury you could imagine.  Crunches put huge shear and compressive forces on your spine.  That may be fine if you want a herniated disc, but I’ll pass.

They do not work – how many people do you know that do tons of crunches and yet do not have abs of envy. Yet they keep at it.  Ever hear the definition of insanity?  It’s doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results.  Men’s health mentioned a study that showed it takes 20,000 crunches to lose 1 pound.  20,000 crunches = 1 POUND!  That would take days to complete.  No thank you.

They are boring – have you ever tried to do a few hundred or even thousand crunches?  Laying in one spot and looking at the ceiling for a half hour doesn’t sound like my idea of a good time.  I would rather just close my eyes and take a nap.  That would be more productive than crunches.

As you lose weight crunches become less effective – the lower your bodyweight the less resistance on each crunch.  So the better fat loss results you get, the more crunches needed to get keep getting any results.  See 1^st reason above, more crunches sounds like  recipe for disaster.

Athletes do not do crunches – think of some of your favorite athletes.  Chances are they are lean and have great looking abs.  But they don’t do any crunches.  Most of them get a six pack by staying lean and doing their sport (think snowboarders and surfers) or doing anything but crunches.

So what are we supposed to do to get a sexy midsection?  Stay tuned and I will give you the best bang for your buck exercises to do just that.

Take care.

Whether or not you’re a football fan there is a very good chance you’ll be heading to a Super Bowl party this Sunday.

And as you are fully aware, these parties can be VERY hazardous to your waistline. But hey, it’s not hard to keep the pounds from packing on while watching (or ignoring) the Colts vs. the Saints.

Here are three Super Simple tips to keep you slim this Sunday:

1) Take a 15 minute walk during halftime to stimulate your metabolism and improve digestion

2) Limit alcohol consumption. Not only are these “empty calories”, but they also cause you to make poor food choices. And if you’re hungover on Monday, well, you’ll make poor food choices the day after the game, too!

3) Sure, you can enjoy some of your favorite “guilty pleasures” but you MUST avoid hanging around the snack table nibbling on everything in site.

BONUS TIP: Oftentimes when we feel hungry it is our body craving the proper nutrients it needs to be fueled with. That’s a great reason to take a Whole Foods based multi-vitamin like Prograde Nutrition’s VGF 25+ (  http://couleeregionbootcamps.getprograde.com/vgfwomen OR http://couleeregionbootcamps.getprograde.com/vgfmen )

See, it’s not so hard! Enjoy the big game.

Yours in health,

Anthony

PS -  Yes, I’m a proud Prograde partner and I really believe in their Whole Foods based multi-vitamin ( http://couleeregionbootcamps.getprograde.com/vgfwomen OR http://couleeregionbootcamps.getprograde.com/vgfmen )

For decades the prevailing thought is that saturated fats & cholesterol in your diet will increase your chances of having heart disease.  We have been told to avoid fatty meats & eggs or else if we want to avoid heart attacks and the like. 

But does this have any truth to it?  Have we been lied to?

Where did this notion come from and why does everyone believe it?

Ancel Keys published a study in the 1950′s claiming saturated fats were to blame for the increasing heart disease trends in the world. 

However, there were some big holes in his study. 

For one he only used data from a select few countries and neglected data from many more.  Other researchers have gone back and used all the data that was collected and found no correlation between heart disease and saturated fats.

Ancel also only considered saturated fat intake as a factor. He neglected to consider smoking, stress levels, sugar intake and exercise habits.

He really only made a weak shot in the dark that was then believe to be fact for over 50 years thanks to pushing from the cereal industry (aka: buy our grains instead).

Several studies have been done to expose this myth. 

Stephan Guyenet at Whole Health Source has written phenomenal posts about this very same thing here and here.

As Stephan wrote about, there have been studies done on tribal communities in remote island nations and Africa where 50% of the calories in their diets is saturated fats. 

Can you imagine eating 1000 calories a day of saturated fats?  That’s a huge amount! 

Yet the cholesterol levels are not elevated  (115 in Masai tribe males vs 198 for  American males).  Pretty amazing right?

You might say comparing Americans to native African tribes is comparing apples and oranges.  There are many more difference than just diet between the populations. 

Ok, there was also a study on tribes from the island nation of Tokelau.  Their diet consisted of 50% saturated fats (mostly from coconut oil).  Males aged 20-24 had an average cholesterol levels of 168.  Yet Tokelauans who migrated to New Zealand ate decreased their saturated fat intake from 50% to 25%.  The average cholesterol of the same age group of males was 191.  It’s interesting to note the New Zealand Tokelauans consumed over 10% more sugar than the native still on Tokelau.

So it’s time to stop cursing red meats & eggs for your high cholesterol levels. 

Go ahead and eat that roast or omelet.  Stop throwing out egg yolk in the trash.  They will not give you a heart attack. 

Limit your sugars and process grains to keep your ticker happy.

But don’t take this to mean you should follow the Atkins diet for the rest of your life.  That has it’s own flaws & dangers, but that’s another blog for another day.

So eat in moderation and enjoy food this holiday season.

Winter has finally come barreling down on us here in La Crosse. And that means the doctors will be swamped with the number of people who hurt themselves shoveling snow. I can’t tell you how many people I know have tweaked their backs in their zealous attempts to keep a clear driveway.

Today I am going to reveal my top safe shoveling secrets. For those of you who do not live in La Crosse like me (or any other cold weather location), you still need to know this information too. Why? Because with the global epidemic that is climate change you really never know when snow is coming your way. It even snows in Las Vegas and Arizona for crying out loud!

So, without further adieu, here are my top five safe shoveling tips:

1.) Perform a Proper 5-Minute Warm-up Before Shoveling

Just as very few people properly warm-up before intense exercise, so do many people fail to get their bodies ready for the rigors of shoveling snow. Let’s face it, snow, especially when it’s wet, is a real beast to move around. And if your body is tight and cold then you will dramatically increase your chances of short or long-term injury.

I have created a great shoveling specific five-minute warm-up to get your body ready to rock. There is a special emphasis on opening up the hips and chest to save your back and shoulders, the two most commonly injured areas of broken down shovelers:

Perform each exercise in the following warm-up circuit at a slow, controlled tempo for 50 seconds with a 10 second rest and transition between exercises. Do this warm-up indoors to better increase core temperature and total body blood flow:

Exercise#1- Stationary High Knee Run

Exercise#2- Jumping Claps (modified jumping jacks with arms moving across chest level, palms facing)

Exercise#3- Alternating Forward Lunge, Overhead Reach, and Twist

Exercise#4- Alternating Lateral Lunge with Opposite Hand to Toe Touch

Exercise#5- Prisoner Squats (hands behind head with finger interlocked)

2.) Split Your Stance When Shoveling

Back pain is probably the biggest complaint for avid shovelers. In most cases, a sore or tight back stems from restriction at the hips (see the warm-up above to best remedy this). Most people have tight hips due to all the sitting we do.  More specifically, using a parallel stance puts your lower back at a greater risk of injury due to the greater likelihood of excessive flexion of the lumbar spine that often leads to back spasms in the short run and herniated discs in the long run. However, the simple switch to shoveling with a split stance, where one leg is forward and the other leg is back, will not only help prevent this hyper flexion while bending over and moving snow, but will also actively stretch and open up those tight hips at the same time. Be sure to keep things in balance by doing an even number of shovel strokes with both legs forward by alternating every 10 reps or so.

3.) Point Your Toes In Same Direction of Shoveling

This relates to the last tip. Even when you split your stance, you can be susceptible to injury whenever you perform a rotating back extension (e.g. a shovel toss to your rear). Your lower back was not designed to rotate! So, to further bolster your body, be sure to always shovel snow in the direction that your toes point to minimize excessive spinal rotation that can literally wrench your back.

4.) Shovel EQUALLY to BOTH Sides

This is a further continuation on the last two tips. Another big mistake people make is that they always shovel to their strong sides causing further strength and flexibility imbalances that can put your body at greater risk for injury. So, we now know you want to split your stance and shovel in the direction your toes are pointing, but you should also be sure do the same amount of shoveling  to your left AND right. Do 10 shovel tosses to your left with your left leg forward and then do 10 shovel tosses to your right with your right leg forward. Repeat until your driveway or sidewalk is crystal clear.  This will help balance the stress on your back as well as your arms.

5.) Buy a Condo

No, I’m not joking. The great thing about a condominium community is that they do all of the outdoor maintenance for your home, including shoveling. Honestly, this has saved many people so much extra stress and time, and if it is a viable option and you live in a harsh winter climate, make the smart move and get a condo. It’s hard to get hurt shoveling if you never shovel.

The aforementioned tips will go a long way in keeping your body as bulletproof as possible during the next blizzard. Seriously, it’s not really cool to get hurt shoveling. It’s a sign of an even bigger problem: being overweight and/or highly de-conditioned. And if you do get hurt shoveling, be sure to lie when some asks why you’re in a wheelchair. Just tell them you got hit by a snow plow truck, it makes for a better story and your co-workers or friends won’t rip on you for the rest of your days, ha!

I recently went deer hunting with my family.  I realized this was my 15th year.  Wow, that seems like a such a long time. 

I really enjoy the time with friends and family as well as spending some time in nature.  I know I don’t spend as much time outside as I would like and spending a couple days in the woods leaves me wanting more. 

And what a workout it can be!  We like to push deer meaning we do a lot of walking to (hopefully) pressure a deer towards a fellow hunter.  I think I spent more than 6 hours walking around with several layers of clothes and heavy hunting boots.  Not to mention dragging the deer to a vehicle.  Sometimes it was a quarter mile drag with over a hundred pounds behind you.  Definitely challenging, but I love every minute.

Now with out further delay here are some link I have enjoyed the last week or two.  Hopefully you enjoy them as well.

Why Grassfed? – A good article on the benefits of grassfed meats (like wild game!  yah deer hunting!).  Feeding cattle primarily corn is dangerous to their health and ours.  But it’s cheaper, so that makes it ok….right?

Meat Grown in Laboratory – I see the benefits from a fighting starvation point of view (although it’s sketchy), I don’t know if I would ever eat this.  Whenever we try to duplicate nature’s perfection, there can be consequences.

Omelet Muffins – Making healthy meals in advance is your best weapon to improve your diet.  If you’re in a hurry grab a couple of these you have a great breakfast ready to go. I can’t wait to try this recipe* out!

Can Exercise Help Ward Off The Swine Flu? – Summary: Exercise can lay a beatdown on swine flu. 

Have a great week!

* I love eggs!!

I recently had a conversation with a guy named Jerry about John Deere garden tractors.  The short version is John Deere started making garden tractors (smaller than regular tractors, but larger than lawn tractors) in the 1960’s.  They were overdesigned and could handle anything.  They were also higher priced than most of the competitors.  In the 1980’s John Deere realized many of the competition were selling smaller and much cheaper models.  So John Deere developed a cheaper version to compete in that market.

Jerry said there is now a big market for the old garden tractors.  Thousands of people go to shows to buy, sell and trade parts and/or whole tractors so they can keep using tractors made 30-40 years ago.

So what you may ask.  What does that have to do with fitness & weight loss?  Well people always want things for as cheap as they can get them.  And they have every right to.  In fact I am the same way. 

Sometimes though, we get so focused on  getting a cheap price we forget about quality.

The cheapest food is not always the best for us. Organic produce and grass fed meats are more expensive, but they are much higher quality than conventional produce and meats.

The same can be said of fitness programs.  There are gyms that offer monthly memberships for $30.  But there is no one to motivate and encourage you.  No accountability.  No one to care for you.  Do you want to spend $30 a month for minimal results?

Now I am not saying to start buying the most expensive items you can.  NO WAY!  Many of those are not worth it.

I am saying look for value.  What gives you the most bang for your buck. 

I know you are not going to find value with those magic weight loss pills or gadgets that promise 6-pack abs in 8 minutes a day.

When you become member of Coulee Region Boot Camps, you get energetic, fast paced workouts, social support, nutritional guidelines and meal plans.  And I promise to work tirelessly to help you achieve your goals. 

The old John Deere garden tractors may not be the cleanest or most attractive tractors out there.  They may not have all the fancy gadgets modern tractors have today.  But they are a workhorse.  They get the job done and get it done for decades.  New tractors don’t last that long, but they are cheaper and have radios and all the bells and whistles.

But is that what you paid for? Bells and whistles?  Or results?

So here’s my question to you.

Are you getting the most value for your hard earned $$?

I’d like to provide links to articles or other blog posts I think are interesting from the last week.  I will try to do this once a week.  So lets see how it goes.

Is Ab Work Hurting Your Back?

Do you still do crunches to strengthen your abs?  Stuart McGill (one of the premier spine biomechanist in the world) explains why that is not a good idea.  He explains why planks are better and why the core is more than just your “6-pack”.

Dissecting The Spine – Why Crunches Suck

This video is graphic.  Mark Young disects an actual pig spine.  Not for the faint of heart, but he does a good job explaining my repeated flexion & extension of the lumbar spine (lower back) causes herniated discs.  So doing all those crunches over the years are worse for your back than doing the occasional heavy lifting …. with good form of course   

Nature vs Nurture.  Does the way we raise our kids affect how they behave as adults or is it all genetic?  This article explains that it might be both, but with a some fantastic twists.  Ok, so this has nothing to do with crunches or back health.  It is probably the most fascinating article I have read in a while.   It will definitely affect how I raise my son & future kids as well as other children I encounter.  I will always look for positives in every behavior and not only the negatives. 

Hope you all enjoy.  If there are certain topics you would like me to post on my blog let me know in the comments! 

Have a great day! – Anthony 

Have you ever had to push a car that ran out gas or had the battery die?  Can you remember how hard it was to get that vehicle moving?  Once it started moving, wasn’t it much easier to maintain its momentum?  That’s inertia baby!  Either creating motion of a static object or stopping the motion of a moving object.

Inertia is a very powerful force.  Without getting too geeky with the physics, it takes much more force to start or stop motion than it does to maintain motion (aka momentum).

Think about your daily habits.  Its easier to maintain your routine than it is to create a new one.  Routine is easy and new habits take energy.  Routine can be mindless, new habits take focus.

These are especially true of your fitness habits. 

It’s easier to go to the gym and run on the treadmill for 30 minutes than to strength train.  The treadmill takes care of everything for you.  You just hop on and hit the green button.  Strength training takes some thought & planning.  What exercises, how many reps, how much weight all go into strength training.

It’s also easier to sit on the couch and watch TV than it is to go for a walk or play with your kids in the yard. 

We often choose the easy way out.  We say we’ll go to the gym or lift weights or play with our kids tomorrow.  But guess what?  Inertia takes over.  Everyday it gets easier to follow our habits and avoid changes.

But we all know what it best for us don’t we?

Start tomorrow.

Put a little effort into creating new habits. Healthy habits.  It will take work and maybe more effort than you are used to.  You might have to force yourself to keep doing it for a week or two or three. 

Don’t give up!! 

Cause guess what will happen when your new habits start to become routine? 

It will be harder to break those beneficial habits than it will be to sustain them.

And that’s the goal. 

So build a new life, one new habit at a time.

Everyone has reasons for their actions.  The reasons may be personal or professional.  You may be trying to obtain some big “reward” or trying to avoid some “punishment”.  Whatever the case may be every one needs to know what their motivation is.

This is definitely the case with health & fitness goals.  Do you want to get in shape for that class reunion?   Do you want to be able to play with your kids/grandkids with out being exhausted?  Do you want to avoid the heart disease/diabetes/high cholesterol that has affected other members of your family. 

I have many different motivations for being healthy and improving my physical condition.

- I want to be able to play & run with my son without any hinderance

- I want to avoid the back surgery my dad and grandpa have had

- I want to be capable of doing any physical task that may present itself

- I want to look good for my wife

My motivation for running Coulee Region Boot Camps is a little different.  I want to be able to help others achieve the health & fitness goals of their dreams.  Seeing others make progress gets me fired up beyond belief.  Everyone has so much power inside of themselves.  Seeing that power come out in boot camp and areas beyond is what I love to see.  The people at my boot camp are what motivates me to get up 4:30am. I desire to make their experience one of a kind. 

So what’s your motivation?  And does your motivation fit with your goals & values?

Ok, so maybe hamstring stretching is not all that bad.   Don’t stop completely, but please stretch more than just your hamstring.

But when my hamstring feels tight I need to stretch it out  so it lengthens and feels better…. right?

WRONG!

Your hamstring feels tight because its over stretched already!

Most people spend way too much time sitting.  They sit to eat, to drive to work, they sit at their job almost all day, they sit to drive home, they sit to eat again, they sit to watch TV for hours at night.  They even  sit  when they go through the Cybex circuit at the gym or ride the recumbent bike. 

What does all this sitting to do us? 

For one it  shortens our hip flexors.  Hip flexors are the muscles right in front of your hip at the top of your leg.  When they are shortened, they pull the top of the pelvis forward.  This is called anterior pelvic tilt.  When your pelvis tilts forward it pulls on the muscles on the back of the leg which just happen to be your hamstrings.  Tada! 

So what do we do? 

Step 1: Stretch your hip flexors.  Here’s how

Get into a lunge position, lower your self as low as you can.  Try to straighten out your back leg as much as possible.  Then push down through your hips.  You should feel a nice stretch in the front of your hip.  It won’t be comfortable, but it’s beneficial.  To increase the intensity of the stretch raise the hand that on the same side as your back leg and over your head and lean to the side of the leg that is forward. Perform this stretch for 30 seconds per side 2-3 times a day.

Step 2: Strengthen your hamstring

The best  way to do this is to use resistance training.  Start lifting weights.  Focus of exercises that use the hamstrings and glutes to extend the hip.  Lifts like deadlifts, good morning, back extensions, and certain lunge variations. 

Step 3: Minimize sitting time. 

This should be a no brainer.  Every 30 minutes or hour get up from your desk and walk to the drinking fountain.  Stand when you eat, take a walk instead of sitting on the couch watching TV. This will help from always being locked into that shortened hip flexor position.

Step 4: Minimize high heels

This is for the ladies (hopefully).  Wearing high heels puts you into an anterior pelvic tilt.  Plus it shorten your achilles tendon and hyper-extends your lumbar spine.  All these factors can lead to disaster.

The key point is not to treat symptoms as problems.  If something hurts it try to understand why it hurts.  That will be your best bet to finding a real solution and not a temporary band-aid.

Take care,

Anthony