Everyone knows that to lose weight it is necessary to burn calories. And that's absolutely true. Simple Physics really: if you take in fewer calories than you burn, your body will be forced to tap into its fat stores to make up that deficit. As long as that deficit isn't so great that it causes other negative things to happen, the equation holds true.
So, to use up some of our fat we need to burn a lot of calories during our workout, right? Since it consumes a lot of calories, it sure sounds like cardio is a great way to do this. Well, let's find out:
For this example, you're a 200 pound man in really good shape, so you run 10 miles. Over that 10 miles, you'll burn 1300 calories (try your own calculation here) -- that's a lot! Then, over the next 2-3 hours, your metabolic rate will be elevated as you recover. This point is the key.
Assume your normal metabolic rate (what your body needs just to get through its day) is 100 calories per hour. For the next 3 hours after the run, this will increase to 300 calories per hour. So, after burning 1300 calories running, you've burned an additional 600 calories (200 extra for 3 hours), for a grand total of 1900. Good job!
Let's now check in with your friend, Ike. Ike doesn't really like to run, so he comes into the ARP clinic to do UltraFit. Most of his workout consists of holding some lunge and squat positions for several minutes, and occasionally moving some weights really fast. He claims he's working hard, but even though he somehow has a good physique, you don't buy it. In fact, during his time in the gym he may only burn 200 calories. Yikes!
But, when the body is stimulated correctly (high load and high velocity), the metabolic rate is altered more dramatically and for a longer period in recovery. So, instead of burning more calories for 3 hours after, Ike is going to burn more calories for 8 hours after. And instead of burning an extra 200 calories per hour, Ike is going to burn an extra 400 calories per hour.
And that is where the magic happens: In addition to the 200 calories during the workout, Ike is going to burn 400 extra calories per hour for 8 hours. That is 200 calories during the workout plus 3200 calories during recovery, for a grand total of 3400 calories.
In light of Ike's example, those 1900 calories you burned during the run and subsequent recovery don't sound quite as impressive. As I'm sure my wonderful readers have caught on by now, the point is to expand your focus. It matters not how many calories you burn during your workout, instead it matters how many calories your workout stimulates you to burn during an entire day.
Hopefully this example sheds some light on the riddle of why so many of the treadmill users have a little extra flab on their bodies, while a larger portion of the nice physiques are in other parts of the gym. To see a few examples of UltraFit training, check out our YouTube page.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Training With a Purpose
An ARPwave colleague in Chicago, Tommy John, recently made some comments that struck me. I'd like to share them:
"Over the past 5 years of ARP'ing injuries in anyone from 8 years old to 91 years old, the top 3 most common forms of training the 'injured' partook in were: 1. Long slow distance running or biking or stepping or eliptical, 2. Yoga 3. Pilates."
His statement may seem a bit harsh, but it's an observation that I've made in our facility too. Of course, these activities can have other benefits in terms of stress relief, balancing out your mind, or just being fun. And that's great, as long as we also realize the necessity to incorporate real strength training. Tommy continues:
"The stronger you are the less chance you have of becoming injured. The stronger you are the better chance you have to fight off illness if God forbid you acquire an illness. The stronger you are the less of a chance your joints or spine have to taking the load of force into the body which will lessen the chance of inflammation building up which will give your immune system a break to fight real disease and not symptoms bc of a lack of strength. Must be strong. Must train to become very very very strong. You cannot be too strong."
He's absolutely right. I'd like to place special emphasis on one of the last things he said. When you're strong, your muscles do the job they're supposed to. Less force will transfer to the joints and spinal column. This is so important, because most of the damage that we do to our bodies is so easily preventable. What is wear and tear? It's made up. Doesn't exist. It's really more like misuse and abuse. When we use our bodies the way they're meant to be used, they are built up rather than torn down.
I challenge you to take the time you already spend working out, in fact you can even take far less than that, and do a few extreme isometrics. Minimal space and equipment, and you'll really accomplish something. Your muscles will work to stabilize your body. The little aches and pains will vanish. You'll have more energy. And guess what? Even your mind will work better.
More on that later.
Oh, and you can check out my friend Tommy John here.
"Over the past 5 years of ARP'ing injuries in anyone from 8 years old to 91 years old, the top 3 most common forms of training the 'injured' partook in were: 1. Long slow distance running or biking or stepping or eliptical, 2. Yoga 3. Pilates."
His statement may seem a bit harsh, but it's an observation that I've made in our facility too. Of course, these activities can have other benefits in terms of stress relief, balancing out your mind, or just being fun. And that's great, as long as we also realize the necessity to incorporate real strength training. Tommy continues:
"The stronger you are the less chance you have of becoming injured. The stronger you are the better chance you have to fight off illness if God forbid you acquire an illness. The stronger you are the less of a chance your joints or spine have to taking the load of force into the body which will lessen the chance of inflammation building up which will give your immune system a break to fight real disease and not symptoms bc of a lack of strength. Must be strong. Must train to become very very very strong. You cannot be too strong."
He's absolutely right. I'd like to place special emphasis on one of the last things he said. When you're strong, your muscles do the job they're supposed to. Less force will transfer to the joints and spinal column. This is so important, because most of the damage that we do to our bodies is so easily preventable. What is wear and tear? It's made up. Doesn't exist. It's really more like misuse and abuse. When we use our bodies the way they're meant to be used, they are built up rather than torn down.
I challenge you to take the time you already spend working out, in fact you can even take far less than that, and do a few extreme isometrics. Minimal space and equipment, and you'll really accomplish something. Your muscles will work to stabilize your body. The little aches and pains will vanish. You'll have more energy. And guess what? Even your mind will work better.
More on that later.
Oh, and you can check out my friend Tommy John here.
Monday, June 7, 2010
New Clinic Video!
Everyone has heard stories about us working with athletes. Don't let that fool you, though; we work with everyone. In fact, some of our best results have come with people from ages 50-88 whom we have worked with to prevent surgeries!
In addition to giving a little bit about the clinic and our philosophy, this video highlights one of our non-athletes. See if you can figure out which one I'm talking about...
In addition to giving a little bit about the clinic and our philosophy, this video highlights one of our non-athletes. See if you can figure out which one I'm talking about...
Monday, May 31, 2010
ARPwave Loosening
So, how does ARPwave loosening work? Well, it's quite simple: we know that a muscle needs to lengthen so that it can absorb more force, which is why people stretch. What we don't necessarily know is that traditional stretching actually ends up stretching tendons and ligaments, setting people up for injury.
In order for a muscle to lengthen, it needs to RELAX. Think about it; the reason you hit a wall in any range of motion is because of a muscle tightening. If the muscle can relax, you can move farther. And what controls a muscle's ability to relax? The nervous system.
The nervous system sends all of our muscles a signal to either turn on or turn off, to contract or to lengthen. Trying to stretch a muscle, you are fighting this underlying neurological signal that is turning the muscle on to protect itself. Instead of fighting the underlying signal, ARP loosening allows us to work with it.
The ARP can actually be set to send a signal to relax muscles, so that they can go through a greater range of motion. Altering that neurological message actually creates change at the foundation, allowing real adaptation to occur. Check out this video to see how PGA tour pros use the ARP to lengthen their muscles to prepare for workouts, both on the course and off.
Remember from our previous discussions that injuries come from problems with force absorption: if force entering the body is not absorbed by the muscles, it gets diverted to other areas that are not designed to handle it. Well, in order to be able to absorb force, a muscle needs to be able to eccentrically elongate. And that is exactly what we train with ARP loosening. With a two minute process, you can be prepared to perform with dramatically less risk of injury. No warm-up required.
As great as the ARPwave system is for rehabilitation of injury when it does happen, I always maintain that the greatest gift we can give is injury prevention. ARPwave loosening is the way to make an athlete more resistant to injury. Come try it out to see how this is possible.
In order for a muscle to lengthen, it needs to RELAX. Think about it; the reason you hit a wall in any range of motion is because of a muscle tightening. If the muscle can relax, you can move farther. And what controls a muscle's ability to relax? The nervous system.
The nervous system sends all of our muscles a signal to either turn on or turn off, to contract or to lengthen. Trying to stretch a muscle, you are fighting this underlying neurological signal that is turning the muscle on to protect itself. Instead of fighting the underlying signal, ARP loosening allows us to work with it.
The ARP can actually be set to send a signal to relax muscles, so that they can go through a greater range of motion. Altering that neurological message actually creates change at the foundation, allowing real adaptation to occur. Check out this video to see how PGA tour pros use the ARP to lengthen their muscles to prepare for workouts, both on the course and off.
Remember from our previous discussions that injuries come from problems with force absorption: if force entering the body is not absorbed by the muscles, it gets diverted to other areas that are not designed to handle it. Well, in order to be able to absorb force, a muscle needs to be able to eccentrically elongate. And that is exactly what we train with ARP loosening. With a two minute process, you can be prepared to perform with dramatically less risk of injury. No warm-up required.
As great as the ARPwave system is for rehabilitation of injury when it does happen, I always maintain that the greatest gift we can give is injury prevention. ARPwave loosening is the way to make an athlete more resistant to injury. Come try it out to see how this is possible.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Injury Prevention, A Case Study
Between 2000 and 2004, Augsburg College's Division-III football team had the following number of hamstring injuries:
2000: 11
2001: 14
2002: 9
2003: 10
2004: 12
The following two seasons, they incorporated ARPwave loosening in place of a traditional dynamic warm-up before all of their workouts, practices, and games. The number of hamstring injuries became
2005: 0
2006: 0
ARPwave loosening took the team from an average of 11 hamstring injuries per year to zero, and it did so while decreasing the amount of time necessary for preparation (a whole body loosening takes just 2-3 minutes, and the athlete is ready to perform immediately after without further warm-up).
The reason for this success is simple: the ARP can be used to instantaneously relax and elongate muscles. The end result of the ARPwave loosening process is a longer muscle, and a longer muscle can absorb more force and dramatically reduce the risk of injury. A longer muscle can also create more force, which is going to allow athletes to run faster, hit farther, and throw harder.
In the next post, we'll talk in detail about how the ARPwave loosening process works.
2000: 11
2001: 14
2002: 9
2003: 10
2004: 12
The following two seasons, they incorporated ARPwave loosening in place of a traditional dynamic warm-up before all of their workouts, practices, and games. The number of hamstring injuries became
2005: 0
2006: 0
ARPwave loosening took the team from an average of 11 hamstring injuries per year to zero, and it did so while decreasing the amount of time necessary for preparation (a whole body loosening takes just 2-3 minutes, and the athlete is ready to perform immediately after without further warm-up).
The reason for this success is simple: the ARP can be used to instantaneously relax and elongate muscles. The end result of the ARPwave loosening process is a longer muscle, and a longer muscle can absorb more force and dramatically reduce the risk of injury. A longer muscle can also create more force, which is going to allow athletes to run faster, hit farther, and throw harder.
In the next post, we'll talk in detail about how the ARPwave loosening process works.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Functional Training: is it really the way to go?
Part of the fitness world for several years, functional training has become a mainstay in many training systems. It certainly has some big name proponents too, including guys like Mike Boyle and Mark Verstegen. But just because the methods become so widely accepted, that doesn't mean we should just accept them and use these methods in our workouts without some closer evaluation.
In this article I want to look at one of the sacred tenants of the functional paradigm, instability training. The idea behind things like Bosu balls, wobble boards, TRX, etc. is that training on an unstable surface causes the "stabilizer" muscles to fire, which allows the primary muscles to work more efficiently.
The problem with using an unstable surface to train the stabilizer muscles is that there are so many stabilizers that most of them will be resting at any given time. Unfortunately, such a large amount of rest means these muscles will not be stressed enough to create adaptation and build strength.
So the next question becomes, what is actually happening during instability training? The body is simply learning. It is learning the skill of coordinating muscles to work on an unstable surface, which does not necessarily transfer to better coordination on the court, ice, or field.
Training the stabilizer muscles is still important, however, and fortunately there are some excellent ways to do it. One is extreme isometrics. While aggressively pulling into position for a period of several minutes, the agonist and antagonist muscles (muscles on both sides of the joint) will alternate firing. The communication reflexes between these muscles will get very efficient. Balance in the real world is simply the ability to maintain our center of gravity over our base, and an agonist/antagonist pair that can work together more efficiently can make fine adjustments necessary to achieve such balance.
Also, the motor units (and muscles) being used will fatigue. As fatigue occurs, the body will keep calling on additional motor units to help perform the task of keeping the body in position. This continuous firing of additional motor units gives the prime movers and the stabilizers the activation that they need to adapt, and this type of adaptation will actually translate to better performance in real world activities.
There are other great ways to stress the stabilizer muscles enough so that they are forced to adapt. Some more examples that we use in our program include lifting high loads at high velocity and catching falling loads. As these workouts train all the muscles to absorb force and stabilize the body, they are also creating adaptations towards greater power, speed, and endurance. Since the body needs to use these traits together in real world activities, doesn't it make sense to use them together in training?
If you want to try out these methods, please take advantage of our offer to come in for a free training session so that you can experience for yourself the most advanced system of training in sports today.
In this article I want to look at one of the sacred tenants of the functional paradigm, instability training. The idea behind things like Bosu balls, wobble boards, TRX, etc. is that training on an unstable surface causes the "stabilizer" muscles to fire, which allows the primary muscles to work more efficiently.
The problem with using an unstable surface to train the stabilizer muscles is that there are so many stabilizers that most of them will be resting at any given time. Unfortunately, such a large amount of rest means these muscles will not be stressed enough to create adaptation and build strength.
So the next question becomes, what is actually happening during instability training? The body is simply learning. It is learning the skill of coordinating muscles to work on an unstable surface, which does not necessarily transfer to better coordination on the court, ice, or field.
Training the stabilizer muscles is still important, however, and fortunately there are some excellent ways to do it. One is extreme isometrics. While aggressively pulling into position for a period of several minutes, the agonist and antagonist muscles (muscles on both sides of the joint) will alternate firing. The communication reflexes between these muscles will get very efficient. Balance in the real world is simply the ability to maintain our center of gravity over our base, and an agonist/antagonist pair that can work together more efficiently can make fine adjustments necessary to achieve such balance.
Also, the motor units (and muscles) being used will fatigue. As fatigue occurs, the body will keep calling on additional motor units to help perform the task of keeping the body in position. This continuous firing of additional motor units gives the prime movers and the stabilizers the activation that they need to adapt, and this type of adaptation will actually translate to better performance in real world activities.
There are other great ways to stress the stabilizer muscles enough so that they are forced to adapt. Some more examples that we use in our program include lifting high loads at high velocity and catching falling loads. As these workouts train all the muscles to absorb force and stabilize the body, they are also creating adaptations towards greater power, speed, and endurance. Since the body needs to use these traits together in real world activities, doesn't it make sense to use them together in training?
If you want to try out these methods, please take advantage of our offer to come in for a free training session so that you can experience for yourself the most advanced system of training in sports today.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
ARPwave at the Super Bowl
One of the biggest news stories leading up to the Super Bowl was the focus on whether Dwight Freeney, star defensive end of the Indianapolis Colts, would play in the game. And it was a legitimate question. After all, he had torn a ligament in his ankle while playing in the AFC Championship Game just two weeks before. The protocol for his injury using standard therapy called for an 8-10 week recovery, and his doctors told him (and the media) that he would not play.
Well, that was not good enough for Dwight. With the same determination that made him one of the most feared pass rushers in the game of football, he set out to heal his ankle in time to play in the Super Bowl. He had seen success with ARPwave in the past, and decided to use it in his attempt to pull off a dramatic recovery.
Here is the story of Dwight's recovery process:
On Monday the 25th, the ankle had swollen to almost double its size. It was more than 22 inches in diameter, while the opposite ankle measured 11 and ¾ inches. An MRI was done on the ankle, and it confirmed a grade 3 ankle sprain. That means torn ligaments, and the prognosis that he would not play.
Following the diagnosis, Dwight and the Colts brought in a member of the ARPwave team to begin administering treatments. On Wednesday the 27th, ARP treatments brought the ankle swelling down to 18 inches; on Thursday it was down to 14 inches.
On Friday the 29th, Dwight traveled to Miami to continue the ARP Rehabilitation/Strength treatment program. All major sports stations were reporting that it was very doubtful Dwight Freeney would play in the Super Bowl. Dwight also continued to sleep with the ARP machine on at night, and kept doing several treatments per day.
On Tuesday the 2nd, Dwight's "team" worked on his ankle for another half day, using three ARP machines for some treatments. Dwight was then taken to the beach where he walked without demonstrating any compensation pattern(s) and he was able to hop on the beach without pain. Meanwhile, Dwight was still the top story on the news channels and most believed he would not play. Dwight was still sleeping with the ARP machine.
On Wednesday the 3rd, Dwight's ankle measured a normal 11 and ¾ inches and he was able to hold his bodyweight on the injured ankle for seven minutes without pain. His "bad" ankle was now stronger than his good ankle. At this point, Dwight wanted to test his ankle using cleats. Dwight went to the Miami Dolphin's training field to test the injured ankle.
Dwight ran five 10 yard sprints at half-speed exhibiting no compensation pattern(s). Then, he ran faster and he still exhibited no compensation pattern(s) or pain. This testing was performed on artificial turf. Next we wanted to test the "Freeney Spin" and his quickness. Once he successfully completed is famous spin move without pain, he knew he would be ready to go on Sunday.
ESPN, FOX, NBC, and the NFL channels were ALL reporting he was doubtful and/or if he did play, he would need an injection and only be available for third down situations. After Dwight's testing, we all knew differently.
On Thursday the 4th, he wanted to test his ankle out on grass. This test was filmed by the Colts to prove to the team doctor and the head coach what our team already knew: Dwight Freeney was ready to play in the Super Bowl!
The next test was to see how well Dwight could run. Dwight was "loosened" using an ARP machine to prepare to run. He did the "Bag Drill" and landed on the injured ankle with full force. Dwight chose "Bull Rushing" as his final test, and he felt no pain nor did he demonstrate any compensation pattern(s). Thus, the rehabilitation/strength program was a huge success, and he was ready!
On Saturday the 6th, the rehabilitation/strength team had limited time to work with him due to practice and other commitments but the team knew he was ready to play in the Super Bowl.
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY… the 7th. The Colts prepared a special treatment room for the ARP Rehabilitation/Strength team. Dwight was taped and went out onto the field for his final test. He passed, and went out to play in the game. He had a sack of the quarterback in the first quarter and his Bull Rush had never looked faster or stronger. As an aside, Dwight did not need an injection to play!
Well, that was not good enough for Dwight. With the same determination that made him one of the most feared pass rushers in the game of football, he set out to heal his ankle in time to play in the Super Bowl. He had seen success with ARPwave in the past, and decided to use it in his attempt to pull off a dramatic recovery.
Here is the story of Dwight's recovery process:
On Monday the 25th, the ankle had swollen to almost double its size. It was more than 22 inches in diameter, while the opposite ankle measured 11 and ¾ inches. An MRI was done on the ankle, and it confirmed a grade 3 ankle sprain. That means torn ligaments, and the prognosis that he would not play.
Following the diagnosis, Dwight and the Colts brought in a member of the ARPwave team to begin administering treatments. On Wednesday the 27th, ARP treatments brought the ankle swelling down to 18 inches; on Thursday it was down to 14 inches.
On Friday the 29th, Dwight traveled to Miami to continue the ARP Rehabilitation/Strength treatment program. All major sports stations were reporting that it was very doubtful Dwight Freeney would play in the Super Bowl. Dwight also continued to sleep with the ARP machine on at night, and kept doing several treatments per day.
On Tuesday the 2nd, Dwight's "team" worked on his ankle for another half day, using three ARP machines for some treatments. Dwight was then taken to the beach where he walked without demonstrating any compensation pattern(s) and he was able to hop on the beach without pain. Meanwhile, Dwight was still the top story on the news channels and most believed he would not play. Dwight was still sleeping with the ARP machine.
On Wednesday the 3rd, Dwight's ankle measured a normal 11 and ¾ inches and he was able to hold his bodyweight on the injured ankle for seven minutes without pain. His "bad" ankle was now stronger than his good ankle. At this point, Dwight wanted to test his ankle using cleats. Dwight went to the Miami Dolphin's training field to test the injured ankle.
Dwight ran five 10 yard sprints at half-speed exhibiting no compensation pattern(s). Then, he ran faster and he still exhibited no compensation pattern(s) or pain. This testing was performed on artificial turf. Next we wanted to test the "Freeney Spin" and his quickness. Once he successfully completed is famous spin move without pain, he knew he would be ready to go on Sunday.
ESPN, FOX, NBC, and the NFL channels were ALL reporting he was doubtful and/or if he did play, he would need an injection and only be available for third down situations. After Dwight's testing, we all knew differently.
On Thursday the 4th, he wanted to test his ankle out on grass. This test was filmed by the Colts to prove to the team doctor and the head coach what our team already knew: Dwight Freeney was ready to play in the Super Bowl!
The next test was to see how well Dwight could run. Dwight was "loosened" using an ARP machine to prepare to run. He did the "Bag Drill" and landed on the injured ankle with full force. Dwight chose "Bull Rushing" as his final test, and he felt no pain nor did he demonstrate any compensation pattern(s). Thus, the rehabilitation/strength program was a huge success, and he was ready!
On Saturday the 6th, the rehabilitation/strength team had limited time to work with him due to practice and other commitments but the team knew he was ready to play in the Super Bowl.
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY… the 7th. The Colts prepared a special treatment room for the ARP Rehabilitation/Strength team. Dwight was taped and went out onto the field for his final test. He passed, and went out to play in the game. He had a sack of the quarterback in the first quarter and his Bull Rush had never looked faster or stronger. As an aside, Dwight did not need an injection to play!
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