Exercise, Endorphins & Depression

It happens to all of us: an illness or an injury sets us back and we have to temporarily reduce our intensity, a lack of sunshine makes us feel more sloth than superstar, or we just have a thoroughly craptastic string of luck or days. Whatever the cause, our motivation wanes, depression starts to creep in around the edges, and it gets tough to get to the gym. Then, if you’re a gym rat, fitness fanatic, or recent devotee, you probably use this “workout failure” as a convenient cat-o-nine-tails with which to flog yourself until motivation and morale improve.

Emotional masochism, however, isn’t helpful. What might be? 15-20 minutes. Research suggests that just 15-20 minutes of moderate to high intensity exercise is enough for our pituitary gland to begin pumping those wonderful,  feel-good, morphine-like endorphins. (The key, as with most things, is to get out of breath.) This little nugget of knowledge can assist us in two ways: First, if coming up with “a whole hour” for a “good workout” is “adding to your stress load,” drop your attachment to 60 minutes. Or 30 for that matter. Find 20 minutes to workout, if need be, in your living room. 20 minutes a day probably won’t be enough in the long run to accomplish most fitness goals, but it is enough to put the feel-better train in motion — and all we know what typically happens once the train has left the station. Second, if you find yourself in the gym thinking “I don’t want to be here. I look fat in these pants. I should really get back to that expense report, and if traffic is bad, I won’t be right there when baseball practice ends and little Johnny will inevitably be abducted and I will never forgive myself for the loss of my only child…” STOP. Tell your inner critic to “stick a sock in it” and resolve that if you still feel like leaving after 20 minutes, that’s completely permissible. Chances are, once the endorphins have begun to flow, you’ll feel like staying. If not, that’s ok too. You’ve done enough to give your brain a little surge of happiness, and taken one step forward toward battling the blues.

Looking for a sample endorphin-friendly, 15-20 minute workout? This was my approach earlier today, and I’m happy to say, I feel much better now… thankyouverymuch.

5 Minute Warm-Up/Movement Prep

Knee hugs, pull backs, traveling lunges with rotation, lateral lunges, squat-to-stand progression, drop lunges, inch worms, stability ball push ups, wall slides, ankle mobility, and T’s, Y’s, W’s and L’s on the stability ball.

Interval/Circuit Workout: 1 minute on, 20 seconds off, 4 rounds — just over 15 minutes

Heavy Kettlebell Swings (go hard), Resisted Leg Drop with Grey Cook Band (core/active recovery), Medicine Ball Slams (go hard), Alternating Reverse Lunges with Grey Cook Band Row (active recovery/strengthening lower trapezius).

Moral of the story: endorphins don’t suck. Make it a priority to do just 15-20 minutes of moderate to high intensity exercise and hop aboard the train back to happy.

Question 5: References

Clients get as attached to their trainer as they do to the person who cuts their hair. A trainer should have no problem providing you with a list of happy, satisfied clients who are willing to sing their praises. Ask a potential trainer to provide you with contact information for 3-4 references, and make sure that list includes both current and former clients. When you follow up with these people, ask what they like about working with the trainer, how long they’ve been (or were) a client, and in the case of former clients, why they left. For additional information, check a trainer’s website for a testimonials page and see if he or she has been reviewed on web sites like Yelp and Angie’s List.

Question 4: Planning and Organization

Personal training is not a “one-size-fits-all” group exercise class. It is not a “Workout of the Day” downloaded from the Crossfit mother brain and scrawled on a mirror or a whiteboard. It is not 200 people in a city park taking “boot camp” instructions from a screaming, bull-horn waiving, camo-clad weekend warrior sporting designer shades. Personal training is, well, personal. It is a service provided by a fitness professional to a client based on the client’s particular goals, abilities and limitations.  

Now, before some of you start waiving pitchforks and threatening to storm the castle, let me make two things clear: First, group exercise, boot camp and Crossfit are all viable, relevant, enjoyable fitness options — depending on your budget, fitness level and interests. Good personal trainers can and do teach group ex, boot camp and Crossfit classes in addition to training clients, and can borrow from these exercise methodologies as appropriate. Second, personal training is not necessarily superior to other methods of fitness instruction. My point is simply that personal training is a different type of fitness service, and as long as you are in the market, you should get what you’re paying for.

What you’re paying for is an approach that is planned and purposeful. It is a result of a process that begins when a trainer conducts a personal fitness assessment and client intake; it proceeds according to a plan developed by the trainer on the basis of information collected during the fitness assessment and intake; and it evolves according to changes in a client’s goals, abilities and limitations – as discerned through regular client and program re-evaluation. This is, after all, the entire point of personal training. It is an implicit promise that a professional with a plan developed just for you can get you to your goals faster (and safer) than you could reach them on your own.

Consistent with this understanding of personal training, a good personal trainer should do three things: One, he or she should have your workouts planned in advance. They should be tailored to you, not a “workout of the day.” Second, you should be aware of why your trainer has you do the exercises and activities that he or she prescribes, what his or her plan is for your success, and when he or she will reevaluate your progress and program. Finally, in the event that a doubt or questions arises, he or she should be willing to consult your doctor, physical therapist, chiropractor or other health professional. Your trainer should understand that he or she is a member of a community of providers supporting your health and wellness – not a substitute for more qualified medical, therapeutic, or rehabilitative experts.

 Before hiring a trainer, therefore, find out the following:

• What is the trainer’s fitness philosophy?
• How will he or she structure your workouts, and at what intervals will your plan be revisited?
• How will he or she communicate with you about your program, abilities, limitations and goals?
• Is he or she willing to be in communication with your health care providers should the need arise?

Question 3: Insurance

Accidents happen. As my mentor once said, “put on a little too much hand lotion before you go to hand Mrs. Jones a kettle bell and…” And then what? Mrs. Jones has a broken foot, misses work, and can’t pay the mortgage on time. And how will the trainer, who is liable for Mrs. Jones’ damages, satisfy the debt that he or she now owes as a result of the injury?

For the protection of both parties, personal trainers must be insured. A good personal trainer knows this, and knows that he or she cannot rightly call themselves a professional unless they’re covered. Purchasing insurance is simply part and parcel of running a responsible business.

That said, I know what you’re probably thinking: “If I ask about insurance, won’t I come across as litigious?” Blame it on me. “Commander Kindra says she has personally come across trainers who, for one reason or another, haven’t ‘gotten around’ to insurance coverage.” Tell them you’re certain THEY would never do such a thing, but the whole thought of it makes your hair stand on end. And it should. You wouldn’t go to an uninsured cosmetic surgeon who “was really good at what he does,” “had never hurt anyone” and had “an iron-clad liability waiver.” Granted, personal trainers don’t use scalpels and anesthesia, but we’ve established… accidents happen.

Question 2: Continuing Education

It is not only important that a trainer begin his or her career educated and up-to-date on the latest exercise and nutrition science; it is also important that he or she stay that way. As perhaps best stated by the National Strength Conditioning Association, “Recertification verifies that [a trainer] keeps current on changing trends, practices and research studies; has enhanced his or her credibility to further educate, inspire and train; and is committed to maintaining industry-recognized standards.” For this reason, all of the industry-respected certification providers require the trainers they certify to complete a number of continuing education hours each year – typically, about 20.

Trainers can earn continuing education credits by attending  or presenting at conferences and symposia, publishing articles on topics related to health and fitness, earning additional certifications, completing approved home study courses, and through other personal development activities. Regardless of how a trainer chooses  to earn his or her continuing education credits, the bottom line is this: a trainer who makes an effort to stay engaged with ongoing research and education in the field of health and fitness is more likely to both keep you safe AND help get you the results you’re after.

Therefore, before you hire a personal trainer, ask him or her how many hours of continuing education he or she completes each year. If the trainer claims to be certified but can’t answer the question, this should send up a major red flag. Another red flag should go up if the annual number of continuing education hours he or she completes is fewer than 20 – the number typically required by good certification providers. Also, ask a prospective trainer what he or she has selected to study or attend in order to fulfill his or her continuing education requirement; the answer will give you some insight as to where the trainer’s interests lie and may help you determine whether the trainer is right for you. Finally, note the trainer’s attitude about continuing education hours and credits. Yes, busy trainers often do have schedules that make attendance at multi-day events difficult. Additionally, continuing education seminars and symposia can be expensive. However, a good personal trainer knows two things: first, that continuing education is vital to remaining on the cutting-edge of his or her profession, and second, continuing education is fun. You are about to place the health and safety of your body in this trainer’s hands. If he or she doesn’t love the profession enough to get excited about the latest science and practice, take your business to one that does.

Question 1: Certification

This should go without saying: education and certification are critical when hiring a trainer. After all, exercise is an inherently dangerous activity. The person to whom you are entrusting the health and safety of your body must have demonstrative proof that they are knowledgeable, competent, and qualified to do the job. Moreover, a personal trainer should be a fitness professional, and true professionals, regardless of their field, have credentials. Credentials not only establish that some certifying body has deemed an individual competent and capable by the standards of their profession; they also demonstrate a professional’s commitment to their industry.

Consider the following : You probably wouldn’t get a haircut from someone whose hair you admired unless you also knew they had graduated from beauty or barber school  — and had passed their licensing or certification exam. You also wouldn’t likely submit to an operation at the hands of someone who had spent so much time in the OR as a patient that they figured they had mastered the basics by default. This is to say nothing of the inadvisability of hiring a jail-house lawyer to handle your divorce or entrusting your teeth to a guy who may have gone to dental school, at least for awhile, but “didn’t have time” for the “unimportant red tape” or “annoying alphabet soup” of passing his state boards and remaining in good standing with the American Dental Association.

“But he or she has the body I want!”

It isn’t enough that a potential trainer appears to be in good shape or “has spent a lot of time in the gym” themselves.  Even if this “trainer” possesses an adequate understanding of how to safely and successfully exercise their own body, what guarantee do you have that they can do the same for yours? What if your body type or movement quality is different than theirs? What if you have an injury or illness history they aren’t familiar with? What if you don’t share their fitness goals or their motivation for hitting the gym? A certified trainer understands how to properly train virtually any client, not just a client who is a reflection of themselves.

“But the law doesn’t require that a trainer be certified!”

In many cases this is true, but this is also changing for both practical and liability reasons. While many states do not require that a “trainer” be licensed, nearly every gym requires a certification before they will employ a trainer, and the more elite clubs and gyms require advanced certifications. If the gym down the street won’t employ a trainer who hasn’t made the commitment to educating themselves about exercise science and safety before training clients AND to enhancing that level of knowledge throughout their career, why would you? (More on continuing education later.)

“But how can I tell if their certification is a good one, or an appropriate match for my needs?”

Good questions. Unlike the American Bar Association for lawyers or the American Medical Association for doctors, there is yet to be one trusted umbrella organization responsible for certifying all personal trainers. This is due in part to the variety of respectable approaches to personal and fitness training. That said, some credentials are acknowledged, industry wide, as better than others. Certification through NSCA, NASM, ACSM and ACE represent the current industry “gold standard” of personal training certifications. Look for these credentials when hiring a trainer, and if a trainer doesn’t have at least one of them, ask why.

As for the differences between certifications and how to match a certified trainer to your own goals and needs, know this: NSCA (the National Strength Conditioning Association) produces trainers who specialize in training athletes, NASM (the National Academy of Sports Medicine) has a more rehabilitative focus, and ACSM (the American College of Sports Medicine) and ACE (the American Council on Exercise) certify personal trainers that are highly thought of generalists. Each of these organizations (and others) award niche or specialty certifications as well. Typically, a trainer who has taken the time to pursue a specialty certification will be happy to explain why, as well as what the additional certification allows them to do or offer.

“What else should I know when evaluating a trainer’s certification?”

Above all, be prepared to do some basic research and apply some common sense. Beware the trainer with a list of certifications a mile long. Is this trainer so truly dedicated to his or her field that he or she felt it necessary to be certified in everything under the sun? Is there a pattern or logical cohesion to the selection of certifications they have pursued? Or could this be a trainer from the era when gyms paid trainers hourly based on the number of certifications they’d been awarded?

You should also beware the trainer who obtained his or her only or primary certification after attending a week or weekend long training. Even if their certification is “all the rage” or the fitness movement du jour, how much can a trainer have really learned about properly training something as complex as the human body in just a few short hours? Add-on certifications and niche specialties are fantastic – but typically only when they are built upon a solid foundation.

Finally, consider your goals and what a particular certification allows a trainer to do. A “trainer” who is certified to teach group fitness or spin classes, for example, is probably not qualified to design a safe and effective strength training program.

Finally, don’t forget to ask a potential trainer whether he or she is current with their first aid and CPR certifications. Literally, your life could depend on it.

10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Personal Trainer

There are many good reasons for hiring a personal trainer: accountability, motivation, and most importantly, expertise. After all, you hire a trainer for the same reason that you hire a real estate agent or a personal banker. Much like finding the right home or managing your money, working out is something that you can do on your own. However, unless you have a solid plan and a working knowledge of the fundamentals, results are likely to be left to chance, hard-earned, or slow in coming.  

For example, you could drive through neighborhood A today, B tomorrow, and C on Wednesday, hoping that you will stumble across a “For Sale” sign and find the home of your dreams. You could also read an article on the internet by the latest financial guru and apply his or her investment strategy to your portfolio, trusting that a “one size fits all” money management approach will get you the yield you’re after, in the time you have available, based on the amount you have to invest. It is entirely possible that either of these strategies might work, but then again, they might not. This is why most serious buyers and investors pay for expertise. Utilizing a trained professional to monitor the listings in neighborhoods A, B and C on a daily basis or to customize a financial plan based on your particular goals and resources is, in many instances, a shortcut to success.

Therefore, assuming you haven’t the time, energy or motivation to research exercise science, nutrition, programming, periodization and the like, hiring a trainer may be the best way to both increase your likelihood of success and decrease your probability of injury, inconsistency and the frustration that can stem from going it alone. However, much like home-buying or financial success, seeing results in the gym will depend in part upon hiring the right professional: competent, organized, and best suited to address your unique needs and goals. Part of this selection process will hinge on “fit,” or whether you feel a trust and connection with the trainer you are about to employ.  Connection, however, isn’t enough.

Before hiring a personal trainer, therefore, it is important to ask some specific questions, and to carefully evaluate the answers given. Starting today and spanning the next ten, “Marching Orders” will feature one question per day that ought to be asked by anyone in the market for a personal trainer. Taken together, the answers to these questions will provide the information necessary to make a solid, reasoned decision about whether a particular trainer is right for you. Your success and your safety depend upon it!

Beyond Bicep Curls: 3 Secrets to Better Arms

Rumor has it that summer is just around the corner, even here in the cold, gray Pacific Northwest. With that in mind, many of you may be wondering how to most effectively build a strong, sexy, tank-top worthy upper arm. Bicep curls, of course, are a staple — as are the clean eating and cardiovascular work necessary to burn body fat and reveal those hard-earned and shapely lines. The story, however, does not end there. For show-stopping size, shape, and definition, incorporate the following three principles into your workouts:

1. Add in Hammer Curls. Unlike the traditional bicep curl, during which you grip the bar or dumbbell with your palms facing forward, hammer curls are performed holding dumbbells with the palms facing the sides of the body. As with a traditional curl, keep the elbow stationary at your side and bend at the elbow, bringing the head of the dumbbell up to your shoulder. (This motion, particularly during the down-phase, mimics the swinging of a hammer, hence the name.) Why does this work? Unlike bicep curls, which target (wait for it…) the biceps, hammer curls actually isolate and work brachialis, a small muscle located beneath the biceps. Increasing the size of brachialis forces the biceps to sit up “higher” on the arm, giving the arm additional size and you the illusion of having bigger guns.

2. Give your triceps equal time. Did you know that triceps can actually account for an astounding 80% of upper arm size?  Additionally, working to enlarge the triceps gives the upper arm a more balanced, attractive shape overall and, ladies, helps to combat those flabby wing-like underarms we all abhor. As a result, you should never skimp on working this important muscle. Make sure your split includes exercises such as triceps overhead extension, triceps press down (one arm, two arm, rope, bar, etc), skull crushers, close-grip bench press, triceps push-ups, and kickbacks.

3. Build a bigger shoulder. A round, shapely deltoid cap is the perfect topper to a truly amazing arm. (Anyone checked out Jillian Michaels lately? Her amazing delts are positively key to those dead-sexy arms.) As an added benefit, creating width at the shoulder also makes the waist and hips appear smaller by comparison, giving us an opportunity to literally re-engineer our body shape. To get the most out of your shoulder work, make sure that you hit all three heads of the deltoid muscle. Throw in reverse dumbbell fly and Arnold Press to ensure that rear-delt gets some love, as well as plenty of side lateral raises, upright rows, and good-old military press. (Including bent rows and one-arm rows on your back days will also help target that rear delt, which is a synergist during those exercises.)

Finally, when training for size, remember to stick to the magic formula: For each muscle group you are working, do 3-6 sets of 3-4 exercises for 8-12 repetitions each. One exception of this rule applies to triceps work. AFTER you have done your 3-6 sets of 8-12 reps, pick one triceps exercise and go to failure. Feeling that burn along the back of the arm is a sure sign that we have signaled the body to generate the hormonal response necessary for muscular adaptation, and triceps in particular respond well to this type of approach. Now get to work!

Having a Ball: A Fun, No-Nonsense Medicine Ball Workout

Looking for a workout that will build strength, boost cardiovascular endurance, burn calories, shred fat AND get you outside? Grab a soft-sided medicine ball (the kind that won’t bounce much) and head to the nearest park or school for this fun, fast-paced medicine ball circuit. Perform the entire circuit 1 to 5 times depending on your fitness level and desired workout duration. If you can, perform the exercises without rest in between in order to keep the intensity level high. 1 to 2 minutes rest between circuits, however, is advisable. Soft-sided medicine balls are inexpensive and available at sporting goods stores, Target, Fred Meyer, and Amazon.com. Beginning exercisers should start with a 4-6 pound ball. Intermediate exercisers should select a ball between 8-10 pounds, and advanced exercisers and athletes should use a ball between 12 and 20 pounds.

Medicine Ball Circuit Workout: Begin at one end of a field or grassy straight of way.

• 25 Squats with overhead press.  Hold the ball at chest level while you descend into squat position, and then press the ball over your head upon the up-phase of the movement. Return to starting position, and repeat.
• 20 Push-ups. Perform push-ups from your knees or your toes, depending on your fitness level, but keep both hands on the ball for added instability and core challenge.
• 25 Medicine ball slams. Stand holding the ball directly over your head. Without hyper-extending your back (leaning backwards), contract your stomach muscles and throw the ball downward as hard as you can, slamming the ball into the ground at your feet. This exercise will work your arms and shoulders, but the goal is to generate the motion using your abdominal muscles.
• Overhead toss and chase. Stand holding the ball directly overhead, facing the opposite end of the field. Again, without hyper-extending the back, throw the ball with an overhead motion as far as you can. Run after the ball, pick it up, and repeat until you reach the far end of the field. Turn around and perform as many repetitions as necessary to return to your starting position.
• Traveling lunge with rotation. Hold the medicine ball in both hands, arms directly out in front of your body, parallel to the ground. With your right leg, step forward into lunge position and once there, rotate your trunk, arms and ball still extended, to the right.  Return the trunk and ball to center, stand up, and repeat on the left leg, this time, rotating the trunk to the left. Do 15 on each leg, or, for an added challenge, do 15 on each leg using traveling lunges.
• Medicine ball Russian twists. Sit balanced on your tush, back at a 45-degree angle from the ground, knees bent. Lift your feet and heels off of the ground if you can. Twist your trunk to the left and touch the medicine ball to the ground. Then twist your trunk to the right and touch the ball to the ground again. Touch the ball to the ground on each side of your body 20 times.
• Chest pass and chase. Stand facing the opposite end of the field. Hold the ball in both hands at your chest. Using your chest muscles, push the ball straight out and toss it, “passing” the ball basketball-style as far as you can. Run after the ball, pick it up, and repeat until you have reached the end of the field. Turn around and perform as many repetitions as necessary to return to start.
• Medicine ball mountain climbers. Begin in push-up position, from your toes, with both hands resting on the medicine ball. Keep your back flat and hips down so that your body does not form a triangle or hump with your tush in the air. Jog or jump one foot forward, as if you were jogging in place or climbing a mountain horizontally. Jump or jog that foot back and the opposite foot forward. Each time a foot comes forward counts as one repetition. Do 50 on each leg, for a total count of 100.
• Plank pose on medicine ball. Begin in push-up position, from your toes, with both hands resting on the medicine ball. Keep your back flat and hips down so that your body does not form a triangle or hump with your tush in the air. This is plank pose. Hold for 30-60 seconds, depending on your ability level. (“One Mississippi, Two Mississippi…”)
• Side-toss and shuffle chase. Begin with your body perpendicular to the opposite end of the field. Holding the medicine ball out in front of your body in both hands, twist your trunk away from the opposite end of the field. Then, with a rapid but controlled motion, twist your body back toward the opposite end of the field, releasing the ball and throwing it as far as you can. Descend into athletic position and side shuffle to the ball. Pick up the ball and side-toss it again. Repeat this process until you have reached the far end of the field. Once there, remain facing in the same direction but perform repetitions by throwing the ball back towards “start.” Repeat the side-toss/shuffle chase process as many times as needed to return to your starting position.
• 25 Medicine ball sit ups.
• 20 Push-ups with 1 arm on the ball. Begin in traditional push-up position, arms out wider than the body. Rest one hand on the ground and the other atop your medicine ball. Perform 10 pushups with each hand on the ball, working from either your knees or your toes as your fitness level allows.
• Squat to launch. Face the opposite end of the field, holding the medicine ball at chest height. Lower your body into squat position, and using the momentum generated by the “up” phase of the squat, launch the ball as far forward as possible. Run to the ball, pick it up and repeat. Travel to the end of the field and back to start.

Can’t-Get-to-the-Gym Workout

It’s happened to all of us: we’re on vacation, out-of-town guests are mucking up our schedule, the gym is closed for maintenance or a holiday, or we just can’t get there. What to do? Try this at-home workout on for size. I promise it will leave you feeling like you’ve had a butt-kicking! If you enjoy it, give your thanks to Nate Regensburg from the National Personal Training Institute in Seattle — this is a modified version of one of his creations, “The Holiday Ten.” Enjoy!

The At-Home Ten:

• Round 1: 10 burpees, 10 push-ups, 10 forward lunges (each leg), 20 sit-ups. Rest 1 minute.

 

• Round 2: 9 burpees, 9 push-ups, 9 forward lunges (each leg), 18 sit-ups. Rest 55 seconds.

 

• Round 3: 8 burpees, 8 push-ups, 8 forward lunges (each leg), 16 sit-ups. Rest 50 seconds.

 

• Round 4: 7 burpees, 7 push-ups, 7 forward lunges (each leg), 14 sit-ups. Rest 45 seconds.

 

• Round 5: 6 burpees, 6 push-ups, 6 forward lunges (each leg), 12 sit-ups. Rest 40 seconds.

 

• Round 6: 5 burpees, 5 push-ups, 5 forward lunges (each leg), 10 sit-ups. Rest 35 seconds.

 

• Round 7: 4 burpees, 4 push-ups, 4 forward lunges (each leg), 8 sit-ups. Rest 30 seconds.

 

• Round 8: 3 burpees, 3 push-ups, 3 forward lunges (each leg), 6 sit-ups. Rest 20 seconds.

 

• Round 9: 2 burpees, 2 push-ups, 2 forward lunges (each leg), 4 sit-ups. Rest 10 seconds.

 

• Round 10: 1 burpee, 1 push-ups, 1 forward lunge (each leg), 2 sit-ups. You’re Done!

Notes: Push ups can be performed from the toes or from the knees, as appropriate for your fitness level. Complete push-ups, lunges, and sit-ups with good muscle control — no using momentum to get around doing the work!

If you are not experienced with burpees, here is how they are done: Start by performing a squat. Once you have reached the squat position, reach down and put your hands on the floor, shoulder width apart. Jump your feet back so that your body is in plank position (the same position in which you would begin a push up). Jump your feet back up to your hands. Stand up, and in the same movement, jump straight up into the air. Then, repeat.