Stepping on the scale can be a little stressful.  In fact, for some, it can become a full-blown phobia.

Today’s digital scales have even more to say than their predecessors. Some scales report hydration status, body weight, cardiovascular function, bone density, and of course that oft-dreaded measure of body fat percentage.

As futuristic as some “smart” body weight scales may look today, for measuring body fat percentage they rely on a technique that has been used since the 70’s.  This technique is called Bio-electrical impedance analysis (BIA).  I first learned about BIA while studying Exercise Physiology in school.  Over the span of twenty years, I have used BIA devices professionally with many thousands of individuals in our personal training business as they pursued their individual weight loss goals.  This experience has taught me that Body Fat measurement and evaluation can be very helpful but that it can also backfire.  Here are six tips to make using that digital scale in your bathroom less stressful and more helpful.

Standardize the process

BIA uses a minute electrical current that passes through your body from one electrode to another or several others.  The body fat estimates that your scale generates are based on the fact that some tissues slow this electrical current down more than others as it passes through your body.  Keep in mind that humans on average are made up of about 60% water.  Cellular hydration though varies for each of us throughout any given day.  This means that your estimated body fat percentage will vary significantly during the same day.  When you wake up in the morning, and your cells are less hydrated, you will weigh less, but your body fat estimate will be higher!  So here is my tip.  Only use your scale when variables are as controlled as they reasonably can be.  The most important thing you can do is pick a time of day that will be your way in time for a specific scale.  I find it’s easiest to do it in the morning.  Don’t get on your scale unless it’s at the appointed standardized time of day and you haven’t changed your routine.

Understand reliability vs. sensitivity

In statistics, reliability refers to the repeatability of a measurement from test to test.  High reliability means that if you control variables, your measurement should be very close to the same from test to test unless something has changed.  Sensitivity is about the accuracy of a measurement.  At any moment we do have a true body fat percentage. Unfortunately, there is not a device on earth I would bet on to measure it with perfect accuracy.  Different kinds of measures are known to have  various standard error of estimate expectations.  Here is what I have learned.  It doesn’t matter.  It’s nice to have a decent ballpark of body fat percentage to be able to compare to healthy reference ranges.  However, you should focus on using your scale to detect change rather than give you an accurate measure.  You want to know – am I improving my body composition, maintaining, or moving backward.  While you can’t bet on BIA accuracy, these devices are pretty reliable, and therefore they can be very useful for detecting change.

Get a daily data point

For twenty years I have had the pleasure of continuously holding what seemed like common sense views pretty far ahead of the curve.  For example, as a personal trainer, I focused on strength training for weight loss and wellness long before widespread acceptance.  When it comes to weigh-ins, I have always gone against the grain and recommended daily weigh-ins.  New research supports this approach. The findings are compelling enough for David Levistsky, a professor of nutrition and psychology at Cornell University to say. “Stepping on the scale should be like brushing your teeth.

In addition to increasing mindfulness, this daily rhythm creates the data set necessary to do meaningful analysis of what’s going on with your weight loss and wellness.  There will be fluctuations in what the scale says even if you  standardize the process.  If you space out your weigh-ins too much, you are at the mercy of chance, and you risk painting a picture that puts too much “weight” on your most recent reading on the scale.

Compare average measurements over time periods

As I have repeatedly said, you will see variations in measurements from day to day.  The smartest thing you can do for your psyche and to gain true insight into the effects of your efforts is to compare the averages of your readings for chosen time periods.  So for example, you can take all of your daily readings for a week, add them up, and divide by the number of days you added together.  This will give you your average for the week. Ideally, you have seven data points.  Record these averages and track them from week to week.  This will smooth out the highs and lows from your data and provide you with feedback on a weeks worth of effort.  Next, you can add up four weekly average values and record that as a monthly value.  Record the monthly value and track your month to month changes.  This simple methodology makes you smarter than all of the supposedly smart weight loss technologies on the market using artificial intelligence to guide your efforts.  And, it takes the edge off of a single reading that didn’t feel so good.

Here is an example of a weekly average visualization. Even weekly averages exhibit the”sawtooth” pattern characteristic of physiological changes that occur over time.

Stay focused on trends

By now you have probably already picked up on my belief that the key to meaningful and helpful fitness tracking is the following of trends.  I have shared how you can track week to week and month to month trends.  Tracking a 90-day trend may be one of the single most important things you could do for your health and life.  Just a small improvement in weight and or body composition over a 90-day period has huge implications for your metabolic health.  Rather than worrying about what the values are for weight and body fat percentage, strive to consistently see a move in the right direction every 90 days.  Once you have logged your first successful 90 days even holding your ground for a 90 day period is a worthwhile accomplishment.  Celebrate this maintenance and use that momentum to take another swing at more progress.  Remember to keep your heart fixed on the single most important reason changing your body composition matters to you.

Know that the first sign of positive change is a negative reading

Answer these two questions:

1. Are you currently on a streak of consistent weight loss?
2. Are you currently on a streak of very committed healthy eating including limited sugar?

If you answer no to both of those, there is something you need to know before you start tracking your body fat percentage.

When you are not in an optimal metabolic state, you retain more water.  This means that even your muscle cells swell like water balloons.

They are larger as a result of elevated insulin levels in your body, but they are not stronger or more functional for their size.  They are just bloated.  When you begin strength training and eating healthier (ie., reducing sugar intake) you can quickly improve your insulin levels and reduce water retention.  Do you remember how I said BIA scales work?  They are very sensitive to hydration status.  If you start to make a positive change the first several pounds you lose will be water weight.  All your scale see is less water in your muscle cells, and it can only conclude your muscles have gotten smaller.  In reality, they have, but remember when this happens they are just less swollen.  If you are getting stronger at the same time, then you can rest assured that you aren’t losing the actual contractile protein that makes your muscles contract.  In other words, your muscle did not atrophy.  The problem is that when these BIA scales pick up on your initial water loss the calculation they make that concludes your muscles are smaller means that your reported body fat percentage will go up!  This can be very frustrating.  Imagine for two weeks you eat perfectly and perform your strength training only to watch the body fat percentage reading on your scale increase!  You have to push through this. It’s fake news to borrow a popular term of the day!  If you are eating well and your weight goes down on the scale that’s what you should focus on.  After your first  1-2 weeks of healthier habits you achieve a sort of recalibration, and from that point forward you should see your body fat decrease in proportion to your weight decreases.  Stick to the plan.  Get your daily data point, compare weeks, and keep going.  You will see on paper just when you pushed through this initial measurement anomaly.  And, remember, research shows that there is a huge amount of benefit to your metabolism and health from the first five percent of body-weight that you lose.  No matter how many times you have tried before, you can do it!

This blog is going to be largely about innovative fitness concepts and methods.  I will also examine current trends and discuss where they fit on the continuum between silly and state-of-the-art.  Brace yourself.  You may be surprised just how silly some things look upon thoughtful examination.

I know, that’s quite a claim.  It’s just that I’ve been at the fitness game for 16 years and have seen it all.  I started asking questions (and not getting very good answers) during my undergraduate studies of exercise physiology.  Fortunately,  I learned that through critical thinking one could arrive at rational conclusions about the best way to go about conditioning the human body.

Many things that are believed to be self-evident about conventional fitness wisdom are in truth just myths.  The fitness industry knows this and is slowly beginning to get it.  It will take a while for the tide to turn completely.  That’s not our focus at The Exercise Coach.  We are passionate about paradigm shifting.  We have simply found that the folks who can really affect a change in the way culture views exercise are thinking consumers who are simply frustrated with silly old approaches and are ready for real results.  If that’s you, I’m happy to tell you that there are answers to your questions and solutions for your frustration that sound almost too good to be true.

Check back frequently as we embark on a journey together to usher exercise into the era of the iPhone and Google.  Isn’t it important that we do that?  At The Exercise Coach we have made experiencing the pinnacle application of exercise science a turn-key experience.  Our personal training program is guided by several core attributes that I would like to share here.  Whether or not you are within the service footprint of one of our training centers these will serve as a guide to help you decide if a particular program is right for you or if it’s simply silly and antiquated.

In the next couple of posts, I will lay out and explain the 7 characteristics of personal training that has progressed.

Also See:

Personal Training Has Progressed: Part 2

Personal Training Has Progressed: Part 3

We are all bombarded by countless fitness and fat loss claims daily.  Apparently, the average person asks, “So What?”  For about 85% of population, the solutions offered up by fitness experts and exercise enthusiasts lack relevance to the average adult.

We like to say that for the vast majority of people, working out just hasn’t worked out.  Conventional fitness approaches just don’t fit nicely into the average person’s busy schedule.  And, standard workouts, health clubs, videos, and trainers really don’t seem to address the needs of most people – especially baby-boomers.  While the number of baby-boomers engaged in a regular exercise program has increased, they are still a very under-served demographic.  We meet boomers every day who would that tell us about how run-of-the-mill fitness misses the mark.

The interesting thing about the situation is that boomers are more open to adopting innovative approaches to exercise than the fitness industry itself!  And innovation is what we need to make exercise more relevant.  Check out the Law of Diffusion of Innovation. According to this theory, in my opinion, the fitness industry are the laggards it describes.  Laggards are people who won’t adopt an innovation until it becomes conventional wisdom.  Since conventional wisdom regarding exercise comes from the fitness industry, we have ended up with a somewhat myopic and stale industry.  Without the vision to provide consumers with a fresh and exciting approach, the same old concepts are repackaged from decade to decade.

At The Exercise Coach this fuels our passion to connect with thinking baby-boomers who refuse to accept the status quo.  And, these are the people that are really making waves both as walking billboards and as franchisees of The Exercise Coach.  We need to change the way people think about exercise.  We are doing that with our unique guided exercise process.

In my last post I said I would lay out seven characteristics of personal training that has progressed.  Here are the first three.  I have included questions to ask of any personal training program, especially if you are above the age of forty.

Defensible

We believe that exercise programs should be based on evidence.  You should ask your personal trainer about the science his or her approach is based upon and they should be able to defend their claims.  It is amazing how much fitness wisdom is blindly accepted.  In my opinion, especially as it relates to baby-boomers, the average trainer cannot defend their methods.  If you would like to see an example of this simply ask a personal trainer why he has his client do the number of sets and reps that they do.  Beware, you may feel that your intelligence is slightly insulted by their answer.

Approachable

Relevant exercise is approachable exercise.  What I mean is that the exercise experience is not intimidating or it at least accounts for how timid some people are about exertion.  It should also have a period of acclimation to make people feel comfortable and accepted even if they don’t exactly love exercise.  Ask any trainer that you consider working with to explain the acclimation process you will be guided through leading up to genuinely productive workouts.  Also, pay attention to what the fitness center communicates.  What kind of pictures are on the wall?  Who is depicted as the center’s ideal client?  What kinds of testimonials are presented?  Is there an emphasis on training athletes instead of average people?

Practical

Personal training that has progressed is NOT based on the “more is better” mentality.  Science has clearly demonstrated that exercise results are not dependent on how much time you spend at the gym.  The most common barrier to exercise entry people face is a lack of time.  Therefore, any trainer you work with should be aware of these facts and capable of getting you the results you want in the time you have available.  At The Exercise Coach we do it for our clients with just two, 20-minute workouts per week.

Until next time – Enjoy strength!

Also See:

Personal Training Has Progressed: Part 1

Personal Training Has Progressed: Part 3

Powerful

We believe that personal training should be a means to optimal, total-body conditioning.  Through motivation, education, and hi-tech programming we seek to achieve results that simply can’t be triggered by lone ranger workouts.  These results should include comprehensive fitness and wellness adaptations.  Fitness is understood properly as an individuals capacity to perform muscular work.  Wellness is the optimal functioning of the bodily systems.  These two states are interconnected to a large extent and a top-notch fitness program should be a path to reaching you full potential for each.  It has become abundantly clear to informed professional that  this requires clients to work harder than they would left to their own instincts.  The question to ask any prospective personal trainer is this, “Do you know how to help me work just hard enough to trigger my body to respond maximally?”  At The Exercise Coach we use bio-feedback driven technologies to call the effort level of our clients up to precisely the level of exertion they need for max results.  Make no mistake about it.  This level is exertion is absolutely higher than most people have experienced, believe they need to experience, know hoe to experience, and would experience if left to their own devices.  As I intimated though – it is just hard enough to get the results they after and no more.  In a coming post I will elaborate on the absolute requirement for higher-effort exercise and the effect it has on personal wellness.

Scalable

As I hinted at in the first point, the ideal training program demands a high level of exertion but should be implemented with precision based on on an individuals current fitness capacity.  This requires a level of sophistication most trainers do not have.  We have made this degree of customization standard in our personal training process.  Through the use carefully chosen technologies we measure the unique muscular and metabolic fitness characteristics of our clients and prescribe exercise that is precisely appropriate every second of every workouts.  We effectively adapt to elite athletes and seniors that are severely deconditioned.  What’s the question you should ask of a prospective trainer?  How about, “Can you prescribe precise doses of exercise that are precisely appropriate for me as an individual?”

Sustainable

When we say that a personal training program should be sustainable, we mean that the exercise performed should be safe now and forever.  Their are currently trends in the fitness industry that emphasize higher exertion levels than in the past.  However, these trends, like Crossfit, are not the best choice for individuals over the age of forty.  Why?  While they may bring about results in the short term, we like to say, “It’s only a matter of time before the wheels come off.”  The wheels we are referring to in our analogy are your joints!  Here’s the question you should be asking, “Is this program something I can do for life?”  It is also helpful to ask an training center that the average age of their clients is.  If they don’t know or it’s thirty-something then it’s probably not ideal for baby-boomers and seniors.

Measurable

It’s been said in business that “If you can’t measure it you can’t manage it.”  We believe that this maxim should be applied to personal fitness programs.  Exercise, properly understood, is the intentional imposition of physical demands in order to trigger beneficial adaptations.  Experts agree that their is a certain threshold level of stress necessary to stimulate the body to respond.  Precision measurement of key factors involved in the stimulation process help us control the application of exercise stress and apply optimal doses with each client.  In addition, we take progress analysis to another level.  Most attempts to measure progress are just not sensitive enough and do not consider the variables that influence performance measurement.  Ask your prospective trainer this, “How will you validate the progress I am making in my fitness levels?”  Beware of measures that are really not measure of increased fitness but instead are measures of increased skill – like body-weight movements and balancing acts.

We have shown you several areas must be considered when you looking into personal training for yourself.  In addition, I hope we have convinced you that you should really be looking for personal training that has progressed into the 21st century.

Also see:

Personal Training Has Progressed: Part 1

Personal Training Has Progressed: Part 2

The Exercise Coach® we are maniacal about our mission to be the perfect fit for people that standard workouts don’t work for.  Standard workouts and the associated guidelines are responsible for keeping 85% of people frustrated on the sidelines.  Even for those individuals who commit themselves to the rigors recommended by exercise enthusiasts, there is no guarantee it will get them the outcome they want. Professor James Timmons makes the point that no long term study has demonstrated that an inactive individual will become healthier by simply making them more active.  He goes on to make the point that studies focused on specific wellness outcomes have demonstrated the production of similar or superior results  when brief, whole-effort exercise (my term for exercise that is of a high enough quality to render targeted musculature sufficiently stimulated within 10-180 seconds of work) is deployed rather than standard exercise activities.   This is why we say that muscle quality matters more than movement quantity.  Research supports what I have known and taught for 16 years –  time and distance are irrelevant exercise metrics.  Our core belief is that the production of enhanced muscle tissue and the process that brings about this adaptation is really the key to driving positive fitness and wellness outcomes.

For today let me share just a couple findings that support this belief.  If you are interested in weight loss results and long term wellness these will be of interest to you.

1.  A study done by the Department of Translational Biomedicine at the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh involved just 15 minutes of whole-effort exercise over a period of two weeks.  The conclusion of the researchers:

“The efficacy of a high intensity exercise protocol, involving only ~250 kcal of work each week, to substantially improve insulin action in young sedentary subjects is remarkable. This novel time-efficient training paradigm can be used as a strategy to reduce metabolic risk factors in young and middle aged sedentary populations who otherwise would not adhere to time consuming traditional aerobic exercise regimes.”

This is a big deal.  These were young healthy individuals.  Insulin Sensitivity is central to the maintenance of healthy body fat levels.  The impact of exercise focused on improving muscle quality is even more profound for more mature out of shape individuals.

2.  Researchers from Tufts University performed a strength training study that found improved muscle quality leads to not only decreased insulin resistance but also decreased systemic inflammation.  Inflammation has been dubbed “the secret killer” and is seen by many in the medical community as the root cause of heart disease, stroke, and other ailments.  Now we have evidence that muscle quality is not only important for weight control but can also help mitigate arguably the most significant threat to your overall health.

There are many more benefits associated with improved muscle quality.  These include an increase in metabolism, bone health, and overall energy and mood to name a few.

Muscle quality matters so much more than movement quantity that the time barrier to exercise can be completely eliminated with cutting edge methods.  Our personal training clients experience optimal results with just two, 20-minute workouts per week.  In addition to breaking down the time barrier, minimum fitness level requirements are lower with an approach that emphasizes effort over activity.  In fact, there is really not  much of a requirement.  We have helped men and women up into their 90’s and severely deconditioned individuals as well.  Our average client in nearly 60 years of age.  I share this to encourage you.  You are not disqualified.  Don’t let the guidelines ,which focus on minute of activity and miles of movement, keep you on the sidelines.  Find a professional that is committed to safe, brief, whole-effort exercise.  If you are in Chicago, Scottsdale, Dallas, or Charlotte visit one of our state of the art personal training centers.

Allow me to introduce you to an inspiring woman.  JoAnn is a personal training client at The Exercise Coach in Schaumburg, IL.  JoAnn has lost just over 100 lbs. to date and revolutionized her physical fitness.  She is also a professional communicator and a student of the new science of personal fitness success (which we are pioneering).

I believe JoAnn has a lot to offer from the perspective of a successful “changer.”  I have asked if she would be willing to share the wisdom she has gathered so far on her wellness journey with The Exercise Coach community.  As you know I’m driven by a passion to help people for whom standard workouts don’t work.  I scour the scientific evidence and pool wisdom from 16 years of practical experience.  However, hearing from folks who apply these truths to their own personal fitness experiment is invaluable.

From time to time, JoAnn will be guest posting on our blog to share her journey with you.  She’ll be answering questions like:

What types of programs did you try before The Exercise Coach?

Why did you give The Exercise Coach a try?

How has having a Coach made a difference for you?

What are your current goals?

Have you ever felt like quitting?

How important is having a mental game plan?

How important is really understanding “Why” Whole-Effort Exercise works?

Who else will The Exercise Coach work for?

I’ll let JoAnn give you a little preview of what’s to come:

The last two years have been a bit of a roller coaster for me with all the ups, downs, twists, turns, thrills and chills you’d expect from losing 100 pounds, plus a few things I didn’t see coming. I’m looking forward to sharing my story and promise to give you the real deal—the good, the bad and the ugly.

It’s a little scary going public with this adventure, but it’s also exciting. One thing I’ve learned in my two years at The Exercise Coach is that there are a lot of rewards that come from jumping off the cliff and taking on the challenge. There’s a lot of satisfaction in doing what you never imagined you could. Thanks Brian for giving me another cliff. I’m jumping off.

There are so many more things I want to ask JoAnn and share with you.  I am more excited about these posts than any I’ve shared before.  Please don’t miss them and share them with your friends.

If you are motivated to reach your goals, let us help you find the strength and skills you need to make it happen.

From time to time, JoAnn will share new parts of her journey with us.  To meet JoAnn and read the first post in this series, click here.

Today, JoAnn will continue her story, and answer the question Who else will The Exercise Coach work for?

Who else will The Exercise Coach work for?

Well of course, I think it will work for anyone. That includes the people who’ve watched me do it yet say they never could. They forget I was a lot worse off when I started than they are. I was able to make it through that first workout and all the ones that have come after. I learned to appreciate what those workouts do for me and how they make me feel.

I know there are a lot of reasons people don’t work out.  They don’t have time for lengthy workouts or they think exercise is boring. They’re intimidated by the equipment or afraid of getting hurt. Maybe they think cardio is the way to go and that they have to do it a lot to see results. And how many of you ladies don’t do strength training because you don’t want to get bulky?

Making Time to Work Out

Between work and family responsibilities our time is not our own. Finding an hour a day to run or take a class can be nearly impossible for most people. Knowing I only need 20 minutes twice a week makes it hard for me to find an excuse not to do my Exercise Coach workout. In fact my friends are so used to my routine, that when we’re making plans they are the ones to say, “Now, Monday and Thursday you’re not free, right?” They know without me saying it that my workouts are not negotiable.

The Difference Between big gyms and The Exercise Coach®

But let’s say you carve out some time and you sign up with a gym. You walk in all excited and face a sea of equipment. I don’t care if they gave you a tour, maybe even a PT session, it’s hard not to feel intimated. Add to that the gym rats who seem to know exactly what they’re doing and have little patience for a newbie like you having trouble just adjusting the seat on some machine. Is it any wonder we gravitate toward the treadmill?

When it comes to cardio, I think people have a comfort level around it that makes it the go-to for workouts. There’s a persistent belief that not only do you have to do it for an extended period, but it is somehow separate from strength training. Anyone who’s seen me after my EC workout can attest that I’m breathing hard and my heart is certainly pumping.  And I know it’s making a difference.

A Personal Goal Fulfilled

Last year I decided I wanted to run a 5K so I did one of those C25K programs where you alternate between walking and running, working your way up to running the whole distance. When it rained on one of my week 2 training days, I did it inside on a treadmill. You might remember that I’m the person who regularly did treadmill workouts in the past yet couldn’t get over 2.8 mph without pain. Lo and behold after 18 months at the EC I was doing the walking parts of the C25K at 4 mph and the running parts at about 7 mph. Seems to me that strength training had a pretty significant improvement on my cardio.

My Workout Experience

While it might not always be pretty to watch, I’ve never felt self-conscious when I’m at The Exercise Coach. Although I might have a bit of the control freak in me, I like having my personal expert do the set-up and explain what we’re doing. Even for exercises that I’ve done many times, it’s vital having someone who makes sure that I’m using good form, going at a good pace and giving consistent effort. (Let’s be honest-left to our own devices, performance has a tendency to slip.) A good Coach will eke out that last drop of effort.

I always knew I was supposed to change my routine and kick-up the intensity, but I was never clear about when or how much. Now my routines change often and the guesswork is removed. I’m not the one worrying about it; that’s my Coach’s job. He’s also been known to mess around with the timing on the machines too, so that during some workouts I get that as an extra surprise. It’s never boring.

To Anyone Considering Giving The Exercise Coach® a Try

In my mind, The Exercise Coach could work for anyone – men or women, young or mature, the hard bodies and the wannabes. I have a lot of enthusiasm for the program because I finally found something that works for me. While it is always challenging, it has never felt too hard, even at the very beginning.  When I’m done, my exhausted muscles feel like a badge of honor.

I’d love it if I could convince someone who’s hesitating to give it a try. I honestly can’t believe how much fun I have. I never thought I’d be one of those people who look forward to a workout, but I am. I never imagined I’d have this kind of success – I mean really, losing 107 pounds is just outrageous – but it’s true and it’s been far easier than anything I’ve tried. If you’re looking for something different, if you’re looking for something effective, if you just don’t want to spend countless hours working out, then The Exercise Coach is your place.

As for the worries about not getting bulky, I truly can’t relate. I have a weight loss binder that includes a picture of the biceps I someday hope to achieve. I’m looking forward to the day when every layer of fat is stripped away and I can see my muscles. I want everyone else to see them too.  I promise you I’ll be showing them off. Someday isn’t that far off.

Thanks, JoAnn!  We love to hear your story and how The Exercise Coach has helped you transform your body, meet personal goals, and improve your life.  Stay tuned for more of JoAnn’s story!

Related Article:

Whole Effort Exercise + Whole Food Nutrtion = A Whole New JoAnn

If you are a personal training client at The Exercise Coach you have no doubt heard our mantra – “Muscle Quality matters more than Movement Quantity.”  For those of you who are unfamiliar with us, our focus is on the science which proves muscle is your primary biomarker.   This science shows that your muscle’s functionality impacts not only your fitness but also your health and longevity.  Guided by this paradigm, it’s our passion to inspire the not-yet-fit to take action and enjoy strength.

Our unique process was built  to optimize results for men and women of all fitness levels.  For 16 years we have been evolving this process and in recent years we have achieved a synthesis of technologies to present our clients with the pinnacle application of exercise science.  You might say the heart of our methodology is feedback.  This includes Professional and Visual feedback.  The professional feedback comes from an encouraging coach that understands how to use “cues that count” and the visual feedback is delivered via “digital effort displays.”  I’ll touch briefly today on why we think this feedback is so important.

“DIGGING DEEP” ENOUGH TO SEE CHANGE

I’ve already said that Muscle quality is a vital marker of health.  It’s also the only pathway by which we can access the rest of the bodily system through exercise.  Enhanced Muscle quality (strength per unit of muscle mass) is triggered by several key stimuli.  We will look at these in another post.  For today what I want you to understand is that the one factor – the key common denominator among these stimuli – is something called fiber recruitment.  This simply refers to the number of muscle fibers that your central nervous system is required to contract (ie., produce force) at once.  Higher effort requires the recruitment of a greater number of muscle fibers and therefore provides greater over all stimulation of one’s adaptive mechanisms.  It’s also important to note that if effort, (and therefore fiber recruitment), remains below a threshold level then no stimulus is applied.  In layman’s terms, if you don’t exert enough effort during exercise you don’t get any beneficial result from it.  So how do we know if you are exerting enough effort?  Is there a way to motivate higher effort?  Enter digital feedback.

THE POWER OF FEEDBACK

There are numerous factors that are considered by our coaches when they use our digital displays and give verbal encouragement to our clients.  For today, I just want to share two important beliefs about this dynamic and point out a supportive research experiment.  At The Exercise Coach we use instantaneous digital feedback displays to help our clients “Dig Deep” and it is an absolutely revolutionary approach.  Based on years of hands-on research and development I have a couple beliefs about the effectiveness of effort feedback when combined with verbal encouragement for the average person:

1. I believe that we expedite (and in some cases make possible) our client’s experience of meaningful/optimal muscular exertion by weeks and in some cases months.
2. I believe within a single exercise set, at any moment,  the methods we use lead to anywhere from 10-100% more effort from our clients.  This varies greatly based on individual factors.

It might be suggested that we see these differences only in novice clients and those that are less naturally inclined toward exertion.  This is not case.  Research findings corroborate our observations about force feedback and verbal encouragement on trained and untrained individuals.  Studies have found the impact of feedback to be similar among trained and untrained individuals.  It’s true that optimal muscular effort will have a disproportionately positive effect on untrained and older individuals.  This is great news for the not-yet-fit.  Feedback and encouragement are more than just training wheels for the untrained.  Our experience leads us to believe much more.

Whether you’ve been coming to The Exercise Coach® for years, you’ve recently started, or are contemplating starting a program, the truth is that you are investing in your most precious commodity: your health.  It’s easy for us to find excuses, distractions or to prioritize other things in life, but YOU have decided to take control of your health and you should be proud and excited about your decision.  Like anything else, there will be days when you wonder if the time, the workouts, and the investment are worth it.  Rest assured, they are.  And your body is reaping the benefits.

But what exactly is happening within your body?

That’s the first and most natural question to ask.  No matter your background, history, age or fitness level, we all know, (or have been told), that we need to exercise.  Heck, even the First Lady has started a campaign to encourage the youth of America to get off their keisters and exercise.  But how exactly is your body benefiting from exercise?  Why do we push your physical and sometimes mental limits twice a week?

“Get busy living, or get busy dying.”
-Red, Shawshank Redemption

Well, it starts first with a basic understanding of Mother Nature.  Simply put, we are either getting better or getting worse.   Unfortunately for most, poor diet, needless activity and bad advice have led us into a gradual decline in health.  It certainly doesn’t have to be this way, however, and no matter your physical or health condition, you can get better.

For over a decade, we at The Exercise Coach® have worked with and helped people with health conditions varying from seemingly minor to more serious and threatening.  Our combination of exercise and nutrition can and will improve the greatest threats to our health:

1. Heart Disease (think high cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure)
2. Sarcopenia (think loss of muscle mass, poor posture, shrinking)
3. Diabetes (failing glucose metabolism, organ function)
4. Gastrointestinal Disorders (think celiac, colitis, heartburn)
5. Autoimmune Disorders (think multiple sclerosis, asthma, Crohn’s)
6. Neurological Disorders (think ADD, Alzheimer’s, depression)
7. Lack of Sleep, Energy, Vitality (think sleep apnea, chronic fatigue, “the blah’s”
8. Thyroid and Hormonal Disorders (think low estrogen, low testosterone, hypothyroidism)
9. Weight Gain (think belly fat)

THE EXERCISE COACH: A NEW HOPE

At The Exercise Coach®, it is our firm belief, fueled by years of experience and clients’ testimonies, that success begins with each workout and each meal and continues until you are healthy and thriving.  The Exercise Coach® is here to stand beside you every step of the way, and we aren’t going anywhere!

Read the rest of this series:

Take Control of Your Health

Part 2 – The Truth About Cholesterol: Where Did We Go Wrong?

Part 3 – Why We Need Cholesterol

Part 4 – High Cholesterol vs. Low Cholesterol

Part 5 – Cholesterol Does Not Cause Heart Disease.

So, we have recently discussed the differences between cardiovascular fitness and cardiovascular health.  What we know is that muscle quality is the driving force to improving both.  If muscle quality provides the best opportunity to improve both, then what value does conventional cardio, (a.k.a. aerobic activity), have, and beyond that, is it good for us?

A common theme throughout our blog series’ on muscle quality, cholesterol, and wheat has been the prevention of inflammatory conditions.  Inflammation is the root cause of roughly 75% of health care conditions and costs today.  Our investigation of inflammation in this post centers around aerobic activity and its contribution to inflammation in our body.

“30-60 MINUTES OF DAILY CARDIO” MAY NOT BE DOING YOU MUCH GOOD

This is a topic that has fascinated me personally for years.  It is an accepted fact that performing aerobic style cardio is good for us, right?  We “need” to spend 30-60 minutes a day running, biking, climbing on a Stair master or elliptical 3-6 days a week!  Well, that’s what everyone from doctors to even the government would have us believe.  The question is, “Why?”  What physiological benefit does aerobic activity provide?  As we discussed previously, we are told to do these things, if not for our cardiovascular fitness, then it is for cardiovascular health.  We have examined the meaning of these terms and how research proves the combination of muscle quality and Right Intensity TrainingTM is the best combination.  So where does that leave us with aerobic activity?  Is there any benefit to be derived from it?  Could we be doing more harm than good if we engage in this constant aerobic activity?

First, let’s begin by acknowledging the fact that millions of people are engaged in any of the many types of aerobic activity.  Let’s also agree that the combination of aerobic activity and improved nutritional habits have resulted in improved health for millions of people.  However, how many of us know people (or are those people) who have done a lot of aerobic activity, and have eaten less, and either have not seen any results or have had results briefly, only to give those results right back? (We can define results as fat loss, lack of more energy, no or little change in cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood sugar, diabetes risk factors, C-reactive protein, etc.).  Collectively, The Exercise Coach® franchise has known numerous instances where this is the case.  The question I’m trying to answer is, “Why would eating less and increasing activity yield positive results for some, but not for most?” And, “ if running or biking is truly the cure all end all, why would stories like this exist?”

CONSISTENT AEROBIC ACTIVITY DOES NOT EQUATE TO CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH

Below is an excerpt from the article, “The Scientist and the Stairmaster” by Gart Taubes:

Steve Blair, for instance, a University of South Carolina exercise scientist and a co-author of the AHA-ACSM guidelines says he was “short, fat, and bald” when he started running in his thirties. Now, at age 68, he is short, fatter, and balder. In the intervening years, he estimates he has run close to 80,000 miles and gained about 30 pounds.

When I asked Blair whether he thought he might be leaner had he run even more, he had to think about it. “I don’t see how I could have been more active,” he said. “Thirty years ago, I was running 50 miles a week. I had no time to do more. But if I could have gone out over the last couple of decades for two to three hours a day, maybe I would not have gained this weight.”

So if increasing activity doesn’t yield greater fat loss, and if increasing cardio activity is not the best way to improve cardiovascular fitness and health, should we be doing it?

PHYSICALLY FIT YET CARDIOVASCULARLY UNHEALTHY?

Years ago, Exercise Coach CEO Brian Cygan, gave me a book entitled, The Exercise Myth, by cardiologist Henry Soloman.  Some of the direct quotes from the book are:

“There is about the same relationship between activity and longevity as you might find if you were to compare the amount of chocolate pudding children eat with the likelihood of their coming down with chicken pox–that is, no relationship at all.”

“Running injuries are especially common because of the punishing force your body has to take…If you are a 150 pound runner, you generate and must endure over 100 tons of force per MILE.”

“The evidence is unassailable.  Coronary heart disease develops and progresses during exercise training and conditioning programs.  Exercisers die of heart disease despite exercise.”

The book was written in 1984.

Also occurring in 1984 was the sudden death of author and devoted runner Jim Fixx, whose book entitled, The Complete Guide To Running, was credited with spreading the running and aerobic craze of the late 70’s and early 80’s.  These things illustrate the difference between someone being physically fit, but cardiovascularly unhealthy (Fixx died of heart disease).

So as some evidence and questions start to mount against “cardio,” it reinforces the concept that muscle quality (MQ) is what truly allows people to improve their health.  So why do people see (or think they see) initial gains with cardio but not lasting ones?  Why can heart disease still progress even though someone is moving more or increasing their activity?  It simply comes back to a lack of muscle quality and increased inflammation.

HOW ALL THAT CARDIO WORKS AGAINST YOU

One of the things previously discussed was the Law of Motor Unit Recruitment.  This means that effort, or Right Intensity Training, is the best way to ensure that all muscle fibers are being recruited and developed.  By definition, this does NOT occur with steady state aerobic activity, (i.e. cardio).  It also means that the greatest percent of muscle mass on one’s body isn’t being developed and, therefore, muscle mass is never emptied of significant levels of glucose. Thus, the resultant extra sugar ends up being shuttled into the liver, converted into triglycerides, and then ultimately stored as body fat.

Making matters worse, the muscle cell walls grow more resistant to insulin leading to greater inflammation.  The body’s response to greater inflammation is to heal it with LDL cholesterol which happens to be oxidized from free radicals that cardio, i.e.  prolonged running, produces.*

So a lot of evidence is starting to stack up against the need for cardio.

1. Aerobic activity is not the best way to achieve cardiovascular fitness (See our blog post Muscle Quality and “Cardio”)
2. Aerobic activity is not the best way to reduce your risk for heart disease (See our blog post Muscle Quality and Cardiovascular Health and this article on the effects of aerobic physical exercise on inflammation)
3. Aerobic activity prevents full muscle fiber activation and full glycogen depletion*
4. Prolonged aerobic activity increases inflammation and the amassing of LDL.**
5. Prolonged aerobic activity increases free radical production and decreases circulating antioxidants

And these points are just in relation to how ‘cardio’ affects our cardiovascular health and heart disease prevention.

So why are we told to participate in aerobic activity so frequently?  Why are we told it’s good for the heart?  Does aerobic activity really increase inflammation and increase our risk of heart disease?  Most studies are done for relatively short periods of time, meaning 1-6 months.  During this period there are some positive adaptations that can outweigh the negatives, e.g. an initial change from the non-exerciser to anyone first taking up an activity that calls for muscular work.  However, in order to see long term adaptations and ongoing protection against the risks of heart disease, improved muscle quality and Right Intensity Training is proven time and again to be the perfect combination.

* Body By Science, by Dr. Doug McGuff, pgs. 33-34

** Packer, L. Oxidants, Antioxidant Nutrients, and the Athlete. Journal of Sports Science. June 1997. 15(3), 353-363

Read the rest of this series:

Muscle Quality: Improving It Will Change Your Life

Muscle Quality and the Neurological System: Part 1

Muscle Quality and the Neurological System: Part 2

Muscle Quality and Fat Loss

Muscle Quality and “Cardio”

Muscle Quality and Cardiovascular Health

The Downside to prolonged “Cardio”

Muscle Quality and Osteoporosis

How to Combat Osteoporosis through Strength Training

Muscle Quality and Gastrointestinal Health

Muscle Quality and Inflammation

Muscle Quality and Brain Health

Muscle Quality and The Endocrine System: Part 1

Muscle Quality and The Endocrine System: Part 2