The Perfect Runner
It’s gorgeous outside, so runners are out in full force enjoying the weather as well as getting in their physical activity. But what isn’t great to see is the incredible amount of runners will very poor running form as a result of improper foot ware. Seems a little far fetched perhaps? Than check off another reason to watch this documentary this Thursday.
The documentary addresses the fact that before the invention of cushioned running shoes, runners typically adopted a forefoot or midfoot strike. This is the running style the body automatically assumes when its feet are unprotected. Try running barefoot in your house and you will feel the difference and possible change in your running form.
In developing countries like Ethiopia, most runners still spend their early years running barefoot or sandaled, and use the same forefoot-strike technique. Research by Harvard professor Daniel Lieberman has revealed that the impact force absorbed by the body is considerably higher when heel-strike running, regardless of shoe protection, than when forefoot-strike running. He believes (as do we with our training philosophies at Taylored Training) that this accounts for the higher incidence of repetitive stress injuries among runners today and so do we.
“Despite the promotion of “correcting” running shoes by a multi-billion dollar industry, two million years of evolutionary success as an endurance-running species have given our feet and ankles extraordinary natural shock resistance. The arched structure of the foot and the flexion abilities of the ankle joint work together to absorb the impact of the foot strike while maintaining a natural leg position. This force is then partially returned as the foot propels off the ground. The heel strike, in contrast, transmits impact force straight up the leg to the knee and hips while braking the forward momentum of the runner. As medical research catches up with the biomechanical advantages of “natural running”, more and more specialists are advising runners to turn away from highly engineered running shoes and return to the forefoot-strike technique in more minimal footwear.” - Niobe Thompson
The boom in “barefoot running” is one reflection of this trend and a long standing practice at Taylored Training since our conception 4 years ago. We have seen a tremendous amount of success with our members: improved stability, a decrease in knee pain and increased mobility. On the practical side of things our TT members never have to worry about forgetting their gym shoes OR needing to buy new ones every 6 months (or whatever the time length is now that shoe stores are suggesting…).
This documentary and extensive research that is presented encourages runners to adopt the practices of our ancestors in running without supported and/or cushioned shoes. We encourage our members to get naked (with their feet), or try a minimalist shoe. You can’t argue with the research and the results. Moreover, the practices of our ancestors who seem to have some 2 million odd years of success with running should make you question whether or not you need those nike running shoes.
New Member Requirements Page
Are you ready for Taylored Training?
Really the choice is yours. Do you want to be successful?
This isn’t about us. This is about you.
It doesn’t matter what shape you are in, we are here to help you accomplish your goals.
If you are brand new to exercise or a professional athlete looking to improve performance we have the skills to help you. The real question is whether or not you have what it takes to be successful.
What do you need to become a part of Taylored Training?
Dedication
- Are you ready to commit?
- This isn’t a 20 minute big box elliptical session – this is the cutting edge of the fitness industry and you should be ready for it
- Are you ready to follow your program, eat well, and put in the time?
Willingness to Change
- You’re coming to us for a reason – you want to change your current fitness level or program
- Are you willing to do this? You may not like what we have to tell you, are you willing to make the leap?
Fun Attitude
- This isn’t your typical gym – we have a lot of fun
- If you are looking for a therapy session or a place to off load your personal baggage, this isn’t the right place for that
- Taylored Training is about making your day better – we leave the rest of the world behind and focus on you and your goals
Goal Oriented Mindset
- You are focused on a goal – be it athletic performance, learning about fitness, or looking better than everyone else on vacation it doesn’t matter
- If you aren’t working towards a goal you aren’t working
- We can help you create and re-create goals – you just have to be ready to work for them!
Want to Become A Member
- We have a strong community and a fantastic group of members
- You have to want to be a part of our community
- We talk, we laugh, and we get our asses kicked everyday
Basics of Training Athletes
Programming – What’s the deal?
One of the core principles at Taylored Training in our REPS philosophy is our programming. A lot of time is spent into researching and developing the best programs for our clients to help them reach their desired goal. Our member’s goals range from athletic conditioning, to looking awesome in their favorite pair of jeans to rehabbing an injury.
Over the next 3 weeks we will be looking at the specific details of how our programs are designed to achieve amazing results for our members. This week we will be looking at what goes into developing an athletic conditioning program at Taylored Training.
Athletic program design
Athletic program design involves extensive planning and preparation. Athlete’s need to peak for their specific events during their season or play for a long season throughout the year and need to ensure they stay strong and healthy.
So what are the key components in developing a Taylored Training Athletic conditioning program?
1-Time lines and specific event dates for competition are critical in building the macrocycle (long term training program) and knowing when to peak athlete performance. The macrocyle is a term used to describe a year or more of training. Olympic athletes, for example will have a 4 year macrocycle, or program design. It is important on ‘game day’ (whether it is 1 event or multiples games throughout a season) that the athlete feels prepared, well rested and strong
2- Determining the mesocycle is the second step in the process, which is a specific block of training designed to accomplish a particular goal. This cycle of the program refers to a period of time about 2 to 3 months in lengths and is specific to a particular type of programming, for example power training or strength training. The phase and length of the mesocycle is different depending on how the athlete needs to perform in their given sport
3-The final stage is developing the specific workouts found in the microcycle. The microcycle is simply a fancy term for the specific workouts. These are the actual day to day workouts the athlete will follow when they come in to train at the studio. These workouts are customized to improve their performance and are very specific to the demands of their sport
We train athletes who compete in local, university, national and international events. Our current roster of athletes compete in:
-ironman events
-triathlons/duathlons (specifically for the upcoming K-town Tri)
-marathons (specifically for the Ottawa Marathon event)
-Sports: fencing, lacrosse, rugby, football, powerlifting, fire-fit, tennis
We are currently training multiple TT members for the Tough Mudder and Spartan Races approaching this summer.
Whether your a recreational athlete or a highly competitive athlete your training program is the most important map to achieving success at your sport. You want to know on game day that the dedication to your training and work with your coach will pay off when you hit your goal, which makes it all worth it.
-Vanessa
Do you have a bulged disc?
Do you have a BULGED DISC? Is this common? What can be done?
First, we must understand how the anatomy of your back works. Your vertebrae (the bones of the spine) stack on top of one another like a column. These bones are connected by joints (your facet joints that we talked about in the neck), which help guide the movement in your back. In between these bones you have discs which are fluid filled packs that provide nutrients, and act as a shock absorber. Phew! Made it through the anatomy side of things!
A disc bulge is when a portion of these fluid filled packs projects past where it should normally sit. So what? Well, where a large portion of these bulges occur is also where nerves are arteries exit the spine too. If the disc is pressing on the nerve, or irritates the nerve then you may have nerve symptoms. What are the common symptoms? Depends on the nerve that may be affect – nerves that exit from the spine follow certain paths and can be identified by a physiotherapy assessment. You can see the different neural patterns in the photo. Nerve pain tends to be sharp, stabbing and radiating pain which is aggravated with certain movements.
Does that mean that everyone with a disc bulge will have symptoms? NO! Studies have shown over 50% of normal, healthy people with no history of back pain have disc bulges! It is only a concern if you are having back symptoms.
What can be done?
There are many conservative treatments that can be incorporated to help alleviate pain. One example that is commonly used is traction. Traction is when the joint is gently stretched or distracted, which helps with reducing pain, increasing blood flow and circulation (which helps the healing process).
Another common treatment is to length/stretch/release shortened or high tone muscles. With any back pain, our muscles tend to spasm and need to be turned down to decrease the pain. There are a few different ways this can be done, such as massage and foam rolling.
Why Everyone Should Be Doing the Getup
Love it or hate it, the Turkish get-up is one of the best full body, functional exercises that everyone should be including in their program. The short list of benefits from performing this exercise include: improved hip and thoracic spine mobility, core strength, shoulder stability, coordination, symmetry, balance and proprioception.
Yes. I did say that was the short list. But if that alone isn’t enough to convince you, I want to focus right now on your shoulder health, and why the Turkish Get-Up is one of the best exercises to do to keep your shoulder strong.
The beauty of the Turkish get-up is that it utilizes what we call “shoulder packing” throughout its entire movement.
Simply put, shoulder packing is “setting” the shoulder, or maintaining the proper positioning of both the scapula on the thoracic spine and the humerus in the shoulder joint while the arm elevates overhead.
Confused? Let me break it down a bit:
For our arm to go overhead, the scapula (shoulder blade) must upwardly rotate while maintaining a stable position on our thoracic spine (think upper back). For this to occur, a force couple must exist between certain muscles: our upper and lower traps, serratus anterior, and lats. This force couple needs to occur throughout the entire overhead movement or else the scapula won’t stay stable on our thoracic spine. I know what you’re thinking – minor detail, right?
Well… here is the thing. Once our arm begins moving overhead, there is a compressive force into the shoulder – a force that causes the rotator cuff muscles to fire and create stability. This, is a good thing. We want this. The problem is the rotator cuff muscles can’t properly fire and work to stabilize our arm if the scapula isn’t stable on the thoracic spine. If this is the case, our upper trap muscles compensate which can lead to increased risk of injury to not only the shoulder, but also to the neck.
Although this all may seem quite technical, the bottom line is maintaining this shoulder “packed” position is crucial to maintaining strong shoulders. So, you can understand why physio’s and trainers coach shoulder packing for all overhead movements. But the thing is, because of muscle imbalances shoulder packing isn’t always easy and some people can have an extremely hard time with it. This is why the Turkish Get-Up is such a fantastic exercise, as it utilizes this shoulder packed position throughout its entire movement. This allows the necessary muscles to get stronger, as well as re-patterning the movement so that muscles are firing in the proper sequence.
Pretty cool, eh?
So, give it a shot. If you always avoid the warm-up with the Turkish Get-Up…maybe it’s because you don’t like it, maybe because you feel you aren’t good at it – try it out. Keep working on it – your shoulders will thank you!
- Cassie
Golfer and Tennis Elbow
Don’t play golf or tennis and wondering why you should care about this week’s topic? Well, you don’t have to play these sports to be susceptible to these overuse injuries. Have you noticed elbow pain lately? Well, it may be lateral or medial epicondylitis! Sounds scary right?!
Let’s first talk about what it is and why it happens.
Your forearm muscles that bend and extend your wrist attach above your elbow (as you can see in the photo). The muscles that flex/bend your wrist attach to the inside of your elbow (on the medial epicondyle) and the muscles that extend your wrist attach to the outside of your elbow (on the lateral epicondyle). If these muscles are over used or have poor mechanics, then the muscle starts to tug at the point where it attaches to the bone. So what? When the insertion point is continually yanked the body creates an inflammatory process to try and heal the site. This is where part of the pain comes from – this inflammatory soup (different healing agents) starts to irritate the other muscles and tissues in the area. This commonly becomes a chronic issue if you don’t initiate rehabilitative techniques to reduce the irritation.
Why could you be more susceptible to these injuries? One possible reason could be you over use your wrist muscles (like in golf, tennis, etc.) without proper lengthening/stretching of the muscles. Another reason could be that your muscles are already shortened – perhaps the type of sport or work you do has you in certain prolonged postures in which your muscle fibers have grown closer together.
Immediate Relief:
An epicondylitis brace can be used – TEMPORARILY! What this brace does is displace the forces that are focused at the insertion point, causing less tugging on the bone and therefore less pain. A caution to those who are jumping on this band wagon: this will not fix anything and should only be used during the phase where you are trying to reduce the irritation to the site. There is an underlying reason WHY this is happening and you have to get to the source of the problem if you want long term results.
Long term Relief:
Myofascial release works really well to help lengthen the tissues (wrist flexors and extensors) which will allow your muscles to be able to work at their best.
Another component to a long term solution is figuring out if there are sport/work constraints that can be modified to use these muscles in a better position.
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Learn the Lingo:
Myofascial Release is a technique where we apply a pressure to the muscle and then stretch it through its range of motion. It’s like a localized stretch. This technique has similar principles to foam
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Does physiotherapy work for these injuries? YES! This randomized control trial indicated that long term results were better with physiotherapy compared to cortisone injections!
Want to check out the article? Check the conclusion of this article before you go ahead with a corticosteroid injection! http://www.bmj.com/content/333/7575/939.short
Beware of Weight Loss Scams – Mariane Héroux PhD candidate, MSc., BSc., RHN
Beware of Weight Loss Scams
Written by Mariane Héroux PhD candidate, MSc., BSc., RHN
A few weeks ago I was approached by a friend who tried to convince me to join the Body By Vi Challenge. He pitched the challenge to me by telling me that he had a way for me to get my dream beamer within the next few months at no cost. Immediately I was skeptical. He then went on to tell me a bit about this 90 day challenge which is meant to help people lose weight, get healthy, and get free stuff (i.e. a BMW). Those of you who know me well would agree that I certainly do not need to lose weight and that I am a total health nut. So why was he pitching this to me? I immediately started doing a bit of research on the challenge to find out what it was all about. I found the website (http://www.visalus.com/bbvi/home/) and in less than 1 minute could tell that this challenge was yet another scam in the nutrition world with a pyramid type scheme.
Essentially this challenge lasts 90 days and apparently results in weight loss and happiness. Upon signing up, you select one of 4 challenge kits that contain meal replacements (range from $50-$249). The main product is the shake. Drinking one serving of this shake apparently provides your body with the same nutrition quality that you would obtain from eating: 12 eggs, 1.5 cups of broccoli, 5 peaches, 2 chicken breast, 1.5 cup frozen yogurt, 1.5 cup bran flakes, 18oz tomato juice, 5oz cheddar cheese, 3 cups lima beans, 15 slices whole wheat bread, 30 whole apples, 20 spears of asparagus, 2 cups of sliced mushrooms, 10 celery stalks, 3 pineapples, 3 tomatoes, and 30 prunes! To entice you more, it is mentioned that consuming this much food is equivalent to about 8662 calories and would cost over $100.00 but that you can get all the health benefits of these foods by drinking 1 shake at a cost of under $2.00 per serving (check out the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OVYGdfEJQo). The question I ponder is: would anyone in their right minds ever eat all that food at once? Our bodies are not meant to consume an overwhelming amount of vitamins, minerals, and other food components (i.e. lycopene, isoflavanoids, antioxidants, etc.) all at once. In fact when you consume too many of these at one time they actually compete for absorption in your body and are therefore not utilized optimally.1 It would be completely unnatural to consume so much food at once and it is even more unnatural to consume it all in the form of a “magical” shake.
Although I was unable to find the exact ingredients that are used in this “magic” powder known as the Vi-Shape Nutritional Shake Mix, my friend Neil Fine (check out his blog at http://finefitness.ca/) was able to locate them for me (http://www.bodyin90.com/challengepartydocs/ViSalusProductInfo.pdf). Interestingly enough, he had also recently been approached by someone pitching this miracle program to him! Out of pure curiosity and skepticism, Neil went to a “recruitment party” where he got to try a sample of the shake and learn a bit more about the challenge. The ingredients consist of several products that are manmade and therefore unnatural. For example, the ingredient list consists of maltodextrin and sucralose. Now maltodextrin is a food additive and sucralose is a manmade artificial sweetener for which no studies exist looking at its long-term effects on the body. Food additives and artificial sweeteners are ingredients that everyone should avoid as they are unnatural!!!!!! These are only two of the ingredients within the product that I do recommend consuming on a daily basis. Neil also mentioned that the program does NOT recommend exercise; in fact some of the ads for it say that weight loss can be achieved without needing to exercise at all. While exercise does help with weight loss,2 it is also extremely important for cardiovascular health, muscular strength, mental health, prevention of several chronic diseases, etc.3 In my opinion, even those who aren’t seeking to lose weight should exercise!
In summary, if you want to lose weight or strive to achieve better nutrition and fitness the best way to go about it is to make a lifestyle change whereby you eat healthy natural foods (i.e. fresh vegetables and fruits, lean protein, unprocessed grains) and exercise! Taking unnatural products and paying money for challenges like Body By Vi will not help you achieve a healthy lifestyle change. Losing weight and providing your body with the nutrients it needs should be done with natural sources coming from foods that are as close to their natural states as possible and of course exercise which as I already mentioned helps improve cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength while also decreasing your risk of many ailments.3 So next time someone approaches you about a nutrition challenge or magic pill/powder think twice, do your research, and remember that nothing is healthier than foods that are in their NATURAL states and of course exercise!
References
1. Groff J, Gropper S. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. 3 ed. Belmont, California: Wadsworth, 2000.
2. Blair S. Evidence for success of exercise in weight loss and control. Annals of Internal Medicine 1993;119(7):5.
3. Warburton DE, Nicol CW, Bredin SS. Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence. Cmaj 2006;174(6):801-9.
Member Success Story
As a teenager struggling with my weight ever since I can remember I easily gave into seventeen magazine’s “quick and easy tips to a sexy body now” articles. I always listened to those who said that small weights and cardio workouts were the only way for a female to achieve their goals.
I just recently realized what B.S. all this advice was for me because after months and months of what I thought were workouts at the local gym I saw little to no results. I often found myself frustrated because I’d been working just to figure out my time was being wasted on the treadmill and elliptical machines.
I saw an ad for Taylored Training on facebook and, desperate, I clicked it (I have never before clicked an ad for anything off of facebook!). It was the best decision I’ve ever made! After one of the group training trial workouts I was hooked. I had never experienced anything like it before. It was the most challenging/fun workout I’ve ever done. I did things I never thought I could do and the next day I hurt in places I didn’t know I had. The trainers are encouraging and friendly. The thing I love most is that they actually take the time to get to know the people they train.
I may sometimes complain about the pain but can finally see and feel a difference in myself and it’s all thanks to Taylored Training!
The Value of Training
The Value of Training
Question: What things are most important to you in your life?
Things that top this list are most certainly your family, your friends. Maybe your career makes that list, maybe traveling and seeing the world. But what about your health?
This past weekend I had a conversation about this very subject. The conversation was about those who assume that members at our studio are affluent and about people who tell us that they can’t be successful because they simply can’t afford to come to the gym.
With a lengthy discussion, we came to a conclusion: it’s often not about the money. It’s about drive. It’s about motivation. It’s about desire.
Now I’m not saying that there aren’t situations where money is an issue. But, oftentimes people just don’t think training, or working out is of enough value. They don’t value their own health to the extent that they value other things in their life. They aren’t willing to make sacrifices.
Take those people who say that they could succeed “if only”. Are you one of those people? Now think about it… how many times a week do you go out for dinner or drinks? Do you party on the weekend, maybe hit up the LCBO? Do you go and enjoy shopping? I think you see my point.
Here’s where I’ll be straight-up. A lot of our members work their ass off. They work extra hours or multiple jobs, just so they can come in to our studio and continue working their ass off during their workout. Why? Because they see the value of training. They see the incredible results that they can and have achieved with guidance, coaching, and hard work. These members value their health.
Maybe you think it’s easy for me to preach about investing in training, but here’s the deal. Most of you know that before joining the Taylored Training team I was a member myself. I was a full time student going into my Masters program and I had student debt up to my eyeballs (My masters program marked year 6 and 7 of my university career… it’s been a long haul!). But I saw what could be accomplished with the guidance given to me at the studio. So, I found a way to make it work. I worked (sometimes more than one job at a time), and I made money so I could focus on my training. Why? Because my training was and continues to be so important to me. I am continuously amazed at what I and others can accomplish. I wasn’t and will never be willing to give that up.
So, I worked. I didn’t waste my money on drinking and partying as much as I did before, and I saw killer results.
This became even more clear to me when I thought back to a conversation I had just a couple of weeks ago with a member regarding how she was enjoying training at the studio.
Her response was: “I have to be here. I have to” She began training and immediately saw the results that came from our end of programming, coaching and support, and her end of having a lot of drive and determination. She explained to me that this is where she needed to be, and that this was what she needed to do, and that she simply will make the cost work somehow.
So you see, it’s not about resources. It’s about resourcefulness. It’s about drive, and about determination.
“If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.” (Anonymous)
- Cassie
Are your friends and family sabotaging your program?
We’ve all heard it before. “Common’, just have one piece”, “It won’t kill you to stay home from the gym today,” or my all-time favourite “But what about everything in moderation?”
Do you frequently hear these comments from your friends or family? I know I do, and almost everyone who has completed our physique challenge, nutrition challenge, or anyone simply dedicated to their fitness and nutrition program have all heard these comments before. We’ve all felt the peer pressure to join our friends in drinking, eating like shit and being lazy.
But, we refrain. We are dedicated to our program. But they keep pushing. They don’t understand why you don’t want that glass of wine, why you won’t indulge “just this one time”. Sometimes it takes us faking it before we can get them off our back… yes, faking it – I know members who have to “pretend” drink so that their friends will stop being idiots and let them actually enjoy their evening, sans alcohol. It’s sad isn’t it? We work hard to maintain and improve our health, while others try to sabotage our efforts, our success.
But, why?
Because it makes them feel better about themselves. Because they want to drink but they don’t want to feel guilty about it. They want that piece of cake, or that piece of pizza. Because they don’t want to get off their lazy ass and put some effort into it and go to the gym. They don’t have the dedication or the drive to do what you’re doing. And so, they want you to give in, to join them, because it makes them feel better.
You should know that this usually isn’t intentional. Your friends and family don’t necessarily want you to fail, but if they do things that derail you from hitting your goals, they don’t feel so bad about not hitting their goals. Because if you do hit your goals there is no reason they can justify not reaching their goals.
It is just like the crab mentality. Yup – that’s right, the crab mentality.
This is something that Rachel Cosgrove (Women’s Health contributor and owner of one of the top ten gyms in the U.S) discussed at a recent Fitness & Health Expo we attended in Belleville. She explains:
If you put a bunch of crabs in a bucket 10 feet from the shore and leave the bucket overnight, you will wake up the next morning to find that every single crab is still in that bucket. They could have climbed out, gone back to the water, but they didn’t. Why? If one crab started to climb out, the others would pull him back in. In fact, if he kept trying, they would eventually pull off his legs to make sure that he couldn’t escape to freedom.
And this is exactly what can happen with friends, our families. They know we are working towards our goals and trying to follow a program, and yet, they present us with unhealthy options. They buy us food we don’t want to eat. They encourage us to take the day off of the gym, “what harm will it do?”
We need to get pulled down by this ‘crab mentality’ and surround ourselves with supportive people. Eliminate the ‘crabs’ in your life. Even if you can’t eliminate them, once you identify those crabs in your life, it will be a lot easier to deal with them. Because now you understand why they are trying to sabotage your plan. Now you can understand where they are coming from. Maybe they don’t have the drive, the dedication to change their life – but you do! And you will. If you stick to your program and fight your way out of that bucket, leaving all the crabs behind -you will.
So the next time you go out with friends and that ‘crab mentality’ starts to creep up, just smile and nod and go on being your awesome, dedicated self, and see who reaches their goals first.
- Cassie
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