How To Avoid Injury's Chief Companion

I was recently asked for some advice on running by a friend who is training for Tough Mudder. He wanted to know why he got shin splints and how to get rid of them. I did a quick diagnosis, and by that I mean I asked him what he does for training, and basically I got out of it that he went from running 0 miles one week to running 20 the next. Now I'm no medical expert, but it would seem to me that this is a prime example of "too much too soon". To be perfectly honest he was lucky he didn't continue with this trend before he developed something a little more debilitating than shin splints, which is something every runner goes through at least once. So then how much is the right amount to increase your weekly training?

Many runners, including myself, follow what is known as "The 10% Rule". The premise of it is precisely as the name suggests - increase your training by 10% per week whether that is miles run, workout duration or weight lifted. For example if someone ran 30 miles one week then the next they would safely be able to increase to 33. A very simple practice, but effective at preventing injury which is its main function.

Here is a quick running example:

Week 1	30 Miles
Week 2	33 Miles
Week 3	37 Miles
Week 4	41 Miles
Week 5	45 Miles

A great majority of injuries occur because of overuse. Your enthusiasm may be the trait that is going to have you sitting on the couch when you could be practicing. Now I am not saying your enthusiasm is a bad thing, quite the contrary actually, just that you must learn to control it - TRAIN SMART. Your enthusiasm will still be there when it matters alongside a fully functional body.

Now the 10% rule is really only a guideline, increasing by 12% isn't going to kill you, but if stick close by it then unless you do something utterly stupid your body will be there and ready to perform come race day without having had any injury weeks off.

So train smart and good luck with whatever is motivating you to train.

How To Get Maximum Results From Your Training

Many fitness fiends, athletes, and newbies alike are failing to regularly complete this necessary component to their exercise regimen that is one of the most instrumental parts to their athletic improvement. Nevertheless it usually is the newbies that overlook it, so let's get off on the right foot. FITNESS TESTING. Nothing spectacular, just simple testing. I will suggest a short list of further on, but first I would like to share some brief points as to why you must test.

Before: Starting a fitness program before testing is flying blind. You do not know where your fitness levels are at the beginning and therefore how to tailor your fitness to your needs, and more importantly to your level of ability. Perhaps your fitness levels would suggest that you can bench press 135 pounds, but without testing you go right ahead and think you're good to lift 235 pounds. That's an injury waiting to happen that will set your back weeks. Plan before you attack and you will reap the benefits.

During: Test periodically during your program to make sure it is working for you. Test the individual components of your fitness and find out what is lacking in improvement and adjust your program accordingly. You'd rather only have done 2 or 3 weeks of exercise to find out something isn't working for you rather than having finished an entire 12 week program to realize at the end.

After: See how much you improved. Nothing is more of a better confidence booster than to see how far you have come when you compare to your initial testing before your training began. If your program doesn't end well then just keep on periodically testing to monitor that progress.

There are an abundance of fitness tests out there, but these are my favorites:
(NB all links are to TopEndSports.com)

• 20m Shuttle Run (more commonly, or dreadingly known as the bleep test) - This test measures maximal aerobic fitness. Fairly simple test to conduct. Click HERE to see how.
• Sit and Reach - A widely used method to test flexibility. Very simply done! Click HERE to see how to do it yourself.
• Vertical Jump - As the name suggests it measures vertical jump height. At its base level all you need is some chalk and a wall. Click HERE to see how to do it.
• Cooper Test - Another maximal aerobic fitness test. You have 12 minutes to go as far as you can.
• Standing Long Jump - Measures explosive leg power. Click HERE to see how to administer it correctly.
• Push-Up Test -  Measures upper body strength and muscular endurance. How many push-ups can you do before you can no longer continue. 
• Sit-Up Test - Measures abdominal strength and abdominal endurance. Aim is to complete as many as possible in 1 minute.

These are just a fraction of the tests out there. But for your individual sport, goals, and training you must make your testing specifically align to that. So HERE is a fuller list of tests for you to choose from.

Just make sure you follow the Principles of Fitness Testing:

• Specificity: Fitness tests must assess an individuals fitness for the activity or sport in question.
• Validity: Fitness tests must measure the component of fitness that they are supposed to.
• Objectivity: A test that is objective will produce the same results for the same individual, regardless of the tester administering the test
• Reliability: A reliable test produces the same results if repeated.

Good luck on your fitness, health and wellness endeavors. 

An Ancient Secret To Improved Athletic Performance

Every athlete is seeking out ways to improve in their chosen sport be it running, snowboarding or their weekly game of unicycle hockey. As previously stated I am a runner so I will develop this post from the perspective of a runner. Hours upon hours of blood, sweat and tears (sorry to sound cliché) on the track will always grant excellent results - Hard work and dedication do pay off. However, you can supplement that to kick-start your athletic performance and take it further than just running alone can do without the use of performance enhancing drugs, of which I am whole heartedly against. No, I am talking about the ancient practice of Yoga.

Yoga has been around for centuries and regardless of whether or not you are an athlete, the instantaneous and long term benefits are astronomical. See HERE for the short and long term benefits. Here is a list of 10 professional male Football and Basketball athletes who practice Yoga, including the likes of Lebron James, for the male skeptics who think it is too feminine.  But I am here to tell you why us athletes should practice it - regardless of gender. Here are my findings:

• Greater Strength - If you stick to one form of exercise only your are going to over train and under train different muscles in your body. Yoga helps to utilize those muscles that may not be getting attention in your workout schedule, especially those that are supportive to the larger muscle groups giving you an overall level of strength.
• Balance - Yoga Asanas (Poses) require coordination with all of your body at once, giving you an improved sense of how your body moves which in turn allows your running technique and form to benefit.
• Flexibility - Undoubtedly one of the most known benefits of Yoga is its ability to improve flexibility. Increased flexibility means more structural soundness, and a better range of motion in both the joints and muscles. For a runner an improved range of motion for the hips mean a greater and more efficient stride
• Mental Focus - Yoga allows you to gain a greater sense of control over your mind. It gives you the skills necessary to quieten your thoughts, reduce anxiety, relax your mind and be in the moment. A skill unfathomably beneficial to an athlete who is 5 minutes away from the start of a race.
•  Breathing - One of the main aspects of a Yoga session is the breathing along with the poses. These breathing exercises undertaken alongside physical poses increase the lung capacity overtime and aid the body's ability to transport oxygen to the working muscles. An invaluable asset to have for an athlete who needs to get oxygen to the muscles as effectively as possible.
• Reduced Recovery Time - Yoga also helps in flushing out the lactic acid build up that occurs after rigorous exercise. Reduced recovery time means your fresh and ready for the workout the next day.

...and last but certainly not least,

• Injury Prevention - The most common injuries in running are illiotibial band (ITB), knee, hamstrings, hip flexors and shoulders. The majority of these are  directly linked to a lack of flexibility, poor core strength and misalignment. Yoga fixes all of these and more. So what better reason to try it out than being safe in the knowledge that it will allow you do your beloved sport to the best of your abilities for longer.

Now, obviously these are just some of the benefits of Yoga and yet these alone were enough to get me to jump on board. But if you are not looking for all this technical reasoning, well I do Yoga most mornings now and it is a fantastic way for me to wake up my mind and body to greet the day.

Hope you all give it a try and reap the benefits I am. Good luck and Namaste!

How To Stick To Your Exercise Regime

In order to become the polymathic man one must develop all the main fundamental skills - Knowledge, Social Development, Creativity, and Physical Development. That means ALL of these categories. If you are an overweight, piano playing, Cambridge professor who is an active member of a local social club then unfortunately you are not a true Renaissance man.  Your overweight plight is what is preventing you from achieving this so if we are to strive for true personal development we must keep our body in prime condition. After all our mind and body are complimentary to each other. So in light of all this I have highlighted some key points that aided me in maintaining my personal fitness.

• Consistency: The best way I have found is to have a program written out and stick to it. Don't just exercise when you feel like it. You'll be more accountable to stick to it when you have a schedule for it.
• Variety: Change your workout. Don't just stick to the mundane repetitive exercise everyday. You will get bored and be less likely to continue your program. Try different sports to encourage your enjoyment in exercise.
• Training Partner: Having someone who is also trying to get in shape makes each of you accountable for the other. This really works when you feel like skipping a day but your partner does not.
  
  I myself am lucky enough to have my wife (who is an NCAA division 1 track & Field/Cross Country athlete) as my partner as she shares the same passion for fitness that I do.
• Have a Goal: Having a goal gives you motivation to stick to your program. You want to avoid that disheartened feeling you get when you do not achieve something you set out to do. Make it reasonable though. If you have never run try not to set out for a 17 minute 5k in a month.
• Compete: Sign-up for a local race, or sports tournament. Competing against other athletes will spur that competitive drive within you and make you want to train harder. 
• Keep Track: Keep track of your program stats - weight, BMI, Cholesterol level, Times for certain races, when you got tired during a badminton game etc. This will allow you to see improvement and motivate you to keep on going.
• Finally...Have Fun! If you enjoy what you are doing you are going to keep doing it. Make sure you do the sports and exercises you enjoy - not just what people tell you to do. 

Striving for physical fitness is a commitment and one we must really want for ourselves. You want your health to change then go out there and change it. It will compliment the rest of your life in ways you wont expect.

P.S. Make sure you eat healthy too!