Category: Article Posts

Judge Me By My Workout, Do You?

It’s obviously been a while since I have posted anything, and the funny thing is what has prompted this post was actually something I read that was published by another trainer.

Without going into specifics a fellow trainer (and I use that term loosely because this person is one of the “I won a fitness competition and now I think I’m a trainer” crowd) decided to let everyone know how hardcore they were by putting down other people in the gym around them during a workout and telling people all about how hard they need to work in order to get results.   Some other people even jumped in to give their two cents and tell everyone that if they aren’t passing out or sweating then they are obviously wasting their time and shouldn’t obviously even be taking up space on a piece of cardio equipment next to someone who is so awesome.

My first response to this is obviously a big old middle finger pointed directly at that person and their peanut gallery.  As coaches and people who are asked to hold others accountable trainers should be the last ones sitting there passing judgement on people.  It’s unprofessional and really kind of pathetic.  I hope that any prospective customer looked at that post and quickly said that they wouldn’t want to work with a person like that (or refer anyone to them) because of the judgement involved.  Maybe that “hardcore” attitude works with teenagers and young women who have low self-esteem, but that’s a pretty narrow target demographic if that’s what you’re looking at.  God forbid a woman who has had two kids and really doesn’t like her body gets into the gym for the first time in over a year and is WALKING ON A TREADMILL!?  Maybe for that person doing that IS giving 110% – you have no idea.  Maybe that person uses the gym as an escape from their job.  Maybe they want to get some time alone because they have five kids at home and a husband out of town.  Maybe they have a health condition you don’t know about.  The point is that you have no idea, so don’t pass judgement just because you think in your very closed minded way that unless someone is dying or can’t walk after exercise that they haven’t done anything to their body.  It’s ignorant.  Change in the body can be stimulated by very, very little going on.  Is it going to make the person a ripped shredded pile of muscle?  Maybe not.  How much in our particular industry is based on false reality and BS marketing anyway?  That’s another can of worms.

Just this past week I had a client who is recovering from a knee injury (caused by another trainer making her do stupid things) tell me that she managed to do three minutes on a Stairclimber.  Guess what words came out of my mouth.  “Wow that was a stupid waste of time”?  No.  It was “Good job.”  She was happy about it, and proud that she tried to do something outside of her recent comfort zone.  What makes me sad is that there might have been people in the gym like this idiot looking at her and laughing without having a clue about what her situation was.  You can look around a gym on any given night and see people doing things that might be considered stupid by some, but might actually make perfect sense to that person and what they want to accomplish.  Whether it is CrossFit, Tai Chi, yogalates or whatever there is probably somebody who looks at that exercise and says “what the hell is that person doing?”.  It doesn’t matter – that person is doing what they want to do.  A person in a gym trying to improve themselves should be supported first and judged never.

You know what?  I walk.  I’m a perfectly healthy looking person who used to run marathons and now I have to walk because I’ll pass out if I jog for more than about ten minutes.  I used to deadlift 300 pounds easily but now I can’t lift anything over about 100 pounds because now I know my heart might explode and I’d really rather not leave my family that way.  My workouts are now mostly balance and stability based, and probably look really strange to most people, just like the ones that I sometimes do with my clients.  That’s what is right for them, and my job is to actually care about them and their well-being, not tell them that they aren’t hardcore enough because they aren’t in pain, almost on the verge of passing out or they are doing what they can.  They are strong, healthy and can move properly and that’s 90% of the equation for any situation they have to get themselves into.  Real people need real movement and to stimulate positive change.  We’re not going to even get into the fact that likely if you’re a panting mess on the floor or can’t walk you just did yourself a lot more harm than good.  Exercise as a stimulant is used to heal and improve, not destroy.  Something any trainer really needs to wrap their head around.

So if I’m next to you on the Stairclimber and I’m not dying or almost passing out, just look the other way and mind your own goddamned business.  And please, pretty please get off of whatever pedestal you climbed up on because you got a shiny medal or a trophy mostly due to enhancements that are in no way natural or healthy – even though you will swear up and down and probably tell clients that you’re completely “natural” and that anyone can get that way if they just “give it 110%” like you do.  Stop calling yourself a trainer if you can’t come down to earth enough to realize that your job is to help people, not judge them for what they haven’t or aren’t doing.  So, in conclusion:

yoda

The Story of Maureen Rampert

Something I have rarely done is talk in detail about my methods, even though for many years I have had some pretty good success with many conditions where people were frustrated and had reached the end of their rope.  The story I’m going to tell you today is about one of my people.  Her name has been changed for obvious reasons but the story is really what is important.  It is a bit long, but hopefully when you’re done you will gain a new appreciation for what proper progressed and appropriate exercise can potentially do for someone who had given up on ever improving herself physically.

Just over two years ago a woman walked into the local chain gym where I worked and asked to be set up with a trainer who had dealt with special populations.  She had decided to try exercise as a way to help her with various physical problems.  I was referred from the trainer she was initially set up with who basically told me “I have no idea how to deal with her”.  Maureen was instantly suspicious when she sat down with me because she was used to promises.  In a nutshell, her story was simple.  Thirty years ago she had been hit by a tractor trailer in her car, almost killing both her and her husband.   She had broken her back and sustained a lot of trauma to much of her body, mostly in her hips and spine.  Because of their circumstances she had never really had proper care beyond some brief physical therapy after they both got out of the hospital and had basically lived the way she was for that time.  She wasn’t overweight, she just had massive physical restrictions.  Here’s a short list of what she dealt with:

  • She walked with a constant limp in her left leg, dragging it for most steps
  • Any force on her back or hips (stepping off of a bus, for example) could cause a migraine headache and make her feel nauseous
  • She couldn’t rest her head on the head rest in her car without pain.  She couldn’t turn to check her blind spot without a problem.
  • Constant ringing in her ears that would become worse with any sharp noise
  • Since her body was so bound up, she had IBS whenever she changed anything in her diet
  • Sleeping was tough because her back was constantly sore and she would get nauseous and spasm whenever she tried to turn over

She had seen physios, chiros, osteopaths, doctors and many other professionals over the recent years because she was at the end of her rope.  She tried many practitioners and did not see any improvement.  One massage therapist actually refused to treat her and doctors tried to give her pills constantly.  She also dealt with all of this while taking care of her husband who had his own set of physical limitations.  Her life was very, very hard and she was sick and tired of it.

When I sat there with her and heard her story, I didn’t know if I could help her, but all I told her was that I was willing to try and she would be under the best of care.  I asked her to commit for six months and we would see how things went, but if things weren’t working out then she could walk away any time.  She agreed and decided to place her faith in that I was at least willing to try.  Doctors had turned her away telling her that they couldn’t do anything for her.  The saddest thing is (and she told me this only after we had worked together for a year) she was actually planning suicide if she couldn’t be helped because she was so tired of her life and how she felt every day.

Let that sink in and then imagine the massive responsibility that I carried when working with this woman.  Here’s the first few exercises we ever did together:

  • Modified squatting movement at 140 degrees of knee flexion (she could not go further than this – I used a bar behind her to guide her movement).
  • Stepping up had to be modified to only five inches of height, otherwise it caused a headache and nerve pain right away.  We focused on movement and coordination.
  • She could pull things, so we sat her down and did some one armed shoulder and back work, focusing on moving her shoulder blade properly.
  • She was unable to bend, twisting was out of the question and even simple movements with her hips caused her a problem, so traditional “core” work was out of the question.  For example, having her able to lie on her back on a mat without pain was a first accomplishment.
  • For movement her walking started at 2 miles per hour – and she could only do that for about five minutes before being exhausted and having to sit down.  And she was not overweight.

Often other trainers would wonder what I was doing and my only answer was “being careful”.  Often during a workout she would get nauseous and experience pain in various places, but this could be used to find out what movements she was capable of, and with what degree of force her body could tolerate.  An additional inch of movement or five more degrees of angle was an accomplishment.  Loads were increased incrementally workout by workout.

Six months into her regime she fell off of the bus and broke her foot.  The good news I took from that is not only did she not want to stop exercising; she was encouraged by the fact that she caught herself without falling to the ground.  We continued to work on her back and upper body.  Her headaches were lessening in frequency and movements were becoming easier.  We were able to expand ranges, add some load and introduce new patterns to her brain, which had previously guarded against them.  A year in she picked up 80 pounds (half her bodyweight) with good form.  She didn’t limp any more when she walked in.  By now I had learned what movements might trigger things and what signs to look for when she was trying to hide that she was extremely tired so that we didn’t do too much to her.

About fourteen months in she was doing quite well so we introduced mild jogging for 15 seconds.  She had not jogged for over 30 years and was ecstatic even though it was very hard for her.  She could lift things off of the floor, squat, bend and push things over her head at this point.  Twisting was still an issue for her spine (likely due to scar tissue build up) and I told her it might always be.  She could get down on the floor and get up again with minimal assistance more than once.  However, some weeks we would push things just a bit too hard and have to scale back and gently nudge things forward again carefully.  There was a constant process of progression in small increments.

Today I’m happy to report that Maureen can pick up 50 pounds several times without an issue, can squat with a (small) back load but load her front no problem, can jog for 60 seconds and can twist without nerve impingement.  She can do a full plank for 30 seconds.  She can do movement without having to anticipate a problem.   More importantly, her headaches are non-existent, she can sleep at night without pain, she doesn’t have to worry about falling off of the bus and she can check her blind spot while driving without a problem.  Just the other day she reported to me that she rolled over in bed without thinking about it and was fine – for the first time since her accident.  For some of us this is a simple thing, but for her it is huge and means she can sleep through the night without getting woken up.  She is stronger – and therefore her body is more able to deal with the forces it encounters every day and not manifest them in pain or nausea.

I use this as an example to many people about the power of proper exercise and application of force.  With a lot of work, careful application and monitoring and a big investment in time and effort her life has been completely transformed in a positive way.  It has taken two years for us to achieve these things, but if you ever talk to her, she will tell you that it has been life changing for her.  The thing is, this is possible for just about anybody because she is not the only example I have from my career of being able to do some amazing things with people given the right time, care and application.

All the time we think of exercise as a way to look better.  We can also think of exercise as a way to feel and perform better on a daily basis and carry a better quality of life forward through the years.  To me this is the most powerful thing about exercise.  It can make things possible that you previously thought weren’t possible.  Maureen invested her time and effort into getting stronger and better and trusted in the process.  If you’re looking for results over time, this is really what you need to do.  I hope that you spread this story around and let anyone in your life know that anything can be improved given the right application.  It just takes time, effort, and proper progression.  If you have any comments or questions, feel free to let me know.  I’m also happy to put you in contact with Maureen if you would like to hear her story directly.

Take care of yourself and your body and never take anything for granted.  Your life can change in an instant, but you can also make it better if you choose to.

The Physics Series Volume 2: What’s my Angle?

Often when I’m dealing with clients (or even other trainers) and start talking about things like moment arms and force angles or resistance profiles I get a blank stare.  I understand that because I’m a geek and like to learn about things like this, just like I would give someone a blank stare if they started telling me about their ’68 Ford and how they replaced the carburetor.  Different strokes for different folks.

So when I’m working with clients and start adjusting things often I get asked why I’m doing it.  Something as simple as changing an angle during a movement can provide a totally different exercise experience not only for the person involved, but more importantly for the muscles and what you are trying to do to them.  A change as insignificant as 10 degrees in the knee during a knee extension depending on the position of the person’s hips can change the amount that a muscle is getting stimulated in ways that you might not think.  I’m not going to get into details, but if you want to take a look at THIS study go ahead as an example of what I’m talking about.  If you’re really keen I can direct you to about a few dozen more covering similar topics.  Another example when dealing with shoulders is that at a certain angle of shoulder abduction (like a lateral raise) the deltoid isn’t working as the primary mover, and then all of a sudden it is.

For our purposes we can call an angle as the measure of a rotation (or an amount of rotation) around a fixed surface – that being your knee, elbow, or finger joint.  In the strength work we take this to mean what angle one joint is achieving most often.  For example, “going to parallel” generally means that the angle of the thigh relative to the floor is parallel, but some people also take this as achieving 90 degrees in the knee joint.

So here’s the major question that most people are asking right now – why the heck does this matter in my exercise program?

I have clients ask me all of the time how they can change up their workouts, and this is one of the simplest ways to change a fundamental movement pattern and make it do something just a little bit different to the joints in question.  In RTS we call this “rotating the tires”.  For example, doing a flat bench press, or a 45 degree incline press stimulate the shoulder joint (and a few others) in different ways.  A pull down from straight above is different than a pull from in front of you.  All of the muscles that cross the joints are still moving and being stressed – just in different ways.

Angle also can contribute a lot into how much force is required to move an object.  Example – bicep curl.  When a curl is at 90 degrees the force in question on the bicep muscle is potentially twice as much as it is when the elbow is at 30 degrees (towards the end of the movement).  This also has to do with how far the weight is away from the joint in question like I discussed in my previous article about distance.  Suddenly a ten pound weight is now a twenty pound weight and can start to cause a problem for the person moving it or put more force into their joint than it can handle, causing tendon and ligament damage.

With something as complex as a back loaded squat, there are many angles in question.  The ankle, knee and hip joint all have to move together along with achieving a certain angle in the back, the feet and legs in order to provide not only safety but the ability to provide force along a chain that makes sure the muscles are being used to their maximum capacity.  The ability to maintain an even hip and knee angle is essential for deep squatting, and then if the whole chain is limited by the ankle joint it will throw everything off and you won’t be able to go as deep, therefore not providing as much stimulation or even tracking into injury.  There is a reason that people who have heavy loads on their back often do quarter range squats – because they simply can’t create the force to move the weight if they are at a certain angle.  Here’s an illustration:

Better squat angle.

Better squat angle.

Here's a restricted squat angle.

Here’s a restricted squat angle.

Simple things like achieving a larger range of motion during a movement can actually alter your exercise in a very significant way.  One of the reasons that I’m all over my clients during workouts is because there is simple intention behind every exercise, and if it is performed differently, or with sloppy form then we can’t accomplish the goal for that particular exercise in the way it has been designed.  This simple squat illustration can also show us where a person might be restricted due to something else and allow us to alter the current workout to help, not hinder progress.  Imagine in each diagram what the different forces might be on the ankle, knee, hip and spinal joints.

A person’s physical structure can also have a lot to do with this.  A person with longer levers like a basketball player would have a totally different movement path than someone a foot shorter and much wider like a powerlifter.  If my femur is longer then the whole movement changes again and I may not be able to achieve the perfect angle.  There is nothing wrong with that, but it does need to be considered when designing an exercise program.  Would an exercise like a squat be as “good” for someone who can’t achieve the depth they need to get to in order to stimulate what you are trying to stimulate?  Or would something else maybe be safer and more effective?

So here’s an idea – during your next workout, change a couple of angles of movement (while reducing load in order to be safe) and see if it doesn’t stimulate your body in an entirely different way.  I can almost guarantee that your body will thank you for the rotation of the tires you are giving it, and your experience will be much more fulfilling.  Feel free to report back to me and let me know how it went.

Anyone Can Kick Somebody’s Ass

If you have read anything that I have written in the past (and I hope you have) you know that I don’t have the highest opinion of my own industry.  In fact, to be blunt, my industry sucks.  Anybody who takes a weekend course and passes an open book multiple choice exam and then demonstrates that they know how to coach someone how to sit down and stand up gets a shiny piece of paper framed and can call themselves a certified personal trainer.

Now, let’s get some perspective here.  A massage therapist needs a minimum of two years of school and thousands of practice hours plus a rigorous examination process, and they massage people for a living (no offense to massage therapists of course).  A naturopathic doctor needs not only a bachelor’s degree with high marks, but also another 4-5 years of post-graduate training, and they consult with people about things like hormones, do food testing (often through labs) and perform skills like acupuncture.  Both of these things are something that requires a lot of knowledge and care.  Hell, it takes eight months of schooling to learn how to roll a cigar in Cuba so you can work in a factory.

cigar_rolling

So then why is it okay that a person with minimal education (often nothing beyond high school) and a weekend course under their belt can tell someone to get onto a treadmill and run until they throw up, or lift so much weight that they can be severely hurt?  Over my years as a trainer I have heard of (and witnessed directly) some of the most idiotic things that anyone could possibly do to someone, all in the name of “pushing through the limits” or “feeling the burn”.

There are many scary aspects about the fitness industry, but one of the most prevalent to me is that clients who hire trainers (especially at chain gyms, where trainers are often assigned by a salesperson who wants commission, not chosen due to qualifications) don’t do their due diligence, don’t bother to qualify the person they work with and just blindly trust that they are knowledgeable enough to not do anything stupid.

Here’s a quick clue:  it takes no skill at all to be able to turn someone into a quivering mess on the floor.  If I make someone lift enough weight, do it too fast, too soon and too often or put them on a treadmill and make them throw up a la The Biggest Loser this is not skill.  It is a person (who is being paid to care for another person’s body) treating you like a toy with no responsibility whatsoever.  Even better are the trainers who still believe in the “no pain, no gain” garbage mantra so if you aren’t sore (where they perceive you should be sore) they think they have done something horribly wrong and double the load during your next workout, crippling the poor person and ensuring that they won’t be able to work out for another week.  Great job.

Here’s a quick clue – your body is a lot smarter than that.  If you’re not sore, it doesn’t mean that nothing has happened to you and you aren’t going to get a benefit from it.  Anyone who thinks that not having DOMS means you haven’t worked a muscle is wrong.  Period.

So what does require real skill?  How about watching your client closely so that if their form goes off you can cue them back into proper movement?  How about stopping a set well before you need to so that they might be able to do a couple of more and learn a motor pattern without going into extreme fatigue?  How about progressing things carefully with loads specifically targeted to that person’s capacity on that day at that time, not necessarily what they should do based on a week ago?  How about when that person walks out the door, they feel better – not worse – than when they walked in because they are stimulated just enough to provide a good result without going over the edge?

It is not a badge of honour to not be able to walk up a flight of stairs after a leg workout or not lift your arms after an arm workout.  It is not a good thing to feel pain for three to four days (there is a big difference between pain and recovery).  It is not smart to give yourself goals that are potentially dangerous to achieve in a short time frame.  But these are things I see the fitness industry do almost every day.  And I would love that to change.

So if you’re a consumer reading this, please beware of my industry. That might sound strange, but it’s something I firmly believe in.  Do your due diligence and watch out for the uneducated and inexperienced trainer who is all about the intensity or creativeness and none of the skill.  I can guarantee you if you work out at a chain gym the personal training staff is probably 80% these types of people.

If you’re a trainer reading this, let’s all make a pledge to try to do better and use the skills that we have, or develop them if we don’t.  Honing a skill is something that takes years to do, and another person’s body, which you have now had the fortune (or misfortune) to be trusted with is in your hands.  It is a massive responsibility that you should never forget.

And, if you choose not to – you only need another 30 weeks of education to be able to roll cigars in Cuba.  You’re probably better off doing that anyway.

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