What is INTERMITTENT FASTING?

This question is hard to cover in one short post, but I'll do my best.

Google "intermittent fasting" and Wikipedia will tell you several approaches and variations to the eating method/philosophy/diet. The second Google-hit on "intermittent fasting" is the blog Leangains.com, one of my biggest sources of inspiration and the deciding factor that really made me wanna try IF.

Martin Berkhan, the guy behind Leangains.com, is a Personal Trainer and nutritional consultant from Sweden. He possess an astonishing physique, incredible relative strength and a solid client history with testimonials that would even make the Swedish celebrity PT Gunnar Peterson jealous.

Now, I'm sure I'll find many more reasons to pump Martin's tires in coming posts - back to the question; "What is IF?"...

Simply put, IF is a way of distributing your meals, alternating between fasting/eating and this can be done in many different ways.
I've chosen to try a 7 hour eating window followed by 17 hours fasting (starting to eat around 2 pm - finish at 9pm and only consume water until 2 pm the next day).

IF allows you to eat bigger meals than calorie restricting "frequent meal"-methods (like most diets and recommendations you'll find today).

In one way, IF follows in line with the Paleothic diet, mimicing the "hunt-feed-fast-hunt" cycle (assuming cavemens didn't have refrigirators to store food back then).

Some IF-followers also believe the method has a more relaxed way of watching the consumption of processed, simple carbohydrates (due to increased insuline sensitivity) and that's something that definitely could make losing weight easier, both psychologically and practically.

This is it for me today. My "eating window" is currently open and I'm gonna make the most of it=)

Want more definitions and info about IF (more and less subjective)?
Check out "Patrick D's Training Journal" or "Inhuman Experiment"

/Henrik

INTERMITTENT FASTING - intro

Ok, after several posts about nutrition I guarantee this is by far the most controversial and perhaps the most interesting and bound breaking so far. And with that said, I'm pretty sure my Nutrition professor would be furious if she read this post...

Like the title reveals, the topic will be Intermittent Fasting. I first heard about Intermittent Fasting (IF) about 2 years ago. Back then I didn't really dive in to any research or facts, I thought it sounded a bit to controversial so I basically just took a mental note that it was out there. Now, being a student, I'm studying and reading more about nutrition than ever before and IF has really caught my attention. The method can be perceived as being provocative and challenges many of the mainstream, cookie cutter, routines that are generally recommended for healthy eating.
After some thorough research (although few controlled human studies on IF has been done) I have decided to give this controversial eating method a fair shot (starting with fasting about 17 hours, eating window for about 7 hours/24 hours).
I'm currently on Day 2 of my "IF tryout" and so far so good. More background info on Intermittent Fasting and my own thoughts and feelings about the method will follow soon...

Stay posted!

/Henrik

FUNCTIONAL TEST - shoulder & torso

The relationship between the shoulder girdle and torso

One of the most common misalignments I see as a Personal Trainer in my clients is the relationship between the shoulder girdle and torso.
Here a very basic test to check the relationship, flexibility and function between the shoulders and torso. It is very important to have good mobility in these area for all activities that occur with arm movements above the head, shoulder press, overhead squats or lifting down a heavy object from the closet top shelf.
Use mirrors, videotape or take pictures of yourself or better yet, ask someone to spot your technique.

Proper form:



The arms should point straight up, imagine an invisible vertical line starting from the ankle, moving through the hip, elbow and wrists.
Pelvic position should remain unchanged (no tipping backwards or forwards) with emphasis on keeping your bodyweight evenly distributed on both feet.
The arch in the lower back (lumbar region) remains neutral, in other words should not increase, when arms are lifted.

Common misalignments and compensations:



Increased arch in lumbar spine (pelvis rotates forward; compensate for either poor shoulder or thoracic mobility, lack of strength or activity in stabilizing core muscles or simply due to lack of body awareness)



Increased arch in thoracic spine (pelvis is pushed forward and bodyweight shifts to the forefoot: compensation for either poor shoulder/thoracic mobility, lack of strength/activity in core or lack of body awareness)



Arms not vertical (Often due to poor shoulder mobility. Especially important for motions performed above head like shoulder press, handstand, swimming, volleyball, etc.)

Next FUNCTIONAL TEST will be about the relationship between the pelvis & torso, the lower extremities.

Have a great weekend!
/Henrik

PUSHUP VIDEO IN PROGRESS

Here's a short video clip (with questionable quality...) from yesterdays workout using my new iPod Nano videocamera. I can definitely recommend filming yourself from different views and angles when lifting weights and running. It's very helpful to see your own technique (that's really what the mirrors in the gym are for folks!) and of course I think it's fun to watch too.

I'm working on a little pushup/handstand composition and this is about how far I've gotten. If I can put something cool together soon I'll spend more editing a film.
Now I need to give my wrists and shoulders a break from this plyometric, high impact type of training for a few days. Planche pushup is next on the list to conquer but my weight (190 lbs) does not work in my favor...

What's your goal when you workout?

Stay strong!
Henrik

LEARN TO THINK THIN

Ok, here's another looong but great article from the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagladet (read the previous post “THE BRAIN MONSTER” BUILDS FAT), translated from Swedish to English. It explains why diets fail, or exercise regimes for that matter, and tells how to act, think and behave in order to be successful in creating healthy habits. Like it or not, it's all about having self discipline and impulse control...



Beauty giant L'Oréal's advertising slogan "Because I'm Worth it" has become a mantra for our individualistic time. It's a beautiful saying, but if we want to eat fewer cakes and more broccoli, we have to avoid triggering our reward system too often to prevent our brains from turning in to demand machines that request continuous replenishment.

LEARN TO THINK THIN

Published: 17 March 2010, www.svd.se

Judith S Beck, PhD in psychology and psychiatric director of the non-profit Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research in Philadelphia

"Oh, that cake looks good”, the brain records before we even have time to think. Soon thereafter comes the rationalization: "I deserve it, I've been working out today". Some of us are more receptive of the goodies on offer. If our reward system is used to regular sugar kicks, the powerful forces of the brain makes us behave the same way day after day. We are used to eat when life is hard or when there is something to celebrate. We are experts at trying to persuade ourselves that "I'm worth it" or "Just today."

But it is possible to create new brain pathways by choosing foods that does not result in roller coaster looking blood sugar curves. The focus of today's article, is to understand the thoughts that gets us to eat things that we really had not planned - and what to do to think in a way that makes us lose weight and maintain a lower weight for life. It is not just about the balance between what you eat and how much they consume. To control food intake and create a habit of physical activity is to the very highest degree related to your own thoughts and feelings.
"Malicious thoughts" is what the American psychologist Judith Beck calls what makes us eat more than we think we should. She describes how one can do to train themselves to think like a thin person in the book "The Beck Diet Solution - train your brain to think as a thin person".

Judith Beck (daughter of Aaron Beck, the cognitive therapy's creator) has extensive experience working with overweight patients. She has found that many healthy people behave differently in relation to food than people that are overweight.
Thin people often eat more smaller portions during the course of the day and therefore snacks to a lesser extent than obese in between meals. Food is not a problem solver in their lives. For them, food doesn't play a big role in comfort and consolation. They are not particularly worried about being hungry. Anyone who wants to lose weight and stay there is right to imitate the behavior.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a method with good scientific results, even for weight loss. The Swedish social scientist Lisbeth Stahre has published two scientific studies that attracted great international attention. Judith Beck refers to them in her book. The studies showed that weight loss was unusually high even 1.5 years after stopping treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy.
In order to find a new approach, it is inter alia to enhance "resistance thinking" and to weaken the "give-up ideas". Every time we resist a temptation it will be easier to resist next time. We get used to the brain to resist rather than to deepen reward the track. Expect many trials and failures along the way, but the industrious training, the new tracks keep a lifetime. Our brains control our behavior, but it also works vice versa. What we do leave marks in our brains, which means we can actually change brain pathways by changing habits.

To cope with this it is important to plan ahead. How will my day be like? What should I eat today? Judith Beck thinks that eating unhealthy favorite foods should be planned and scheduled. It is about creating habits that you should feel comfortable with.
Another of Judith Beck's tip is to make so-called "incentive cards. She gives an example of what might be labeled:
"This is just a temporary craving. It will disappear very quickly if I decide to one hundred percent that I will not eat this and instead engage myself fully in another activity". Impulse control is extremely important for successful weight loss.
Judith Beck thinks that anyone who plans to lose weight can make a personalized list of benefits of the new lifestyle.
- Read through the list many, many times. When faced with a temptation the list will show up in your head and help you make the best possible choice.

Why do most people fail to maintain a lower weight?
- Changing habits is difficult, it takes time to create new brain pathways, it's not about finding a perfect diet that someone else created. We must learn to consistently choose good food and movement, and to learn how to differentiate between real hunger and temporary cravings.
Her experience tells that it is often about taking care of the strong emotions without eating and to get back to good habits quickly after eating the wrong and too much.
- Many obese people are thinking in "either-or-tracks". If I have eaten a fat-dripping 500 kcal donut I might as well eat unhealthy the rest of the day too. A typical malicious thought. Totally insane!
Has new knowledge about the brain's reward system influenced the advice you give to overweight?
- Yes, in some ways. It is important to understand that the reward system is individual and will look different in different people and that for some people it's easier to resist temptations. But with that said, everyone can work on and create healthy habits to reduce the risk to overeat and increase physical activity.



Judith S Beck gives the advice to search for a "diet coach": a friend, family member, colleague - or a professional therapist, personal trainer or coach. The person need not be an expert on weight loss, she says, but should be good at listener, support and encourager.
1st - Choose nutritious, hearty and healthy food.
2nd - Create time and energy for your weight loss.
3rd - Plan what you should eat.
4th - Find support.
5th - Learn how to handle disappointments.
6th - See overeating as a problem you can solve.
7th - Learn how to endure temporary cravings.
8th - Stop eating because of emotional reasons.
9th - Give yourself credit.

I hope you found this article interesting and that it made you realize or remind you that You have the power to control your own thoughts and behavior in everything you do in life, not only when it comes to weight loss and eating control.

I'll stop here before it gets to spiritual and deep, after all this is just a blog about fitness and health=)

How do you run Malin?

An interesting question I found today in Svenska Dagbladet...

Forefoot running vs. backfoot running? Former Olympic athlete and running expert Malin Ewerlöf Krepp answers.

Published in "Svenska Dagbladet", March 17, 2010

Question:

What's your opinion on forefoot running vs. backfoot running? /"Confused"


Malin answers:

"Fast running is based on the need to come up on the front foot and thus get a faster cadence (footstriking speed) which is needed to run fast. However, it is harder to be on the front foot long and require much endurance strength, especially in the calves. Backfoot running is easier to apply for slower runs and many end up on the backfoot at the end of a run, when they get tired. The ideal running technique is to have the strength and endurance to run a marathon on the front foot with a high carried center of gravity. The hard part is to be able to maintain that stride during an entire run.
Do not forget to train the calves which are a lot of ground to run with a high emphasis on the forefoot". Malin Ewerlöf Krepp.

A GREAT AB EXERCISE

I bought these AB Straps online for the insanely low price of $3.99. I coudn't believe they were that inexpensive, I've seen AB straps cost close to $100 before (obviously not the same quality but the ones I bought works great and are 100% legit).



I´d like to consider myself somewhat of an expert when it comes to AB exercises and one of my favorite AB exercises by far is the hanging knee raise (a.k.a hanging leg raise, knees to elbows, etc).

This is how the hanging knee raise is done:
The key is to lift your knees/legs up, crunch your abdomen together as much as possible, all the way from the tailbone to chest, and either strive to bring knees-to-chest or knees/toes-to-elbows. The hardest part in this exercise is bringing the knees/legs down in a controlled motion, literally fighting gravity. That is what's called the negative, or eccentric phase of the muscle contraction and that's also when your muscles will experience the greatest amount of stimuli for development.
A simple way to spot good technique on this is if you can do the exercise without starting to swing back and forth. See, that's also what differs an AB strap from a dips/leg raise stand – the lack of back support (no use of counter pressure – with an AB strap it's all You!)

A variation of this exercise to target more of the obliques (sides) of the abdomen is simply to turn the knees and have them face to one side, alternating sides as you curl up.

This exercise can also be performed with straight legs (hanging leg raise) and that is often perceived as harder to perform. But harder doesn't automatically mean more effective and if the purpose is to work ABS I recommend bending of the knees in the “curl-up phase” (positive, concentric phase) of the exercise. If the exercise is done with straight legs your hip flexors will work much harder (because of greater leverage with legs extended) in synergy with the ABS to flex the hip and curl legs up. (The hip flexors are also short, thick and strong muscles in comparison to the ABS and there's a great chance that they will take over most of the work bringing the legs up and strainious hip flexor work in combination with fatigued ABS can cause lower back pain as well).

In other words, to perform this exercise: "Bring knees up towards chest while tucking/rounding the tailbone upwards. Lower the knees back down in a controlled motion without swinging"

With all that praise said – hanging knee raises can also be done without an AB strap. Take a look at the short video below of me demonstrating the exercise "knees to elbows". Form and technique is almost identical to the hanging knee raise described above. What I feel is the bad about this hanging version is the extra stress caused on elbow joints with fully extended elbows and the fact that grip strength/endurance plays a part.



Contact me or leave a comment if you have any questions!=)

/Henrik

"THE BRAIN MONSTER" BUILDS FAT

I read a great article in a Swedish online newpaper the other day (“Hjärnkoll på vikten”). It's not often that an article on nutrition leaves such an impression on me but this one certainly did. I think it brings up some really important points and even though it's long I guarantee it's well worth the reading. That's why I'm posting an english version of the article (thank you Google Translate!) on my blog for my English speaking readers to enjoy!

Martin Ingvar, a brain scientist and Gunilla Eldh, a science journalist are the authors of the new book “Hjärnkoll på vikten” (the English translation would be something like “Brain control dictates weight control”) and the book tells about how the brain controls our behavior and how we should proceed in order to create new pathways for the brain.
Martin Ingvar wanted to write a book with principles that are easy to absorb and he is concerned that the health care in Sweden is not taking the brain's behavioral control seriously enough. Our brain controls motivation and behavior. If you learn how the system works it makes it easier to implement it to your lifestyle in a way that neither deplete the body or mind. By learning to interpret body signals, you can manage them better.

Published: 10 March 2010, Svenska Dagbladet
GOOD FAT. One reason for obesity is in the brain's reward system*. That's what dictates your way to the refrigerator and the cookie tray. The brain is quickly triggered by simple carbohydrates. The risk is that the setback after a sugar kick steers us out in a constant hunt for more sugar and simple carbohydrates.
Our modern lifestyle with a lot of stress and fast carbohydrates like sweets, white bread and pasta, too little sleep and exercise, is cooking up a chemical cocktail that make us all fatter. When we are stressed and tired our minds cries out of for fast-acting replenishment of energy - preferably sugar or simple carbohydrates. The stress hormone cortisol makes us eat even more.
What we eat and drink doesn't just show on the body but also leaves marks in the brain's reward system. We get used to a constant injection of sandwiches, pasta, cakes and sweets, so that is what our brain wants the next day and next and next.
With blood sugar curves that look like roller coasters, we become tired during the day and sleep less during the night. Negative stress and poor sleep are two important factors that make it harder to lose weight and to maintain normal weight. That's because several substances secreted during sleep affects metabolism positively, while stress hormones have a negative effect. If we're not exercising we miss the opportunity to clear the body's glycogen stores, which reduces the risk of insulin resistance. Insulin plays a key role in taking care of all carbohydrates. If we eat "hyperfood" all the tim the insulin sensitivity declines.
Our own minds have become a strong-willed “monster” that guides us towards choices that will make us gain weight and increase body fat.
The brain's reward system is the invisible power that allows you to choose whatever gives short-term energy to the brain. Sugars and carbohydrates provides a fast reward for the cranial office, but because the blood sugar curve rises quickly and steeply, it also means that it falls in the same way. It is during the downward curve when we experience a strong craving to eat more and bring the blood sugar up again. If we continuously feed this “brain monster” it becomes a requirement and need to the brain which creates an unhealthy pathway.
The reward system varies over the years too, perhaps especially for women, and it varies over time in the day" Martin Ingvar explains.
“- Since the health care systems isn't taking brain patterns in consideration for effective weight loss, gastric bypass is currently the best evidence for sustained weight loss. That is quite shocking" Martin Ingvar says.
No wonder losing weight by conventional methods is often described as hell on earth, Martin Ingvar and Gunilla Eldh writes, and criticizes those who still argue that the plate model (MyPyramid), low-fat, high-fiber diet is the best way to get Swedes to slim down.
Mood valleys when you are forced to live with the high insulin surcharge as a carbohydrate-based diet provides, while not getting enough calories. Your whole consciousness is as soon occupied by thoughts of food and eating. The brain makes sugar of all it can. If you try to eat fat-and calorie-efficient the brain signals that there's a crisis. Hunger! Find something! Quickly!
- If you learn how the reward system works, you can protect yourself from bad decisions. If the blood sugar curve is flat and you're relaxed, you are more likely to make better choices" Mrs Eld says.
Martin Ingvar and Gunilla Eldh suggests a switch to start eating as few simple carbohydrates as possible, especially in the beginning when the brain is still not used to the new paths and eating habits.
- Start by asking yourself, at what time of the day is it especially hard to fight food cravings? This will make you realize quite quickly that if you had eaten a well composed breakfast you would be able to work more efficiently and probably wouldn't have to take four trips to the coffee and vending machine before lunch.
It is easier to eat in moderation if the previous meal you had was well composed. If you eat salmon and wild rice for lunch, it is easier to skip the chocolate on the way home and not to overeat at dinner than if we ate a starchy pasta lunch or a low-calorie salad with too little protein and fat. This is called the “second-meal effect”.
“It is primarily what you eat that determines how much you eat. If you eat your meals based on low GI values and enough fat, it is easier to consume fewer calories" says Martin Ingvar and Gunilla Eldh. With a flatter blood curve so that the body will not argue with when you start to lose weight.
Martin Ingvar and Gunilla Eldh would like to kill the myth that fat is particularly fattening itself, even if it is not as useful as some hardcore “fat-fans” claims. Fat does not seem to create the same dependency as sugar. Instead, it releases the hormone serotonin, which suppresses appetite.
“- But if you mix fat and sugar, the sugar seems to overtake brain signaling and the satiety feeling is absent" says Martin Ingvar.
You will pack on body fat when the stress and the insulin systems are working at full speed and the blood sugar level is high. Too much insulin in the blood also forces the inflammatory systems to work harder.
- If you look at 25-year-olds on the beach today, you'll see more people who are obese than you did 25 years ago. It is due to the modern life with sleeping too little, too much stress, lack of exercise and consuming too many calories and simple carbohydrates”, Martin Ingvar claims.
The problem with today's modern food is that we eat to many processed, simple carbohydrates, and therefore we get an insulin-insensitive system. A resistance to insulin is built up and that is dangerous. The inflammatory substances in the body will decrease if you start eating right.
The more we use the brain's reward system, the more dopamine is needed for you to feel the same level of reward. The brain has changed and then calculates the discomfort that can come if the reward fails. The system predicts the future and if you usually buy chocolate on the way home from work that's what your brain will expect and that leaves a track in the reward system. But it is possible to recode the system although withdrawal symptoms can be strong in the beginning. The better you are resisting cravings in the beginning, the faster you lose the "dependency".
When you abstain from sugar and anything containing white flour or starch your body is allowed time to change the hormonal system back to normal operation. As a bonus the brain's reward system is normalized in relation to sugar cravings.
"Re-Set!", says Martin Ingvar and Gunilla Eldh.




*The reward system is created for a world in which there was a lack of food. It is a sensitive navigation system that will get people to do what is good for our species' survival (eating, sleeping, loving).
This “superpower” guides our behavior and, unfortunately, prefer the foods that shoots blood sugar levels through the roof. Sugar is the most easily digestible form of carbohydrate and simple carbohydrates require a minimal effort to turn into sugar.
The more the blood sugar swings up and down, the stronger the craving for sweets becomes. It's when the blood sugar level drops as the urge for simple carbohydrates comes. The brain wants the level to go up again. The body is being stressed by sugar-rich foods that are eaten at irregular hours. The stress hormone cortisol, enables us to choose foods with high calorie content, take bigger portions and eat faster.
The super-fast carbohydrates in soda prevents the brain from turning on the appetite regulation mechanism. Alcohol also increases the blood sugar curve. A few nuts or a piece of cheese before drinking wine can lower blood sugar levels slightly.
While sugar and other simple carbohydrates keeps you in the famine phase, fat makes you feel saturated. When you abstain from sugar and anything containing white flour or starch your body is allowed time to change the hormonal system back to normal operation. As a bonus the brain's reward system is normalized in relation to sugar cravings.

Source: “Hjärnkoll på vikten”

Like/Dislike? Leave a comment!=)

TODAYS HIT

I've had a very busy schedaule last couple of days and haven't really got enough sleep I could tell today. Anyhow, I conducted my own HIT workout and here's how it looked:

20 - 15 - 10 - 5 repetitions (4 rounds total) of:

150% BW Deadlift (275 lbs)
Pull ups
Lateral lunge + 20 kg Kettlebell high pull

Time: 18 min 30 sec.

Definitely not a time that will make it to the "hall of fame" but ok considering I was debating whether or not I should workout at all today. Sometimes it can be very foolish to deny when your body is telling you to rest but I today I knew I just had to "wake up". And like a letter in the mail, I feel more energized now than earlier - what an amazing effect a workout can have!

ANOTHER GREAT DAY AT WORK

Incase you don't know my current story or background, I work as a group training instructor at Gustavus Adolphus College, and today it was time for me to lead another session of the popular HIT-workout. HIT is and abbrevation for High Intensity Training, inspired by CrossFit but modified and adapted by Hanoi Fitness - in other words myself (first I wanted to draw some attention and incorporate my Swedish heritage in the name and call it Swedish High Intensity Training but unfortunately that shortening didn't really turn out ok=)...).
I'm a big fan of HIT myself and that's because of it's great composition being challenging and competitive, targeting the muscoskeletal (strenght), cardiovascular(endurance) and endochrine system (hormones), just to name a few positive aspects. I still have room for a few more participants at my HIT classes (offered on Tuesday's at 5.30 and Friday's at 4.30) but I also have to work around baseball, softball, basketball and lacrosse practice that are currently using the indoor facilities, at least for a couple more weeks.
Today's HIT class (always a different workout for variation) consisted of a 200 m Run - Pushups - Squats - Situps for 4 rounds total (most people finished around 17 minutes).
Normally I give recomendations on number of repetitions and leave it up to the participants to decide how many they think they can or want to do. I also record total time and number of repetitions/rounds for every workout to motivate, challenge and keep track of progression. I think having this kind of setup and structure, along with the fact that it's a fast pace, effective, time saving and fun workout, are the main reasons for it's popularity here at Gustavus. I'm already looking forward to next HIT class on Friday!=)

Henrik

SODA CUTBACKS AND SUBSIDIZED FOOD IN USA

The article above was posted in today's copy of USA Today. I think it's great that it brings up the effect price has on consumers and food choices (see discussion on subsidized foods below). All respect to Professor Popkin at Duke University, but the way this article is written it makes nutrition seem like some kind of constant, unchangeable mathematical reality and that an 18% increase in price of soda would simply result in a 5 lbs annual weight loss - period...Considering that 1 lbs of fat contains about 3.500 kcal I'm guessing this 5 pound weight loss figure was determined by multiplying 5 (lbs) with 3.500 (kcal) and dividing the answer with number of days in one year, 365 (with the answer from that calculation actually being 6 lbs weight loss per year...). Anyways, I'm not a big fan of these kind of mathematic predictions on weight loss. To explain what I mean, let me just ask; would I gain a total of 2 lbs in one year if I ate 10 grapes/day (20 kcal) on top of my normal daily food consumption? I think not...I believe the human body balances out minor calorie deficit/surplusis in a dynamic and complex way by fluctuations in physical activity levels and metabolism. Perhaps the article instead should've claimed that there's potential for weight loss with an increase in soda price and that it could result in x-amount of "saved" calories per week, month and year .
But again, I thought some parts in the article were good and hopefully it had a positive effect, promoting health and smart drink/food choices to people in America, this Tuesday in March.

On the same nutrition topic, or at least on the same track - I read another interesting article of how to improve nutrition in lower income groups in USA by adding more support to subsidise fruit and vegetables. Personally, I have no trouble understanding that the diet of low-income Americans is poor. As a student, it hurts everytime I shop for groceries and it definitely takes innovation and a lot of will power to balance a food budget with healthy choices.
CLICK HERE to read the full article, "Subsidized healthy foods cheaper options to improve nutrition".

I also found this picture of Federal Subsidies for Food Production vs. Federal Nutritional Recommendations...Kinda interesting that the pyramids are almost inversely proportional to each other...I admit it do like meat but I also miss all the fresh fruit I consumed every day during my time in Hanoi, Vietnam.


Stay strong!

Henrik

"A WOMAN'S WEEK AT THE GYM"

A good friend and previous client of mine emailed this story to me earlier today, describing a woman attempting to get into a regular workout routine. She swears she never thought of me this way when we trained together and I certainly hope not (although sometimes it took her a looong time to get ready and tie her shoes);-).

Dear Diary,
For my birthday this year, I purchased a week of personal training at the local health club. Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Christo, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.

Friends seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.
________________________________
MONDAY:
Started my day at 6:00 am. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Christo waiting for me. He is something of a Greek god-- with blond hair, dancing eyes, and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!!

Christo gave me a tour and showed me the machines.. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!

Christo was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around.

This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!!
________________________________
TUESDAY:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Christo made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. His rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT! It's a whole new life for me.
_______________________________
WEDNESDAY:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.
Christo was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.
My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Christo put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Christo told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other shit too.
_______________________________
THURSDAY:
Asshole was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late-- it took me that long to tie my shoes.
He took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. He sent some skinny bitch to find me.
Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine-- which I sank.
_________________________________
FRIDAY:
I hate that bastard Christo more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic, little aerobic instructor. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it.
Christo wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the damn barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.
The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?
________________________________
SATURDAY:
Satan left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing his voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel..
________________________________
SUNDAY:
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my husband will choose a gift for me that is fun-- like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

OPTIMAL RUNNING TECHNIQUE - The footstrike

Clearly a dedicated barefoot runner...

A very heavily discussed technique aspect in running is the footstrike. Most new-school running techniques promotes mid- or forefoot striking as the one and only landing style.
Like all other advice given in text there's a risk involved that the reader takes the words into action but misses one or two key points (ex. starts to tense up in upperbody) or becomes preoccupied about one specific task (your whole body needs to work in harmony when running). Calf muscle injuries are common in people who try to implement this advice since the runner often reaches for the ground with the toes pointed down (plantar flexion) in an unrelaxed "ballerina" style before landing.
Proponents of the mid/forefoot-striking technique claims that a reduction of stride length (cadence increase) prevents heelstriking and helps "correct" technique = landing of the foot. That brings us back to the whole stride length/cadence topic that I brought up in the previous blog post "OPTIMAL RUNNING TECHNIQUE - Hips". (If you haven't read that post already, read it now=)!)

So the whole argument of mid/forefoot landing is built on biomechanical principles that it's an energy conserving style of running and that it avoids/prevents injury in ankles, knees, muscles, etc. (In theroy, I find that hard to argue...)

So why is it that so many runners land with their heel first and that it seems so natural? Many people (and scientists) says "blame it on the generous shoe cushioning" that you'll find in most running shoes on today's market. "Try to run barefoot for once and you'll notice what your body does naturally - it will shift to mid- or forefoot landing" (apparently evolution hasn't adapted to Nike Air's quite yet). On the other hand, people that like the built-up, elevated heel found in most running shoes claims that a shift to heel striking in shoes may be as much an adaption to optimize running as the shift to mid/forefoot landing when running barefoot (interesting, but I'm not convinced...)
Check out my previous blog post "DOES RUNNING SHOES CAUSE MORE BAD THAN GOOD". I'm not saying you should throw away your shoes and run barefoot from now on, I just want to bring it to your attention while researchers are trying their best to sort it all out (if that's even possible...)

That's it for tonight. I will try to sum up a conclusion of my post's on OPTIMAL RUNNING TECHNIQUE soon. But rest assure, more posts on running technique will follow (especially on the POSE Method and the book "POSE Method of Running" that I'm acctually reading right now for the second time...)

/Henrik

THIS IS WHAT AND HOW I EAT

Since I'm recieving many emails and questions about nutrition I've decided to share some general advice and personal beliefs about nutrition in general.

Nutrition is a complex area and it can sometimes feel overwhealming and confusing. Basic knowledge in the field is absolutely crucial if you want to eat healthy, there are just to many "traps" out there and unfortunately the food industry isn't always clear and "honest" in the communication with it's customers (ingridients lists, labels, etc). But don't feel discouraged if you're not a registered dietician or have a PhD in nutrition. There's no such thing as a "right" way to eat - be critical to what you read and hear, learn as much as you can about the basics of nutrition, try different eating philosophies and figure out what works best for you and use your knowledge to attempt to understand why it works. I think this can take you very far and again, no matter how much you know about nutrition there's always going to be someone else (dieticians, nutritionists and average Joe's) with different opinions and believes, or else there woudn't be an Atkins diet, LCHF diet, low fat diet, South Beach diet, etc, etc.

In a previous blog posts (INCREASE YOUR FOOD IQ), I promoted www.FitDay.com, a free online diet journal where you can enter food intake and exercise. I think the idea of keeping track of your food/drink intake and physical activities is a great way to learn what food and nutrition is all about and how it effects performance. I've done it several times and it really helps me to eat healthy and make smart food choices (with this said, I'm not promoting a constant, manic, calorie counting lifestyle).

In the picture below you can see summary charts and pie's of my own nutrition stats from 3 days recorded, using FitDay's food journal.



Here are some of the cornerstones in my diet that helps me stay lean, healthy and alert:

My eating habits are quite strict and structured, I eat every 3-4 hours, trying not to overeat nor starve myself and by doing so I maintain the weak burning flame of the metabolism alive throughout the day. This eating pattern prevents feelings of tiredness from heavy digestion and doesn't trigger food cravings as a sign of low glucose (blood sugar) levels.

I start my day with a large amount of complex carbohydrates and protein (usually oatmeal with a mix of old fashioned rolled oats, milled flax seeds, wheat germ, cinnamon and banana or raisins + 1-2 slices of whole wheat crispbreads with either fat free cream cheese or natural peanut butter). This is a dense, energy rich breakfast for a physically active day and a great way to kick starts my metabolism, giving me long lasting energy.


Today's breakfast - about 600 kcal (rolled oats, flax seeds, wheat germ, sunflower seeds and one banana)

"The human genetic makeup hasn't caught up with the rapid increase of processed carbohydrates consumed in the modern society”.
I avoid food and beverages containing simple, processed carbohydrates whenever I eat/drink/grocery shop (to avoid an insulin spike and all of the negative effects it brings). I follow the GI-index as mutch as I can and although I'm not a strict follower of the "Paleolithic diet", or “caveman-diet”, it definitely brings up some interesting points.

“Eat breakfast like an Emperor, lunch like a King and dinner like a poor man”
"Calorie-timing" is crucial and one of the most important factors when it comes to healthy and smart eating = weight control. In other words, your body needs food/nutrients when it's storages are depleated - in the morning, after a vigorous workout, etc. I usually eat a complete meal no more than 30 min after a workout and adjust (estimate) calorie intake and macronutrient distribution depending on intensity of the workout/time of the day.

Typically, my macronutrient distribution is divided up like following: 40-50% carbohydrates, 25-30% protein and 20-30% fat. This calorie ratio balances my active lifestyle and weight well.

I drink water as my the only beverage I consume because water is essential for body funcitions and it helps me "save" calories and save money. So whenever I for some reason need to increase my calorie intake there's a simple solution...one large glass (2 cups) of skim milk contains about 170 kcal, therefore substituting 3 glasses of water with skim milk increases my calorie intake by 500 kcal/day. Note that this fact also applies the opposite way = if a reduction in calorie intake is desired. Therefore I recommend anyone that's looking to loose weight to first of all review and cut back on the amount of calories consumed in beverages. Calories in liquid form will in most cases not give you the same sense of satiety as calories in the shape of solid foods.

I will end my informal lecture on nutrition for now but will most likely find reasons to get back to this topic in future posts. I hope you found at least some parts of this post interesting and please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions...or just leave a comment below!

/Henrik