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!

Just an FYI, at Coulee Region Boot Camps we design our classes to be “metabolic conditioning”.  It is explained in the post, but essentially if you are trying to burn fat, lose your baby weight, get rid of your gut and achieve a lean and fit physique, then metabolic conditioning is the biggest bang for your buck.  If you want to get big and bulky then what’s written below does not apply to you.

Without further ado……. here’s BJ…..

Metabolic Training is the ultimate fusion of anaerobic strength and aerobic cardio exercise and adds a new twist to the classic bodybuilding routines of the past. 

A metabolic workout is essentially a total body interval workout using short, max effort anaerobic work periods (typically 15-60 seconds in length) performed in an alternating set format (such as supersets, circuits, complexes, Tabatas, etc.) with short, incomplete rest periods between exercises (typically 10-30 seconds in length). 

The high training intensity builds strength and muscle, jacks up anaerobic metabolism, and creates a large post-workout afterburn for up to 48 hours after completing your workout.

The high training density, or work completed per unit of time, causes a great deal of direct calorie burning during the workout to best stimulate fat loss.

Finally, the negative work-to-rest ratios (e.g. 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest) inherent to the vast majority of metabolic workouts create a cumulative fatigue that also stimulates aerobic metabolism and thus provides incredible cardiovascular benefits.

That being said, metabolic training is not for the weak of mind or heart and it’s all about working as hard as you possibly can at your current fitness level. Outlined below is a general criteria to follow to ensure you do just that:

Four Signs You’re NOT Working Hard Enough

1.) Lack of Muscular Burn: Anaerobic exercise with short, incomplete rest periods creates a great deal of lactic acid accumulation causing intense muscular fatigue and burning. Simply put, if your muscles aren’t burning, you’re not working hard enough. However, this does not mean that you need train to muscular failure on every set. However, for the optimal training effect you should come close to but stop just before technical failure, the point at which going any further would comprise proper exercise form and technique.

2.) Lack of Personal Confrontation: Studies show that training intensity, not volume, determines the degree of metabolic boost from a given workout. That being said, if you don’t have at least a couple moments during your workout when you feel like you want to quit or you hate your life, you’re not working hard enough. Progressive overload remains the hallmark of any solid fitness routine and if you are not pushing past your comfort zone your body will stop adapting to ANY routine. This is nothing more than the man in the mirror test- get some!

3.) No Sounds of Exertion: If you’re not grunting, groaning, huffing, or puffing you’re simply not working hard enough. Your heart rate should be up the whole workout with your lungs working overtime and you might even get a nice little workout booger or two by the time it’s all said and done. In other words, these total body workouts create a systemic effect that activates your body’s fight or flight response to help you go the distance. I’m not saying you have to scream like a rabid animal, but I am saying that I wouldn’t be surprised if you did. Finally, I think another good analogy is the 4 letter word test- if you’re not fighting back the burning desire to yell out a profane 4 letter word or two, well then you’re probably not working hard enough.

4.) Not Sweating: A good metabolic workout will have you glistening during the first couple minutes of the workout and your shirt should be soaked halfway in. If you’re not dripping in a pool of your own sweat at the end of each workout, you simply did not use use heavy enough loads or advanced enough exercise variations to create a metabolic disturbance. Either that or you were resting too long between sets. In general, you should never take more than 60 seconds of rest between sets with metabolic training and 10-30 seconds seems to be the sweet spot.

Four Signs You’re Working Too Hard

1.) Diminished Training Intensity: In general, if you need to reduce your training loads from set to set, then you’re probably working too hard. Your goal is to be able to use the sames loads at the end of the workout that you used in the beginning without excessively resting before increasing the loads in the subsequent workout. The only exception here is if the workout actually calls for you to reduce your loads throughout the training session. In addition, it’s better to go into a given work period with a general rep range to work within. For example, if you were using 30-second work periods, a typical rep range within that time frame is 8-12 reps if you’re moving at the typical 3-4 second per rep tempo. If you’re getting more than 15 reps, the loads are too light. If you’re getting less than 6 reps, the loads are too heavy.

2.) Excessive Resting: If you are being forced to rest/pause a couple times during a work period, or you’re resting longer than your rest periods allow for, you’re probably working too hard. If you choose the appropriate exercise intensity, you should be able to train with minimal if any stopping during the work periods within your workout. As the workout progresses, a brief 3-5 second pause here and there to reset and reload is fine, but if you’re taking any longer than that and stopping constantly, then you need to reduce your loads or regress the exercise appropriately.

3.) Excessive Breathing: A good workout will have you breathing hard as your body’s demand for oxygen increases, but you should never be completely out of breath or gasping for air. If you start wheezing or coughing, that’s a clear sign to stop exercising immediately. If symptoms persist, it could be related to exercise-induced asthma or another serious condition and you should seek immediate medical attention. It’s important to note that larger individuals with more muscle mass will have greater overall oxygen demands and will thus be more prone to being out of breath than their smaller, less muscled counterparts.

4.) Dizziness or Blurred Vision: If you get dizzy or have vision trouble during any portion of exercise, then you’re probably working too hard. Either that or you could be experiencing a migraine or vertigo or have symptoms of low blood pressure, dehydration, or lack of nutrition. If this conditions persists, you must immediately discontinue your fitness program and seek medical attention. 

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Anthony here again……….

Please take a hard look at yourself next time you workout.  Are you really working or coasting?

As I tell my clients….. get comfortable being uncomfortable.

You can read it HERE

I wanted to add something to that.

The key to making changes to your life is to change your routine.  The key to changing your routine is PLANNING.

“Failing to plan is planning to fail”

Without planning your routine can and probably will fall apart.  If that does happen the most important thing is to not cry about it and jump right back on board your routine.

But we really want to stop that from ever happening.  That’s where planning comes in.

Take the example from a previous post.  Someone has set a goal of making one home-cooked meal every day.  No instant junk from a box or just add water type of meal.  Real food and a recipe. 

What happens if this person does not plan out his meals for the week?  What happens if he does plan out his meals, but does not shop for the ingredients? 

He falls back onto his old routine.  He’s hungry and frustrated and the drive through is only 5 minutes away.  He falls back into his old comfort zone.

There is a quote that says “We do not rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training.”

Same principle here.  If we are not prepared and don’t plan then we can’t execute our routine.

So what happens when something forces us out of our routine?

And I don’t mean being lazy.  I mean your family comes to visit, or you are on vacation, or your house caught on fire, etc.

Random events can throw us off our routine.  What do we do then?

“We do not rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training.”

How can you execute your routine while you are not in your routine environment?

It’s all about following molding your routine to your new environment and having a little will power.  You have to fall into your new comfort zone and not your old comfort zone.

Recently I had to travel for my full time job.  I spent 5 days flying and driving in 5 different states with a group of coworkers.  Every meal was at a restaurant or hotel. 

I’ll try to document how I stuck to my routine while on the road in the following days.  Hopefully you can use this to your advantage next time you are forced out of your routine.

Thanks,

Anthony

ROUTINE

Why do so many people lose weight on a crash diet for 4 weeks and then gain it all (possibly more) back? 

It’s because what they did was temporary.  It worked for a while and when they stopped everything reversed.  What they did to lose the weight initially was probably very severe and a huge change from their previous routine (there’s that word again).   After a while they couldn’t handle the huge change to their routine and reverted back to their old ways.

Unfortunately their old ways was caused them to be overweight or out of shape or whatever it was they didn’t like. 

Routines are very hard to break.  Most of you know that.  I see this all the time with members at Coulee Region Boot Camps.  Negative routines are the biggest obstacles to fat loss.

So how do we change our routines permanently? 

Small steps.

Now don’t get me wrong. Some people need an intervention and have to do a complete 180 degree turn.  This can work, but typically that person needs someone else there to force this intervention. 

This can be an accountability partner or even a coach of some sort. 

Look at the weight loss TV shows.  If there wasn’t a coach or other participants there do you think the contestants would get the amazing results they do?  Not likely.

Back to the topic at hand………..small steps.

This may be a bad analogy or even cliché, but think about the frog and the boiling pot of water.  You throw a frog in a hot pot of water and it jumps out right away, but if you throw a frog in a pot of room temperature water and slowly add heat the frog will hang out in that water until supper is ready.

People are the same way.  Take someone who has been eating fast food and candy multiple times every day and hasn’t exercised since 7^th Grade PE class.  Suddenly they are lifting weights and running 2 hours a day and eating nothing but steamed broccoli and chicken for every meal.   What do you think is going to happen?  They are going to jump ship as soon as possible.  They might stick it out for a couple weeks depending on how stubborn motivated they are, but it almost always ends up being too much for them to handle.

Now guess what?  They are back on the couch eating Mickey D’s and peanut butter cups.

How can we use small steps create a lasting change to their routine?

Depending on what their fitness levels actually are we can have them start walking a few times a week.  From there we can add in some calisthenics and stretching.  Likewise we can have them eat fast food once a day instead of twice a day.  Get them to cook their own food once a day. 

These actions may not seem like much, but depending on the person they may be.  The idea is to create little victories and have it snowball into larger ones.

This person’s old routine was eating fast food 14-20 times per week.  Their new routine is eating fast food 7 times per week and eating home cooked meals 7 times per week. 

That sounds like an improvement to me! 

And guess what…..we can keep changing the routine every couple weeks.   Just like boiling a frog, they barely even notice the changes.

Just to clarify, if someone has a goal to lose weight or fit into their skinny jeans in a short period of time then you would have to be more aggressive with the changes in your routine.  That is ok and can be done.  I see that happen all the time at Coulee Region Boot Camps.  People have an aggressive goal and they attack it.  Be aware that they have the motivation, accountability and coaching provided in our program and are less likely to revert back to old habits.

Ideally we should view fat loss, weight loss, strength, endurance or whatever you are trying to achieve as lifelong goals.  What would happen if you get a little better each day or each week for a lifetime? 

To steal an idea from Todd Durkin, if you get 1% better each week at the end of the year you are 52% better than you were last year.  What if you got 1% better each day?  Small improvements over a long time produce fantastic results.

Where can you make that small change in your routine?  How can you get 1% better tomorrow?  I’d love to hear your answers in the comments below!

 Thanks,

Anthony

PS – Again, Prograde Protein, Metabolism and EFA Icon are ALL 20% off right now for a limited time. Just click here – http://couleeregionbootcamps.getprograde.com/protein-powder.html – to start saving.

They also happen to live over 25 miles from the nearest commercial gym or “fitness center”. 

So what do you do when you want to get a good workout in?  Not just going for a run, but something that will elevate your metabolism, get you stronger and get that fat burning!

I was not going to make the 40 minute drive.  There was just too much stuff going on to justify the time commitment. My wife was in the wedding and doing “wedding stuff” all day.  I have to help watch our two kids and help my parents with anything they want help with around the place.

Have you been in a similar situation? Do you give up and plan to “make it up” next week? 

I decided nothing will stop me and if this happens to you; you have lots of choices.

1. Do a bodyweight only workout. Pick out a number, say 100, and perform that many reps of pushups, squats, lunges, and jumping jacks.  Break them up any way you like them and don’t stop until you are all done.  Simple and effective.

2. If you are planning ahead you can bring some bands along to incorporate into your bodyweight workout.  This allows you to incorporate some pulling exercises to get a balanced workout for your whole body.  Check out the best bands you can possibly get from the Band Man Dave Schmitz.

3. Odd object lifting.  Find something reasonably heavy (large stones, logs, small children, tires, etc) and lift it any way you can imagine.  You can even pick it up and carry it for distance.  This will get you a great workout and hit all those “inbetween” muscles you forgot you had!

Lucky for me my dad unknowingly came to the rescue.  The barn roof in the process of being reshingled to fix some holes.  There were 25 bundles of shingles (70lbs each) that needed to be carried up the ladder to the top of the roof. 

So I threw the bags on my shoulder (1 at a time) and carried them up the ladder and dropped them on the roof.  I did this as quickly as possible to really push myself and also to avoid the angry wasps that had a few nest under the hole in the roof and didn’t like me slamming the shingles onto the roof their home was attached to.  My dad found some wasps spray and stood on the roof “riding shotgun.”

So 15 minutes, 2 stings and 50+ dead wasps later I was done.  I felt great to get in such a demanding workout in the fresh air. 

For completeness sake I went into the garage and did a few sets pullups on the steel beam in the roof.  I also climbed from one end of the beam to the other with my knees tucked to my chest to avoid the cars.  After that I did some pushups.

That was it.  I got a great workout incorprating total body moves, some upper body pulling, core and grip all while helping my dad out. 

So there are no barriers to good workouts, just excuses.  Get creative and get fit!

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Now I think if someone has a knee injury, then the elliptical may be the only exercise they can do without pain.  That is great.  As long as they are doing something for their health, go ahead.

However, the elliptical machine can cause problems of it’s own.  Check out this article that explains more:

http://www.thespec.com/article/813467

Basically the elliptical machine put the user is a forward position.  The hip flexors are shortened and over time short hip flexors lead to back pain. 

So what are we to do?  Either have knee pain or back pain?  Is that our only choice?

Absolutely not!

Start strength training for goodness sake.  Proper strength training routines that use a full body workout are the best exercise for you.  Strength training helps build lean muscle.  This lean muscle burns fat like crazy. 

Strength training also can help keep your joints healthy.   By using the proper exercises and correct form you strengthen the muscles around your joint.  You can also improve your joint mobility and muscle flexibility.  Neither the elliptical or treadmill can do that.

It may be intimidating to start strength training.  You may not know where to start.

It’s really easy.  Pick a few exercises.  Let’s use bodyweight squats, pushups (put your hands on a higher surface like a table or chair to make them easier), and lunges.  Now do 10 reps of each.  Start with the squat, then pushups, then lunges.   Do them as quickly as possible then rest 30 seconds.  Repeat 3-5 times.  That is a great workout with no joint impact. 

At Coulee Region Boot Camps in La Crosse we always balance the exercises over your entire body.  Your form is always monitored to ensure safety for your joints and muscles.  And using our interval style strength training will help you melt off 9x more fat then running on a treadmill or elliptical.

I hope you can see how ellipticals should be a complement to a exercise program.  They should never be the whole program!

But if you have to use the elliptical please stretch your hip flexors before and after.  That’s all I ask.

It all seems ridiculous to me.  How is increasing the caloric burn of walking going to help someone. Walking isn’t a great way to lose fat and get in shape.  It’s walking for crying out loud. 

Luckily the people at ACE (American Council of Exercise) have published a study (performed right here in La Crosse at UW-L) that shows otherwise.

I’ll keep this as simple as possible for you. The best exercises for fat loss are also the best exercises for muscle gain and visa versa. These exercises all have one thing in common: they provide a UNIQUE challenge to your body AND involve as many muscles in your body as possible.

Both the scientific research and the real world case studies have shown that total body workouts are superior for maximal fat loss and muscle gain.

It’s as simple as the Dream Body Equation below:

More Muscles Involved =

More Calories Burnt + Greater Muscle-Building Stimulus =

Greater Fat Lost + Greater Muscle Gain

I must be honest in that I have a true love-hate relationship with the following movements I am about to share with you. Love because of the unparalleled fat-melting, muscle-building results they provide. Hate because they break me every single workout by leaving me in tears while in a pool of my own sweat.  In other words, these are not for the weak of mind, body, or soul!

 Stay tuned for a video to demonstrate the exercises below!

Without further adieu, here is the official top 10 list of my favorite total body exercises in the world for fat loss and lean muscle gain:

Exercise#1- Any Burpee Variation

Exercise#2- Any Squatting Combination Exercise- Squat to Overhead Press, Squat to Row, Squat to Chest Press, Braced Core Squat, Single-Leg Squat plus Curl to Press, etc.

Exercise#2- The Swing- Dumbbells, Kettlebells, Med Balls, or Sandbags

Exercise#3- Any Lunge Combination Exercise- Alternating Lunge plus Curl to Press, Alternating Lunge plus Twist, Alternating Lunge plus Chest Press, Alternating Reverse Lunge plus Row, Split Jump plus Curl etc.

Exercise#4- Any Push-Up Combination Exercise- Push-ups plus Knee-Ins, Push-up Rows, T-Push-Ups, Spiderman Push-ups, Squat Thrust Push-Ups, Four-Way Push-up Crawl, etc.

Exercise#5- The Chop- Dumbbells, Kettlebells, Med Balls, Bands, or Sandbags

Exercise#6- Olympic Lifting Variations: Dumbbell or Kettlebell Cleans, Snatches, High Pulls

Exercise#7- Pushup to Plank Transfer

Exercise#8- Rear Foot Elevated Deadlift plus Curl to Press

Exercise#9- Med Ball Snatch-Slam Combo

Exercise#10- Dumbbell or Kettlebell Single-Leg RDL plus Row

Well I hope you take my expert advice and jack up your training with these 10 deadly total body combination exercises. I guarantee you better results in less time by regularly employing these movements into your workouts. Of course it’s now up to you to take your workouts, and your body, to the next level.

I’ll be sharing some more great exercises for those specific trouble spot areas (e.g. legs, butt, abs, chest, arms, etc.) that are holding your sexy back in the days to come

Anthony Dix

Coulee Region Boot Camps