For years I have not done Bicep Curls. You know - the dumbbells in the hands as you bring them up to your shoulders, either alternating arms or both arms at the same time. They are not part of the Pilates repertoire and Crossfitters definitely make fun of them saying they are not functional movements and silly. And for years I said the same thing.
Not so any more. It started when I realized that in spite of my Pilates and Crossfit workouts, I was not building the kind of body I wanted. I admit it, I am shallow enough to say I wanted pecs and biceps. And it wasn't happening. So I thought, "Screw it, I am going to go back to old school bicep curls to pump up my arms". And so I started with 15#ers and worked my way up.
Naturally, I brought my Pilates brain to the exercise. So I made sure that I wasn't swinging my body around to do the exercise. I kept my body in good alignment and didn't let my elbows either brace against my rib cage nor move from their starting position. And what did I discover (to my chagrin)? The shoulder stabilization that takes place during a correct (in my opinion) bicep curl is amazing and incredibly valuable.
Most of us in our modern world are pulled forward too much in our shoulders so our rotator cuff muscles and the shoulder blade stabilizers are weak because they are in a too-lengthened position for them to work effectively. But if you stand up straight, pull your abs in and, without moving your at your elbows, do a bicep curl, your shoulder stabilizers will be the muscles that fail first. The rhomboids, traps, rear deltoids as well as rotator cuff muscles will get a terrific workout. Triceps will also work.
If I allow my body to swing around and use momentum to do the curls, I could probably use 45# dumbbells. But doing them correctly? I am back at 25# in order to do a set of 8 or so (per arm). They are hard! I can feel all of this terrific shoulder blade stabilization that is so important for good posture. Yes, my biceps fatigue and they are getting a workout but how amazing to feel my back working so well and so right. Yes! it feels right - like this is the way my upper body is supposed to function.
And so bicep curls are back. For me and for my clients. We work hard at shoulder stabilization in all planes of movement. And if you think this stabilization is not functional, think again. When my clients are lifting up their babies (or holding anything out in front of you for that matter), those exact shoulder stabilizers must 'kick in'. When carrying a laundry basket full of laundry, those muscles need to work. If you're carrying anything heavy out in front of you - whether a sofa or a load of lumber, the stabilizers must work.
Lesson learned. Try it. Feel it. Analyze those feelings. Question your previous assumptions and understandings. And then evaluate. I found that bicep curls are not nearly as silly as I thought. On the other hand, "there is no bad movement, there is only movement done badly." (Ron Fletcher - original Pilates master teacher)
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Putting your Brain in your Body
At Mind and Body, naturally, we continually strive to 'put your brain in your body'. Joseph Pilates' famous quote is of course - "It is the mind that builds the body." This is more than an abstract concept. It really is at the very heart of a. getting the most out of every exercise, b. feeling and understanding what your body is doing and c. becoming your own teacher as you dialogue between body and mind to improve your body.
When I am taking a class or doing my own workout, I strive to see what I am doing by watching my alignment either for myself (why mirrors in a workout space are so valuable) or by what my teachers may observe. But I also ask myself. "What am I feeling? Am I feeling what the teacher is saying and if not why not?" and "How could I improve this exercise for me (and in turn, for my clients)?" I have had many experiences where what the teacher was saying was not what I was feeling. In many cases, it is because the teacher themselves had not asked that question of themselves when they were being taught.
And I have learned from it. Exercises that I had previously dismissed as being counter productive or even contra-indicated for many clients have come back into my repertoire because I found a new understanding of the exercise because of what I started feeling on my own body and not what any teacher had said about it (unfortunately). It is hard when you have been taught that an exercise is bad or dangerous to try the exercise with an open mind. And fitness trainers of all ilks are guilty of dismissing exercises out of hand.
One of my clients yesterday used the phrase 'using a Zen/Yoga mind to do an exercise':
BUT THIS IS HOW YOU WILL GET A GOOD WORKOUT. If you can put your brain in your body, your workouts will be more efficient because you will get more out of every exercise. When you put your brain in your body, the movement pattern in the exercise can then translate more easily to your other activities athletic or just in daily living. When you put your brain in your body, you body will work harder, more efficiently and get injured less because you are bringing awareness to real, actual functional training. And putting your brain in your body is the only way to truly transform your body.
When I am taking a class or doing my own workout, I strive to see what I am doing by watching my alignment either for myself (why mirrors in a workout space are so valuable) or by what my teachers may observe. But I also ask myself. "What am I feeling? Am I feeling what the teacher is saying and if not why not?" and "How could I improve this exercise for me (and in turn, for my clients)?" I have had many experiences where what the teacher was saying was not what I was feeling. In many cases, it is because the teacher themselves had not asked that question of themselves when they were being taught.
And I have learned from it. Exercises that I had previously dismissed as being counter productive or even contra-indicated for many clients have come back into my repertoire because I found a new understanding of the exercise because of what I started feeling on my own body and not what any teacher had said about it (unfortunately). It is hard when you have been taught that an exercise is bad or dangerous to try the exercise with an open mind. And fitness trainers of all ilks are guilty of dismissing exercises out of hand.
One of my clients yesterday used the phrase 'using a Zen/Yoga mind to do an exercise':
- What do I feel
- Where do I feel it
- Is my alignment correct
- Does it make sense
- Does it fit with my understanding of the body
BUT THIS IS HOW YOU WILL GET A GOOD WORKOUT. If you can put your brain in your body, your workouts will be more efficient because you will get more out of every exercise. When you put your brain in your body, the movement pattern in the exercise can then translate more easily to your other activities athletic or just in daily living. When you put your brain in your body, you body will work harder, more efficiently and get injured less because you are bringing awareness to real, actual functional training. And putting your brain in your body is the only way to truly transform your body.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Ballet Barre - faster is definitely not better
"There is no bad movement, there is only movement done badly" - Ron Fletcher - Pilates Master.
I just finished taking a Ballet Barre class locally and came away very frustrated as well as tired. It was a hard class and the exercises were generally good, valuable, hard, fatiguing and doable. Mostly. I took ballet as an adult years ago so I had some experience to fall back on to say nothing of my Pilates experience which teaches AWARENESS and PRECISION. However, in this class there was so much to work on in order to get all the pieces moving together in a coordinated fashion with sacrificing technique.
And when the teacher said 'And now double time' - I knew there was no way I could keep it all together so I just kept going at the same pace - mostly. But all of the girls (6 in the class) gamely tried to do the double time. And FAILED - 100% of them. It irritated me that the teacher didn't look around the room and say, "Wow, they're not getting it - they look like shit doing this. Maybe I should just go at the old tempo and work on technique". But no. Choreography is everything so she just kept forging ahead.
"There is no bad movement. There is only movement done badly." This has been the theme for this week. It is also one of the foundational principles of my teaching.
Pilates is all about getting it right and getting it right at the beginning - as much as possible. True ballet starts with Barre work so the student can get the movement correctly and slowly before starting to move faster so that when the student gets to floor work, they know what they should be doing and where they should feel it and what it should look like. Not so in Ballet Barre.
I know how hard I was working to get it right. It was doable but hard. There was nothing wrong with the exercises, except for the speed and the inability of the students to do them. My rule for teaching is that if more than 85% (or so) can't do the exercise, there is something wrong with my teaching (communication or demonstration) or there is something wrong with the exercise. Too damn fast!!
At what point will these girls get it right? If they keep coming, will they get strong enough or flexible enough to make the correction? Not if they have been practicing the movement pattern incorrectly, with the wrong muscle. Either make the movement less complex or slow it down so the brain has a chance to learn and catch up.
It's fine that they all felt tired and worked out (as did I) at the end of class. But wouldn't it be better if they learned about their bodies as well as worked them? If they learned where turn out came from? If they learned that knee and toe alignment are important for knee health? If they learned where their spine was in these various positions? If they learned how to STABILIZE their spine and core while moving their limbs rather than shaking around like an aspen tree?
This Ballet Barre class was both better than I expected - not too many repetitions, decent variations, good movements and as bad as I expected - lack of technique, lack of correction, too much speed with too little stabilization. I'll go back - because I know what I need to work on and I am still hoping to get to the splits sometime in my lifetime. But I will only 'double time' it when I know that my technique won't completely fall apart. Because that is how I'll get better. If I keep repeating a movement badly I will become very proficient at moving badly. Not pretty. And not helpful.
I just finished taking a Ballet Barre class locally and came away very frustrated as well as tired. It was a hard class and the exercises were generally good, valuable, hard, fatiguing and doable. Mostly. I took ballet as an adult years ago so I had some experience to fall back on to say nothing of my Pilates experience which teaches AWARENESS and PRECISION. However, in this class there was so much to work on in order to get all the pieces moving together in a coordinated fashion with sacrificing technique.
And when the teacher said 'And now double time' - I knew there was no way I could keep it all together so I just kept going at the same pace - mostly. But all of the girls (6 in the class) gamely tried to do the double time. And FAILED - 100% of them. It irritated me that the teacher didn't look around the room and say, "Wow, they're not getting it - they look like shit doing this. Maybe I should just go at the old tempo and work on technique". But no. Choreography is everything so she just kept forging ahead.
"There is no bad movement. There is only movement done badly." This has been the theme for this week. It is also one of the foundational principles of my teaching.
Pilates is all about getting it right and getting it right at the beginning - as much as possible. True ballet starts with Barre work so the student can get the movement correctly and slowly before starting to move faster so that when the student gets to floor work, they know what they should be doing and where they should feel it and what it should look like. Not so in Ballet Barre.
I know how hard I was working to get it right. It was doable but hard. There was nothing wrong with the exercises, except for the speed and the inability of the students to do them. My rule for teaching is that if more than 85% (or so) can't do the exercise, there is something wrong with my teaching (communication or demonstration) or there is something wrong with the exercise. Too damn fast!!
At what point will these girls get it right? If they keep coming, will they get strong enough or flexible enough to make the correction? Not if they have been practicing the movement pattern incorrectly, with the wrong muscle. Either make the movement less complex or slow it down so the brain has a chance to learn and catch up.
It's fine that they all felt tired and worked out (as did I) at the end of class. But wouldn't it be better if they learned about their bodies as well as worked them? If they learned where turn out came from? If they learned that knee and toe alignment are important for knee health? If they learned where their spine was in these various positions? If they learned how to STABILIZE their spine and core while moving their limbs rather than shaking around like an aspen tree?
This Ballet Barre class was both better than I expected - not too many repetitions, decent variations, good movements and as bad as I expected - lack of technique, lack of correction, too much speed with too little stabilization. I'll go back - because I know what I need to work on and I am still hoping to get to the splits sometime in my lifetime. But I will only 'double time' it when I know that my technique won't completely fall apart. Because that is how I'll get better. If I keep repeating a movement badly I will become very proficient at moving badly. Not pretty. And not helpful.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Hot Ears! Hydration.
For years, I would never sweat when I worked out. I always assumed it was because I was thin and cooled down quickly. Even so, my ears would get really, really hot - they almost felt like they would burn up and fall off. Several of my friends said I needed to drink more water and I dismissed it because I did drink some water and ate fruit and vegetables and usually had a bunch of milk every day.
But I decided to read up on dehydration and did a google search; the sheer number of hits was astounding especially on the topic of 'chronic dehydration'. Several sites suggested that a large percentage of the population were chronically dehydrated. They also suggested that to reset the body's hydration meter would take a few weeks. I decided to give it a try.
At first it was hard to force myself to drink water often. I often added some lemon to make it more interesting. But as I kept at it, I did notice several changes.
But I decided to read up on dehydration and did a google search; the sheer number of hits was astounding especially on the topic of 'chronic dehydration'. Several sites suggested that a large percentage of the population were chronically dehydrated. They also suggested that to reset the body's hydration meter would take a few weeks. I decided to give it a try.
At first it was hard to force myself to drink water often. I often added some lemon to make it more interesting. But as I kept at it, I did notice several changes.
- I started sweating. During my harder workouts (especially Crossfit) I would start to more than glisten - I would actually sweat!
- I started feeling thirsty. I think I reset my thirst reaction and wanted to drink more water
- I think my moods evened out. This of course is subjective but it really does seem to correlate; I find myself much more even tempered (unless I get too hungry of course).
- I think my skin is a little smoother although I am not as sure about that one
So, drink your water. Force yourself to drink several glasses a day. What could be an easier cure for so many ills?
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Plantar Fasciitis
2 days ago, my right foot started hurting in a way that I am sure is exactly the dreaded Plantar Fasciitis - an inflammation in the fascia of the bottom of the foot that can make walking painful with lots of pain on the heel. Inflammation would usually indicate some icing and rest and maybe some stretching. But I'm stubborn. And curious.
So I didn't ice (which I do think would help) but no rest although I wore shoes more carefully and tried to not irritate my heel more. And I started stretching. Exploratory stretching - always trying to feel what made it felt better. Logically, I would think some tight calf muscles or arches would help. They did - a bit.
But over the years, I have learned that the body is a fascinating puzzle that has its own understanding. My job is to try to decipher my own or other people's bodies' organization. Years ago, I had just a touch of Plantar Fasciitis and surprisingly it went away when I did exactly the wrong things: I started jump roping at Crossfit more. And I started running the stairs more. My theory is that constant controlled stretch on the foot helped the fascia loosen up. Maybe. But you can't argue with results and my foot pain disappeared.
So I've been stretching. Calf tightness? Yes. Arch tightness? Yes. (BTW, I am doing the stretch on the unaffected leg to compare. If my right is tighter than my left, I conclude that on some level it has to be contributing to the foot pain.) But surprisingly, glute stretches - figure 4 and pigeon and especially intense hamstring stretches have made the most difference. It almost completely disappears after some hamstring stretches. Maybe the fascia down my entire leg is a little stuck and the stretches are helping loosen that up. I'm not sure but it is working.
Lesson learned? The most obvious is NOT always the right answer and to keep looking around my body - asking and learning what I need to do to heal myself. I need to become my own diagnostician. It's fascinating to learn the language of the body. And that knowledge might then possibly (but not always) be applicable to another of my clients.
It's great to have a career that fascinates even after 16 years.
So I didn't ice (which I do think would help) but no rest although I wore shoes more carefully and tried to not irritate my heel more. And I started stretching. Exploratory stretching - always trying to feel what made it felt better. Logically, I would think some tight calf muscles or arches would help. They did - a bit.
But over the years, I have learned that the body is a fascinating puzzle that has its own understanding. My job is to try to decipher my own or other people's bodies' organization. Years ago, I had just a touch of Plantar Fasciitis and surprisingly it went away when I did exactly the wrong things: I started jump roping at Crossfit more. And I started running the stairs more. My theory is that constant controlled stretch on the foot helped the fascia loosen up. Maybe. But you can't argue with results and my foot pain disappeared.
So I've been stretching. Calf tightness? Yes. Arch tightness? Yes. (BTW, I am doing the stretch on the unaffected leg to compare. If my right is tighter than my left, I conclude that on some level it has to be contributing to the foot pain.) But surprisingly, glute stretches - figure 4 and pigeon and especially intense hamstring stretches have made the most difference. It almost completely disappears after some hamstring stretches. Maybe the fascia down my entire leg is a little stuck and the stretches are helping loosen that up. I'm not sure but it is working.
Lesson learned? The most obvious is NOT always the right answer and to keep looking around my body - asking and learning what I need to do to heal myself. I need to become my own diagnostician. It's fascinating to learn the language of the body. And that knowledge might then possibly (but not always) be applicable to another of my clients.
It's great to have a career that fascinates even after 16 years.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
A New Look at Pilates
I've been doing some major overhauling of my studio, my business and thinking a lot about Pilates in general. It still surprises me that this work called Pilates continues to intrigue, challenge and inspire me still some 18 years after I started. I think it is also interesting that defining what Pilates is continues to be difficult.
For sure, it is the exercises; that classically, very clearly defined repertoire on the 'Universal Reformer', 'Cadillac', 'Wunda Chair' and of course Matwork. I know the classical repertoire. My main teacher, Cary Regan, taught in the New York studio for many years. She hammered home all of the repertoire. I, for myself, have logged hundreds of hours for myself on these exercises, trying to understand and glean more from this work. And I think I have.
I've been looking at a bunch of youtube videos lately as part of my 're-evaluation'. We may have some small differences in 'choreography', but when I see the mess that is passed off as classical repertoire, I can't believe it. Now I feel completely free to reinvent, reinterpret and create completely new exercises. But if you're going to do the classical repertoire, do it well - with Control (it was called Contrology after all), with intention, with precision.
Maybe these teachers didn't have the benefit of the kind of precise teaching that I had. Maybe they haven't continued to work on the repertoire to 'get more' out it. And to be sure there are youtube videos that certainly inspire me. Oh how I wish I had that kind of flexibility and grace. That is what I work on when I do my own Pilates workout.
But I also firmly believe that Pilates is more than the exercises. It is a way of thinking about the body and how it moves. It is learning how movements feel through every range of motion. It is letting the Mind teach the Body but also letting the Body inform the Mind. It is paying attention to what works when. It is discovering the core in every, every movement. And very importantly, it is learning to move the limbs without compromising the spine.
I've been doing the level 5 workout again more recently (the most advanced repertoire on the reformer). Even though it is a hard workout, I have rediscovered how much of a restorative it is - bringing balance and flexibility to my body after my hard Crossfit workouts.
And the last time I did the level 5, I also did some of the advanced Cadillac work like the walk overs and the other upside down work. But I was very, very happy to find that I was able to do the 'Flying Squirrel' - the holy Grail of the Pilates repertoire. There is only 1 video of the flying squirrel on youtube at Romana's NY studio. Most teachers don't even know what it is. Once again, my teacher, Cary taught it to us although none of us were able to really do it. Until now. I'll be posting my own youtube video soon - of the 'Flying Squirrel'.
For sure, it is the exercises; that classically, very clearly defined repertoire on the 'Universal Reformer', 'Cadillac', 'Wunda Chair' and of course Matwork. I know the classical repertoire. My main teacher, Cary Regan, taught in the New York studio for many years. She hammered home all of the repertoire. I, for myself, have logged hundreds of hours for myself on these exercises, trying to understand and glean more from this work. And I think I have.
I've been looking at a bunch of youtube videos lately as part of my 're-evaluation'. We may have some small differences in 'choreography', but when I see the mess that is passed off as classical repertoire, I can't believe it. Now I feel completely free to reinvent, reinterpret and create completely new exercises. But if you're going to do the classical repertoire, do it well - with Control (it was called Contrology after all), with intention, with precision.
Maybe these teachers didn't have the benefit of the kind of precise teaching that I had. Maybe they haven't continued to work on the repertoire to 'get more' out it. And to be sure there are youtube videos that certainly inspire me. Oh how I wish I had that kind of flexibility and grace. That is what I work on when I do my own Pilates workout.
But I also firmly believe that Pilates is more than the exercises. It is a way of thinking about the body and how it moves. It is learning how movements feel through every range of motion. It is letting the Mind teach the Body but also letting the Body inform the Mind. It is paying attention to what works when. It is discovering the core in every, every movement. And very importantly, it is learning to move the limbs without compromising the spine.
I've been doing the level 5 workout again more recently (the most advanced repertoire on the reformer). Even though it is a hard workout, I have rediscovered how much of a restorative it is - bringing balance and flexibility to my body after my hard Crossfit workouts.
And the last time I did the level 5, I also did some of the advanced Cadillac work like the walk overs and the other upside down work. But I was very, very happy to find that I was able to do the 'Flying Squirrel' - the holy Grail of the Pilates repertoire. There is only 1 video of the flying squirrel on youtube at Romana's NY studio. Most teachers don't even know what it is. Once again, my teacher, Cary taught it to us although none of us were able to really do it. Until now. I'll be posting my own youtube video soon - of the 'Flying Squirrel'.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Don't forget to breathe
Breathing. We all do it if we're alive. But because it is so fundamental, it is only natural that breath patterns. philosophies and rules have developed over the millennia. Pilates has breath philosophies as well - the most famous quote being "you have to 'out' the air before you can 'in' the air." (Makes more sense in German where the word for breathing out is 'ausatmen' but you put the 'aus' (out) part right at the end of the sentence).
On the other hand, when I am lifting weights at Crossfit and I am doing a deadlift, for example, of 275 lbs. I definitely NEED and MUST HOLD MY BREATH. Why is this? And isn't that antithetical to the Pilates 'breath'? In Pilates, we don't put the kind of loads on our bodies that Crossfit or other weight training does and so we can continue to breathe through the exercise and train the breathing mechanism to work steadily and efficiently.
However, the Pilates breathing in many circles has now run amok. Breathing for every little movement isn't logical or necessary. I also believe if you are focusing on the choreography and trying to find the correct muscles working in a coordinated fashion, giving a breath pattern is one variable too many to try to track. Some general breathing patterns can be helpful - 'exhale on the effort'. Just breathe! And don't worry too much about it.
There was a study I read about a few years ago that asked is it better to move on the exhale or inhale. Their conclusion? Neither was better than the other. Except to actually breathe.
One last thought. When I do any house painting, I rarely tape off for the trim. I have a very steady hand. But I have found that when I am painting the trim, if I consciously breathe steadily and regularly my trim line is even straighter. Conclusion? Keep breathing.
On the other hand, when I am lifting weights at Crossfit and I am doing a deadlift, for example, of 275 lbs. I definitely NEED and MUST HOLD MY BREATH. Why is this? And isn't that antithetical to the Pilates 'breath'? In Pilates, we don't put the kind of loads on our bodies that Crossfit or other weight training does and so we can continue to breathe through the exercise and train the breathing mechanism to work steadily and efficiently.
However, the Pilates breathing in many circles has now run amok. Breathing for every little movement isn't logical or necessary. I also believe if you are focusing on the choreography and trying to find the correct muscles working in a coordinated fashion, giving a breath pattern is one variable too many to try to track. Some general breathing patterns can be helpful - 'exhale on the effort'. Just breathe! And don't worry too much about it.
There was a study I read about a few years ago that asked is it better to move on the exhale or inhale. Their conclusion? Neither was better than the other. Except to actually breathe.
One last thought. When I do any house painting, I rarely tape off for the trim. I have a very steady hand. But I have found that when I am painting the trim, if I consciously breathe steadily and regularly my trim line is even straighter. Conclusion? Keep breathing.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Crossfit Seattle
 |
| A few Pilates Pullups. Strength exercise worthy of Crossfit. |
I was only going 1x a week (maybe) and wasn't sure about the intensity of the workout. Definitely an ass-kicker but I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. But while I was not particularly regular Crossfit has definitely been in my thinking if not in my body for a good long time.
As a small person, I have always wanted to be and feel stronger. Crossfit definitely fills that for me. I didn't really like weight training because it felt too segmented with too much muscle isolation. Crossfit is definitely a full form functional movement system although they have very little rotational work and a large percentage of the workout is in neutral spine (a good thing considering the heavy loads one is working with).
But I think one of the best things about Crossfit is their metrics or assessment tools. Everyone keeps a book or log of how much weight they are lifting on the various lifts: Back squat, Front Squat, Deadlift, Overhead Squat, etc. as well as their recording of the various set workouts. These workouts, as I have referred to before, are often named with womens names: Fran, Chelsea, Grace, Elizabeth, Helen, etc. Each workout has a proscribed weight to be used. Most of us will modify but we all know that we are working towards the Rx workout.
The ability to compare my 'Cindy' time (As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) in 20 minutes of 5 pullups, 10 pushups and 15 squats) from a year ago or a couple of months ago and see how I have improved feels really great. (I think I have gone from 16 rounds to 21 rounds BTW). And then I can compare myself to others at my gym or any other Crossfit gym and see how 'stack up'.
Pilates needs these assessment tools. We measure our progress by a. less pain in an injured area, b. better feeling in our body (very subjective) c. how we look in our clothes. But all of these are more or less subjective. I have tried to inject some assessments at our studio but we haven't really continued to check in with them. I need to create more Pilates metrics. While we could use the classic 'levels', that doesn't always work for everyone based on some injury. But in the next couple months, I am going to figure out some metrics that work very specifically for Pilates. I think so many of my clients have no idea how strong they have gotten. I need to take more pictures of my clients arms (mostly women) so they can see how sculpted and beautiful they have gotten. More importantly, how much more functional their fitness level is for their everyday lives when their gardening or lifting kids, traveling and having to lift carry ons in the stow bins. And strength in the gym will translate to less likely for injury elsewhere.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Frog in the air.
 |
| Frog in the Air |
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Advanced Pilates
I did the level 5 Reformer workout this afternoon. Of course there are some variations from studio to studio but generally this would be the accepted highest, most advanced Reformer exercises. I used to do the L5 every week but have been mixing it up a lot for the last year or so.
I was very pleased to see that:
a. I remembered all of the springs and set up for each exercises,
b. I was able to do all of the exercises and all of the transitions (more or less on the transitions),
c. my strength gains from Crossfit and other workouts have really helped with this workout and,
d. my flexibility had not really diminished that much.
The level 5 eventually becomes a body 'rebalancing' for range of motion and flexibility. It keeps moving through the 60 some exercises with few reps and lots of different movement patterns. It doesn't really isolate any muscle groups but everything is working fairly hard.
Made me think that I would like more of my clients to work towards a L5 workout ability. Maybe we'll just start with the classic L1, 2, 3, and 4 and see where some of my clients are at. We'll call it the "Level 5 Project"
I wonder how sore I'll be from the stretching tomorrow.
I was very pleased to see that:
a. I remembered all of the springs and set up for each exercises,
b. I was able to do all of the exercises and all of the transitions (more or less on the transitions),
c. my strength gains from Crossfit and other workouts have really helped with this workout and,
d. my flexibility had not really diminished that much.
The level 5 eventually becomes a body 'rebalancing' for range of motion and flexibility. It keeps moving through the 60 some exercises with few reps and lots of different movement patterns. It doesn't really isolate any muscle groups but everything is working fairly hard.
Made me think that I would like more of my clients to work towards a L5 workout ability. Maybe we'll just start with the classic L1, 2, 3, and 4 and see where some of my clients are at. We'll call it the "Level 5 Project"
I wonder how sore I'll be from the stretching tomorrow.
Technique or Intensity
Here are some excerpts from an Article written by Dallas Hartwig - a Physical Therapist and Crossfit instructor (@ Whole9life.com). He makes some very good points about how much technique should be allowed to degrade in an intense workout (whether it be Crossfit or Pilates or some other hardcore class).
Food for thought and I must say, I think he is right. I have often told myself to really focus on technique when I get into these intense workouts. It weird that some silly sense of competition would trick me into doing myself harm but it happens. And more than once I have caught myself degrading to 60% technique in order to get finished faster. Mea culpa.
He writes:
Performing exercises properly and paying attention to the subtleties of the movement will determine whether my client sees an increase in physical capacity, or is plagued by injury (now, or in the future) as the result of the reinforcement of incorrect and unsafe motor patterns. . . . But given my professional experience, I’d rather err on the side of exceptional technique than prioritize maximal intensity at the expense ofquality of movement.
According to a Crossfit certification seminar on intensity, “Unsafe is unacceptable, but so is perfect form.” The instructor explained, “If you’re doing high-rep deadlifts and your back starts to round, that’s unsafe and unacceptable. But if you’re doing that same set of deadlifts with perfect form on every rep, that’s also unacceptable. You’ve either gone too light (in weight), or you’re not working hard enough.” This ideal is referred to as ‘CrossFit slop’.” The ‘slop’ ideal is often cited within the CrossFit community as 20% form degradation (compared to 100% perfect form). According to CrossFit theory, that’s the optimal balance of effort and safety. “That’s where intensity lives. Technique has to be good enough to increase intensity, but you should never strive for perfect form.”
Hartwig writes:
And here’s where I take issue with this concept of “intensity is king.” In my experience, the 20% ‘slop’ advocated by CrossFit often devolves into a 50% slop in practical application, especially with longer length, high-rep met-cons. (Lighter movements, like those usually prescribed in a chipper workout, can almost always be completed any which way, even with form that makes your eyes bleed.) I’ve seen patellar tendonitis from high-volume air squats, strained shoulders from shoddy thruster technique, and tweaked lumbar spines from high rep deadlifts pulled with careless form, all driven by the pursuit of “intensity”.
Food for thought and I must say, I think he is right. I have often told myself to really focus on technique when I get into these intense workouts. It weird that some silly sense of competition would trick me into doing myself harm but it happens. And more than once I have caught myself degrading to 60% technique in order to get finished faster. Mea culpa.
He writes:
Performing exercises properly and paying attention to the subtleties of the movement will determine whether my client sees an increase in physical capacity, or is plagued by injury (now, or in the future) as the result of the reinforcement of incorrect and unsafe motor patterns. . . . But given my professional experience, I’d rather err on the side of exceptional technique than prioritize maximal intensity at the expense ofquality of movement.
According to a Crossfit certification seminar on intensity, “Unsafe is unacceptable, but so is perfect form.” The instructor explained, “If you’re doing high-rep deadlifts and your back starts to round, that’s unsafe and unacceptable. But if you’re doing that same set of deadlifts with perfect form on every rep, that’s also unacceptable. You’ve either gone too light (in weight), or you’re not working hard enough.” This ideal is referred to as ‘CrossFit slop’.” The ‘slop’ ideal is often cited within the CrossFit community as 20% form degradation (compared to 100% perfect form). According to CrossFit theory, that’s the optimal balance of effort and safety. “That’s where intensity lives. Technique has to be good enough to increase intensity, but you should never strive for perfect form.”
Hartwig writes:
And here’s where I take issue with this concept of “intensity is king.” In my experience, the 20% ‘slop’ advocated by CrossFit often devolves into a 50% slop in practical application, especially with longer length, high-rep met-cons. (Lighter movements, like those usually prescribed in a chipper workout, can almost always be completed any which way, even with form that makes your eyes bleed.) I’ve seen patellar tendonitis from high-volume air squats, strained shoulders from shoddy thruster technique, and tweaked lumbar spines from high rep deadlifts pulled with careless form, all driven by the pursuit of “intensity”.
At the Whole9, 20% slop isn’t good enough. You don’t get to move up in weight – or go faster – unless your form is really, truly solid. (I use my “A-minus” grade as a subjective criteria – not perfect, but pretty darn good). In addition, your “max effort” pulls will not count here if they’re hideous. And don’t give me the “in the real world, it doesn’t have to look pretty” argument, either. Sure, I’ve seen 500 pound deadlifts PRs that look like question marks… but those strong dudes didn’t get that way by training with that technique. That degradation in form is acceptable when it matters, like lifting a fallen tree off a family member, carrying an injured comrade out of harm’s way, or even non-emergency, one-time situations like competing in a lifting meet. But folks, your everyday CrossFit workout is not that time. Imperfect form in the desperation of an emergency or during a real-world, functional “test” does not justify that level of form degradation during your training.
When we train, our goal is to build the strength, practice good technique, and reinforce only proper movement patterns. And despite what your ego may be telling you (go heavier, tough it out, rip it up), I assure you that our approach will serve you well when it’s time to pull a max effort clean, some fast met-con deadlifts or give Grace a go. Your technique will be solid, your times will improve and you’ll walk away from the gym stronger and fitter, instead of broken and hurting. Still choose to operate with that 20% margin of “CrossFit slop”? You can certainly work harder, produce more power, and maybe even be fitter than me with that approach. But you’re sure as hell going to be injured more often too. I have yet to hear a patient tell me, “Well, my shoulder has been hurting pretty bad for the last 3 weeks, but I sure am glad I cut 7 seconds off my Fran time.” How hard can you train when you’re All Banged Up? I’ll answer that for you, from personal experience – not hard enough to maintain the well-rounded fitness we seek.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Elongating your muscles
Everywhere people talk about how Pilates builds long lean muscles and you will be taller as if Pilates worked on the body in some unique manner. There is only partial truth to that statement. Muscles can essentially ONLY contract and release. They cannot somehow grow longer or expand their length. However, if our muscles are tight and 'held' in a shortened position, the stretching and full range of motion that Pilates provides will help release those tight muscles allowing the muscle tissue to go to their full natural length.
In addition, as I understand it, our bodies have fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fiber. Fast twitch is sprint and explosive power muscle. Those muscle cells are shorter and fatter and therefore bulkier. They tire quickly but can produce lots of power.
Slow twitch fiber, which tends to be the kind of muscle fiber that Pilates taps into, are thinner longer muscle tissue. They are endurance muscle (think of the muscles of a marathon runner versus a sprinter). They don't have nearly as much power capacity but they can keep going forever (well not literally). In Pilates, because we do exercises in a slow, controlled fashion and because we are not putting our bodies under the kind of loads that weight training does, Pilates does tap into that slow twitch fiber.
The upside of Pilates is the control over the full range of motion of the body. Those slow twitch fibers do make for a leaner look. The downside is that when trying to generate power - whether explosive or under heavy load, Pilates bodies are generally found to be WEAK! So if you are training for an explosive sport (most sports are explosive) from soccer to tennis to, of course, football and hockey, Pilates will help with control throughout ranges of motion, but it will unlikely make you stronger unless you put the body under heavy load or train explosive movements.
When I started Crossfit many years ago, I found I had very good form and technique even on unfamiliar exercises. But I quickly fatigued and my Crossfit teacher bluntly told me that I was weak. He was right. Now with both Crossfit training and Pilates in my exercise routine, I feel I am getting the best of both worlds. And by the way, while I may be somewhat bigger, my genetics are such that I will never be huge.
At Mind and Body, as a result of that experience, we include explosive movement in our workouts and try to put the body under heavier loads than you would find in other Pilates studios. No, not to make people bulkier but to help them train for their particular sport and to train explosive movement in a controlled fashion. And we always stay true to our Pilates roots of controlling all movement patterns without sacrificing technique for speed. We also always incorporate larger than usual ranges of motion to keep our muscle tissues from tightening up and staying short.
Long and lean - probably. But stronger and more stable - for sure!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
"There is no balance, there is only Strength"
Many clients want to, or are told to, work on their balance as if it is some mysterious aspect of fitness that can be improved by closing your eyes and standing on one leg and repeating this as often as possible. My experience and my belief is that this is a total waste of time and an exercise in frustration. If you want to improve your balance, you must improve your STRENGTH!
All of those little muscles in our feet and calves to say nothing of the bigger muscles in our upper thighs and especially our glutes (aka 'ASS') need strengthening, fine tuning and training to improve balance. If you can't stand on one leg on the floor, for heaven's sake don't go stand on a BOSU ball or any wobble board. Those Toys are for people who want more challenge - who are bored standing around on one leg like a flamingo. If your body is just randomly firing muscles so that you don't fall down, your balance won't improve. BUT, if you find exercises that tire out your leg and foot muscles, your body will get stronger and your balance will improve.
In our studio, we regularly do one legged squats to help build that strength. Some people use the wall to help them balance, some people don't. Some people do it on a foam roller and some people hold weights in their hand. But they all feel muscular fatigue. And muscular fatigue means muscle strength and muscular strength means better balance
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Sore Again
Jude and I did Crossfit on Friday noon and then again on Saturday morning. I was not too sore from earlier in the week but Jude was pretty sore from CF on Thursday night and then Cardio Pilates on Friday Morning.
To finish off the week, we did 'the stairs' on Capitol Hill. Seattle has lots of outdoor stairs because we have so many hills. And these particular stairs are popular for getting a workout. Actually there is a pair of stairs a block apart each going up about 13 flights although I am not sure what that actually elevation change is.
Anyway, we are training for the Columbia Tower stair climb (Bigclimb.org) in March. It is 69 floors and it ends up being mostly a sprint. I did it 2 years ago with a 12 minute time. My goal is to cut that down to at least 10 minutes. So I have been sprinting up the Capitol hill steps for the past few weeks getting back into shape. Yesterday, I did 12 'laps' - some sprinting, some walking but all taking 2 steps at a time. It is a great workout!
Today, I am not sore in my legs but my triceps and upper body is a bit sore from Crossfit yesterday. I'll stretch it out when I do my Pilates workout with a couple of clients.
To finish off the week, we did 'the stairs' on Capitol Hill. Seattle has lots of outdoor stairs because we have so many hills. And these particular stairs are popular for getting a workout. Actually there is a pair of stairs a block apart each going up about 13 flights although I am not sure what that actually elevation change is.
Anyway, we are training for the Columbia Tower stair climb (Bigclimb.org) in March. It is 69 floors and it ends up being mostly a sprint. I did it 2 years ago with a 12 minute time. My goal is to cut that down to at least 10 minutes. So I have been sprinting up the Capitol hill steps for the past few weeks getting back into shape. Yesterday, I did 12 'laps' - some sprinting, some walking but all taking 2 steps at a time. It is a great workout!
Today, I am not sore in my legs but my triceps and upper body is a bit sore from Crossfit yesterday. I'll stretch it out when I do my Pilates workout with a couple of clients.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Long Time Coming
It's been several months since my last entry. You can just assume a combination of busy-ness, laziness and neglect. But I have not been idle in that time.
I have continued my Crossfit workouts and have really started to see and feel changes in my strength. But as I was telling a Pilates client yesterday, "If you really want to make changes in your body, you have to really work hard. I mean the kind of workout that leaves either laying on the floor panting or crying."
Other workouts, Pilates included, are going to change one's body but just not as fast. Our bodies crave stasis to conserve energy and as such they will try to sabotage our efforts to make changes. I feel a bit of anxiety every time I go to Crossfit because I know that I am going to be wiped out. But the rewards of having done something you didn't think you were capable of are great.
And lately, because of Crossfit, I am finding Pilates so incredibly valuable for its complexity, flexibility, range of motion and requirement for a complete body integration. After all Joe Pilates worked a lot with dancers in NYC; a dancer already has a level of fitness and strength so the classical advanced Pilates reformer work can be viewed almost as a restorative - getting the body back in balance with itself.
I have continued my Crossfit workouts and have really started to see and feel changes in my strength. But as I was telling a Pilates client yesterday, "If you really want to make changes in your body, you have to really work hard. I mean the kind of workout that leaves either laying on the floor panting or crying."
Other workouts, Pilates included, are going to change one's body but just not as fast. Our bodies crave stasis to conserve energy and as such they will try to sabotage our efforts to make changes. I feel a bit of anxiety every time I go to Crossfit because I know that I am going to be wiped out. But the rewards of having done something you didn't think you were capable of are great.
And lately, because of Crossfit, I am finding Pilates so incredibly valuable for its complexity, flexibility, range of motion and requirement for a complete body integration. After all Joe Pilates worked a lot with dancers in NYC; a dancer already has a level of fitness and strength so the classical advanced Pilates reformer work can be viewed almost as a restorative - getting the body back in balance with itself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
