(My apologies -- working out the technical bugs on this page....)
My Fitness Philosophy....
I believe there are four things that are essential for a true fitness program, and my goal is to help my clients develop personalized programs that are built on all four
First, a fitness program should improve over-all health. This might seem obvious, but the fact is many forms of exercise do very little to improve wellness and some actually reduce it. A true fitness program should be built on the forms of exercise that most dramatically enhance our general well-being.
Second, a fitness program should be balanced. An active lifestyle requires strength, stamina, flexibility, and stability, and a true fitness program should provide all four.
Third, a fitness program should be efficient. There’s no point to being fit if we have to spend all our time in the gym. A true fitness program should give us exceptional fitness in a minimum of time.
Finally, a fitness program should fit -- both physically and mentally. When a program doesn’t match our goals and lifestyle or doesn't make sense to us, our motivation is minimal and our results are too. A true fitness program should fit our goals, our bodies, and our minds. When we understand what we're doing and why we experience greater motivation and better results -- which helps us make fitness an indispensable part of our lives….
By combining these four principles, I can help you build an exercise program that can truly transform your energy, your fitness, and your health....
"Body & Soul:" Why Fitness Really Matters
As mentioned on the previous page, I believe our physical capacity strongly influences our personal and even spiritual growth. Our fitness determines not only what we can do but how we think about our lives and the world. When we are tired or lethergic that impacts how we feel about our work, our families, our friends ... everything. And when we're energetic and at peace in our bodies, we tend to be more loving, more supportive, more willing to be there for others.
For me, this means fitness is not just about looking or performing better but about increasing our ability to be to think of and serve others, as well as ourselves....
While this might seem obvious, my experience is we tend to live as if it weren't true. We tell ourselves we can make poor food choices but still keep a clear head or a positive outlook. Or we tell ourselves it's okay that we don't exercise because we're not interested in "looking buff." But the fact is those choices do impact the quality of our lives.
My goal is to support people in realizing that with very little effort they can in fact be and experience so much more -- physically, emotionally, and even spiritually....
The Two Pillars of Healthy Exercise: Systemic Fitness & Functional Capacity
Once we see how fitness matters and that we want to make a change, we need to begin by asking what we need to be truly fit. Most of us tend to think about exercise in terms of worldly goals such as getting thin or looking "buff." Obviously, exercise can lead to these results, but the type of workout that will get us there is not necessarily the best way to get either fit or healthy. In other words, our tendency to equate exercise with these goals has perpetuated some pretty unhealthy definitions of fitness and, in turn, some pretty unhelpful fitness programs.
My experience is many people miss out on the benefits and joys of fitness for exactly this reason. So the question becomes, how do we reverse this? Step one, in my mind, is revisiting the question of what fitness really is. When we're clear on that, it is much easier to motivate ourselves and others, and it's also easier to develop a program that works.
In my opinion, there are two equally important parts to exercise. Obviously, being physically active raises our capacity for further activity. Some of this is general (i.e., over-all "work-capacity") and some specific (i.e., our capacity for specific tasks, such as lifting, running, etc.), and obviously both are necessary for a balanced and full life.
Together, I refer to this as Functional Capacity and a true fitness program should develop functional capacity in a balanced and efficient manner. Most conventional programs are built on exercises and regiments that aren't necessarily the best way to enhance our actual abilities. A true fitness program will focuses not on superficial results but on useable strengths and skills....
The second benefit of regular exercise is it enhances health, including cardiovascular strength, immune function, hormonal balance, etc. -- what I refer to as Systemic Fitness. Of course, we all know exercise can lower stress, enhance immune function, improve mood, increase insulin sensitivity, support adrenal function, et cetera. But again even many health & fitness experts don't realize some forms of exercise dramatically improve our health while others have little impact or actually diminish it. Most exercise programs aren't built on the most effective or efficient ways of improving our over-all health.
Obviously to be truly fit we need both of these, and an ideal program will give us a balance of Functional Capacity and Systemic Fitness ... ideally with as little time and effort as possible. By asking ourselves: "What capacities would I like to have to live a full, complete, and balanced life?" and: "What forms and amounts of activity contribute the most to over-all physical and psychological health?" we are on our way to a balanced and complete program.
When we start thinking of true fitness this way, it's easy to see the shortcomings of most programs out there. Of course, even just running a few days a week or going to the gym for a few hours of "pumping iron" is better than nothing, but clearly neither is contributing a huge amount to either our Functional Capacity or our Systemic Fitness....
So, now that we have a template, let's briefly outline some of the specifics. When it comes to Functional Capacity everyone's list would vary a bit, especially in emphasis, but if a "Fitness Genie" came to you and offered you anything you wanted fitness-wise, I suspect you'd eventually ask for the following:
Functional Capacity:
Cardiovascular Fitness
Endurance
Strength
Stability
Flexibility
Agility
Balance
Coordination
Speed
Muscular Endurance (Strength + Endurance)
Power (Strength + Speed)
Again, some of these might matter more to us than others, but if we thought about it we'd see how the absence of any one of them could limit the quality of our lives to at least some degree. In my opinion, a balanced program should provide a "base level" of all of these, along with the tools for amplifying our gains in the areas that are most important to us personally....
Systemic Fitness tends to be less understood, even in the fitness world. Many programs come from the world of athletics, where emphasis on results can overshadown health. As a result, we've come to assume the most "effective" forms of exercise are also the most "health-giving," which simply isn't true. To be sure of getting the most from a program, we need to begin by asking what health benefits we'd like to receive from our routine. Again, we'd all ask that Genie, eventually, for a substantial list, including:
Systemic Fitness:
Healthy Immune Function
Cardiovascular Health
Balanced Adrenal Function
Healthy Insulin Release & Uptake
Healthy Glycogen ("Fuel"/Energy) Storage & Metabolism
Healthy Fat Metabolism
Healthy Anabolic Function (Growth & Repair)
Healthy Mood
Healthy Cognitive Function
Hormonal Balance
I believe this list is just as important as the one above it, and when we build a program want to ask: "Am I doing what I can to build anabolic function and limit catabolism (tissue breakdown)? Is my fitness program helping my immune function or challenging it?" etc. Once we see these two pieces and their equal importance, we can start putting together a program....
"The Four Food-Groups of Fitness"
Of course, every fitness routine should be tailored to an individual's abilities and goals, but my belief is there are four basic elements that are essential to any program -- what I think of as the "Four Food-Groups of Fitness." Obviously the volume of each should be adjusted to match our capacities and objectives, but I feel all of us can benefit from a regular "diet" of four basic activities:
Flexibility/Range of Motion Training
Aerobic/Anaerobic Training
Functional Resistance Training
Conditioning
In the following I'll explain why I include each of these, how they relate to Systemic Fitness and Functional Capacity, and how they vary from (and greatly improve upon) "conventional" fitness approaches....
The first "food group of fitness," is Flexibility/Range of Motion Training, or F/ROM. Of course, "stretching" has long been part of the exercise world. But those of us who practice yoga know there's a big difference between stretching and yoga. The poses of yoga not only stretch the muscles but also take the body through its full, natural range of motion which is essential for systemic health. Properly practiced, yoga has been shown to improve circulation and respiratory capacity, to enhance lymphatic flow and immune function, to reduce stress and increase stress-management, and to improve digestion and elimination. On top of this, of course, yoga promotes better core stability, improved balance and proprioception, better postural awareness, and improved gait pattern. Together, these result in safer, healthier, and more efficient practice of all other activities, whether running, cycling, lifting, or simply sitting at the computer. In other words, regular practice of yoga greatly improves our Functional Capacity and enhances the safety and efficiency of other activities.
Aerobic/Anaerobic Training refers to high-intensity cardiovascular training (i.e., interval training) that builds both our aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. This form of training has been shown to enhance both speed and endurance at the same time, building cardiovascular fitness faster than steady-state training. Interval training also promotes the development of both slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers, the latter being sorely absent in conventional training -- in other words, building Functional Capacity. It has also been shown to have a greater impact on optimal hormonal function and immune health than conventional aerobic training -- that is, it has a higher anabolic ("building"/regenerative) impact on the body in less time with less "wear and tear" (i.e., catabolic impact) than prolonged cardio sessions. In short, this form of training offers greater gains in Functional Capacity and improvements of Systemic Fitness than steady-state training ... all in far less time.
Resistance Training is a staple of exercise programs, but here as well great gains have been made in understanding the most healthful form of training. Conventional lifting programs are generally built around isolation exercises (i.e., exercises that work just a few (isolated) muscle-groups at a time) using moderate weights. Unsurpringly, this form of training has been shown to have little impact on Systemic Fitness and limited impact on Funcational Capacity. Obviously, in the real world most of our physical exertion is not built around isolated movements. And, similarly, while some worldly activity does require "moderate lifting," obviously much of it covers a considerably broader range.
Current research shows the type of resistance training that has the biggest impact on healthy hormonal balance, insulin function, and immune health is actually compound lifts -- that is, full-body movements that use the big muscles of the legs, glutes, and back. Unsurprisingly, these are also the types of lifts that have the biggest impact on Functional Capacity, which is why athletes have always focused on them (while bodybuilders have focused on more of a "piecemeal" approach to lifting....) Also unsurprising is that fact that lifting heavier weights has an exponentially greater impact on over-all health than moderate loads. In other words, even very high volumes of "moderate" lifting has less impact on Systemic Fitness than small volumes of near-maximal lifts. Putting this together, by focusing on heavier, full-body, functional lifts we can build much greater strength, stamina, and health in far less time....
The last "fitness food-group" in my opinion is Conditioning. Conditioning is a relatively new player in the fitness world -- or, more precisely, it is a type of training that athletes have used for ages that is slowly gaining popularity in the main-stream. Conditioning refers to a form of integrated training that combines elements of cardiovascular fitness, strength, endurance, and stability all at the same time, and the idea behind it is simple.
For a long time, conventional programs have been built around the fact that the best way to build a specific capacity is working on it in isolation. If you want to get strong, the best way to build that is to focus on that attribute by itself -- to train strength when you are fresh and to put all your energy into that one thing for that workout. But trainers and athletes also realized that this approach is only half the picture, because once we've developed a capacity, we still need to learn how to apply it in realistic circumstances. In other words, if you want to be able to display strength in a "real world" situation -- when you are tired or off-balance, for example -- you also need to replicate those circumstances in your training.
Putting it another way, athletes know they need to "train for what they want to do," and a balanced fitness program needs to be built on a similar understanding. Those of us who have worked out on machines at a leisurely pace know there's a big difference between that form of training and, say, helping a friend move a sofa up several flights of stairs or carrying a heavy pack on a hut trip. For the most part, life requires us to demonstrate a variety of capacities at once -- varying degrees of strength, cardiovascular capacity, stamina, and stability. And so, ideally, our fitness program should include a form of training that replicates this sort of demand. Conditioning does exactly that, putting together challenges to our strength, endurance, and stability in order to build this "integrated capacity" -- obviously filling a significant gap left by conventional fitness programs....
So these for me are the four forms of exercise that most strongly contribute both to capacity and health and that, to my mind, should be part of every fitness program. Again, I definitely feel the volume of each can and should be adjusted for personal goals, and I think that additional forms of training (e.g., speed & agility, balance, explosive power, etc) can greatly enhance this "base." But I believe every "body" can benefit from a program that includes at least a healthy "serving" or two of each of these four on a regular basis....
Training Volume & Program Development
When it comes to building a personal program, my experience is that regular activity is far more important than "volume." Brief daily workouts can contribute more both to our health and to our outlook than less frequent but longer sessions. This is especially true in my experience when it comes to yoga. So I recommend frequent but brief training -- if it's the right form it can have every bit as much positive impact as longer sessions, and, again, I think the "daily investment" adds greatly to the quality of our lives. A daily workout can improve our moods, increase mental clarity, and simply give us a feeling of being more "alive" the rest of the day.
In terms of duration, my personal program and what I recommend for clients is built on a 30 minute session. That can of course be longer, but, again, I've found with the right type of training, 30 minutes is actually plenty of time, even for serious athletes. That period is made up of 10 minutes of yoga followed by 20 minutes of one of the other main workout forms -- again, as I explained in the last entry, aerobic/anaerobic training, functional strength training, or conditioning.
Again, for yoga, especially, I feel that short but frequent sessions are optimal -- even as little as 10 minutes can have a huge impact, especially if it's consistent and often. I recommend a minimum of 3 sessions a week and strongly encourage a daily practice. Again, even just 10 minutes daily has a much greater impact than an hour two or three times a week. So that's why each session begins with yoga while the others "rotate" to assure adequate recovery....
After that comes 20 minutes of more intense exercise. Unlike yoga, I feel those are best cycled through, making sure any one form is not repeated on consecutive days. Keeping the training intense but varied is the healthiest way to build fitness quickly but in a way that is constructive and safe for the body. 20 minutes might sound incredibly short, especially for people who are used to prolonged, moderate-intensity activity, but that time-frame is actually very purposefully chosen.
First, numerous studies have proven you can actually make greater gains in strength, speed, and even endurance with short, intense training than you can with prolonged sessions. Second, shorter sessions are much more conducive to keeping your focus and truly applying yourself to the workout. The longer a workout is, the more we tend to "water it down" with less-efficient activity or simply to pace ourselves, neither of which is very efficient or effective. With a short workout we can give 100% and get better returns on our "exercise investment." Finally, shorter workouts are obviously much easier to fit into a busy lifestyle. Many people don't exercise simply because they think they have to have an hour or two for a "significant" workout. By learning that (exceptional) fitness really can be achieved in just 20 minutes they find they really do have time to workout....
So 20 minutes is the period I recommend for the other three. Again, numerous studies have shown that it takes the body about 10-12 minutes of activity at the proper intensity to achieve all the major benefits of exercise. Strength-adaptation, muscle growth, hgh release, and, again, even metabolic adaptation takes place in this short a timeframe -- as long as we're exercising the right way. I suggest 20 minutes as a "base" to allow for a period of warm-up as well as a "cushion" to make sure we're hitting the volume necessary for systemic adaptation.
The next issue is over-all volume and program balance. I recommend a minimum of 3 sessions per week, especially for those new to any aspect of balanced routine, working up to 6 for those interested in strongest gains. In terms of balance, I feel for general quality of life we all can benefit from/"need" at least one session per week of each type of training -- aerobic/anaerobic, functional strength, and conditioning. Beyond that, the ratio would depend on personal interests and goals. Ideally, I recommend six sessions a week, rotating between the three (with, of course, that 10 minutes of yoga before each...). But someone who was more interested in strength gains could easily increase resistance training to 3 sessions a week while reducing conditioning or aerobic/anaerobic to 1 session a week and vice versa. The key, in my opinion, is to find the ratio that works for our bodies and goals while making sure we address all major aspects of a healthy lifestyle to at least some degree....
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