Make Your Body Your Machine : Cross training

Cross Training Element #4 Functional Range of Motion

Fraser — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:37:00 GMT

This type of activity should be done on its own or coupled with the other elements on almost every training day. As a rule the vast majority of North Americans have very poor functional range of motion (F-ROM). This restricts their ability to perform other activities in sport or in life.

Daily stretching or participation in yoga or pilates are excellent ways to train and improve F-ROM. There are variations in the challenges posed by the postures used in each discipline. The most well rounded and optimal training program for functional range of motion will integrate each discipline. If this training is being coupled with other elements it should be done last. Research has shown that stretching prior to other types of activities does little to prevent injury, causes less of a long term ROM adaptation and can even decrease performance. It is maximized when it is done on its own or after the other types of activities. Dynamic stretching can be used prior to other types of training once the body is warm.

It is evident that “Cross Training” can be so much more than simply combining the training modes of strength, cardio, flexibility and sport. Taking the time and energy to address the details of these specific elements will enable you to achieve peak general functional fitness and bring your training to an entirely new level while preventing injuries and invigorating your training routine.

Cross Training- Do it right!
Benefits of Cross Training Approach
Cross Training Element #1 Cardiovascular
Cross Training Element #2 Functional Strength and Power
Cross Training Element #3-Sport/Activity

Cross Training Element # 3- Sport/Activity

Fraser — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Adding sport to your training program is an extremely valuable concept that will help draw together the training you have done in the other areas and integrate them to increase your overall athleticism. Every sport has differently weighted athletic elements. Soccer is endurance based but also demands explosive power and multi-directional movement skills. Basketball is similar but has a much higher strength element and rugby even higher. Racquet sports demand great hand eye coordination and lateral quickness. Use sports with different athletic demands to build your functional abilities and motor skills that will integrate and support your other training. This will help to bring you to the highest level of fitness.

All sport with no supplemental training

Every sport and exercise has repeated movement patterns and every one of them can cause overuse injuries. If other modes of exercise are not used to counteract the stress involved in the primary activity, some type of overuse injury is almost inevitable. “Tennis elbow”, “shin splints”, “swimmer’s shoulder” and “jumper’s knee” are all classic examples of common overuse injuries that are mostly avoidable if proper stretching and complimentary exercises or training modes are used. Limiting ourselves to one type of activity or exercise will develop imbalances both systemically and muscularly that leave people injury prone and with fitness that is limited to a specific setting. Ensuring to use the other training methods will increase joint stability, build the base fitness, strength and mobility that is necessary for most sport, and prevent muscle imbalances and systemic limitations.

Cross Training Element #2 Functional Strength and Power

Fraser — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:33:00 GMT

All strength with no cardio and functional ROM

The results of this type of program can be seen in fitness facilities the all over the world. It is personified by the very muscular person in the weight room who clearly lacks the cardiovascular ability to run to the water fountain. When they do arrive there it seems as they barely have the range of motion to turn it on and drink at the same time! This appalling lack of cardiovascular ability and ROM simply cannot help them on the sports field in all but the most immobile of pass times. “Well my muscles are too big for me to be flexible.” Not so. Being muscle bound is a choice. You need only look as far as the NFL to find some extremely strong and muscular athletes with tremendous conditioning and movement abilities. They worked for them by incorporating the other training elements!

Inappropriate and unbalanced exercise selection
There is a common condition that is evident in most gyms across North America. Mirror-itis is very serious and generally strikes young men between the age of 18 and 40. Its symptoms include well developed musculature of the chest arms and abdominals but underdeveloped musculature of the legs and back coupled with poor cardiovascular ability. It is caused by training only the muscles that can be seen in the mirror.
Following some basic guidelines will ensure that you can avoid “mirror-itis” and other muscle imbalances.
1/ Make sure that in every week training cycle you use at least one exercise that targets every area.
2/ Use as many exercises as possible that are compound movements and not “isolation” exercises.
3/ Do not forget about important joint stabilization muscles such as the rotator cuff and hip stabilizers.

Program Variation
As you go through your workout day to day, it is very easy to slip into a rut. In many cases people will go months and even years without adapting their program. Research has shown that the body begins to accommodate any strength training plan within 3 to 4 weeks! After this point the adaptations will decrease if the program is not varied in some way. We obviously need to add a little spice to change things up… but how?

1/ Vary Exercises:
The most obvious way to re-vitalize a program is to use different exercises. Be careful to keep the program balanced. Adding different movements will require your body to use new motor patterns and muscle firing sequences. This will re-stress the muscles in slightly different ways and keep them in an adaptation state.

2/ Vary Rep Ranges:
Each rep range will stress the muscular system a different way. Using rep ranges in 3 week cycles will help to vary the program and cause the most complete functional development.

Power 1 to 3 reps
Muscular Strength 4 to 7 reps
Strength / Endurance 8 to 12 reps
Muscular Endurance 12 to 20 reps

Note: Be certain that you have spent some time building a muscular endurance or strength endurance base before moving on to strength or power work.

3/ Vary Speed of Motion:
The slower the speed of muscle contraction, the more the training emphasis is on pure muscular strength. As contraction speed increases the emphasis shifts toward the development of power. Make sure to work at slow speeds first to learn proper technique and build the necessary strength base. Once this is complete you can add faster movements that emphasize power. If you have targeted power for a training phase, it is an excellent time to introduce some Olympic lifting movements like the power clean or the clean and press.
The exercise speed is a great way to keep a strength routine fresh and ensure the most complete functional development of the muscular system.
Note: Make sure to get proper instruction on these movements before attempting them in your program

4/ Others:
There are several other ways of creating variation in the strength training by changing set arrangements or by manipulating rest intervals. Either of these will also help to stimulate adaptation of the muscular system.

To maximize the cross training effect of a strength training program there are many variables to consider. Use a balanced program that integrates a variety of exercises. Incorporate different movement speeds as well as target the various elements such as strength, endurance and power training. Most importantly, use a systematic approach of incorporating these elements to maximize the training effect in the quest for peak general functional fitness. To be continued....

Cross Training- Do it right!
Benefits of Cross Training Approach
Cross Training Element #1 Cardiovascular
Cross Training Element #3-Sport/Activity
Cross Training Element #4 Functional Range of Motion

Cross Training Element #1 Cardiovascular

Fitness Anywhere — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:16:00 GMT

All cardio & little to no strength:

“I don’t want to get too big or bulky” is a statement that is common with many female participants. This statement is made on the unfounded fear that setting foot in the weight room must certainly lead to the overnight development of bulging muscles and a loss of femininity. For most people it requires a near Herculean effort to gain muscle mass. In short, a “muscular explosion” is simply not naturally possible without really trying for it. The fact is that appropriate strength training will speed exercisers along the road to a beautifully feminine and athletic physique. The costs of avoiding strength training all together include poor muscle tone, increased % body fat, a weak muscular system and an increase in risk of injuries.

Cardiovascular training is always done at the same intensity:

Always training at the same intensity is a very common mistake. Time and intensity define what the end result of any exercise is. The important things here are:

Each intensity has different benefits associated to it
Some training intensities are much more effective than others.

For the best overall cardiovascular development, equal time should be spent trying to train at every intensity. This ensures the most complete development.

In cardiovascular training we can simplify things into 3 basic categories:

Aerobic Efficiency Training (AE): Performed at a VERY easy intensity and held steadily for a minimum of 45 min. This type of workout has 3 main benefits:
1. Release fuel faster (caused by an increased efficiency of enzymatic response releasing free fatty acids into the blood stream)
2. Deliver fuel and oxygen to the working muscles faster (caused by an increase in the number of capillaries that bring oxygen and fuel rich blood to the muscles)
3. Convert fuel into energy faster (caused by an increase in the number of mitochondria in each muscle fiber)
Threshold Training (TT): Involves challenging intervals that are 5 to 10 min long at an intensity that we can hold steadily, but just! Rest at an easy pace for 5 to 10 min between each interval. It also has a number of important benefits.
1. Causes an increase in threshold aerobic power Example (Before TT: 160 beats per min / 200 Watts, After TT: 160 beats per min / 220 Watts)
2. Increases our ability to exercise at threshold allowing us to hit higher intensities (Before TT lactate threshold was 160 beats per min, After TT threshold was 165 beats per min)
3. Increase exercise efficiency This means that our ability to exercise at a higher steady state such as a 10k running pace will improve overall. As our fitness improves due to this type of training, we will be able to do more work at the same exercise intensity, burn more calories and generally increase our cardiovascular abilities.
Super Threshold Training (ST): Intervals in VO2 Max training are shorter, 1.5 to 3 minutes but very, very intense. 100% effort is required to produce an intensity that would not be possible to continue for any length of time. Though extremely difficult, the benefits from this type of training are significant.
1. Increase the power of the heart by increasing stroke volume
2. Increased aerobic power at threshold and maximum aerobic power overall (VO2 Max)
3. Increased ability to remove and tolerate lactic acid

This training will increase your top-end cardiovascular ability and will also enhance your capacity to work at lower intensities. Remember to rest for at least 5 minutes between each of these intervals and pay attention to how you feel. If you can’t continue then do not force the issue. Cool-down and come back to it another day.

There is an additional intensity that is less efficient, but much more commonly used than the three described above. This is the moderate intensity or “comfort zone” that the vast majority of exercisers stay within. It lies somewhere between the Aerobic Efficiency and Threshold Training intensities but effects neither element significantly. It is too intense to help with aerobic efficiency and too easy to do much for threshold training. It is the “no man’s land” of cardiovascular exercise and should be generally avoided other than in the base building period.

Use both speed and incline to add intensity to workouts for the best overall development. If you increase intensity with resistance you will be emphasizing strength. Increasing rate will emphasize technique and speed. Play and have fun and remember to target your weaknesses not your strengths.

It is clear that the use of all three types of intervals described above will best develop your cardiovascular system. The best way to organize these training categories to get the most from our cardiovascular training plan is described briefly next. Spend 4 to 6 weeks targeting each one individually. Begin with Aerobic Efficiency workouts and then move up through Threshold Training and then to VO2 Max intervals. Make sure to rest appropriately and watch to make sure that you are recovering week to week. One workout per week should always have an aerobic efficiency element to it.

All cardiovascular training is done using the same exercise or machine

Many people find an exercise they like and that is the end of it. Whether it be running or aerobics, Stairmaster or step class, this approach will not maximize general conditioning. Mix your cardiovascular activities up. Use swimming, rowing, cycling, x-country skiing or any combination of activity you can think of. If you are not training for one sport specifically then you are not limited in any way. Try to choose activities that compliment each other. This will help you avoid overuse injuries associated with one type of repetitive activity and help your overall muscular balance. The key here is not to get stuck in a rut of a single activity that will cause uneven development and increase the risk of overuse injuries down the line.

Cross Training- Do it right!
Benefits of Cross Training Approach
Cross Training Element #2 Functional Strength and Power
Cross Training Element #3-Sport/Activity
Cross Training Element #4 Functional Range of Motion

Benefits of a Cross Training Approach

Fraser — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:23:00 GMT

Many exercisers make the mistake of using one type of training exclusively. Habit, enjoyment, comfort level or the sense that all past success can be attributed to this one activity keeps people excessively loyal to their mode of exercise. Whatever the reason, this limited approach to training will impair the ability to achieve peak fitness levels. For the most well rounded fitness and optimal functional health, exercisers should strive to include activities into their weekly training plans from each of the 4 training elements.

1/ Cardiovascular Training

2/ Functional Strength & Power Training

3/ Sport Activity

4/ Functional Range of Motion Training (F-ROM)

The benefits of this integrated approach to training are self-evident.

Regular cardiovascular training helps build a strong and efficient heart and works with a healthy diet toward effective weight control.
A well rounded functional strength training plan develops a strong muscular system and helps to prevent muscle imbalances and increase joint stability.
Including a dynamic multi-directional sport or activity will help to improve general athleticism and often has some cardiovascular and strength benefits as well.
Functional ROM training such as stretching, Yoga or Pilates will help to keep all joints flexible and moving freely and can enhance sport performance and prevent injury.

The costs of not using this well rounded cross training approach are also obvious. Neglecting any one component will cause unbalanced and incomplete fitness and leave your body with glaring weaknesses. To be continued....

Cross Training- Do it right!
Cross Training Element #1 Cardiovascular
Cross Training Element #2 Functional Strength and Power
Cross Training Element #3-Sport/Activity
Cross Training Element #4 Functional Range of Motion

Cross Training--Do it right!

Fraser — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:50:00 GMT

The concept behind cross training can truly be summed up by the SAID principle. SAID stands for Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. Most exerciser’s have the simple concept of cross training down. “If I do a little cardio, a little strength, a little sport and a little stretch then I’ve got it”. Fewer understand why this actually works and how to truly maximize cross training to build the highest possible general functional fitness. I am often approached in resentful disbelief with the following scenario. A well trained endurance athlete limps up to me and explains how they played a fun game of flag football over the weekend. “It’s a yearly tradition” they tell me. They go on to say “I train 15 hours per week! Finished 5 triathlons this year! I thought I was in pretty good shape. SO WHY CAN I BARELY WALK TODAY!!!! So what happened? They are in good shape… for triathlon. Unfortunately their 15 hour training weeks were not targeted at anything remotely like the multi-directional and high speed demands of the football game. We must remember that our body will only adapt to and accommodate the stresses we regularly place on it. So how can we be prepared for everything life throws at us? By using an organized and systematic approach, we can develop “Peak General Functional Fitness”. This is cross training like you’ve never seen it… with a supped up engine and chrome tailpipes!

Benefits of Cross Training Approach
Cross Training Element #1 Cardiovascular
Cross Training Element #2 Functional Strength and Power
Cross Training Element #3-Sport/Activity
Cross Training Element #4 Functional Range of Motion