Do don’t you just love all of that “great” advice slung around by people who are clearly NOT experts about something?  You know the type.  They TiVo shows featuring Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, The Doctors, Dr. This, Dr. That, and Dr. The Other.  Mind you, they don’t follow most or any of the advice on Dr. Whoever’s show, but they’re happy to share it, or, worse, some bastardized version of it, with you.  Again, don’t you just love that?  Me either.  Let’s chat.  (P.S.  My name is Dr. Morgan, no T.V. show, you can call me Heather, I don’t profess to be an expert at anything, and I’m happy to say “I don’t know” or “This is just my educated/experienced opinion” when warranted because I SO don’t know it all, or even a fraction of it.)  Moving on…

I love this guy–he’s great!  But, at some point, it’s time to walk away from the TV and apply the info!

One benefit to my job is that people ask me “What do you think about [x-health topic, food, exercise, etc.]?” questions, which helps me know what’s in the collective health-minded-or-at-least-contemplative conscious at any given time.  Likewise, I get to hear what lay people (by that I mean folks who are not professionals in any branch of health care) are telling each other.  With authority, no less.  This is also helpful because it helps me know that kind of information is being shared.  It’s not all bad, as my tone up to this point might imply, but some of it just makes me cringe.  So here are some little gems I’ve been “hearing around” that I feel the need to clear up.  I honestly could make a series of this, but for now let’s just hit what’s irking me most at the moment.

Just for grins, after you read each quoted lead off statement, please insert an immediate mental game show buzzer noise indicating that the statement is incorrect.

1.       “All machine exercises and single-joint exercises (aka. “isolations”) are bad.” I’m starting here because I feel like this one is largely my fault, at least within my own circle of influence.  Now, I’m decidedly MUCH more pro compound movements and movement patterns overall that utilize the entire body as one functional unit versus a pile of independent parts.  Your parts are completely interdependent, and this is the best way to train the majority of the time for reasons including, but not limited to, promotion of the following: energy expenditure/”calorie burn”; dynamic flexibility; true strength (ever know someone who could crank out heavy reps in a chest press machine but not do a single proper pushup?); injury prevention; fun-factor; time-efficiency.  But I don’t like absolutes so, no, not all isolations are “bad” or always unwarranted.  They can certainly be an integral part of rehabilitation, but also they can be a very helpful part of a program that is very physique change-driven for a certain body part focus, namely building that part.  It’s also a great way to pre-fatigue certain muscle groups in an effort to increase participation of a target muscle group in a compound lift to follow, OR post-fatigue after if the isolated group is the target.  In fact, I do gym lift programs for folks all of the time that include single-joint movements, but they are a small part of those programs overall.  But that might be more a function of the fact that I’m generally working with folks who want to be better overall, and who are not entering a bodybuilding contest any time soon.  Regarding machines, I don’t love them at all, but if I have someone who is super deconditioned and uncoordinated, some gym machines can be helpful in building enough strength in them to the segue into relying more and more on the trainee’s abilities during “freer”, more closed chain movements.  I have to finish with the statement that some isolations, no matter what, are indeed “bad” in that they promote injury, making them inferior to, say, another isolation that will get the job done without negative incident.  Example: Preacher curls—not a good position for the shoulders, stressful to the elbows, and many injure themselves just getting set into start position for the lift.

You get only one of these to live in, and it’s a marvelous work and a wonder.  Use the whole thing!

2.       “You shouldn’t exercise so much.  You’ll wear yourself out.” This one absolutely, positively kills me.  And, honestly, that line of thinking is killing the believer.  Ever notice that the folks who utter this sentiment don’t do a whole lot of physical activity?  Ever notice that they are not exactly the paragons of health and wellness themselves?  Ever notice that they are worn out and hurting often from a lack of activity?  Here’s the deal.  The human body was designed to m-o-v-e-move.  Our relative stillness to people living even just a century ago is massive.  “Our physiology has not adapted to technology.”  (Bruce Costello, DC) We are still Neanderthal bodies in a sit on your ass, eat what’s closest and most convenient (and likely packaged) society. (paraphrase of Diane Wakat, PhD Human Nutrition)  It does not match up.  So I don’t care how hard you’re killing it in the gym each day, as long as it’s appropriate for the machine (body) you have to work with, you’re still trying to combat the other bazillion hours of sitting.  Not moving.  Likely in a bad posture.  Not lubricating your joints or enhancing your circulation via muscle contraction and relaxation, not bolstering cell turnover and renewal.  Rusting, in other words.  Do you hear what I’m telling you?  Even though I’m referring to your body as a “machine”, it’s so much more.  It’s a dynamic creation made of tissues that function better when moved and used.  Movement = successful aging.  Mostly intense movement that stresses the body = better adaptation to life stresses of all types in addition to successful aging.  Mostly intense movement that stresses the body done frequently with appropriate rest and recovery intervals for (again) the machine you are working with = [Do I need to even write anything here?]  I’m 100% for working at your appropriate level of intensity and frequency.  But I’m telling you now, most people stop short of any sort of challenge, thus missing out on the benefit of the body rebuilding itself better in response to intervals of intentionally imposed stress.  I implore you to know yourself, and exercise appropriately.   And, honestly, I find that those who routinely contemplate their food choices and regularly workout know their bodies better than those who don’t.

This is what not-moving and improper fueling will do to your body.

3.       “Don’t squat so low/twist like that/lift that heavy/jump around so much/etc.  It’s dangerous.” This is hugely related to #2.  What I’d ask the advice-giver here is “How exactly do you think people hurt themselves when not exercising?”  My answer: Squatting lower than usual, twisting in a way that doesn’t happen much, lifting something more than their body has had to in years, jumping around when it isn’t the norm.  My advice: Train for that.  Of course, you need to ramp up to whatever level you can ultimately achieve with movements such as described.  That’s just good sense.  But pigeon-holing ourselves into limited “fitness” ranges of motion has done bodies everywhere a massive disservice in the injury prevention and overall function department.  Example: If you’re knees weren’t meant to bend all the way until your calves hit the back of your thighs, they wouldn’t.  Some of us, through injury, are not able to use all of our joints through a full range of motion anymore.  That’s where knowing yourself and appropriateness comes in.  Knowing your given machine.  But I say train and use as much range of motion and resistance in all planes of motion that you can safely, for the task (workout) at hand.  Don’t only make yourself strong in a limited range or weight.  You don’t live your life that way, I assure you.  When picking up kids, opening stuck windows, leaning over and twisting to the side to get something, reaching over the front car seat to the back to reach an item or kid, are you asking yourself things like “Wait, did I keep my knee from going over my toes?”  What’s dangerous is not using what you have available to you physically to its fullest extent, whatever that is for you, at any given point in your life.  A wise person once said to me “Life is an athletic event.  Train for it.” (John Downes, DC)  And to those who don’t think women should lift heavy weights, try telling that to the gals pushing to failure, grunting, and high-fiving each other with their hot smokin’ shoulders and arms about their toned thighs and buns.  {I’m doing the “I’m not worthy” bow right now in homage}

Wow.  Someone really needs to tell these old guys how dangerous and unhealthy that squat position is.

4.       “I heard you should eat [x-trendy food of the minute]”. I’m not saying that x-food is bad at all here.  But this sort of thing unleashes the style of eating that’s analogous to workouts containing only isolation/single-joint movement patterns for one muscle group exclusively.  It’s not complete, it’s not how your body works, and it’s often done in hopes that eating this berry that’s high on the ORAC scale, in large quantities, daily, is going to combat a host of ills.  Much like someone would hope that pee-and-sniff-walking the dog and maybe doing a bicep workout once a week is going to combat the damage of sitting slumped at a desk and rusting most of their days.   (Oh wait—the folks who are worried that frequent intense movement won’t be worried about that.  Nevermind.)  Learn about what foods are nutrient dense and emphasize them in your diet, yes.  But stop getting hung up on that one thing that is going to prevent cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, according to the “latest study” or that was highlighted on Dr. So-and-So’s show.   Really, it’s as simple as this: “God got food right, man messed it up”.  (Jodi Jones, BS, CSCS, ACSM H/Fi)  If you can remember that when you’re choosing the next thing with which to fuel the ONLY machine you’ll ever get to live in, you’re probably going to do alright.

5.       “You don’t need to workout/eat healthy/etc. You look great/you’re too skinny/you’re lean enough/etc.” As with #2, ever notice that these sage folks often fill themselves with “food” that makes you wonder if they are under the impression that they are a garbage can versus a human?  Just sayin’.  But anyhow…  Who are they to say what your goal is?  And just because you’re “here” doesn’t mean that there isn’t a better “there” with regard to your health that you have your eye on.  Likewise, even if you’ve reached the pinnacle of perfection in all aspects of health and fitness and physique-shaping, there’s that little issue of maintenance.  You know what got you there, and you want to keep it there versus ever starting from square one again—am I right?  Keep in mind also that people who aren’t interested in focusing on movement and proper nutrition are uncomfortable with those who are.  They may not know it consciously, but it’s a true phenomenon.  Your health-conscious lifestyle shines a spotlight on their unhealthy one.  Sort of like how happy people annoy the heck out of those who are miserable.  Sadly, sometimes it’s those closest to us, those who should be our greatest support and cheerleaders.  But it could also just be the person at the desk next to you at work who tries to find a way to make you feel badly for taking your lunch at the gym versus taking it at the mall.  Don’t let them.  Pull out studies showing how much more productive you likely are because you exercise and eat right if you have to.  But otherwise, keep on keeping on.  Keep your sites on those you’d like to emulate.

I’m hopping off the soapbox for now.  If you have any “great” advice to share, please do.  We’ll laugh, we’ll cry, and maybe we’ll tear it apart.  Who knows.  Most of us who would be inclined to do the tearing apart are too busy moving our bods and fueling them well to so anyhow.  So, anyone who scoffed at #’s 1-4 above up for plyos on the soapbox followed by a stellar post-workout meal of ingredients we can easily spell?   Holla!

Special note: This little rant is dripping with sarcasm, I’ll own that.  If you can get past that, the message is clear.   And logical, really.  Additionally, to those with physical limitations, not only do I hear you, I feel you.  Literally.  I’m one of you.  But hopefully the point was also embedded within my passionate ramblings that what’s “appropriate” is to exercise as intensely and fully with regard to joint range of motion, strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health, as you can safely, at any given moment in time of your life.  It can change, good or bad, even for the relatively unlimited folks.  We should all work within that moment’s ability, strength, flexibility, energy level, coordination—always pushing as is “fit” (double-meaning), thereby pushing us forward.

You know I have been talking about training a lot this week (and I have some good examples coming your way, too) so there’s no need to switch it up now and talk about something else. I think I hear something—wait, I think it’s a dead horse being beaten in the back room. Poor fella.

Ok, all kidding aside, Bertha is back in the gym and we need to hit her up for some more stuff.

I have been focusing on switching up your training and providing your body with some much needed fuel for change (that’s what switching up provides) so that you can either increase your fat burning or move through a plateau. I have already spoken of using confusion or demand and within demand I spoke of tempo. So I have put some stuff out there for you to sort of chew on and I am going to add to it today with functional training.

This is really being addressed to my major “gym-heads” who just can’t seem to walk away from the 3, 4 or 5 day splits.

I love a good split, you love a good split, everyone at some time in their lives has really enjoyed a good split but for the love of all that is holy…DIVORCE THE SPLIT. Ok, I’m sorry…I’m back now. Took a sip of water and walked around a bit. ;o)

Changing up the way you work out between full body and body parts is a great way to add to your training tool box without having to think too hard. Now say you are not ready to fully adopt the full body routine and giving up the split almost gives you hives. How about adding some functional moves between your current split to add a new dimension of caloric burn to your workout? Bodyweight exercises and functional based moves add a level of intensity that is not always present in every weight workout.

Say you are doing a push/pull circuit. Let’s take a vertical push and vertical pull routine. Although you can kill yourself in it, you are not going to burn as many calories as you would if you moved your entire body. BUT, you are not willing to give up your back and shoulder day or your chest and shoulder day and etc. SO, let’s have some fun with those days instead. Take your OH Press/Lat pull down superset and make it a tri-set by adding on a set of burpees. First, you just added a “wind-sucker” to your set so you’ll be sucking wind in no time. Two, you just added another demand to your shoulders so you’ll be feeling that. And three, you’re going to round out the look of the body because functional moves use every muscle, not just this little itty bitty one over here when you move your arm like so.hehe I’m being a wise guy but what I am saying is that functional exercises round out the muscles by hitting them from every direction. You are not frontal plane only or sagittal plane only. You are all 3 planes of motion depending on the move and that’s what we’re really shooting for isn’t it?

Moves such as transverse lunges, burpees, pike push ups, weighted bridges, split jumps, unsupported rows with movement, rotation of any kind and so on can be strategically placed in your workouts to add difficulty, a cardio deficit and variety. Now that boring split isn’t so boring anymore and you are hitting every part of your body without giving up your split or sacrificing too much extra energy. Make sure that the exercises you add do not add much in the way of time. While I want you to experience something new with your workout, I am still a huge advocate of ‘get in and get out’. If you make a 40 min. workout into an hour plus because you added too much stuff in, that’s not cool.

So Bertha has now learned to lift a bit heavier, slow it down a tad and add a functional component into her splits for an added benefit. Soon we’ll be tackling that loose skin on the belly… OH BOY!;o)