The Challenges of Behavior Change

Have you ever wondered why changing health behaviors are so hard? The reasons can be the impact of our environment and culture. Some of us were raised to always “clean” you plate. Perhaps, you were raised in a home of social eaters. Years of engaging in these types of behaviors can lead toward negative reinforcement of breaking these social requirements. Only through making a firm and realistic commitment to change can those taboos be broken.

Thankfully there are methods we can employ to make our desired change a reality. First, research and gather as much information as possible about the new behavior you are are undertaking. If it is to exercise more, consider what kinds of programs fit into your budget, lifestyle, and enjoyment level. Weight the pros and cons. Be honest with yourself. Don’t get caught up in flashy fads. Do what is enjoyable and sustainable for 6 months or more. Remember, it isn’t the speed but the consistency that get you to your goal.

Reward yourself for each successful milestone achieved. It must be something that supports the new behavior. If the goal is weight loss, don’t reward yourself with an overindulgence of sweets.

Set realistic and time-based goals. Achievable goals build on one another to increase mastery experience needed to overcome future hurdles. Setting a specific time to achieve each goal keeps the urgency in the front of our minds.

Finally, have a list of substitute alternatives already established for those moments of challenge. If you know you snack at midnight, establish countermeasures. Perhaps eat more healthy foods at dinner. Maybe get rid of the junk snack foods for healthier alternatives. Replace the ice cream for healthy frozen yogurt.  

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 

The Difference between Health and Fitness

Did you know there is a difference between being healthy and being fit? Being healthy is simply being free of disease. There are many people out there whose physical and mental wellness are without complication, completely healthy but cannot run a 5k or do one power clean. 

Fitness is the ability to complete a task or role. A marathon runner is fit to run 26.2 miles, a powerlifter is fit to lift heavy, and a sprinter is fit to sprint. There are equally as many people who are fit and in poor health. How many of us remember Lance Armstrong and his fight with cancer?

Fitness and Health are not always congruent but they will inevitably affect one another. You can be healthy but unable to dress. You may be fit to teach quantum physics but unable to stand at the podium (i.e. Stephen Hawking). The first thing we must do is establish which is of greater importance to us and get it. Afterward, we can do things that support the other. This is the definition of wellness.

To successfully reach your goal, we must do two things. First, we must define your goal. Second, we must know where you are in relationship to that goal. Together they form a roadmap for you to follow to success. Remember to check your map frequently. Obstacles will arise that alter your course but your map will get you back on track quickly. 

One Cause of a Weight Loss Plateau

Did you know that long-term calorie reduction diets can cause your weight loss to slow down? This is a side effect of a process referred to as adaptive thermogenesis. The body is designed to resist extreme changes. The body reduces its caloric expenditure as weight is lost. This is a safeguard to prevent starvation. Periodic increases in calories will help maintain fat loss and preserve lean muscle.

Adaptive thermogenesis is impacted by environment, diet, and exercise activity. The best way to manage adaptive thermogenesis is to keep a record of your food intake. Food journaling is the fastest way to understand how your calorie distribution is affecting your weight loss goals.

Matching calorie intake and expenditure, along with proper caloric distribution, helps maintain energy levels and lean muscle mass. Additionally, it improves a sense of well-being, enhanced athletic performance, and activities of daily living.

SQUATS vs. DEAD-LIFTS pt.2

continued from Squats vs. Dead-lifts pt.1

Part 2

The Deadlift

The deadlift is also a complex joint movement with a few variations. Typically, the deadlift is performed with the hands between the legs and feet wide (Sumo Deadlift), or with the feet about hip width apart and hands outside of the legs (conventional deadlift and snatch deadlift). The major muscles incorporated in the deadlift are the glutes (the main muscles doing the work). The hamstrings and gastrocnemius are the dynamic stabilizers, while the muscles that help perform the movement are the quadriceps, adductor magnus (deep inner thigh), and soleus (deep inside calves). Deadlifts are beneficial to increasing dynamic movement capability, increasing metabolic response to exercise, and increasing lean muscle mass.

Now, I want to draw special attention to the next part. The basic number of muscles preventing unwanted body movement also known as stabilizers. The major stabilizers incorporated in the deadlift are erector spinae (low back), middle and upper trapezius (middle/upper back), rhomboids (upper back between shoulder blades) and the levator scapulae (muscle of the neck that helps stabilize the shoulder blades). These muscles work to maintain proper spinal alignment while preventing the shoulders from rolling forward due to the load.

So, I threw out a few big names out there. Arguably, the point is that the deadlift requires more muscles to properly perform the exercise compared to the squat. The incorporation of more muscle translates into greater energy demands and higher metabolic impact helping to increase development of full body lean muscle mass.

Like the squat, the deadlift is a comprehensive compound movement. Unlike the squat, the deadlift has a comparatively lower impact on joints and does not have to be performed through the entire range of motion to be effective. The deadlift allows individuals with some types of knee pain to get full body results without the extreme impact on the joints. In my opinion, the deadlift should be taught from the top down. This enables the client/athlete the ability to learn the key movement distinguishing the deadlift and squat which is the hip hinge. Properly learning the hip hinge requires activation of the backside of the body. Granted, there are still some people that are not able to perform the deadlift due to certain injuries etc. That said, there are many who can deadlift with proper technique, even as a beginner, using the “top-down” method.

One major benefit of the deadlift is the difference between sumo and conventional deadlift. The sumo deadlift (with hands inside the knees) is appropriate for beginners and individuals that are unable to establish a “neutral spine”. The change in hand position enables most people to instinctively obtain a neutral spine much easier. This method can be coupled with a change in lifting range of motion to relearn the movement pattern.

Now, here is the elephant in the room that some of you may have noticed. The deadlift and the squat have a large difference other than glutes and quads. The deadlift is a complex pulling movement. We are applying force above the load. This has a very different impact on the way the body handles the load compared to the squat. The squat is considered a pushing movement since the force is being applied beneath the load (regardless of the technique). What this means is although the deadlift incorporates a greater number of muscles it is best paired with the squat to help develop an effective and highly beneficial training program.

Conclusion

The squat and the deadlift are highly effective coupled together or individually. The best answer to which is the better exercise is simply this; which one has the greatest impact on your goal? If you like to run, play hockey, football, or volleyball then squats may have a greater benefit. If you are a competitive swimmer, gymnast, or you do anything that requires explosive hip movement, the deadlift may be a better fit.  If you exercise to remain healthy and maintain a high quality of life, then use them both. Know your goal and then keep the goal the goal. Choose exercises based on what you can do, not on what you think the exercise can do for you.

Stay healthy everyone,

Reuben

SQUAT vs. DEAD-LIFT pt.1

Hello everyone,

This post may be a little longer than the others so I decided to make this a two-part post. Usually, I am discussing the importance of proper nutrition. Today, I am going to touch on weight training and how certain exercises contribute to your overall health.  I am going to compare two excellent exercises. The squat and the deadlift. Each exercise delivers a potent combination of strength, mobility, and stability. Let’s see which one has the biggest bang for your buck per se. The answer may surprise you.

PART 1

The Squat

The squat is a complex movement with many variations. The well-known back and front squats, goblet squats, Bulgarian split squats, hack squat, single leg squat, sissy squat, snatch/overhead squat, jump squat, stability ball wall squat, isometric squat, lateral squat, drop squat, etc. The list is pretty long. The common thread between them is each dominates the quadriceps (muscles in the front of the thigh which act as main movers), the glutes, inner thigh (adductor magnus), and the soleus (part of the calves) help the quadriceps drive the movement. The spinal erectors (mostly low back area), the abdominals and oblique’s,  stabilize the core. The hamstrings (back of thigh) and gastrocnemius (large calve muscles we can see) help stabilize the load throughout the entire range of motion. The squat also impacts the shoulders and mid-back to a lesser degree. A major benefit of squatting is the impact it has on knee stabilization and force generation.

 Research suggests that squatting improves more than low body strength development. Squats can help to improve low body movement function, balance, posture, increase bone density, increased energy levels, and improve resistance to diseases like type 2 diabetes.  However, the internet is full of conflicting information regarding the depth of squatting. I am not going to argue that point now, albeit I will address the commonality. The range of motion. Most research supports performing exercises through the full dynamic range of joint motion. The purpose is to develop coordination of muscle pairs working with each other as well as the simultaneous development of all muscle fibers located within the individual muscles.

Full squats help train the body to accept load (body weight or otherwise) by resisting gravitational force, stabilizing the load through all joint angles and muscle fiber lengths, and application of force to redirect its momentum through the range of motion. There is a definite increase of stress placed on the joints depending on the joint angle. This is one reason the squat is such a beneficial exercise to many but everyone may not be ready for the squat. Some people are natural squatters, others are not. I will address how to determine your squatting ability and the factors we look for at Page Fitness another time.

Since the benefit of the squat is closely connected with a joint range of motion. It may not be suitable for people with certain types of knee and hip injuries. Enter the infamous “Oompa Squat” (as my college professor called the act of loading the bar super heavy and slightly bending the knees before standing back up, like the Oompa Loompa’s in Willy Wonka). Squatting in this manner has little impact on your overall ability to squat. Thoughtfully, it probably does more to reinforce poor mechanics than anything else. The squat is performed best with a load that can be controlled through the full range of joint motion. The rule of thumb that says “squat more to improve squats” does not apply here. It is much safer to find and fix the reason you cannot squat properly. Once the problem is corrected, then go for it.

continued on Squat vs. Dead-lift pt.2

Consistency in Dieting

Did you know that most people make dieting much harder than needed? Starting out with a nutrition plan needs to be pretty simple. Doing too much at once makes the job much tougher. The best way to begin changing the way we eat is to stop looking at food as being either good or bad. Instead, look at food as bringing you toward your goal or away from it. Start eating more of what brings you to your objective, but don't get down on yourself if you eat something less beneficial.
Realistically, the main focus should be to become consistent. Practice making better and better choices. The more we practice, the more we become consistent.

Finally, a key to  making your diet goals a reality is to keep the goal the goal. If you want to loose "X" pounds then keep that the focus. You may have setbacks and slow weeks but keep at it. Remain focused on that goal. Be happy with all the little victories that get you to that goal. Several small goals become a large goal through consistency. Consistency gets you into that healthy body.

What is the best diet?

If you are like most people, you have asked this question at least once in your life. “What is the best diet?” Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Omnivore, Atkins, South-beach, “X”- hour diet, the Blood-type diet (maybe this one was created by Dracula?), the Cabbage-soup diet, etc. There are so many different types of diets out there. So, the short answer to the question is...yes.

Josh Hills, one of my favorite authors, once said that all diets that restrict calories will cause weight loss. Any diet with food quality as the focus will favor the loss of body fat. That is the basic “eat less than you burn” rule. Remember, all diets fall into one or more categories; calorie restricted, quality focused (you can only eat “x’ types of foods), or timing based. I am not going to talk about timing today since it is not as pertinent for the average person.

Calories consumed equals scale weight. The quality of food consumed equals body fat percentage. It is that simple to follow. If you want to reduce or increase your overall weight, then eat less or more food. If you want to look good naked, eat better quality food.

The type of diet is not the problem, there are many. The problem for most people is adherence. Maintaining a super strict diet for life will be difficult to near impossible. The human body cannot maintain super-hard workouts every day, and that includes dieting. Your diet needs to be a progressive program with a definitive objective and pre-planned periods of rest. Your nutrition plan should include recovery or “free meals” that help promote adherence. That said, the free meal does not have to be a Big Mac and large fries, but so what if it is. The purpose is to give you some mental relief. This is a good  idea for the average person.

The best diet plan is one that fits seamlessly into your daily routine. It is minimally evasive and relatively easy to follow. The ultimate focus is to become consistent. Consistency gets us to our nutrition goals.