Considerations for the high intensity mover!

Are you meeting your bodies basic needs?

Everything we do requires energy, we are needy, judgemental, expressive energy beings and it looks to me thats why people have taken to HI (high intensity) training and extreme sports. In order to gain an adequate amount of stimulus, most removed animals have to consciously impose themselves to a stressor. As the majority of job descriptions do not require a pre-req of any physical capabilities, gymnasiums, bootcamps and cross fit gyms have been designed to let us humans express our shadowed potentials.

Heavy rock art= neurally demanding
Crossfit= Glycolytic-ly demanding

Although this may be a common trait amongst us, if you where to look around and observe animals in their natural habitat, very rarely would you see unnecessary, energy demanding actions that weren't associated with a hunt, gather, steady migration or friendly play. Human beings on the other hand, whilst we participate on average 10 hours per day (sitting/tv) getting to know ourselves less and less and are way out of sync with our natural rhymes (sleep/wake)...all the time we are demanding energy from one system or the other.
I think its fare to say, many have lost the ability to cater for such stressors, whether physical, psychological, environmental and or nutritional, the additional exposure to high intensity exercise is undoubtedly contributing to this catabolic race we see today.


But hey, I'm not here to say stop moving, I would just like to share a few ideas and questions that need to be addressed in order to optimise your fundamentally-foundational-basic human functions, especially if long term vitality is your goal.


Are you sleeping? Lets hope your in rhythm and committing to 8-10 hours of restoring kip. Whether your an office dweller by day and a crossfitter by night or wanna be triathlete and or a full time mum, sleep is fundamentally a priority for all psychological and physiological functions, if you miss sleep, you'll likely be missing the point of exercise to.  

Are you warm? Whilst you could kid yourself into thinking your warm, by being surrounded by the dry atmosphere of central heating, that won't change how your inner glands regulate their own thermoregulator long term. Checking body temperature on a regular basis and especially prior to exercise, will offer you valuable feedback on what hormonal state your in, if your cold (<36.0) your likely getting to know your glucocorticoids a little to well and can be a sign that your already somewhat catabolic.

Are you align? The workout of the day that you aim to participate in, may not support your current physical make-up. If your scapula's are winging (unstable) and pec minors getting the better of you and your about to attempt overhead squats and butterfly pull ups against the clock, you might expect the already compensated posture to do a little more compensating.

In order to be a strong 'puller', you must teach your 
body (nervous system) to recruit from the strong places
i.e. set the foundation

Hows your wee's and poops looking? Digestion-metabolisation-assimilation and elimination are simply basic physiological functions. Over exposure to stress of any kind will create dysfunction and inhibit this process. Remember; elimination requires energy (heat), in order to keep 'moving'.

How's your partner acting? The burden of a depressing relationship, arguments, no support etc.. all caused by boredom = energy zapping, low sex drive, emotionally exhausting and estrogenic environments not designed to support high intensity exercise.

What are your priorities? Short term appearance or long term metabolic health? It would be wise to consider that all of your 'senses' (eye sight, hearing, touch sensitivity and scent) are highly energy demanding, so if your struggling to see without two magnifying glasses, ask yourself whats more important, the extra ego boosting appraisal or being able to recognise yourself in the morning..?

Hows your breath? Inverted breathing patterns are all to common, nose and belly breathing at rest and during rest periods should be emphasised. Functioning patterns of respiration are vitally essential to prioritise and without it..you won't last long.

Can you afford the stress? You work it out (or should I say IN). I would say that if you can carry out all of your basic human necessities with ease and down regulate as much external influences that promote a less than restorative state…then enjoy… the burn!

Do you know how to recover? I would also consider can you 'move well'? But for sure, all exercise really is in a simplistic sense, is a stimulus. To promote a beneficial anabolic response post exercise, you must understand the types, amounts and frequencies of foods that support your metabolic individuality.


Be wise

Beatle.


http://geeohphotography.blogspot.co.uk

How to Find and wear, your god given corset...!

Now that's a popular word.. 'the core', flared around in the fitness industry from one trainer to the next, named at the centre of most physical deficiencies and likely a fall back option for when a practitioner can't quite figure out why your unable to perform overhead swiss ball squats... :/

When you consider talking about the core or are considering aiming to strengthen it because someone said it would be a good idea... an appreciation of its origin, function, integration with vital bodily systems and how external stressors will inhibit your ability to establish a solid foundation, is the ideal.

There is clearly an information gap between what is known by anatomists and elite rehabilitation specialists and what is known by the exercise profession at large. Training the abdominal wall from a flat surface forward in the supine position (sit ups, crunches)  has little, if any carryover to function be it lifting at home or your workplace or stabilisation during most sporting situations..(though it may assist getting out of bed.. right?). Modern researchers have provided knowledge of two major stabiliser systems the 'inner and outer units'. T

he inner unit being comprised of predominately;

A small section to the inner
workings of the "core"

The trunk Diaphragm; The bodies chief biological pump, controlling the movement of blood and lymph, a respirator and regulates the "core" musculature throughout. Multifidis; Deep longitudinal stabilisers that run the length of the spine from the pelvis (PSIS), through to the spinous process at the neck (C2/3). The Pelvic floor; is key to prevent your organs from dropping through (visceroptosis).. and aids in creating intraabdominal pressure and stiffness at the pelvic girdle when required. Now the Transverse abdominus; is tooted by Vleeming and Janda as being the key player in creating activation and stiffness of the entire spinal/sacrall segments, drawing in of the belly button has shown to recruit the TVA and promote "hoop tension" throughout the thoracolumber fascia (Thoracic and lumber spine region, anterior to posterior) creating spinal stability. (+internal obliques)

Now the last comment I just made is highly disputed amongst the book head intellects and actual hands on practitioners, Mel siff has a great wealth of knowledege in the strength arena and his two sense is worth a consideration. But from my practice, the less initiation towards the spine an individual has at and around the umbilicus prior to movement above walking intensity.. the higher degree of 'heart bottom syndrome', compensated posture, symptoms of "ITB and lower back" pain and evidently faulty recruitment patterns.    

Now you may be wandering what the outer unit consist of ?..you probably weren't, but I'm gunna tell you any how. The areas most commonly associated are the "six pack" rectus abdominus, external obliques and some may even throw in the highly influential erector spinae and quadratus lumborum and they wouldn't be wrong..but far from correct.  In fact any muscle-ligament-tendon and therefore organ, that attaches to or crosses the pelvis is and should be regarded as a product of "the core".

Any system that integrates from mouth to anus needs to be considered when looking to integrate and or isolate certain areas of the chain. Therefore it would be wise to not neglect what you put in your mouth, if whole body structural stability and spinal support is your goal..!    

As i mentioned above, both 'units' must work together to create a stable-injury proof body, for example; The thoraco-lumbar facia mechanism is dependant upon synergistic recruitment of the gluteus maximus (your bum), internal oblique, transverse abdominus (belly button IN), erector spinae and latissimus dorsi. When properly activated, the mechanism creates an extension force on the lumbar spine and is directly related to the intra-abdominal pressure and the hydraulic amplifier mechanism i.e. Integration of both units, creates stabilisation!

Now my aim was to talk about helping you find one's core, not confuse it with a library of philosophies. 

I'll start with a few points that need to be chewed before you can begin to digest...

Every animal in nature requires integration
of all bodily systems in order to survive and
more importantly..thrive!

As i've mentioned, the organs of digestion-metabolisation-assimilation and elimination, all have a key role in function of the "core". I've worked with a handful of clients that have presented inactive trunk and pelvic stabilisers upon assessment. The common approach is to prescribe low level corrective exercises and foundational breathing techniques (along with lifestyle adjustment), in-order to reestablish primary inner unit recruitment during movement. But this doesn't always flow so nicely. Once you look at human anatomy-physiology from the inside-out, you begin to to appreciate that all relating muscles that share a neurological pathway with an organ, are slaves to that organ.

To simplify, when a organ is in pain, the brain cannot differentiate between the hurt organ or its related muscle tissues, it only knows which segment of the spine the pain came from. Therefore the central nervous system will act accordingly by inhibiting that segment of the spine to act like its in pain..i.e. turn off. This is commonly seen when individuals (52% of the UK) over burden their small intestines and relating sigmoid colons, of which share the same reflex pathways as most peoples inner unit complex, as well as the gluteals and hip flexor/extensors. Causing an all to common sight of poor recruitment patterns, zero muscle tone around the abdomen and bum, often leading to compensatory issues at the knees and feet and poor association of spacial awareness!

Right, I really could chat about this all day, so here are a few things you can begin to implement..if you wish:

BREATH...

Yep a basic one right..well seen as most individuals have an inverted pattern of respiration (I was one of them), I think its wise to start with the very process that is so often over looked when assessing an individuals "core" and its fundamental role in nervous system regulation, hormonal secretion, optimal O2: CO2 balance and cranial structure...to name a small few.

A cool and easy one I learnt from JP Sears to get the foundation started:

• Meditation whilst walking: By disconnecting from societies congested aroma, when your next in a place that offers piece to your pituitary, try inhaling for 4 steps, hold your breath naturally for 1-2 steps and exhale for 4 steps.                                                         Try adjusting to suite your rhythm. This helps most begin to grasp the idea of 'loosing their mind, and coming to their senses' i.e. being more sensitive to their physical bodily needs and not being over ruled by their rational mind. Breathing through the nose is most natural and beneficial (watch a baby), mouth breathing is merely an adaptation for survival, always look to keep the tongue to the roof of the mouth and breath deep.. do this and your IQ is bound to jump up by 30 points, honest!   

• Lying TVA: As suggested lay on your back, knees bent so that your feet are a few inches from your glutes (bum), head rested, palms facing upwards. On inhalation through the nose look to expand your belly (2/3), followed by your chest (last 1/3). As you gently exhale aim to flatten your lower back to the ground by drawing your belly button IN, reducing your natural curve. Hold for 5 seconds initially, as you come out continue the pattern of breathing. You can place your fingers beneath your lower back looking to maintain pressure on them when you draw in. To progress; Bring foot off the ground or move feet further away from ya backside.

Foundationally essential movement, hinging from
the hip and working-in to find balance

• The Founder: A static movement that requires integration of the WHOLE core (mouth to anus-internal+external tissues). 

Once isolation-activation has been achieved, then integration is very necassary in order to promote function. But we cannot forget that Improvisation is a vital aspect in helping promote higher levels of adaption as well as human self expression.    

You correct the breathing-You fix the posture-You find the core- Now go play..!  

Be wise.

Beatle.  


Francis Pottenger- SVD
The Janda Approach
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3187684/
Gee Photography (Blogger)