Flexibility VS Mobility. Why You Should Care…

By Daniel | Published: April 13, 2011

You do NOT want to be this flexible.

Remember gym class in junior high?  Nothing like Portland Boot Camp, eh?

Back then we were told to stretch before we ran so we’d be “warmed up”.  And to this day, many people still believe this is a good idea.  It increases your flexibility and mobility right?  Well, it sounds eminently logical.  But, unfortunately, it just isn’t true.  Turns out stretching before working out is not only ineffective — it might even injure you. (That’s why we stretch AFTER class)

So why did we do it?

Well our gym teachers wanted us to be flexible.  Flexibility refers solely to range of motion.  Instead, what we want…what will make us stable and ready for a proper workout… is…

Mobility.

Mobility refers to having stable joints which are ready for the demands of dynamic tasks.  Dynamic or intense moves, like we do in boot camp.  Just because a person is hyper flexible, it doesn’t mean their body is ready for intense, dynamic workouts.  In fact, without mobility, extreme flexibility can increase the risk of injury.

And that’s why we don’t stretch before boot camp.  What we do before class is mobility drills.

Here are a few basic ones we use in boot camp which you can use right now. (If you are a boot camper you probably know many of these)

  1. Neck Rolls.  Roll your head side to side in slow motion – gradually increasing your range of motion.
  2. Arm Circles.  Move your straight arms in slow circles alternating them.  Hands go from straight overhead to straight down your sides as you swing them in a circle.  Gradually increase your speed as the joint warms up.
  3. Hip Circles.  Rotate the hips in a small circle working the hip joints and spine.
  4. Knee Circles.  Rotate the knees in a small circle, clockwise for about 25 turns then counter clockwise for another 25 or so.
  5. Hip Swings. Swing the knee up to the chest and then swing the leg back behind you.  Slowly at first, but then picking up speed.
  6. Angry Cat/Camel:  On all fours, arch the back up into an upside-down “u” shape and then raise the hips and head as the back drops down into a “U” shape.  See the picture below.  It’s tough to describe!

The advanced moves we use, I learned from several trainers and courses.  The best one is from an amazing professional named Eric Cressey.  Eric trains Major League Baseball players and keeps them flexible, strong and most importantly, MOBILE.   About a year ago, Eric sent me a review copy of his comprehensive mobility DVD called “Magnificent Mobility”.

And let me tell you…it is awesome.

If you want to be more mobile (trust me, you do) and reduce body pain, fatigue, and stiffness… then I suggest you grab a copy for yourself.  It covers all the angles.  And you can use the moves to address your SPECIFIC needs before you start boot camp.  If you show up 15 minutes early to class and do the specific moves you need, you’ll be ready to rock.  And it will take you a bit deeper than we go in boot camp too.

And if you are not a member of Portland Boot Camp, you can use the mobility drills to increase your mobility no matter what your current condition or skill level.

I give this one my highest recommendation.

A giant double thumbs up.  It’s endorsed and used by the best and most respected trainers in the industry.  And now you can grab your OWN copy here ==> Magnificent Mobility

Now just so you know, it isn’t a slick DVD from some giant manufacturer, it’s kind of “homey” but it get straight to the point and tells you everything you need to know.

Enjoy your mobility!

Posted in Boot Camp Functional Fitness, Boot Camp Fundamentals, Boot Camp Injury Prevention, Flexibility, Injury prevention!, Recovery | 1 Comment

7 Post Holiday Fat Loss Tips from Portland Boot Camp

By Daniel | Published: December 30, 2010
Christmas Cookies by Dan McKay

Get Rid of THESE before you eat them all!

Well, Gang,The Holidays are almost over

Time to get to work right before Portland Boot Camp gets crankin’ right?

Supposedly, the average person gains about 3-5lbs during the Holidays.  So let me get you on your way to melting off those extra pounds before the New Year really gets under way.

1.        Stop drinking liquid calories!

Yes, I mean wine, beer, wassail, hot chocolate and all the rest of the holiday libations.  It was fun to celebrate, but now it’s time to get serious about trimming down your waistline.

2.       Get rid of all your “naughty leftovers”.

You know, out of sight out of mind.  Go through your cabinets and fridges and chuck all those treats you KNOW are going to sabotage your efforts in 2011.

3.       Write out your shopping lists and food plans for the firs 4 weeks of 2011.

By writing it down and committing to paper, you make a physical and psychological decision to change.  Plus you have a blueprint for success already done… in your hands!

4.       Start getting to bed earlier.

I know, I know.  The Holiday movies, the relaxed atmosphere.  Staying up later.  But getting back to normal with sleep and shooting for 7-8 hours can make such a huge difference in your ability to lose body fat and recover from exercise.  Get started tonight!

5.       Start Keeping a Food Journal.

I know, it isn’t exactly rocket science.  But I swear, everyone who gets success has a simple food journal to hold themselves accountable.  After all, do you really want to have to write down, “Ugh.  I ate 4 sugar cookies for a snack when I should have had an apple and some almonds.”  Didn’t think so.

6.      Start drinking more water.

All that indulgence and Holiday Focus has probably stressed your system and you are likely sub optimally hydrated.  Time to step it up.  Get started now so you can get used to more water in your system by the time boot camp rolls around.

7.       Start moving NOW.

Get outside and start walking or running.  Do some push ups, bodyweight squats and planks.  Start foam rolling and working on flexibility today.  Get a head start so boot camp isn’t a total shock to your system.

Well there’s my top 7 tips for getting started.

Now…

Get movin’!

To your health,

Daniel

Portland Boot Camp

Posted in Boot Camp Diet, Boot Camp Diet Tips, Weight Loss Tips | Tagged | 2 Comments

Hypnosis for Weight Loss?

By Daniel | Published: November 11, 2010

Hey, Portland Boot Camp VIPS,

If you have trouble staying consistent with your diet plan, find yourself eating emotionally, and need some extra willpower… then check this out…

Hypnosis
The idea that hypnosis can make you do anything against your will is an old one.  It’s simply a stage trick.  But research shows that MEDICAL hypnosis CAN help with weight loss.

Medical hypnosis has been shown to dramatically increase the ability for users to stay motivated and focused.

In fact, the winner from The Biggest Loser in season two used it.  But only medical hypnosis works.  Not stage “hypnosis”.

In a 9-week study of two groups, the the group using hypnosis kept getting results after two years.  The group without hypnosis did not. (Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1985).

Another study with 60 women using hypnosis got results too.  The hypnosis group lost an average of 17 pounds, while the non-hypnosis group lost an average of only .5 pounds!  That’s pretty dramatic. (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1986).

But there’s more.

I found this tidbit:

“In a meta-analysis, comparing the results of adding hypnosis to weight loss treatment across multiple studies showed that adding hypnosis increased weight loss by an average of 97% during treatment, and even more importantly increased the effectiveness POST TREATMENT by over 146%. This shows that hypnosis works even better over time (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1996).”

Anyway, I did a little poking around and here is what seems to be the best source:

http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/hypnosis/weight_loss.php

And if you like to read, here are some of the studies:

Cochrane, Gordon; Friesen, J. (1986). Hypnotherapy in weight loss treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 489-492.

Kirsch, Irving (1996). Hypnotic enhancement of cognitive-behavioral weight loss treatments–Another meta-reanalysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64 (3), 517-519.

Allison, David B.; Faith, Myles S. Hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for obesity: A meta-analytic reappraisal. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1996 Jun Vol 64(3) 513-516

Stradling J, Roberts D, Wilson A, Lovelock F. Controlled trial of hypnotherapy for weight loss in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. International Journal of Obesity Related Metabolic Disorders. 1998 Mar;22(3):278-81.

To your success!

-D

Posted in Boot Camp Diet Tips, Boot Camp Motivation, Boot Camp Weightloss Hypnosis, Mindset, Weight Loss Tips | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Portland Boot Camp: “Cardio is DEAD”!

By Daniel | Published: October 29, 2010

Here’s how to Exercise LESS and Burn MORE

My Health Seeking Friend,

Imagine for a moment…

If you could make your body burn fat faster… and even STOP making new fat. Wouldn’t that be great?

You may be thinking, “What’s the catch?”

Great question.

Hold that thought, and think how you would feel for a moment…if the more you worked out, the more your body made fat.

Which would you prefer?

The answer is obvious.  Nobody wants to make MORE fat through exercise.  But that’s what happens when you perform long-duration exercise like aerobics and so –called cardio.

Here’s what I mean: when you do slow, long distance cardio, your primary fuel source is fat.  Sounds great… BUT…what happens is, your body learns that it needs fat for fuel.  So it actually makes more fat to have it ready for your next round of long duration cardio!

Now THAT”S a catch.

And it’s a vicious cycle.

This cycle of using fat as a primary source for fuel during a workout is why you see people chugging it out day after day on treadmills and getting nowhere fast.  Their bodies keep making more fat to keep up with the aerobic exercise demand for fat as a primary fuel source.

Think about it for a second…

When you lay around on the couch, your body is using almost entirely fat as fuel.  Well, after the first 4 weeks of doing slow long distance cardio or aerobics, your body adapts and what used to feel intense will just be a grind.  And your body doesn’t see it as a challenge at all.  Your body, fuel wise, doesn’t know the different.

You have to learn to see slow jogging on a treadmill, or watching Oprah on an elliptical trainer as kind of like… laying around on the couch, only you are on your feet.

And that’s also why we don’t focus on burning fat at boot camp.

Instead…

We focus on short duration, high intensity exercise.  Which burns fewer calories and fewer calories of fat during the exercise session… but burns EXTRA amounts of fat AFTER the workout is over.

In fact… in a study at Quebec’s Laval University, subjects lost NINE TIMES more fat than slow cardio exercisers for every calorie burned.

After the workouts were over the aerobics group stopped burning fat and their bodies reacted by creating more fat for fuel to use at the next session.

But the other crew took advantage of the “Afterburn effect”.  Essentially their metabolism blasted through the roof.  And the best part is: this metabolism turbo-boost can last a whole day. But as soon as you step of a long boring session of “cardio” on a treadmill, it all comes to a halt.

So let’s do the math…

So what makes it work?

Ah.  This is good:  It works because after you work at a high intensity, your body needs to burn a whole bunch of calories to restore your muscles, energy supplies, back to normal.

Short burst, high intensity exercise is a proven protocol for burning the maximum amount of fat in the minimum amount of time.

It also:

Boosts your Anti-Aging hormone: Growth Hormone.  Growth hormone incinerates fat, improves bone density, raises good cholesterol, and helps build muscle.  Aerobics has little to no Growth Hormone raising effect!

Builds a Strong Heart.  Short burst exercise needs a LOT of oxygen.  And the heart has to work harder to adapt.  The heart begins to pump MORE blood per beat and as a result, it grows stronger and actually lasts longer.  Traditional aerobics weakens the heart over time.

An hour on a treadmill and no real metabolism boost.

OR

40 Minutes (or even much less) of High Intensity training with a 10 minute warm up and cool down with a FULL DAY of high metabolism.

*Ding Ding Ding*!

Cheers,D

Posted in Boot Camp Functional Fitness, Boot Camp Program Design, Exercise tips, Portland Boot Camp Cardio, Weight Loss Tips | 6 Comments

Boot Camp Success: You Don’t Have to Want To

By Daniel | Published: August 19, 2010

Hi, Portland Boot Camp VIPs,

My Dad used to get me so mad.

Whatever it was, I would say, “I don’t want to.” And he would say, “You don’t have to want to.”

I was just sitting here remembering that and it occurred to me…

…99 out of 100 people don’t realize — or are unwilling to accept — what it really takes to achieve a fitness goal.  Or any worthy goal for that matter.

The reality is, any goal has very specific steps and tasks that must be taken and completed.  These tasks are not “maybe tomorrow” or “when I feel like it” tasks.  Instead, they are tasks which absolutely must be done — no matter how you feel about them.

Like a child at bath time, you don’t have to feel like it.  You don’t have to want to .  You simply must.

No matter how you feel about the specific, necessary steps to reach your goal… know that by taking the steps, by completing the tasks, even when you don’t feel like it at all, you will eventually reach to your goal.

Lock step.

Think about that…

… the next time you are faced with eating a mind and body sustaining meal, or avoiding the meal and opting for junk because you “feel like it”.

Or when you don’t really “feel” like coming into boot camp and doing the work.

Or when planning your meals seems like “too much work”.

It IS work.

It DOES take time.

It IS tedious sometimes.  But choosing not to do it just because you don’t feel like it in the moment is disservice to yourself.

Avoidance of what needs to be done is rooted in the subconscious thought, “I don’t enjoy doing this particular taks, so doing it is incorrect.”.
Not so.

We often get exactly what we want by doing what we don’t feel like doing.

The results are worth it folks.

Ask yourself…

Is there some form of self-ravaging I am engaging in which is hampering my results or slowing down my performance?

Am I doing anything which is aging me faster?

What areas of my fitness lifestyle need attention and tweaking?  Food?  Boot Camp attendance?  Sleep?  Water intake?  Foam rolling?  Stretching?  Vitamins?

Take a moment to take stock and figure out the real score.

Be brutally honest with yourself and then take action doing exactly what you don’t feel like doing.

I promise, with each action you complete that you don’t feel like doing…but which brings you greater health and closer to a goal…you will grow in self-esteem and feel a supreme sense of accomplishment and earned pride.

And it all gets easier.

Before you know it, you have new goals which were invisible and psychologically untenable to you before.  But now become worthy challenges which you embrace willingly.

And then – quite suddenly — you WANT to!

Go for it.

Cheers,

D

Posted in Boot Camp Motivation, Failure, Mindset, Motivation | 10 Comments