Pure Momentum Fitness

15/03/2024

🏋️Zone 2 or cardiac output training refers to a specific heart rate zone commonly used in cardiovascular training. It typically involves exercising at a moderate intensity where your heart rate falls within a specific range (60-70% of maximum heart rate).

🏋️The benefits of zone 2 cardiovascular training are listed below:

🏋️Cardiovascular Adaptations:

Aerobic Capacity Improvements:
Zone 2 training improves the body's ability to utilize oxygen, crucial for aerobic energy production. This can result in better endurance and sustained exercise performance. This is achieved through a range of physiological processes such as mitochondrial biogenesis, enhanced capillarization, increased enzyme activity, more efficient oxygen extraction from the muscles and improved VO2 max.

🏋️Health Benefits:

Improved Cardiovascular Health: Regular exercise in Zone 2 contributes to overall cardiovascular health by reducing the risk of heart disease, lowering blood pressure, and improving cholesterol levels.

Enhanced Blood Circulation: Increased capillarization and blood flow to muscles support overall circulation and nutrient delivery.

🏋️Performance Enhancement:

Zone 2 training is the foundation for higher-intensity training: Zone 2 forms a foundation for more intense training by building endurance, improving aerobic capacity, and therefore creating a physiological base for higher-intensity efforts. A sound foundation enables a quicker recovery between multiple bursts of sports specific anaerobic activity and enables quicker recovery between training sessions.

🏋️Enhanced Recovery:

Regular and strategic zone 2 is training enhances recovery by improving the efficiency of the aerobic energy system, leading to increased oxygen delivery to muscles. This improved function allows metabolic waste products to be removed more quickly.
Regular aerobic exercise also increases the number and density of capillaries within muscles therefore enhancing oxygen availability and waste removal.
The increased endorphins release after aerobic exercise can reduce muscle soreness and therefore enhance recovery.
With regards to recovery, aerobic exercise may also improve mobility by improving joint lubrication, muscles relaxation and lengthening.

🏋️Take home:

The fitness industry is notorious for promoting fads and extreme interventions. Around 10 to 15 years ago zone 2 and many other forms of cardiovascular training were regarded as the antagonist for resistance training as it ruined gains and stunted performance. Zone 2 is now promoted as the next best thing within the new “longevity/recovery fad” in the fitness industry. Like most forms of training, Zone 2 training when strategically applied has many advantages and can enhance performance, promote health and improve recovery as highlighted above. However, this does not diminish the importance of strength training and other forms of aerobic/anaerobic conditioning within a structured exercise programme.

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Personal training and manual therapy business operating in the Guildford and London area.

18/01/2024

Power and Speed Training for the Older Population:

Power refers to the ability of muscles to produce force rapidly. Research indicates that power is the strength quality that decreases the most as we age.

Power is a key factor in various athletic performances and activities of daily living. Therefore, based on these facts, it would be pertinent to develop and/or maintain this strength quality.

Ideally, the pre-requisites for power training would be:

Adequate strength - strength training provides the foundation for all other strength qualities. Power may even be improved by only developing strength in novice exercise participants.

Core strength - integrates upper and lower extremity and assists with the reduction in “strength leaks”. Core strength is therefore essential for absorbing and transferring forces through the body.

Fortunately, the maintenance and even development of power in older populations does not have to be complicated or require extensive programming. However, as we age and approach middle age, it would be advisable to adapt training for power due to possible injury histories, sedentary lifestyles, loss of mobility/stability and age related changes to the joints/myofascial system. Below are some useful guidelines to adapt exercises and apply power training to your fitness routine.

Exercise selection:

🏋️Pick simple exercises with low technical requirements that can be performed at maximum speed and quality such as a jump/hop variation, medicine ball throws or sprints. Olympic lifts (and their variations) are great for power development but may take some time to master in order to achieve the training affect.

🏋️Pick exercises that reduce the impact on the joints and soft tissue. For example, use a padded box to execute vertical box jumps as apposed to just standard vertical jumps on a hard floor. Another example would be to perform hill acceleration sprints as apposed to acceleration sprints on level ground.

🏋️More advanced lifters may decide to utilise accommodating resistance such as chains and resistance bands to increase the resistance experienced at the top of their compound barbell/specialty bar lifts. This added resistance forces the trainee to continue accelerating throughout the concentric part of the lift and negates the natural deceleration process that would normally occur. The resistance bands downward pull also increase the speed of the eccentric (lowering of the weight) contraction which would in turn aid in the production of a more forceful/powerful concentric (lifting of the eight) contraction.

Application of Power Training:

🏋️Perhaps the easiest application of power training would be to add a couple of sets of a power exercises at the end of the warm up to prime the nervous system for the primary strength lift. Pair compatible exercises for best results (eg vertical jump variation for a squat primary lift).

🏋️Depending on the periodisation model used, a few sets of a power exercise can be performed at the start of an exercise programme before the primary strength exercise.

🏋️Complex training - more advanced trainers may pair compatible strength and power exercises together. The strength exercise would potentiate and enhance the power exercise. Eg perform a heavy 15 meter sled push, rest for 15 seconds and then perform a 10 yard sprint. This would equate to 1 set. Perform 4 to 5 sets with adequate rest between sets.

🏋️Conditioning finishers/Power endurance circuits that utilise explosive movements and implements such as medicine ball throws, battle ropes, jumps, hops and explosive kettlebell exercises. These circuits should be properly programmed and compliment other strength qualities being trained.

Speed Development:

🏋️It’s probably not advisable to progress straight into sprint training if the participant does not have a background of recent speed training. Build base strength with suitable strength training and develop the required core stability and specific mobility. Utilising heavy sled/prowler pushes and drags to develop acceleration specific force production and mobility may be particularly useful. Develop work capacity, sprint mechanics and the required mobility and stability with tempo runs, sprint specific drills, mobility and stability exercises.

🏋️Progress to sprints using the short to long sprint progression (10 yard acceleration drills are great to start) while developing distance and volume gradually. The majority of injuries in sprinting occur during the transition out of the acceleration phase. (First 15 to 20 meters).

It’s worth considering that although max velocity speed work can be very beneficial to anyone’s performance training programme (such as an increase in speed reserve), the majority of team or individual sports do not require working outside of the acceleration phase. Most sports only require short bursts of acceleration, rapid deceleration, cutting and sports specific movement patterns. Therefore, this begs the question, does the over 35 population need to be concerned with that much max velocity sprinting (longer sprinting distances) when we weigh up the risk v reward?

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Personal training and manual therapy business operating in the Guildford and London area.

27/11/2023

🏋️Osteopaths are regulated primary health practitioners that are qualified to assess, diagnose, treat and manage a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions.

🏋️While there are some similarities to the way that physiotherapists and osteopaths operate, osteopathy typically adopts a more hands on approach that aims to improve mobility, improve circulation, reduce pain and help to improve overall health. Most osteopaths also integrate exercise and lifestyle modifications into their management plans (much like physiotherapists).

🏋️Osteopaths are typically guided by a set of principles that enable them to view the body as an integrated system. They are therefore able to better consider other underlying factors to any given musculoskeletal complaint.

🏋️Below is a summary of what to expect when visiting an osteopath:

🏋️First appointment - 45 minutes to 60 minutes
Case history: During the initial appointment, the patient and osteopath would engage in a detailed conversation to gather information about the patients health, presenting complaint and medical history. This information would help the osteopath understand the presenting condition, identify any red flags or pathology, identify any contributing factors, help formulate a working diagnosis and assist with formulating an effective management plan.

🏋️Examination: A comprehensive evaluation helps the osteopath identify any serious pathology/red flags, assists with confirming the working diagnosis and provides valuable additional information about the presenting symptoms, tissue texture, joint mobility and movement quality.

🏋️Treatment:treatment, exercise and lifestyle management would typically be aimed at addressing short, medium and long term goals.

🏋️Follow up appointments -30 minutes

🏋️These appointments are ultimately aimed at further developing the management plan and eventually addressing predisposing and maintaining factors that may be impacting the patients presenting complaint. The appointments typically involve the osteopath monitoring the progress with the patient, conducting some evaluation and further treatment/exercise.

17/11/2023

23/10/2023

🏋️ Increased endorphins release particularly after aerobic exercise. Endorphins are natural mood elevators.
🏋️Increased production and release of serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters are associated with feelings of happiness and pleasure.
🏋️Increased production and release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This protein promotes the growth of new neurons and strengthens the connection between them. This helps combat cognitive decline, improves memory and reduces risk of mental health disorders.
🏋️Exercise can reduce stress through better regulation of stress hormones such as cortisol and enhancing the release of GABA and norepinephrine. This can ultimately help improve stress management and resilience against stressful situations.
🏋️Improved sleep which is critical for mood regulation and cognitive function.
🏋️Blood sugar regulation which can improve mood, energy levels and difficulties with focus and concentration.
🏋️Reduced inflammation which has been linked to improving mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.
🏋️Improved weight management which helps to boost self-esteem and body image. Both are often linked to mental health issues and eating disorders.
🏋️Improved social Interaction and sense of belonging which are vital for mental health.

09/04/2023

12/10/2022

🏋️The below recommendations are generalised and do not take into account various injury and illnesses. Seek professional advice before embarking on a strength training programme.

🏋️Strength training involves many modalities including loading the key strength training movement patterns. These are the squat, hip hinge, vertical press, vertical pull, horizontal press, and horizontal pull.

🏋️ However, in order to safely and effectively load these strength movement patterns, we need to be able to learn how to stabilise the spine by setting a neutral spine and brace. This position is optimised further by learning effective breathing techniques which further strengthens the brace. A brace is the contraction of muscles around the core and spine to create a ridged mid section. Various body positions such as prone (lying on your front), supine (lying on your back), crawling, kneeling and standing positions can be utilised to progressively decrease stability in order to learn how to stabilise the spine in a neutral position.

🏋️Although the spine never remains fully neutral through movement patterns, the intended “stacking of the joints” facilitates more stability. It is also important to understand that the spine is not always functioning in a perfect upright position and the ability to learn how to move the spine during functional movement is equally important. However, for safety and optimal performance, non-neutral posture (particularly in the squat pattern) should probably not be attempted under heavy load and activities promoting spinal mobility should perhaps be progressively introduced into warm ups and other activities (animal flow, Thai Chi, etc).

🏋️Furthermore, the above key strength training movement patterns should only be maximally loaded once reasonable proficiency is achieved in the general functional movement patterns which are squatting, hinging, the lunge pattern, pushing, pulling and rotation. These movements can be developed using various movement progressions (eg regressing a barbell back squat to a goblet squat to develop the squat pattern) alongside an effective warm, workout fillers and accessory/supplementary exercises to develop the required mobility and stability for the said movement pattern. The foundation body positions, as detailed above, may also be utilised to assist the development of the required movement patterns.

🏋️It is important to realise that, apart from reducing the chance of injury, technical proficiency improves inter-muscular coordination and is therefore one of the most effective methods of increasing strength. For beginners and intermediate lifters strength will improve even when developing the movement progressions and utilising assistance/supplementary exercises. So the key is to be patient, keep the ego in check, develop the required movement and stability requirements and “earn the right to lift a barbell”.

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24/09/2022

🏋️Due to persistent lifestyle stress, poor posture and conditioned lifestyle behaviour/sports habits, most people exhibit suboptimal breathing mechanics.

🏋️Diaphragmatic breathing assists with restoring and maintaining homeostasis (the stable equilibrium between interdependent elements) which is essential for human health.

🏋️Hyperventilation and/or suboptimal breathing can have many physiological effects on the body

🏋️These include a reduction in carbon dioxide resulting in decreased blood PH (more acidic). Respiratory acidosis can lead to many negative effects to the body that are detailed below.

🏋️Activation of fight or fight (sympathetic) autonomic nervous system. One of the many physiological results includes an increase in cortisol and other stress hormones.

🏋️Reduced blood flow to the brain. Symptoms for this can include headaches, memory loss, sleep disturbances, anxiety and personality changes

🏋️Reduced oxygen and therefore function to the cells, organs and muscles of the body.

🏋️ Reduced inflammatory control - immune system.

🏋️Depletion of muscle calcium and magnesium. This will have impact on muscle contraction.

🤷 Reliance on short term energy production which leads to more fatigue.

🏋️ Hyperventilation and mouth breathing can also cause changes to posture due over utilisation of the secondary respiratory muscles of the neck. Mouth breathing may also affect jaw development and the development of the palate and cranial bones. The majority of people with type 2 occlusion (or an excessive overbite) are mouth breathers. The positioning of the jaw itself is likely to have an influence on posture and pain.

🏋️Attached study highlighting how neck posture may affect diaphragm function: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30112389/

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07/09/2022

🏋️ The deep front line (DFL) comprises of the body’s myofascial ‘core’. Beginning in the underside of the foot, passing up just behind the bones of the lower leg and behind the knee to the inside of the thigh. From here the the DFL passes in front of the hip joint, pelvis, and lumbar spine, while an alternate track passes up the back of the thigh to the pelvic floor and rejoins the first at the lumbar spine. From the psoas–diaphragm interface, the DFL continues up through the rib cage along several alternate paths around and through the thoracic viscera, ending on the underside of the cranium.

🏋️ The muscles of the DFL are slow-twitch muscle fibers. Therefore, an important function of this group of muscles is to improve stability, helps to increase our endurance and improve posture.

🏋️ Being a major component of posture, there are certain issues that may arise when the DFL is weakened, injured, or compensated. These include, but are not limited to (Goldstein, 2020):
* anterior pelvic tilt of the pelvis (Donald Duck Posture)
* altered lumbar spine alignment
* breathing restriction
* Jaw/temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders
* high and fallen arch patterns in the feet

🏋️When the DFL has an issue, the rest of the body and other myofascial slings will be influenced.

🏋️Any issues with the DFL may originate in the feet, the hips and the jaw. Increased stress that is often associated with poor breathing mechanics may be a cause of DFL imbalances as well.

🏋️A well rounded assessment will determine the route cause and/or the contributing factors of any DFL dysfunction.

10/08/2022

🏋️Intra-abdominal pressure is defined as the steady-state pressure concealed within the abdominal cavity that results from the interaction between the deep core (diaphragm, pelvic floor,TVA and multifidus) and viscera (organs of the body).

🏋️The diaphragm is the the major muscle of respiration. It is a large, dome-shaped muscle that flattens when it contracts causing changes in thoracic and abdominal cavity pressure.

🏋️Therefore, Intra-abdominal pressure oscillates according to respiratory phase and abdominal wall resistance.

🏋️The rise in intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) during lifting reduces spinal stress by acting synergistically with the contraction of the extensor muscles of the spine. The inner core unit neurologically “turn on first” for all movement.

🏋️If the IAP does not rise during lifting, there may be a greater risk of low back injury due to greater spinal instability.

🏋️Due to the fascial connections between the hip flexors and 12th rib, function of the diaphragm becomes restricted and down regulated when the pelvis loses neutral alignment. A neutral spine and pelvis enables 360 degree circumferential expansion of the abdominal cavity (similar to a balloon) during breathing with the diaphragm and pelvic floor in a parallel alignment.

🏋️Establishing better function of the inner unit by strengthening the diaphragm, inner core and establishing pelvic alignment will provide a precursor for more intense bracing during compound lifting techniques. Bracing happens when the muscles are contracted around the core/spine to create a rigid midsection.

🏋️Improving breathing mechanics not only improves posture, core stability and therefore function but has numerous other physiological and health benefits as well.

🏋️The majority of the population use shallow or chest breathing strategies. Therefore, re-education and progressive breathing drills can make a significant difference and can easily implemented into warm ups and cool downs as well as at home.