Prevail Conditioning Performance Center

Part 3 of our 4 Part Interactive Seminar Series

2012-01-19T06:38:00.000-08:00

What: Supporting the Young Athlete: Injury Prevention and Management
Who: Tom Walters, DPT, OCS, CSCS Physical Therapist, Orthopedic Specialist
Where: Prevail Conditioning Performance Center
When: January 25th, 7-8pm.

Please contact jade@prevailconditioning.com with questions or to RSVP for the event.

Excellence in the Young Athlete: A four-part interactive seminar series

2012-01-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

January 11th -Supporting the Young Athlete: Psychological and Social Issues
Steve Smith, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist
Sport Psychology and Research Center

January 18th - Nutrition for the Young Athlete: Making it Practical and Debunking the Myths
Sarah Schutzberger, RD, CSO
Registered Dietitian

January 25th -The Young Athlete: Injury Prevention and Management
Tom Walters, DPT, OCS, CSCS
Physical Therapist, Orthopedic Specialist

February 1st - Maximizing the Young Athlete: Long Term Athletic Development for Strength and
Performance
Chris Ecklund, MA, CSCS, USAW, Strength and Conditioning Coach, CEO

Location: Prevail Conditioning Performance Center, 126 E. Haley St., Ste. A8

Time: 7PM-8PM (all presentations)
Cost: Free! ($20 suggested donation for each presentation)
Questions? Contact sparcsb@gmail.com or jade@prevailconditioning.com

Lat Pulldown Pronated

2011-12-27T16:39:00.000-08:00

Rotational Row 1 Arm Cable Standing

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

X High Row Half Kneeling Front View

2011-12-10T15:43:00.000-08:00

Strength Training for Endurance Athletes Part I:

2011-12-07T13:04:00.002-08:00

By Jacob Goodin

The law of specificity states that to get better in any activity, you must practice precisely the skills that apply to that activity. So for us endurance types it only makes sense that to accomplish our competitive goals we must spend a great deal of time running, riding, or swimming. The more time we spend on each activity, the better (read: faster) we become, and it continues on in a predictable linear ascension forever, right?

Wrong.

Cruel reality has taught us that these naïve expectations are idealistic at best. We pull hamstrings and endure shin splints and patellar tendonitis, all of which can set back the training calendar for weeks, months. Some of us spend more time rehabbing and cross-training than actually doing our sport.

So what is missing?

The endurance athlete’s body can be seen as a marriage of two inter-reliant types of components: the mechanical—muscle, cartilage, and bone; and the physiological—heart, lungs, and blood vessels. The mechanical components are responsible for forward propulsion, while the physiological components serve as the engine that drives that propulsion. Fortunately, it is much harder to injure or overuse most of our physiological workings. I’ve yet to hear anyone say “Man, I think I strained my capillaries on that last interval.” We all are physiologically capable of lacing up and hammering hard ten-milers a couple of days in a row, maybe even three. But your achilles tendon isn’t. Or maybe it’s your hamstring. Either way the weak link is bound to be muscle, tendon, or bone, not pericardium.

The mechanical components of our bodies take much longer to respond to the cycle of stress and recovery than do the physiological. What then, can we do to bring our soft tissue and bone to the same level of fitness as our heart and lungs? What, as I asked earlier, is missing?

A balanced, periodized general strength program. Resistance training is the best way to improve the quality and strength of the body’s mechanical systems. Think of it as insurance against injury. A good strength program will weed out inefficiencies and target imbalances, raising the durability of the athlete.

There are those coaches or athletes who claim that strength training is unnecessary for endurance athletes because it makes them “bulky” or is just a waste of time. We wont address the first myth (protein turnover is too high for much hypertrophy), but would counter the second by saying that although general strength training isn’t sport-specific, it allows the endurance athlete to spend more time training in a sport specific way by preventing injury. If the hamstrings and calves are well-conditioned through eccentric strengthening, then risk of hamstring strains and achilles tendonitis drops dramatically. If the four quadriceps and three gluteals are strong and the motor programming and coordination to use them well has been trained, then patellar tendonitis will often subside and go away all-together.

To recap, non-sport-specific strength training helps endurance athletes by allowing them to stay injury free and thus handle a greater load of endurance-specific training. We must keep our mechanical systems two steps ahead of the physiological systems, and strength training is the best way to do this. Part II of this article will discuss strength training as it affects the primary determinants of distance running performance.

*A couple examples of professional coaches and collegiate runners who utilize general strength training.

Cavanagh PR, Kram R. Mechanical and muscular factors affecting the efficiency of human movement.

Med Sci Sports Exercise 1985; 17 (3): 326-31

Dolezal BA, Potteiger JA. Resistance training for endurance runners during the off-season. Strength Cond 1986; 18 (3): 7-10

Rutherford OM, Greig CA, Sargeant AJ, et al. Strength training and power output: transference effects in the human quadriceps muscle.

J Sports Sci 1986; 4: 101-7

Tanaka H, Swensen T. Impact of resistance training on endur- ance: a new form of cross training? Sports Med 1998; 25 (3): 191-200

Paavolainen LM, Nummela AT, Rusko HK. Neuromuscular characteristics and muscle power as determinants of 5-km running performance.

Med Sci Sports Exerc 1999; 31 (1): 124-30

Winter Nutrition

2011-12-07T13:04:00.001-08:00

By Sarah Schutzberger, RD, CSO, Nutrition Specialist

Why am I hungrier in the colder weather? It's common to get the munchies when the temperature drops. Eating is one way that your body can warm itself. Remember the definition of calories is energy given off as heat. So when you’re eating, you are providing your body with “heat”. Now is it starting to make sense?
To stay warm doesn’t mean you need to load up on the calories. However, if you start shivering, by all means grab a snack. (Shivering can burn up to 400 calories an hour.) But for those who enjoy exercising outside, this is one way to give your calorie burn a boost. According to experts, your body burns up to 13 percent more calories in colder conditions. For instance, if you burn 500 calories during your morning run in the spring, you can expect to burn about an additional 65 calories in the cold.
To help control your cravings during chilly weather and workouts, dress warmly, spread your meals evenly throughout the day, hydrate, and remember to eat before and after your workout.

Thank You

2011-12-07T13:04:00.000-08:00

By Chris Ecklund,MA, CSCS

The Thanksgiving season has become one of my favorite holidays and times of year. The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve realized how meaningful, timely and important it has become in my life. I could most likely go on and on enumerating the reasons, but let me simply point out a few:

1. It reminds me to be Thankful: simple I know, but I am not, by nature, a grateful person. I’ve been around those people…I love being around those people. I’m just not one of them. It’s something I have to work at, and having this holiday helps put things in perspective every year. I have so much to be thankful for, it’s absolutely silly if ever there is a day or time when I should lose sight of that.

2. It’s not, as of yet, an overly consumerized (can I use that a word?) holiday. I LOVE the true meaning of Christmas but struggle every year as it gets more and more centered on buying (as is evidenced by the Christmas décor on sale long before Thanksgiving nowadays).

3. I get to be with my family. I have a great family. I’m blessed. It’s a gift.

4. Prevail Conditioning Performance Center opened right after Thanksgiving 2 years ago. It is another reason for thanksgiving and affords me an opportunity to thank those who invested so much in Prevail as well as those we’ve been blessed to serve.

So let me use this as a segue to do exactly that.

It is, of course, difficult to include everyone who has been a part of the process or contributed in some fashion to what Prevail is and what it has become. So let me apologize at the outset to those I may leave off or miss by name and please know that you are appreciated.

I must start with my team. Wow. What an outstanding group of people. So many trials and struggles come with the territory of a new business. And, in training/fitness/wellness there is typically a high attrition rate. In the midst of these realities, my team has simply been…well…that. An amazing team. Kim Clark, Juliann Boubel, Will Hughes; you have all been with me since the beginning and such a huge blessing to myself and become part of my family.

Jade Mundell, our Office Manager, you have been such a tremendous value to us this past year. Providing balance to my skewed and crazy personality, offering wonderful insight and organization and taking us to a new level of administration.

Certainly I am so encouraged and excited about our new additions this year and what lies ahead for what is (in my humble opinion) Santa Barbara’s top Performance and Fitness Center. With the addition of …

Two of Santa Barbara’s top Physical Therapists: Tom Walters and Brook Phillips Santa Barbara’s best Athletic Trainer: Diana Palmer

A Registered Sports Dietitian: Sarah Schutzberger

Long time friend and top-notch strength coach: Peter Blumert

One of Westmont’s best and brightest recent Kinesiology grads: Jacob Goodin

And A Wonderful Massage Therapist: Larry Rodriguez.

…Prevail Conditioning is poised to offer the Santa Barbara area the highest level of holistic performance and fitness that has ever been offered. I am so thankful for the new members of our team over the past year. It is not often you come across a group so willing to invest themselves into a team. What a blessing and pleasure it has been (and continues to be) to work with this group of people.

Finally those that have done all the “extras” for Prevail. Emily Canfield is our amazing social networking guru so many have benefited from (all our Facebook and Twitter friends). She has done so much more as well and donated every bit of her time so graciously. My business Advisers, Fred Fisher and Peter Miko…you continue to offer wisdom that I am forever grateful for. “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22) I hold this Proverb dearly. To my dear friends and prayer warriors (including my small group and homegroup), thank you for your ever-present battle and support through prayer. It has been immeasurably valuable.

And to my mom and dad (Harry and Kathy Ecklund) and my sister and family (Michelle and Chris Edwards, Kyle and Kelly), your support in every way imaginable has sustained me. I am so blessed to be part of such a wonderful family that loves and cares deeply for one another.

And most importantly, I am thankful to God and for the continued support, guidance and direction that He has granted for this ministry of Prevail Conditioning. Simply stated, without His direction I would have never opened Prevail Conditioning.

Thanks as well or our wonderful clients and patrons. We are so grateful for the opportunity to serve you and be a part of your lives and goals of performance and wellness.

Low Back Pain: When is Medical Imaging Necessary?

2011-12-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

By: Tom Walters, DPT, OCS, CSCS

Are you now or have you experienced low back pain (LBP) in the past? I would feel fairly confident in betting that the majority of people reading this article would answer “yes”. In fact, a recent article from the Journal of Sports & Orthopaedic Physical Therapy stated that 25% of Americans reported having LBP for at least one full day in the last three months.¹ LBP is the most frequent problem managed by physical therapists and accounts for 2% of all physician office visits.¹ In 2005, approximately 85.9 billion was spent in the United States alone to manage this disorder.¹ These facts raise many questions about how LBP is managed within our healthcare system and leads one to wonder if there might be a better way.

Diagnostic imaging (MRI, CT scan, X-ray) is often a major part of the clinical examination and is commonly used to determine the most appropriate course of treatment for many disorders. LBP is no different as many individuals suffering from this complaint undergo imaging studies such as MRIs and X-rays. Being that these tests can be very expensive and expose the patient to varying amounts of radiation, one must ask, when are these tests appropriate. In 2007, The American College of Physicians and The American Pain Society published guidelines related to the appropriate use of diagnostic imaging. These guidelines stated:

Clinicians should not routinely obtain imaging or other diagnostic tests in patients with nonspecific low back pain.
Clinicians should perform diagnostic imaging and testing for patients with low back pain when severe or progressive neurologic deficits are present or when serious underlying conditions are suspected.
Clinicians should evaluate patients with persistent low back pain and signs and symptoms of radiculopathy or spinal stenosis with MRI (preferred) or CT scan, only if they are candidates for surgery or epidural steroid injection.

Even with these guidelines, medical imaging continues to be ordered inappropriately. The Journal of the American College of Radiology recently published an article that reported that 26% of all medical images ordered secondary to LBP were inappropriate.

So, what’s the big deal, you might ask. Well, besides exposure to potentially harmful doses of radiation and the costs associated with excessive ordering of medical imaging, these tests can be detrimental in other ways. In cases where medical imaging was not necessary, but was ordered anyway, studies have shown that simply knowing the results of such a test can negatively affect a patient’s recovery. In one study by Ash and colleagues, 246 patients with LBP and/or sciatica underwent MRIs and were randomly split in to two groups. The first group received the results of the MRI, whereas, the second did not. At a 1-year follow-up, both groups showed similar clinical outcomes, but the group that had received the results of the MRI demonstrated significantly lower values of self-rated general health. As a physical therapist, I see this in action on a daily basis. Patients are constantly concerned about the results of their diagnostic imaging studies and often have a difficult time getting past these findings. In these cases, much of the physical therapist’s duty is to explain to the patient that the results of a diagnostic imaging study do not predict the level of severity of a problem or describe which tissue is causing the symptoms.

Take home message: Medical imaging is without a doubt a valuable tool in the diagnosis of low back pain, when ordered appropriately. However, when ordered inappropriately, diagnostic imaging can become a burden on the healthcare system and can negatively affect an individual’s perception of their overall health. The results of such tests must be taken with a grain of salt, as imaging findings do not determine the extent of pain or physical limitation that an individual may experience. The results of medical imaging represent a single point in time and in no way predict permanent impairment or disability.

1. Flynn T, Smith B, Chou R. Appropriate Use of Diagnostic Imaging in Low Back Pain: A Reminder That Unnecessary Imaging May Do as Much Harm as Good. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2011;41:838-846.

Swiss Ball Supinated Lat Pulldown

2011-12-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

Herbal Cleanse Muffins

2011-12-01T18:18:00.000-08:00

If you struggle to drink the cleanse, here is a great muffin recipe that will get you the same results:

6 packages Fiber (from box)
1 3/4 cup Whole Wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
Mix dry ingredients together.
ADD:
1/3 cup honey
1 cup applesauce- the kind without sugar added
2 egg whites
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup soy milk- can substitute milk
Stir this into the dry ingredients and blend together.
FOLD IN 1 large chopped apple. Spoon into muffin tin sprayed with non-stick spray. This makes 12 muffins, and you may pile the batter up as they do not raise much.
Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes.
Cool muffins.
Place 6 muffins in bag and freeze for the last 3 days of your Herbal Cleanse.
Eat 2 muffins a day for the first three days and 2 muffins a day for the last 3 days.

Enjoy!!!

Lat Pulldown Alternating Extended

2011-11-30T19:53:00.000-08:00

X High Row Half Kneeling Rear View

2011-11-14T22:43:00.000-08:00

Supinated Lat Pulldown

2011-11-10T19:53:00.001-08:00

High Row DB 1 Arm 1 Leg Ipsilateral

2011-11-03T01:11:00.000-07:00

Spring Back Into Fitness Part Two

2011-10-31T11:13:00.002-07:00

By Kim Clark

This past April I wrote an article called “Spring Back Into Fitness”. It was part one of a four part series where I discuss the foundations of program design also known as Periodization (to read Part One, Click here). You learned it's three primary functions, which included how to avoid chronic overuse injuries, plateaus, and exercise cessation that comes from boredom. Just a few quick points to review then we can get into the part two of periodization and how you can put it to use in your current exercise program.

The main objective of Phase 2 is strength, which includes strength endurance, hypertrophy, and maximal strength. This phase is designed to maintain stability while increasing the amount of stress placed on the body to increase muscle size and strength.

Focus of strength phase is to:

Increase the ability of the core muscles (anterior abdominals, internal/external obliques, transverse abdominals, and erector spinae) to stabilize under heavy loads, through a greater range of motion

Increase the load-bearing capabilities of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints

Increase the volume of training with more reps, sets, and intensity

Increase metabolic demand by taxing the body's anaerobic systems to induce cellular changes in muscles (weight loss or hypertrophy)

Increase motor unit recruitment (progressive activation of a muscle by successive recruitment of motor units)

Strength endurance is a form of training that promotes increased stabilization endurance, hypertrophy and strength. This form of training entails the use of superset techniques in which a more-stable exercise (such as a bench press) is immediately followed by a stabilization exercise with the same biomechanical motions (such as a standing cable chest press). Therefore this phase will focus on strength and hypertrophy and to properly execute this phase you need to make sure that you have progressed thru phase one, because in this phase you will increase intensity and decrease the repetitions which is the opposite goal of phase one.

During Phase 1, ESD (energy system development) was focused on aerobic adaptation which meant that you were at a low steady state of conditioning. This next level you will be taking it up a notch. You'll start mixing in moderate level training with the level one aerobic phase. Think mixing in some interval training with your steady state cardio.

Here's your program to follow for the next 4-6 weeks 3 times a week. Also do your ESD training 2-3 times per week. As always make sure do complete a full-body dynamic warm-up before starting your workout program. Do each move for the designated amount of reps and complete 2-3 sets.

Kids and Sports

2011-10-31T11:13:00.001-07:00

By Steve Smith of SPaRC of Santa Barbara

I've had an interesting conversion of research and clinical experiences recently that gave rise to this topic. Sports, games, and other physical activities are important for good social and physical development in kids, but what are the downsides? We all hear the stories of bad parental behavior in the stands and some of us can even remember "sideline coaching" that embarrassed or even frightened our teammates. Some of these incidents have made national headlines (e.g, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Junta).

I just finished collaboration on a paper of youth soccer players and their parents. This was a national study of young kids in a soccer program. Both parents and the kids completed surveys about what they liked most/least about playing soccer, the types of behaviors they expected from coaches, and how parents should react. Not surprisingly, kids played soccer because it was fun and, by-and-large, the parents also wanted their kids to have a positive experience. Interestingly, parents were more concerned about their kids making mistakes or having an experience of failure, whereas most kids accepted these as a normal part of the game. That is, parents seemed to be more bothered by their kids feeling bad than the kids did. Many people have criticized the "everyone wins" atmosphere in youth sports and I would agree that certainly by the later grade school years, any discomfort about losing is a "parent issue."

Another struggle that parents face is the issue of sport specialization. How early should a child specialize in a given sport? Certainly for sports like gymnastics where the competitors tend to be younger, early specialization is a given. However, for most sports (especially contact sports), the necessary physical and psychological development for competition comes at a later age. Research tells us that people who specialize in sports too early risk burn out, injury, or even disrupted growth patterns. All of this is in addition to social and emotional consequences of too much practice too early on. Most children are not expected to hold time-consuming jobs at early ages, but serious sport training is really no different. Along with collaborators, I'm working on a project that analyzes minor league baseball players' progression in their sport. We found no difference between early versus late specializers in terms of college scholarships, quality of play, or development. However, those who specialized early reported more instances of depression, injury, and burnout.

The message here is clear. Children should learn to love physical activity and come to it in their own time. Parents should support and encourage, but not pressure their children to compete. In the end, it needs to be fun and enriching and not a source of guilt, shame, or diminished self-worth. Sports teach kids necessary lessons about hard work, winning and losing, teamwork, and goal-setting, but if taken too far too soon, can have some negative consequences.

Prevail Rewards!!

2011-10-31T11:13:00.000-07:00

Everybody loves Rewards, right?? We've teamed up with Perkville to offer our clients even more reasons to train.

Earn 5 points when you attend class!
Earn 15 points when you post about us on Facebook!
Earn 10 points when you refer a friend and your friend attends a class!
Earn 15 points when you complete an appointment!
Earn 20 points by following us on Twitter!
Earn 15 points when you Tweet about us!
Earn 50 points when you refer a friend who buys a Group Training class pass
Earn 100 points when you refer a friend who buys 2 or more Private Training sessions.

Redeem a voucher at 500 points for a FREE Month of Group Training (2day/wk), Prevail t-shirt or AdvoCare shaker bottle. Or save up your points and when you reach 1000 points, you can redeem for either a FREE FMS or 50% off a 90 minute massage. Keep earning points throughout your training to continue earning vouchers! You'll receive an email inviting you to join Perkville and its easy as pie. Just follow the simple directions and you're set. Each time you visit, you'll receive an email letting you know how many points you earned and your total points. If you don't want to get these emails, you can turn it off. Easy peasy.

What do I say when I post to Facebook?

Share what you like about your workout! Tell your friends what you did in class.

How can I convince my friends to come train with me?

Perkville.com makes it easy to refer your friends to us. Let them know what classes you attend, so you can go together.

Happy Rewards!!

Welcome Brook Phillips

2011-10-31T11:10:00.000-07:00

Brook joined Prevail Conditioning Performance Center in October of 2011. He completed his bachelors of science at California State University Sacramento in 2000, and his masters of physical therapy at Samuel Merritt College in Oakland, California in 2002. He became a board certified orthopedic clinical specialist (OCS) in 2007 through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Before joining Prevail Conditioning, Brook practiced at HealthSouth Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation in Santa Barbara treating both orthopedic and neurologic injuries.

Brook's treatment approach has developed from a solid manual therapy foundation as well as ongoing postgraduate education including (2) yearlong manual therapy courses and multiple continuing education courses. He is a strong advocate for evidence based practice and believes that it (EBP) is what will set physical therapists apart from other musculoskeletal practitioners as we move forward as a profession. Along with the rest of the management team, he works diligently to ensure that evidenced based practice is utilized on a daily basis and that the staff has access to the most current research and information available when making clinical decisions. Brook's future plans include continuing his postgraduate education by obtaining his doctorate of physical therapy (DPT) and completing an orthopedic manual therapy fellowship.

10 Principles to Intuitive Eating

2011-10-31T11:09:00.002-07:00

1. Reject the Diet Mentality Throw out the diet books and magazine articles that offer you false hope of losing weight quickly, easily, and permanently. Get angry at the lies that have led you to feel as if you were a failure every time a new diet stopped working and you gained back all of the weight. If you allow even one small hope to linger that a new and better diet might be lurking around the corner, it will prevent you from being free to rediscover Intuitive Eating.

2. Honor Your Hunger Keep your body biologically fed with adequate energy and carbohydrates. Otherwise you can trigger a primal drive to overeat. Once you reach the moment of excessive hunger, all intentions of moderate, conscious eating are fleeting and irrelevant. Learning to honor this first biological signal sets the stage for re-building trust with yourself and food.

3. Make Peace with Food Call a truce, stop the food fight! Give yourself unconditional permission to eat. If you tell yourself that you can't or shouldn't have a particular food, it can lead to intense feelings of deprivation that build into uncontrollable cravings and, often, bingeing. When you finally “give-in” to your forbidden food, eating will be experienced with such intensity, it usually results in Last Supper overeating, and overwhelming guilt.

4. Challenge the Food Police .Scream a loud "NO" to thoughts in your head that declare you're "good" for eating under 1000 calories or "bad" because you ate a piece of chocolate cake. The Food Police monitor the unreasonable rules that dieting has created . The police station is housed deep in your psyche, and its loud speaker shouts negative barbs, hopeless phrases, and guilt-provoking indictments. Chasing the Food Police away is a critical step in returning to Intuitive Eating.

5. Respect Your Fullness Listen for the body signals that tell you that you are no longer hungry. Observe the signs that show that you're comfortably full. Pause in the middle of a meal or food and ask yourself how the food tastes, and what is your current fullness level?

6. Discover the Satisfaction Factor The Japanese have the wisdom to promote pleasure as one of their goals of healthy living In our fury to be thin and healthy, we often overlook one of the most basic gifts of existence--the pleasure and satisfaction that can be found in the eating experience. When you eat what you really want, in an environment that is inviting and conducive, the pleasure you derive will be a powerful force in helping you feel satisfied and content. By providing this experience for yourself, you will find that it takes much less food to decide you've had "enough".

7. Honor Your Feelings Without Using Food Find ways to comfort , nurture, distract, and resolve your issues without using food. Anxiety, loneliness, boredom, anger are emotions we all experience throughout life. Each has its own trigger, and each has its own appeasement. Food won't fix any of these feelings. It may comfort for the short term, distract from the pain, or even numb you into a food hangover. But food won't solve the problem. If anything, eating for an emotional hunger will only make you feel worse in the long run. You'll ultimately have to deal with the source of the emotion, as well as the discomfort of overeating.

8. Respect Your Body Accept your genetic blueprint. Just as a person with a shoe size of eight would not expect to realistically squeeze into a size six, it is equally as futile (and uncomfortable) to have the same expectation with body size. But mostly, respect your body, so you can feel better about who you are. It's hard to reject the diet mentality if you are unrealistic and overly critical about your body shape.

9. Exercise--Feel the Difference Forget militant exercise. Just get active and feel the difference. Shift your focus to how it feels to move your body, rather than the calorie burning effect of exercise. If you focus on how you feel from working out, such as energized, it can make the difference between rolling out of bed for a brisk morning walk or hitting the snooze alarm. If when you wake up, your only goal is to lose weight, it's usually not a motivating factor in that moment of time.

10 Honor Your Health--Make food choices that honor your health and taste buds while making you feel well. Remember that you don't have to eat a perfect diet to be healthy. You will not suddenly get a nutrient deficiency or gain weight from one snack, one meal, or one day of eating. It's what you eat consistently over time that matters. Progress not perfection is what counts.

Dr. Oz endorses OmegaPlex

2011-10-31T11:09:00.001-07:00

Highly revered doctor, Mehmet Oz, who has a hit show on CBS recently endorsed AdvoCare OmegaPlex. It is only one of two products that passed ConsumerLab.com tests. To read more go here.
What does OmegaPlex do?

Here is a list:

Superior source of omega-3 fatty acids
Plays an important role in the transport of nutrients
Helps support normal blood flow

Supports healthy blood pressure

Helps promote healthy metabolism

Helps maintain a healthy immune system

Promotes maintenance of healthy skin, hair and nails

Client Spotlight: Larry Rodriquez

2011-10-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

A year ago I started training at Prevail Conditioning to improve my golf swing. I was confident that the training that I would receive from Chris would provide me with the physical strength and flexibility necessary to improve my scores. I immediately felt more athletic ability in my golf swing.

During this summer, I took 1^st place in my division (flight) of the Santa Barbara City Golf Championship. It was a joyful accomplishment and towards the end of the summer I decided to pursue a career as a PGA Golf Professional.

One of the most difficult tasks I faced in my pursuit was to pass a PGA Playing Ability Test (PAT). In order to begin the PGA Apprenticeship one must participate in a PAT, shoot a qualifying round and eventually pass the PAT. The PAT consists of 36 holes (2 rounds) of golf continuously in one day, which requires both physical and mental strength and conditioning.

My training with Chris helped me not only with a qualifying round, but also shooting scores low enough to pass the PAT. This is clearly my greatest achievement in my golf career, and is also at the top of my list of accomplishments in my life.

Inverted Supinated Row TRX

2011-10-25T23:49:00.000-07:00

X High Row Half Kneeling Front View

2011-10-19T19:01:00.001-07:00

Muscle Gain Protein Bars

2011-10-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

2 Cups Quaker Oats Oatmeal
2 Cups Advocare Chocolate Muscle Gain
2 Jars Almond Butter (1 Regular, 1 Chocolate)

Using a mixer, pour in Advocare & Oats
Slowly Add in Almond butter
Spread into pan
Cut & freeze.

Enjoy!!!

Lat Pulldown Alternating Flexed

2011-10-14T07:26:00.001-07:00

A New Member to the Sports Drink Family

2011-09-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

By Sarah Schutzberger, RD, CSO

You have new cross-trainer shoes for joint support, workout gear to keep you cool as you sweat it out and eight hours of shut-eye to maximize your energy level—so why do you feel worn-out as soon as your workout begins?

Your dietary regimen could be putting a damper on your energy levels. How you fuel your body is an important part of how you feel during your workouts. Remember that calorie means energy and proper hydration means energy stability. With a proper balance (especially with these hot summer days) you will have enough energy to keep your exercise intensity maximized.

So, what does it mean to be properly hydrated? How do you know what is best for you? You walk into the gym or the grocery store and are instantly bombarded with an outrageous array of sports nutrition drinks. Which one to choose? Natural or scientifically proven? They all look so colorful (oh the world of marketing).

First ask yourself: What is the intensity and duration of the exercise you will be performing?

The reason this question is important is because sports drinks are intended mainly for endurance exercise and athletes (however, this does not mean hydration is only important in such a case). It is recommended to consume about 8oz of water or an electrolyte based drink every 15-20 minutes during exercise. Even more so, it is also recommended to consume 30-60 grams of carbs an hour to keep your workout strong. Sports Drinks came about to provide athletes with an “all inclusive”, easy-to-get-down, beverage: carbs, fluids, and electrolytes.

This industry has exploded, introducing the newest member to the Sports Drink family: Coconut Water. A tropical vacation turned sporty. A marketer’s dream come true to be able to label this as “a natural alternative”. You can see the family resemblance when comparing the nutritional composition to a more traditional Sports Drink like Gatorade. The average brand of coconut water “claims” to contain 45 calories, 30mg of sodium, 500mg of potassium and 15 grams of carbs in an 8oz serving. However, sports experts would recommend adding a bit of sodium (salt) to the coconut water to give more balance to this “natural alternative”.

Whatever drink you choose to refuel with, just remember to drink enough to minimize fluid and electrolyte loss during your workout. Drinking too little or too much can be dangerous to your health and can hinder your performance. So cheers… and bottoms up.

Welcome Peter Blumert!

2011-09-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

Peter Blumert is a West Coast Native and earned his undergraduate degree in Exercise Science at California State University. He went on to complete his Master’s Degree in Kinesiology at Midwestern State University. Peter has competed in Football, Wrestling and Golf at the High School level and at the National level as a member of the 2005 U.S. Men’s America’s Cup Bobsled Team, which finished 3rd in the world.
Peter is certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and completed an internship in Strength and Conditioning at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. His experience in Speed and Power development make him a real asset to the Prevail Conditioning Team.

So I Hear that Muscle Weighs More than Fat

2011-09-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

By Juliann Boubel

For the weight-loss client, watching the numbers on the scale plummet with a new nutrition plan and exercise regime is exciting and motivating. Energy increases, cholesterol levels may drop, old outfits start to loosely fit once more… Sometimes, however, the numbers start to slow down and peeling the pounds away starts to feel like scraping paint off the wall. Well, take heart! This article is for you. Did you know that adding muscle mass can throw the scale numbers into a funk? The reason is because it’s true; muscle does in fact way more than fat. In fact, muscle is about 15% denser than fat, and that can be a great aide in goal achievement!1
While increased muscle mass might feel like it is slowing your progress path, take a second to consider what is actually happening physiologically. While muscle may weigh more, it is also denser and leaner. Not only is it more compact per pound, but a pound of muscle at rest burns almost 3 times more calories per day than the same amount of fat (28.6kcal/lb verses 10kcal/lb).2, 3 Even while you sit and read this article, that increase in muscle equals increased metabolism—which aides in burning up those excess pounds! Thus the reasoning behind the thinner, more svelte you continuing to shimmy into a smaller pant size.

Well if I’m not losing weight anymore, should I keep gaining muscle?

Well, what are your ultimate goals? If your goal is to just lose overall weight, maybe your exercise regime needs a revamp and should include lighter weights and more repetitions to lengthen muscles and maintain strength. However, if your ultimate goal is to increase overall health, lower triglyceride levels or fit into your college-sized jeans, then you might want to keep right on chugging. The numbers on a scale are just one way of tracking progress after all, so why not consider a better option like body composition testing. Having your body composition assessed reveals percent and poundage of body fat and fat free mass (FFM) in a person. FFM includes any matter in your body other than fat and an increase in this number indicates lean muscle gain.4 Frequent body composition assessments help to track muscle gain or maintenance and overall fat loss. Clients are constantly shocked when they find that their “scale” weight has not changed, but the body composition reveals that they have lost 5 pounds of fat and gained 5 pounds of muscle (and, thus, an increased metabolism!).

Is calculating my BMI a good way to track weight loss??

While charting your Body Mass Index (BMI) can be helpful for some, lean muscle mass can throw numbers off for others. Since the BMI scale is derived from a height-to-weight ratio, a 5’5” woman at 168lbs falls into the “overweight” category when she only has a body fat of 20%. According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Training Journal, 20% classifies her as an athlete in the mid-to-low body fat range.5 The confusion about a healthy weight and muscle mass that can stem from the BMI scale is why body composition testing is a great alternative to support clients in clear numerical tracking.

Where can I get my body composition assessed?

Did you know Prevail Conditioning has an in-house measuring system? We are happy to provide this free service to all of our clients weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. These tests are private, quick and confidential, so ask your trainer or group exercise instructor for a body composition test. We are more than willing to set up an appointment and then help sort through any nutrition hurdles you might still be having! Why not increase your motivation and attitude as you continue to work towards or maintain your wellness aspirations? Stepping away from the scale might be just what you need to succeed in your personal health vision!

1 Urbancheka M, Pickenb E, Kaliainenc L, Kuzon W (2001). "Specific Force Deficit in Skeletal Muscles of Old Rats Is Partially Explained by the Existence of Denervated Muscle Fibers". The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 56:B191-B197.

2 Farvid, MS; Ng, TW; Chan, DC; Barrett, PH; Watts, GF (2005). "Association of adiponectin and resistin with adipose tissue compartments, insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia". Diabetes, obesity & metabolism 7 (4): 406–13.

3 Heymsfield, SB; Gallagher, D; Kotler, DP; Wang, Z; Allison, DB; Heshka, S (January 2002). "Body-size dependence of resting energy expenditure can be attributed to nonenergetic homogeneity of fat-free mass". American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism 282 (1): E132–E138.

4 Drinkwater, Donald, and Alan Martin. "Variability in Measures of Bodyfat: Assumptions or Technique?" Sports Medicine. 11. no. 5 (1991): 1.

5 Weatherwax-Fall, Dawn. "Body Composition and Its Affect on the Sports Performance Spectrum ." NSCA’s Performance Training Journal6 . 7. no. 5 .

Inverted Row High 1 Arm TRX

2011-09-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

A New Member To The Sports Drink Family

2011-09-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

By: Sarah Schutzberger, RD, CSO

First ask yourself: What is the intensity and duration of the exercise you will be performing?

Training with a Giant

2011-09-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

By: Chris Ecklund, MA, CSCS, USAW

He showed up to Prevail Conditioning on his motorized skateboard, wearing jeans, a t-shirt and skater shoes. Tom (my physical therapist) told me he was a little guy, but I thought surely he was exaggerating. Then Jeff walked in…all buck forty-five (145 lbs) of him.

“How can this guy beat up on guys that outweigh him by 50 pounds,” I thought.

Then I searched Jeff on YouTube and watched some DVDs he let me borrow and sure enough – one guy after another no matter how big, Jeff beat up on or submitted them all.

Jeff came to us in May of this year to improve his strength and conditioning so he could take himself to the next level in his sport (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). Jeff was already the top American fighter and fifth in the world. However, he had not competed as well as he would have liked to at the previous World championships (Abu Dhabi) and was looking for the next supplement to his training to improve his competitive edge.

Over the course of the first few months of training, Jeff had made several offers for me to do a private Jiu Jitsu lesson with him. At first I put it off as I wasn’t sure if Jeff was genuine or just being nice. After getting to know Jeff those first few months I quickly realized two things: he had a true love for his sport that he wanted to share with me and Jeff is truly genuine…period.

I still didn’t do it. After another month or so of his biddings, I eventually submitted and scheduled a session with him.

So, in I went. I wasn’t sure how to dress or act (I’ve never been involved in any kind of martial arts or self defense training). I felt completely unsure of myself. Of course, I was also nervous as I had—up to this point—been the expert and Jeff the student. Now the tables were turned.

Jeff was excited as always at the start of a training session so in we jumped. Jeff did a fantastic job and I was quite impressed with his natural coaching and pedagogy knowledge. We moved through (what seemed to me) a tremendous amount of information and I had a great time learning from him. Finally, he finished with some short bouts of “rolling” (wrestling) with the two of us so I could practice what we’d covered that day.

Sixty minutes later I was fatigued and dripping with sweat (two of my favorite things about exercise).

When I walked out the door I began thinking about why I had put off this lesson so long. I had a blast learning from Jeff and from switching the roles he and I normally play. After a few moments of honesty with myself the procrastination became abundantly clear…

1. I was fearful of being in a new environment

2. I was fearful of performing poorly

3. I was fearful of not learning fast since I consider myself a kinesthetic learner and a movement expert

4. I was fearful of switching roles and being the learner and no longer the expert

5. I was fearful of “losing” to Jeff when we rolled

…I was just plain fearful of looking like an idiot and had completely unrealistic expectations of myself

Why do people avoid exercise or a strength and conditioning program?

Why do people avoid getting on a good nutrition plan?

All of the things I’ve been preaching to my clients over the years I’m as guilty of as anyone (just in a different area). I did and thought the same stuff.

I left the gym encouraged after my session that day. I became the student and humbled myself. It wasn’t fun to walk in the door, but it was fun after I got in and when I left. It was hard to get there and hard to do it. I was frustrated with myself for not being “perfect” at everything. I felt stupid and out of place. I felt all the same thing that our new clients feel. But I did the simple thing I knew we ask our clients to do and that we ALL need to do on a daily basis in order to continue moving forward: be humble, learn and give effort consistently.

Two final thoughts:

1. Our clients are awesome. I’m encouraged at the number of people—be it a 60 year old female looking to regain health/fitness or our world class athletes—who are willing to humble themselves and become the learner again.

2. Don’t be held back by foolish fears. Be nervous/anxious/fearful…fine. But don’t be limited by those things. Yes, it is rough on the front end. No argument. I get that. But it gets easier and easier. Commit to the process.

Pull Up Assisted

2011-09-21T19:59:00.001-07:00

High Row Bent Barbell

2011-09-07T21:11:00.000-07:00

X Lat Pulldown

2011-08-28T10:18:00.001-07:00

High Row Cable 1 Arm Standing

2011-08-23T07:44:00.001-07:00

Inverted Row TRX

2011-08-16T23:55:00.001-07:00

Pull Up: Neutral Grip

2011-08-07T22:45:00.001-07:00

Yummy Chocolate Tofu Pudding

2011-08-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

10.5 oz silken tofu

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1-1.5 tsp natural peanut butter

2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

3 Tablespoons Splenda

1 Scoop Chocolate Muscle Gain

In a Magic Bullet or food processor, blend tofu until creamy. Add Vanilla and Peanut Butter together and blend for 1 minute, scraping sides occasionally. Add the Muscle Gain powder & blend together for 1 minute scraping sides as needed. Measure into 4 serving dishes of equal portions. You can double the recipe of you use a food processor. Keep in the fridge 1 hour before serving.

To find Muscle Gain: Order Here

Low Row Cable 1 Arm Standing

2011-07-31T18:15:00.000-07:00

Peach 'N Carrot Smoothie

2011-07-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

This smoothie delivers an AMAZING flavor along with a serving of vegetables. You will be shocked at how great it tastes!!!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup Carrot Juice
1 cup of Ice
1 Pouch AdvoCare Peaches'N Cream Fiber Drink
1 serving of AdvoCare Muscle Gain (1 pouch or 2 scoops)
1/2 Tbsp Flaxseed Oil

Blend until smooth (blender, magic bullet, hand mixer, etc)

Nutritional info: 350 calories, 10g fiber, 30g carbohydrates, 25g protein, 7g fat

To order Peaches 'N Cream Fiber Drink, Click Here
To order Muscle Gain, Click Here

Inverted Row Supinated

2011-07-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

Advocare Power Muffins

2011-07-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

To purchase Peaches & Cream Fiber Drink Click Here

To purchase Vanilla Meal Replacement Shake Click Here

Enjoy!!!!

Low Row DB 1 Arm 1 Leg Ipsilateral

2011-07-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

What People Are Saying About Prevail

2011-07-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

Sondra Blockman, BS Kinesiology
Westmont College Graduate 2011

"I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge with us [interns]. It meant a lot to me and I wanted you to know that your time did not go unappreciated for one moment. I learned so much and had a great time learning it. I wish that I could have had more opportunities like that. What you've taught has stuck more than most things I've learned in the classroom...it's more interesting to me and it's obvious that you're passionate about it...plus your sense of humor helps! You are a great teacher and amazing trainer! One of the things I appreciate most is how your faith is apparent in your training ethics. You are a man of God, and I hope you continue to do amazing things for people."

Pull Up Pronated

2011-07-01T22:59:00.001-07:00

Client Spotlight

2011-07-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

By: Emily Canfield

I started training with Chris at Prevail Conditioning because I decided I wanted to compete in an NPC (National Physique Committee) show in the Bikini category and I wanted his help getting ready for it. I had competed twice last year and was unable to achieve the look I wanted, which was frustrating. I knew if I was really going to make a change & improve myself, I needed to seek help from the most knowledgeable person I know which happens to be Chris! I really struggle with building muscle and until I worked out with Chris I had never been able to gain any, especially in my upper body. We trained for a little over 3 months, doing 3 days of upper body at first which was the most I had ever done & it was definitely challenging but he got me through it. We measured my bodyfat & tracked my progress regularly & everything was going in the right direction but then we hit a small bump in the road when I lost 2lbs of muscle. That was the turning point where Chris' expertise really kicked in and magic was made;) I say that because, in training for past shows, I had also run into a similar weight loss issue but this time we approached it differently and I was able to get my all my 2lbs. of muscle back and then some! I know it was a result of switching 2 key components of my program. One change he made was switching my supplements. I began taking some Advocare supplements and they made a HUGE difference! I took Catalyst before my cardio workouts, Mass Impact prior to my strength workouts & Muscle Gain immediately after my strength workouts. I didn't use the Muscle Gain at first because it was slightly higher in calories than I thought I could have but since I had lost weight it was exactly what I needed to get my muscle mass back. The other change he made was to switch my cardio to interval training so instead of spending 30 minutes doing regular cardio I did shorter, more intense cardio. The last week before my show I did those twice a day & it made a *huge* difference in getting my bodyfat down while maintaining my muscle. I had never done my cardio that way before so it was difficult but my body responded quickly so they did the trick! By the day of the show, my body had been completely transformed! I had gained 4 pounds of muscle & got down to 15.5% bodyfat.

It was a long, hard journey but the end result was my best stage look yet---I couldn't have been happier & all my friends noticed how much of an improvement I had made from my other shows. I had such a great time & I felt confident & happy with my look so I really showed it off on stage like never before! And I owe it all to Chris! If any ladies out there are like me & need help transforming their bodies (for a show or otherwise) Prevail Conditioning is the place to go! I would recommend it above anywhere else in town because they have the most knowledgeable & thorough trainers who know how to get the most potential out of their clients when it really counts!

World Champion Jiu Jitsu Fighter trains for 2011 ADCC at Prevail Conditioning Performance Center

2011-07-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

Jeff Glover, one of Paragon’s most gifted American grapplers, has chosen Chris Ecklund and Prevail Conditioning as his exclusive Sports Performance training site as he prepares for the 2011 Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) in London, England this September.

Using specific methodology designed to help Glover capture the ADCC World Champion title, Performance Coach Chris Ecklund, will be focusing on improving Glover’s strength, power, and rate of force development along with his general motor and movement patterns to enhance his overall athletic performance. In addition, Ecklund will work with Glover on improving his biomechanics to maximize movement and minimize injury. With Ecklund’s help, Glover hopes to be the best physically prepared athlete at the World Championship.

Under the tutelage of Ricardo Miller, Glover was awarded the black belt in 2006 at age 22. He has one of the most attractive fighting styles in Submission Wrestling and BJJ today, with his innovative deep half guard.

Jeff’s Biography

Full Name: Jeffrey Dean Glover

Nickname: He is called “The Pipelayer” because he used to be a plumber.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Ricardo Miller > Jeff Glover

Main Achievements/Record:
2011 ADCC North American Champion
2010 UFC Fan-Expo Superfight Champion
2009 UFC Fan Expo Superfight Champion
2009 UFC Fan Expo Absolute Open Weight Champion
3 time GQ Absolute Open Weight Champion
Naga Absolute Open Weight Champion
2007 Black Belt World Champion
2006 Black Belt National champion

22 time GQ Advanced Champion

Mundial de No-Gi Champion (2007)

2x Pan American Champion (2006 and 2005 – brown belt divisions)

2x ADCC veteran

15x Open Weight champion for different organizations throughout his career

Weight Division: Pena (Featherweight) 70kg/154lbs

Favourite Position/Technique: Deep Half Guard Sweep

Team/Association: Paragon BJJ

Jeff Glover was born on the 15th of April 1983 in East Los Angeles, CA – USA. And it would take him 16 years to find Jiu Jitsu, but when he did, it was love at first sight. Glover knew this sport would change his life forever.

He started competing immediately and achieved success quickly. Even though he competed mainly at featherweight with some incursions in the Lightweight division, he always liked to stand the test at the absolute (open weight) division, something that not many featherweights dare enter. This display of confidence reaped it’s rewards as Glover stacked a fair amount of absolute medals and titles over the years. One of those titles won against Mike Fowler at the prestigious Grapplers Quest as a purple belt.

On the 8th of April 2006, just a few days short of his 23rd birthday, Jeff Glover received his black belt from the hands of Ricardo “Franjinha” Miller, his first and only instructor, after winning his second Pan American gold medal in the brown belt division.

In 2007 Gracie magazine was quoted as saying, "Jeff Glover has the best guard of the Americans." He can also be seen interviewing and training with some of the best coaches in the country in his series of episodes called “Glover’s Travels”.

Join us in welcoming Jeff to the Prevail family!!

Standing Front Pulldown

2011-06-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

Muscle Sculpt Pancakes

2011-06-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

(makes 15, 4 inch pancakes)

Dry Ingredients:

4 Cups Dry Oatmeal

8 Scoops AdvoCare Muscle Gain Powder (in Vanilla, Canister)
*To Order Muscle Gain click here *

½ Cup Splenda (or 4 packets of Stevia)

Wet Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 1/2 cups of light, sugar free Vanilla Yogurt
2 Eggs
1 Tbsp Liquid Butter Extract

1. Grind the oatmeal in a food processor, blender or Magic Bullet ~into a fine powder
2. Mix the oatmeal, Muscle Gain, and Splenda (or Stevia) together in a large bowl
3. Pour warm water into the dry mixture~ stir while pouring
4. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and use a wire whisk to get a smooth batter
5. Using a 1/4 measuring cup, pour batter into a pan on a low burner or onto a griddle
6. Cook pancakes until lightly brown

Enjoy!!!!

Inverted Row 1 Arm TRX

2011-06-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

Muscle Gain SPARK Pie

2011-06-14T22:26:00.000-07:00

2 Pkgs. or 2 scoops Pink Lemonade or Mandarin SPARK
1/4C Lemon or Lime Juice - Boiling Hot
1 Sm Pkg. Sugar-Free Lemon or Lime Jello
2 1/4 C Vanilla Greek Yogurt (0% Fat)
1 ~ 8oz Cool Whip (Sugar Free Light)
1 Heaping Scoop of Vanilla Muscle Gain
1 Low-Fat Graham Cracker Crust or the Mini/Individual Graham crust are great!

Directions: Microwave 1/4 Lemon juice to a boil. Stir in Lemon Jello, and SPARK until dissolved. Add and stir in Greek Yogurt and Muscle Gain. Fold in Light Sugar Free Cool Whip then pour into Graham Cracker Crust. Refrigerate 4 hours or you may freeze....Taste Amazing and Kids love it too!

To Order SPARK click here

To Order Muscle Gain click here

Enjoy!!!!

X Low Row Half Kneeling

2011-06-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

What People Are Saying About Prevail

2011-06-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

"Chris, I just wanted to let you know how much this internship has helped to shape and guide my career. I think it's always best to give credit where credit is due. This has been the single most important learning experience for me in the last 4 years at Westmont (not including any spiritual learning experiences), and I would hope that one day I would be as passionate, knowledgeable, and generous with my vocation. I've learned a lot, and whether or not our careers cross paths in the future, I'll look forward to running into you around town or campus. Thanks for everything."

-Jacob Goodin, BS Kinesiology, Westmont College 2011 & Prevail Intern, Spring 2011

Client News!

2011-06-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

Spencer Fraker, Senior Baseball Player, Santa Barbara High School

Congrats to Spencer Fraker for a very successful senior year and career with Santa Barbara High School baseball. Although battling with injuries all season, Fraker finished off his career with a solid performance in the CIF Quarterfinal game versus Harvard-Westlake with a solo Home Run (see pic) and batting 3 for 4 in the SemiFinal game versus Mission Viejo.

Way to go, Spencer! We are proud of you!

Trainer Workout, June 7, 2011

2011-06-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

Muscle Truffles

2011-06-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

Basic Ingredients:
1 C Peanut Butter
1 C Chocolate or Vanilla Muscle Gain Powder
1 C Honey

Mix all the above together& then add: 4 C total of any of the below ingredients. Get Creative!!!

Old Fashioned Oats
Sunflower Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds (toasted)
Chopped Pecans
Chopped Almonds
Chopped Peanuts
Granola
Raisins
Dried Cranberries
Oat Bran Flax Seeds (whole or grounded)

*Add more honey if too stiff or more oats if too goopy.
You don't want the truffles to be so sticky that they won't hold their shape*

Roll into about 1 inch balls.
Stack in a storage container in layers with wax paper in between each layer
Refrigerate or freeze truffles.

ENJOY!

To Order Muscle Gain Click Here

High Row Cable

2011-06-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

Swiss Ball 1 Arm Lat Pulldown

2011-05-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

What People Are Saying About Prevail Conditioning

2011-05-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

Deicy Hernandez

USCB Exercise and Sports Science Undergrad

"I just wanted to thank you for letting me shadow you a couple weeks back. It was truly a great experience, and just thought I should let you know that after shadowing a couple of other trainers at different gyms you were truly the best I observed. I'm sure it has to your education, understanding of movement and the reasoning and science behind what you do. It's a little scary the kind of trainers that are out there. So hopefully as I continue my education and continue my training I will one day be a great trainer like yourself. So thanks again, and good luck with your business and clients."

Thanks, Deicy! We appreciate hearing from you. Good luck to you and visit us anytime.

-Chris

Trainer Workout, May 24, 2011

2011-05-24T23:46:00.000-07:00

Client News!

2011-05-24T23:20:00.000-07:00

On May 7, 2011, Anne Chen had the opportunity to ride the penultimate stage of this year’s Tour of California (with about 1400 other cyclists). She races for Team B4T9 Foundation — B4T9 stands for Before Title Nine.

Here is what she had to say about the experience:

'We rode the same route that the professionals will tackle—from the college town of Claremont to Mt. Baldy—climbing over 10,000 vertical feet in almost 100 miles of riding. The course winds through the San Gabriel Mountains and has many gorgeous, breathtaking views. It was the hardest cycling event I’ve ever done—and even though I had trained for it, I wasn’t sure that I could make it to the top. The climbing on the last section to the Mt. Baldy Ski Area has switchbacks so steep that the organizers called them “beyond category.”

We all had timing chips and were timed on 2 sections of the course—these are called KOM/QOM (King or Queen of the Mountain). There were 50 women who completed the climb to Mt. Baldy—I came in 20th in the QOM competition. I was second in my age group (55-59) -- my teammate Kate came in first!)'

Her race stats:

Miles: 91.74 mi.

Ride time: 7:14:07

Elevation gain: 11,230 ft.

Avg. HR: 140

Calories: 2135

We are so proud of you, Anne!!!!

Fascial Tightness and Injuries

2011-05-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

By: Diana M Palmer, MS, ATC, EMT

Many of us have seen foam rollers being used by personal trainers and clients. Why are they being used? Can it benefit you?

Foam rolls are incorporated into work outs to allow active individuals to perform self myofascial release, or SMR. These have become more and more popular in the last five years as we learn more about fascia.

Why is it important to release, or unwind, fascia? Fascia is an amazingly complex and 3-dimensional tissue. Not only does it surround muscles, but it actually composes a dynamic web of strong fibers that wind between cells connecting and impacting far-distant body parts. For example, a tight, or bound fascial causing pain in the ankle can affect the knee, hip, low back, and wind it’s way up to the shoulder.

How do you know if you have tight fascia? For many years fascial pain went undiagnosed and patients were treated for chronic muscle strains, joint pain, sprains, and re-occurring injuries that returned despite rest/rehab. Trauma, repetitive movements (golf, tennis, computer work) and even prolonged positional postures (i.e. sitting or standing for hours) can be possible causes of fascial binding patterns. Flexibility, mobility, and strength can all be affected.

If stretching and massage only temporarily alleviate a tightness or pain, or possibly make the pain increase, if you feel “restricted” and cannot perform full movement at a joint, experience low grade chronic pain syndromes (including headaches, TMJ, neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain) it may be time to research fascial pain and injuries with a health care professional. There are many health care practitioners trained to evaluate and treat fascial pain. Physical therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, certified athletic trainers, and massage therapists can help guide you in your evaluation. There are many causes of chronic pain and repetitive injuries, so I strongly recommend meeting with a trained individual before beginning your own program.

Anatomy Trains, the Graston Technique website, and SMR (self myofascial release) are available on the web and are great resources. These sights highlight fascia’s role in the body, how to prevent injuries, and how to treat injuries when they do occur.

The Structural Functionalism of Sport in America: PART 2

2011-05-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

PART 2 Of The Structural Functionalism of Sport in America
By Juliann Boubel, BS, CSCS

The integrative aspect of sport brings people together under a common purpose. Much like the institution of religion brings members of society together for a shared goal, the availability of sport creates bonds and friendships that would otherwise be non-existent. Although sometimes competition can have negative connotations, sport integration creates an “in-group” and sense of belonging that can use healthy competition to create meaningful relationships. Swimming on a club team, for example, will bond people together as a direct result of shared experience and close proximity. Likewise, watching the Superbowl with friends brings people under the same roof for playful competition and the maintenance of quality companionship. The fourth dimension of the institution of sport is socio-emotional. The socio-emotional aspect is often described as cathartic.

Sport and exercise have proven to decrease stress and anxiety,

and are also responsible for increasing levels of

three mood-enhancing chemicals: “serotonin, dopamine

and norepinephrine, acting much like an antidepressant,”

states Katie Bell of Today’s Chiropractic Lifestyle (3).

The socio-emotional aspect of sport works in tandem with the integrative approach—giving players and exercisers a way to relieve stress, cope with life’s daily obstacles, or rally as a unit just for the fun of it.

The socio-emotional part of sport is extremely important in the way that it focuses on individual needs and wellness. In the same manner that a car only works as well as its parts are maintained, so too does our country only function as well as its members are kept strong. When each piece of a person is excelling physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally, their overall wellness increases. Sport is an outlet for social and personal stress, and the fact that the resource of exercise is available and widely used proves its worth and value as a piece of society.

Finally, the political influence sport has on society can be seen through a few examples. To start, the United States’ boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics was due to issues in the Cold War. Another instance can be seen in the implementation of Title IX. Title IX is most commonly thought to solely apply to sports, but it is actually “a law passed in 1972 that requires gender equity for boys and girls in every educational program that receives federal funding” (4). Gender equality within the sport and educational domains has since grown exponentially. Title IX has also increased knowledge of the benefits of physical activity across the board. Through the education provided to all members of society through legislation such as Title IX, sport continues to help better and develop our nation as an equal, cohesive unit.

As illustrated, mobility, socialization, integration, politics, and the socio-emotional aspects are each an important part of the institution of sport in society. Each piece works to further the structure and function of the institution of sport in America. After all, the American public places great value on living the American Dream. Sport aides in reaching this dream by uniting society through the mobility it provides, socialization and character development, and the integration of people from different racial classes and socio-economic groups. Sport promotes the equality needed politically and betters the individual on a socio-emotional level.

The goals of the institution of sport closely align with the hopes

of the American Dream; thus, the values intertwine

and contribute to the betterment and development

of people individually and in society as a whole.

The Anti-Aging Lie

2011-05-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

By: Chris Ecklund, MA, CSCS, USAW

Disclaimer: I’m on a rant. I’ll admit it. I’m frustrated with the wellness industry and I’m probably going to tick some people off with what I’ve got to say. But it needs to be said, so let’s get into it…

Those of you who know me or have read my stuff over the last few years know well that I am not a trend or fad follower (as much as I can help it). Most of the time I find myself running in the opposite direction whenever a new one rears its ugly head. I don’t know if this is something I began doing later in life or if I’ve been this way for a while. My latest favorite from an exercise program that shall remain nameless is the tagline:

‘Constant Adaptation. Shock your body with constant change so your body never gets used to the workout. That’s how you maximize results.’

People…we have known this physiological fact for decades. It’s not new, and they aren’t using it in a new way, FYI. And by the way, it is not always preferable to be in constant adaptation. But apparently, it’s enough to get people to buy it.

Truth is, I find trends either cost too much money, waste too much time, are a different (not better) twist on something we’ve already got, or aren’t backed by enough research to warrant my attention. I’ll admit it…it could be my age, it could be because I’m cheap, or it could even be because I’m a pessimist. But…

Anti Aging??? Come on. I find this is one of the silliest things the wellness and beauty industries are pushing.

Does this sound crazy to anyone else?

How are we buying into this? You can’t stop aging. There is simply NO WAY to avoid getting older. It IS going to happen. There’s no stopping it. And yet we purchase away, attempting to buy youth, youthfulness, better skin, or whatever else they can think to sell us.

It wasn’t that long ago that elders were to be respected and revered for their life experience and wisdom, was it? What happened to that type of thinking? How did we get here and where did the health and wellness industry start going wrong?

I’ve had a number of conversations with those older (and much wiser) than I over the past few years and I have come truly appreciate their perspectives on some of these issues.

Getting older is a GOOD thing. I’ll thank both my mother and friend Ann Cavalli for this one. I have had numerous conversations with them in which they have both voiced that value and benefits of getting older. Here’s a few to consider (and enjoy)

You don’t care as much what people think. You come to terms that you cared much too much about what others thought in your youth and realize how much it negatively affected you and held you back.
You have gained life wisdom. We know that knowledge does not equate to great wisdom. Wisdom is earned, it is gained through trial and error of life. This is simply not something you possess to a great degree.
You know yourself and others to a greater depth.

It’s not about Anti Aging, it’s about Compressed Morbidity. Yeah, Compressed Morbidity. I know, it doesn’t sound pretty and I can just hear the marketing guys coming up with a big goose egg trying to figure out how to sell that one. Glenn Town (Westmont KNS Dept. Chair) deserves credit for that terminology. Simply stated, our goal should not be to stop aging but to live healthier lives so that we can both enjoy our time now as well as minimize the time we spend in disease/illness later in life. On average, Americans spend about 11 years in a diseased state. Through healthier living it is often reduced to 1.5 years. Here’s a few more:

You feel better and have more energy.
You have independence later into life than you otherwise would.
You don’t waste your life worrying about wrinkles, gray hairs, or other imperfections that don’t deserve your attention.
You live less of your life in a diseased state, especially from those that are highly affected by lifestyle (i.e. Cardiovascular-related diseases)

Encouragements? Stop buying what the media is selling. It’ll decrease your worry and increase your bank account. If that means getting rid of your TV or cable so you aren’t inundated with these ridiculous messages…do it. If that means selecting different reading material…do it. If that means spending time with different people who care about the things you want to care about…do it. It’s worth it. While the health and wellness industry has made some strides, we are certainly making some big mistakes…and this is one of them.

Live life to the full, enjoy it, be healthy and balanced (these two words shouldn’t need to be separated, should they?), learn, grow and get old!

Inverted Row Rotational 1 Arm TRX

2011-05-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

Trainer Workout, May 17, 2011

2011-05-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

High Row Bent Dumbbell

2011-05-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

Trainer Workout, May 9, 2011

2011-05-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

Be sure to warm up before starting!

Circuit 1:

1a.Glute Ham

b.Slideboard push-up with band

c.Reach-outs (TRX)

Circuit 2:
2a.Slideboard leg curl
b.Incline Alt. Ext. Chest Press

  c.Saw

Circuit 3:
3a.Slideboard Retro Lunge
  b.Shoulder Press
  c.Torso Trainer

Questions about the program? Ask any PCPC Trainer! Be sure to pace yourself and complete in a safe manner at your own risk. Consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Enjoy!

Low Row Bent Barbell

2011-05-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

Lat Pulldown: Neutral Grip

2011-05-01T10:52:00.001-07:00

4 Exercises and 4000 Variations...

2011-04-28T21:59:00.000-07:00

...Using Motor Learning & the 80/20 Principle for getting more value out of less in your program.

By: Chris Ecklund, MA, CSCS, USAW

One of my clients has a favorite warning (and perhaps intimidation technique) he likes to give all first time clients that join our Adult Athlete Performance group. He tells them, “Be ready, Chris only knows 4 exercises, but he knows 4,000 variations of each of those exercises.” While it tends to make the clients slightly nervous and make me laugh a little, there is absolutely some truth to what he’s saying.

If you’ve ever set foot inside our facility, you’d know that we don’t have a lot of equipment: 2 Power Racks, 2 Keiser Functional Trainers, 2 Glute Hams, 2 Slideboards, 1 Vertimax, and then after that we’re pretty standard (barbells, dumbbells, hurdles/ladders, tubes/bands, plyo boxes, sleds, wobble boards, etc). The reality is, that is intentional. It’s not only part of our business plan but a large part of our training philosophy as well. We don’t have (and never will have) a lot of ‘machines’ or a lot of equipment. Why? We believe in training movement patterns. Why again? Because we believe it’s of higher priority to improve all our clients’ ability to be a better athlete.

It doesn’t matter if that person is a 55 year old female looking for weight management or a 28 year old world class Brazilian Jiu Jitsu artist, it simply modifies which end of the spectrum we work on

I used to say that “we don’t use machines because you don’t get to use machines to help you move on the field or move around in your daily life!” I still like and believe that saying, the only problem is that I realized with every passing year this is becoming less and less true. Athletes still have to have high power/strength/stability ability and the motor control with which to express those traits on the field. Non-athletes still have to get in and out of the car, put groceries away, walk/run, etc. We do have more machines and gadgets and video games and technology to assist our lives so that we simply don’t need to move as much, yes. Understand, though, that this truth only STRENGTHENS the need to exercise and develop motor patterns away from and outside of those machines. The less we move freely, the more chronic deterioration and breakdown we have with our bodies.

Listen, the question isn’t if everyone has to deal with gravity and physics. The question is how well does everyone deal with those forces. One of my favorite slogans from a colleague Jim Schmitz (former USA Olympic Weightlifting coach) is “I will not rest as long as gravity threatens my people!” Great slogan that expresses a large reality…all of us simply have to deal with those forces...period. If not, we either fall into similar compensatory motor patterns (i.e. why 60% of adults have back pain) that feed right into injury patterns or our bodies just give up and we lose our ability to enjoy independence and life on our own sooner.

I like what Canadian Strength Coach, Charles Poliquin, has said many times, “Vary the exercise without changing it.” Often times (though not always), research in kinesiology helps us understand what we’ve known works in the strength and conditioning—and have therefore been utilizing—but haven’t understood exactly why. Over the past couple decades, for example, we’ve seen muscle physiology research lend insight to the fact that a squat is not a squat is not a squat. A few weeks ago I had a session with one of my metabolic training groups. As we got about half way through the session I started to hear comments ranging from

“oh good, another squat variation…because it’s been about 30 seconds since we’ve done that”

“oh dear lord…please…not another squat!”

(you must know, by the way, that I live for those moments). Yes, another squat. Changing the loading parameters, type of load, direction or placement of load, tempo of movement, plane of movement, limb involvement (single leg, double leg, or variation thereof), etc, all change the exercise. How? The research tells us it does so in at least a few ways:

1. Muscle fiber firing order
2. Rate of force development
3. Stability demands and strategies needed to support the movement pattern
4. Acute and chronic hormonal responses
5. Local and global metabolic demands

So what do Motor Learning/Control and the 80/20 Principle have to do with it all? In part, we’ve already answered this. Though we do have more than the aforementioned “4” exercises we choose from, it is absolutely true that we have a very select exercise movement pool that we pull from. Specifically, we make sure ALL of our programs include:

1. Pushing
2. Pulling
3. Single and double leg squatting
4. Hip dominant motion
5. Power (both acceleration and deceleration components)

6. Torso/Core work
7. Balance

Why so few? Because these are the biggest bang-for-your-buck movement patterns. They are the ones that both the average Joe as well as elite athletes needs proficiency in. The are the 20% of all movement patterns that, if trained, provide 80% of the results. Yes, there are a lot of cool looking exercises out there that boast big results. The truth, though, is that most likely we all simply need to work harder at the basics. This is where Motor Learning/Control come in. Decades of research tells us that to master movement patterns it takes, on average, 500-1000 hours of repetition (and quality repetition at that—perfect practice makes perfect).

Why do we use 4 exercises with 4,000 variation (or rather 7 and 7,000)? Because if we don’t utilize the basic pedagogy principles of mass and distributed practice, we know the motor control outcome…our clients WILL

Lose that motor program =

get weaker =

decrease performance =

use compensation =

BE IN PAIN

References:
McGill, S. Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance, 4th Ed. 2009. Backfitpro, Inc. Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Questions/Comments? Contact chris@prevailconditioning.com

Client Spotlight: Brittany Jewett

2011-04-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

Soccer Player
Westmont College

Our daughter, Brittany Jewett, a student at Westmont College and a soccer player, had a Fulkerson Osteotomy knee surgery at UW Hospital in Seattle. After the surgery she wanted desperately to return to the soccer field at Westmont.

Brittany Jewett / Westmont Soccer Player

Since Brittany needed intense rehab, she chose to do this at Prevail with Chris. Each time she had rehab she called home full of excitement relating to us how positive and encouraging Chris was with her. She showed great progress and a good part of this progress, I believe, was due to Chris' outlook for her future. She related that Chris conveyed this positive viewpoint in a very personal way to her.

As her Mom, I was kept informed through emails from Chris continually keeping me "in the loop" where Brittany's work-outs and progress were concerned. My husband and I felt that we were made an integral part of Brittany's program and progress from miles away.

We would recommend Prevail and the sensitive care given to their clients without hesitation. In our opinion, Brittany's recovery was a positive experience for her for which we are very grateful.

-Tami Jewett (mother of Brittany)

Pull Up Supinated

2011-04-25T22:07:00.001-07:00

The Structural Functionalism of Sport in America PART 1

2011-04-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

By: Juliann Boubel, BS, CSCS

There are many institutions in society that exist to better human existence. Institutions like politics, economics, religion, marriage and family, and education are all individually distinctive but important in their relation to the whole, working network of society. This article argues the validity and necessity of sport as one of these valued institutions within America, created and maintained for the betterment, development, and unification of society.

Sport is a huge industry throughout the world that unites everyone involved. The institution of sport in America serves many purposes, and I believe there are five major areas of influence under the umbrella of this organization. Sport acts as a means of mobility and socialization as well as being integrative, socio-emotional, and political. To start, the mobility of sport can be seen through the ladder of success it can provide its participants. For example, sport has provided great means of social mobility for those from low-economic backgrounds as a way to the top of the social hierarchy through affluence and education. College scholarships can provide access to education for individuals who otherwise would not be able to afford such learning or opportunity. Even though he was cut from his high school basketball team, Michael Jordan is one of these individuals who beat the odds and received a scholarship to his dream school of UNC. After being named College Athlete of the year twice before his final season, he was drafted in 1984 by the Chicago Bulls and has since become “the greatest basketball player of all time” (1).

Because sport creates this bridge between economic classes,

its mobility helps unite our country and

give potential opportunity for all athletes to succeed.

Socialization of sport relates to how it molds and shapes people into appropriate, capable members of society. The camaraderie found in sport is a unique aspect that brings people together and teaches them how to act in social situations. Formal and recreational sports teach qualities like teamwork, sportsmanship, honesty, and integrity, all of which are highly valued characteristics in well-developed individuals. According to Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, “character-developing benefits of sport contend that participants learn to overcome obstacles, cooperate with teammates, develop self-control, and persist in the face of defeat” (2). The authors state that...

sport and character relate within the context of four intertwined truths—

compassion, fairness, sportsmanship and integrity. All of these qualities combine

to form and shape character through the participation in sport

and teach individuals how to function as a team on the field, in the gym or at the office.

See Part 2 of this Article NEXT MONTH.

Juliann Boubel, BS, CSCS is a Strength & Conditioning Coach for Prevail Conditioning Performance Center and works with athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. For further information regarding this topic please contact Juliann at Juliann@prevailconditioning.com.

"NBA Encyclopedia: Playoff Edition." NBA Media Ventures. 2009. 27 Apr 2009.
Weinberg, Robert S., and Daniel Gould. Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 4. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2007. Print.
Bell, Katie K. "Boost Your Brain Power." Today's Chiropractic Lifestyle 36.1FEB/MAR 2007 34. Web.25 Apr 2009.
"History of Title IX." titleix.info. 2009. The MARGARET Fund of NWLC. 25 Apr 2009.

Who's the Musculoskeletal Expert...Your Physician or Your Physical Therapist?

2011-04-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

By: Tom Walters, DPT, CSCS

I hope the answer to this question does not surprise you, but your physical therapist is the correct choice!  

A study published in the BioMed Central Journal of Musculoskeletal Disorders tested physical therapists, physical therapy students, physicians from a variety of specialties, medical residents and medical students on their knowledge of musculoskeletal medicine. The study showed that physical therapists with or without board certification and physical therapy students in their last year of school scored higher than medical residents and all physician specialties except orthopedic surgeons (see graph below).

The results of this study would probably surprise many consumers of physical therapy services, which is something we as therapists need to change. Personally, I have discussed this topic with many individuals and constantly find that people are shocked at the level of education required to become a physical therapist and are even more dumbfounded when they find out that therapists often complete residencies and fellowships. As therapists, we must do our best to educate patients on what it means to be a physical therapist and always take the time to explain musculoskeletal concepts as they relate to a patient’s particular diagnosis. By doing so, we will be better serving our patients and promoting the profession.

With these results of this study in mind, I ask that the readers of this article support direct access legislation to physical therapy services. Most states have already passed some form of direct access, which means the consumer can go directly to a physical therapist for musculoskeletal problems without having to spend extra time and money by having to see their physician first. However, some states have not passed direct access or have a restricted version at this time.

For more information on direct access and to see what is going on in a particular state, please follow the following link from the American Physical Therapy Association.

Tom Walters, DPT, CSCS is an orthopaedic and Redcord certified Neurac suspension-exercise physical therapist at Prevail Conditioning Performance Center. Tom has experience in orthopedic private practice, long-term care, traveling therapy and sport medicine. For further information regarding this topic, please contact Tom at tom@prevailconditioning.com

Rotational Row Cable 1 Arm Split Stance

2011-04-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

Inverted Row Low TRX

2011-04-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

Trainer Workout, April 12, 2011

2011-04-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

Pre-workout:
5 Min. SMR,
5 Min. Dynamic Warmup

1a. Barbell Flat Bench Press- 3 sets, 6-8 reps, tempo 3-0-1 (0 recovery between sets)

b. 1 Leg 2 Arm RDL- 3 sets, 8-10 ea. leg, tempo 2-0-1 (30 seconds recovery between sets)

2a. Alternating Incline DB Bench Press-3 sets, 6-8 ea. arm, tempo 2-0-1 (0 recovery between sets)

b. 1 Leg Hip Extension 45 degree angle on Roman Chair- 3 sets, 6-8 ea. leg, tempo 3-0-1 (30 second recovery between sets)

3a. Prone Leg Curl 2 leg Concentric, 1 leg Eccentric- 3 sets, 10-12 reps, tempo 3-0-1 (0 recovery between sets)

b. MedBall Push Up and Pass- 3 sets to technical failure (ouch!), tempo 1-0-1 (30 second recovery between sets)

Questions about the program? Ask any PCPC Trainer! Be sure to pace yourself and complete in a safe manner at your own risk. Consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Enjoy!

Ice/E-stim/Ultrasound: Age old therapies that may not be so therapeutic

2011-04-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

By: Chris Ecklund, MA, CSCS
For: SB Independent

For years we’ve heard it from the medical community—
    Roll an ankle? Ice it.
    Pull a muscle? Ice it.
    Jam a finger? Ice it.

Those who have been involved in athletics or fitness are all too familiar with this advice. Adhering to it may be another issue altogether, but suffice it to say we have been instructed to do it. The question is…should we?

Research over the past couple decades has brought the therapeutic effects of R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compress, elevate) for soft tissue injury into question. Does it actually help? Is it worth the time and discomfort? Are there other therapies (i.e. e-stim or ultrasound) that are more appropriate or better yet, more efficacious in bringing about the tissue healing process for acute soft tissue trauma? Some studies have even gone so far as to say that cryotherapy has a negative impact on tissue healing and can actually slow or negate some of the body’s natural healing processes for recovery.

The truth, not surprisingly, lies somewhere in the middle.

Local Physical Therapist, Tom Walters, DPT, CSCS notes that “for acute musculoskeletal trauma (due to surgery or injury), the practice of R.I.C.E. still holds value. Numerous studies are available that show the positive effects of RICE, particularly with regard to ice and compression during the inflammatory phase of healing (first 24-72 hours after injury).” Further, he describes that the exact application technique, total icing/compression time and number of applications per day does vary depending on the size and severity of the aforementioned injury. As a rule, however, 15-20 minutes of application (particularly that of crushed ice) several times daily with at least an hour between applications are still sound advice.

Where does the confusion lie, then? Why are some arguing against it? Primarily in the research evaluating cryotherapy effects past the inflammatory phase. Here the information is equivocal at best. Certainly there are enough studies to suggest (and most likely add credibility) to the theory that icing beyond this initial phase of 24-72 hours may actually limit the body’s natural healing response. However, Walters points out “one must remember that if [he/she does] not rest the injured area, the inflammatory process may be lengthened beyond 72 hours.” In this situation, further icing therapy may be warranted.

Okay then, what about E-stim (electrical stimulation) and Ultrasound? Interestingly, while both of these practices have been fairly common practices in therapy regimens in various clinics (physical therapy, chiropractics, athletic training, etc.), the research appears equivocal at this point. Walters suggests that while there is a need for more research, currently uses are primarily for pain relief (both) and increasing muscle strength (E-stim) but have limited support for tissue healing and repair.

In short, E-stim and Ultrasound appear to offer very little, if any, additional benefit to tissue repair and the healing process.

Where does that leave us? R.I.C.E. Still good advice according to the literature…at least for the first 72 hours.

One stone remains unturned, however: how long is it going to take the tissue to heal beyond the 72 hours and what should we do until then?

We find many of the clients in our performance center struggle to simply allow tissue repair to take place and often reengage in activities beyond tissue capacity far too soon thinking, “it doesn’t hurt anymore so it must be healed.” Understanding that injuries are unique and blanket statements can’t be made about healing processes, I asked Walters to offer a general time line and plan of action for a typical ankle sprain based on the latest research. Here’s what he suggests:

Phase 1: Inflammatory Phase (24-72 hours)1. If unable to bear weight or have point tenderness along the malleoli (ankle bones), see physician to rule out fracture.
2. Begin RICE ASAP (assuming no fracture) and continue for 24-72 hours (depending on severity).
3. Keep ankle as inactive as possible to avoid re-injury.

Phase 2: Fibroblastic Healing Phase (approximately 4 weeks)4. Increase Range of Motion, Strength and Proprioception (balance and neuromuscular control) using pain as guide (if pushed into pain, the tissue will regress into the Inflammatory Phase again).
Grade I sprains (least severe) may be healed and allow regular sports participation between 2 weeks - 2 months.
Grade II usually require between 3-6 months to be pain-free with all activities.
Grade III sprains (most severe) may require >6 months to heal and may ultimately require surgery if instability remains.

Walter’s Works Cited:
1. Does Cryotherapy Improve Outcomes With Soft Tissue Injury? Hubbaard TJ, Denegar CR. J Athl Train. 2004 Sep; 39 (3):278-279

2. Cooling Efficiency of 4 Common Cryotherapeutic Agents. Kennet, Jane; Hardaker, Natalie; Hobbs, Sarah; Selfe, James. J Athl Train. 2007 Jul; 42 (3):343 3. The role of physical agents in modulating pain. Fedorczyk J. J Hand Ther 10: 110-121, 1997. 4. Effectiveness of Interferential Current Therapy in the Management of Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Fuentes J, Olivo S, Magee D and Gross D. Physical Therapy. 2010 Sept; 90; 1219-1238. 5. Thermal Agents in Rehabilitation, 2nd ed. Michlovitz SL. Philadelphia. 1990. FA Davis. 6. The effect of cryotherapy on intraarticular temperature and postoperative care after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Okoshi Y. Am J Sports Med 27:357-362, 1999.

Standing Alternating Extended Front Pulldown

2011-04-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

Client Spotlight: Spencer Fraker

2011-04-04T22:23:00.000-07:00

Senior Baseball Player

Santa Barbara High School

I started training with Chris Ecklund and Prevail Conditioning after my sophomore year in high school. I am now in my second full year of training with Chris and it has been an incredible experience. As a sophomore, I was called up to play varsity baseball at Santa Barbara High School. After that season, I realized I had to do something more if I was going to succeed at that level. I have never been a very big, strong, or fast guy and after playing at the highest high school level these weaknesses became very evident. I decided to work with Chris at Prevail that summer. We worked hard at building up speed and quickness, increasing overall strength, and improving nutrition. During that summer, I noticed results and am continuing to notice results two years later. I have really enjoyed the workout regimens that Chris has put together during this time. He puts in the time to assess each client and develop specific workouts and exercises that cater to their individual needs. These workouts and exercises vary depending on the individual. I have had many nagging injuries over the past two years, but through Chris’ expertise, we have been able to train and increase strength while healing and not risking further injury. Chris allowed me to heal quicker and get back out on the field faster. Now, as a senior, I have gained 25 pounds of muscle and increased my speed tremendously.

I am grateful to Chris and Prevail Conditioning for the time they have invested in me. I would recommend Prevail to anyone and everyone for personalized attention and training. It is a very motivating environment for both athletes and non-athletes that are looking to improve their physical fitness. It is especially great for those who are a little less self-motivated and need to be pushed, such as myself.

Questions? Contact Chris Ecklund here: chris@prevailconditioning.com

Spring Back Into Fitness

2011-04-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

By: Kim Clark, NSCA-CPT

In this four part series we will explore the foundations of program design (periodization), giving you some needed tools to apply the progressive resistance model, and finally providing you with an excellent plan to get back in shape through the Spring into the Summer. Are you ready to work hard so you can be ready for Summer?

Periodization is a tool that is very helpful in achieving your fitness goals. Its 3 primary functions are to avoid chronic overuse injuries, plateaus and exercise cessation that comes from boredom/monotony. Whether you want to lose body fat or gain lean muscle mass, periodization has consistently been shown in research to be a superior model of progression. With the use of periodization, any population (from major athletes to stay at home moms) can realize constant benefits.

Periodization primarily offers its users improvement by progressively overloading the body and gradually increasing stress on the muscle to produce adaptations and decrease the risk for injury. The model presented here for fitness cycles through three different phases. Each phase will generally last 4-8 weeks depending on the current level of fitness. Phase one focuses on stabilization endurance training and doing low-intensity high-repetition strength training programs. This phase is very important as it strengthens your joints and core musculature while giving you the opportunity to do strength moves with correct form using lighter loads. Phase two focuses on strength endurance promoting increased stabilization endurance, hypertrophy (think definition and increasing lean tissue mass), and strength. This objective is to increase stabilization while increasing prime mover strength. This is accomplished by performing compound sets in your workout. A compound set is a set of two exercises that are performed back-to-back without rest. An example would be a bench press then a push-up. Phase three is strength and power driven. Using increased loads and fewer repetitions will increase intensity and volume.

Periodization can also be used for your energy system development (ESD). ESD is a term that is being utilized more frequently in the field to describe what was formerly known as Cardiovascular or Aerobic Exercise. There are three important energy systems that you need to know about. The first is Anaerobic/Glycolitic System: this is what allows your body to push hard for up to three minutes (utilizing Carbohydrates as the primary fuel source). Next we have Phosphagen System and this allows your body to work at high intensity levels for up to 12 seconds (utilizing ATP as the primary fuel source). Lastly is your Aerobic System, which allows to body to work beyond three minutes so it can recover from intense energy bursts (utilizing Fat as the primary fuel source). The phases or levels for ESD are as follows:

Level one is the aerobic phase- aerobic means your body will be using oxygen so you’ll be at a low steady state of cardio, you should be able to carry on a conversation when you’re at this level.

Level two you start mixing in moderate interval training with the level one aerobic phase. You should find it difficult to carry on a conversation at this level.

Level three is basically just increasing the intensity of your intervals so your body will be ready for level four.

Level four is the most intense of the intervals where you push as hard as you can for 10-30 seconds. You will initially spend more time at levels one and two and work your way up to the more intense levels, which will improve your overall endurance, strength and power.

Here’s a program that you can do 2-3 times a week. Do this program for a month and next month I will have the next progression of this workout. Make sure you do a full-body dynamic warm-up before starting the workout. Do each move for the designated amount of reps and go thru each section 2-3 times.

1a. Ab Roller        8-10reps
b. Side Bridge    Hold 15-30 secs
c. Hanging Ab    8-10reps
d. Quadruped     3x5secs each

2a. Goblet foot Elevated Split Squat   10-15reps
b.Jungle Gym Rotational Row          10reps each side
c.Self-Myofascial Release                30 secs

3a. Contra lateral RDL                        10-15reps each leg
b.Anti Rotation KFT Push-Pull        10-15reps each side
c.Active Isolated Stretch                   3 times for 5 secs each side

4a. TRX Single Leg Squat-Row 10-12reps each side
b. TRX Bicep Curls                  10-15reps
c. TRX Skull Crushers             10-15reps

Energy System Development:

Burpee 5-10 reps

Recover to a HR of 130-140rpm, and then repeat 5 times.
If you can only do 5 burpees the first time through, each time you do this workout, add one more burpee so by the end of the month you’ll be doing 12 burpees!!

Remember to consult your physician prior to beginning any exercise regimen. If you experience any dizziness or pain you may need to regress the exercise.

Questions? Shoot me an email and I’d be happy to offer assistance. Enjoy!

References:
1. Clark MA. NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training. Chapter 13. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008.
2. http://www.coreperformance.com/knowledge/training/energy-system-development.html#header_26
3. http://www.shapefit.com/periodization-training-cycle-workouts.html

Originally from Lompoc, CA, Kim moved to Santa Barbara in 2007. After a lifelong involvement in sports and exercise Kim decided to pursue a career in fitness. Upon graduating from the Personal Training Program as SBBC, Kim earned her Personal Training Certificate and became a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Kim joined the PCPC team upon completing the Prevail Conditioning Internship Program. She enjoys working with clients to help them achieve their general fitness goals and has future ambitions to work with athletes of all ages as well as coaching soccer. You can reach her here: kim@prevailconditioning.com

Trainer Workout, April 4, 2011

2011-04-04T07:58:00.000-07:00

Please warm up before beginning!

1a. Barbell Back Squat: 3 sets, 4-8 reps, 20 seconds recovery

b. Box Jump Up/Down: 3 sets, 6 reps, 60 seconds recovery

2 a. Foot Elevated Goblet Split Squat: 3 sets, 8 ea. leg

b. 1 Arm Dumbbell Bent Low Row: 3 sets, 8 ea. arm, 30 sec. recovery

3 a. Cable Lat Pulldown Pronated: 3 sets, 6-8 reps

b. SwissBall pike (or rollout): 3 sets, 8-10 reps

Questions about the program? Ask any PCPC Trainer! Be sure to pace yourself and complete in a safe manner at your own risk. Consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Enjoy!

More Backing for Training to Run Instead of Running to Train

2011-03-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

(courtesy of coreperformance.com)

Train to Run Farther, Faster
Paul Robbins November 20, 2008

A training plan for the intermediate runner, this workout session will improve your movement efficiency and your time.

As an intermediate runner, the training sessions here will bolster your movement efficiency, meaning you'll reduce wasted movement and use less energy to travel the same distance or speed. Think of it as upgrading to a more fuel-efficient engine. And by training common weak areas for runners, you'll also become stronger and more resistant to pain and injury.

The Workout
You can consider yourself an intermediate-level runner if you’ve completed a 5K, 10K, or maybe even a marathon.

Directions: Rest at least a day between training sessions and vary your intensity. For example, you might run hard intervals on Monday followed by a day of rest on Tuesday, and then run at a medium intensity on Wednesday. Repeat this general training schedule,or get a customized program.

Intermediate Energy System Development
Warm up in what we call the "yellow zone" (65-75% of your maximum heart rate) for 5 minutes.
Run for 5 minutes in the "green zone" (80-87% of your maximum heart rate).
Run for 2 minutes in "yellow zone."
Repeat steps 2 and 3 for duration of your 30- to 60-minute workout.
* If you don't have a heart rate monitor, then correlate the "green zone" to a mile and the "yellow zone" to a ½ mile.

Trainer Workout, March 21, 2011

2011-03-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

Be sure to warm up before giving this one a try!

*Circuits are 4 sets each*

Circuit 1

a. Supinated Inverted Row: 9 reps

b. Foot Elevated Split Squat: 9 reps

c. Burpee to Jump with MedBall: 9 reps

d. Side Bridge In Line: 45 seconds

Circuit 2

a. Swiss Ball Push Up- (hands on side of ball)- 9 reps

b. 1 Leg BB Good Morning- 9 reps

c. Slideboard- 60 reps

d. Cable Supine Russian Twist on Swiss Ball- 9 reps

Questions about the program? Ask any PCPC Trainer! Be sure to pace yourself and complete in a safe manner at your own risk. Consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Enjoy!

Trainer Workout, March 14, 2011

2011-03-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

Warming up prior to each workout is a MUST!

*All circuits 6-8 reps*

Circuit #1
Box Jumps
Power Pulls
X-Lift

Circuit #2
RDL to Row (Barbell)
Pull-Ups
Tricep Pushdown
Saw Bridge

Circuit #3
Lunge (SwissBall) to Push Up
Push-Pull KT
Bicep Curl
Hanging Abs

Questions about the program? Ask any PCPC Trainer! Be sure to pace yourself and complete in a safe manner at your own risk. Consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Enjoy!

How to Choose a Good Personal Trainer/Strength Coach

2011-03-08T16:04:00.000-08:00

By Chris Ecklund, MA, CSCS, USAW

Personal Trainers and Strength & Conditioning professionals are common place in the fitness/performance industry. Set foot inside any health club or private training facility and you’re bound to find a long list of trainers promoting themselves as weight loss, biomechanics, post rehab, back health, or performance specialists.

It was not always thus. Exercise, performance and therapy science is still relatively young. Step back a just a few decades to the 1970’s and you’ll find the beginnings of the formal “personal training” industry. Back then, trainers were often those with backgrounds such as bodybuilding or former coaches/athletes. As such, the industry was highly unregulated and was led primarily by those who “looked the part” as opposed to those who had a particular background in education.

The unfortunate news is that while the industry has made some great strides, it is still relatively unregulated. The problem for the consumer?...

To distinguish between a “trainer” who paid $50 for an online certification a week ago (if you think I’m kidding…google it) and one who has 20 years in the industry, holds a Bachelor’s and/or Master’s in a Kinesiology related discipline and/or advanced certifications.

Choosing a Personal Trainer or Strength and Conditioning professional is unfortunately quite different than choosing a good Physical Therapist, Physician or Dentist. The road to physical therapy, medicine or dentistry not only requires an undergrad degree as well as graduate degree, but also a degree of experience/clinical hours and finally passing a nationally recognized exam (often called a board exam). A process that oft takes 7+ years. This is compared to the Personal Training/Strength & Conditioning industry that can legally and legitimately be entered into with that aforementioned $50 online certification. Quite a disparity…and one that ought to leave the consumer with some concerns. By the way, if that’s not enough to raise concerned eyebrow, I can tell you that time and time again we have clients who come to us because they’ve been hurt by or have other horror stories from trainers they’ve been to in the past. What’s more, there are instances reported (with more frequency than should be) in professional journals of clients (both fitness and athletes alike) literally being trained to the point of death.

Thankfully, though no national boards are required for personal training/strength & conditioning, discussions about passing such legislation do exist. Further, there are now certifications that are nationally recognized and accredited by third party organizations which are held to a higher standard and more stringent in requirements to pass (i.e. NASM, NSCA, ISSA to name a few). Some even require an undergraduate degree in order to be able to sit for the exam.

To gain some further insight I interviewed local experts Amy Jameison, NASM-CPT and Doug Holt, MFS, CSCS. Amy is a Lecturer and Student Adviser at UCSB in the Exercise and Sport Studies Program as well as a certified personal and group trainer with over 20 years experience. Doug owns and operates a local Private Fitness Gym called Conditioning Specialists, and is himself extensively certified including certifications in personal training and strength & conditioning.

1. What type of qualifications should a personal trainer have?

AJ: Certifications are essential but NEED to be through an accredited organization such as NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine), ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), or ACE (American Council on Exericse).

DH: I think experience trumps any degree or certification. I think it's more important for a trainer to go through some hands-on type training via school, an apprenticeship, or as a low entry instructor. It's easy to list the big five certifications as being the most credible, but most certifications have essentially the same info with a little twist. Experience is the key.

2. Is a degree in exercise necessary? If so, what kind?

AJ: There is an industry shift toward trainers with degrees.

DH: I don't think so.

3. What other qualities/characteristics do good personal trainers have that extend beyond their education?

AJ: Trainers need to practice what they preach!! They should also be positive, motivating, and up-to-date on information as well as lead by example.

DH: Integrity, people skills, compassion, empathy, honesty, motivating, an interest in the field other than just liking to workout themselves, and being dependable.

4. Should a personal trainer have any other degrees or certification outside exercise?

AJ: Depends on specialization. But more is always better and being well-rounded is a good.

DH: No.

6. Do you have any further thoughts?

DH: I think it's important for the public to realize that most trainers only spend 1-2 days getting "certified", while trainers such as yourself view it as a career. The human body is so complex, yet people don't invest in hiring a knowledgeable attendee.

Even among experts in the profession, opinions vary. It’s fair and important to point out the fact that while nationally recognized certifications (and possibly degrees) are a mandatory jumping off point, experience it extremely important. Finally, Personal Training and Strength & Conditioning professionals should be evaluated and judged as you would any other professional whose services and advice you seek. Would you go to a doctor who was in poor health?...A dentist who had bad teeth?..Or a financial planner whose finances were a mess?

Please email questions for future article topics to chris@prevailconditioning.com.

Trainer Workout, March 7, 2011

2011-03-07T08:12:00.000-08:00

Remember to warm up before beginning the workout!

1) Kneeling MB Chest Pass-6
    Split Squat Jump-6
    Balance on a Dyna Disk, spell name with 1 foot: 20 seconds

2) BB Elevated Split Squat- 6 each leg
    RDL-Row (cables)- 6 each
    Kneeling Chop- 8 each
    Sled Push

3) Walking Lateral Lunges- 8 each
     Chest Press (DB)- 10 (alt.)
     Elbow to Hands- 10
     Burpees- 10-12

Conditioning:
Ropes
10 jumping jacks
10 double leg jumps w/ BIG wave

Questions about the program? Ask any PCPC Trainer! Be sure to pace yourself and complete in a safe manner at your own risk. Consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Enjoy!

Interdisciplinary Care: What Does it Mean to be a Physical Therapist Today

2011-03-04T19:42:00.000-08:00

By: Tom Walters, DPT, CSCS

What type of degree is required to become a licensed physical therapist? Do therapists graduate as generalists or can they specialize in a particular subject area during their professional education? These are questions I hear on a daily basis from patients and, at times, from other therapy professionals. I am not surprised by these questions, especially when one considers how dramatically the profession has changed in the last twenty years.

Physical Therapy Education:
The current standard in physical therapy education is the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree, which has replaced the Master’s degree and the Bachelor’s degree before that. Of the 219 physical therapy programs, only seven offer the Master’s degree with the remainder issuing a clinical doctorate upon completion. In order to be admitted to physical therapy school, a student must possess a Bachelor’s degree including numerous prerequisite courses, which can vary according to the graduate institution the student in applying to. A graduate program in physical therapy then consists of a three-year curriculum, which includes a combination of didactic and clinical work and culminates with the student sitting for the National Physical Therapy Exam to achieve licensure. Upon receiving licensure, the physical therapist can then use the designation PT for their license and DPT, MPT or BSPT depending on their degree type. Because the DPT is relatively new, only about 13% of the workforce currently holds this degree.

Residency & Fellowship:
Upon completing PT school, many graduates continue their education by enrolling in residency and fellowship programs related to a particular subject of interest. Residency programs last between nine and thirty six months and include the following areas of specialization: orthopaedics, neurology, pediatrics, geriatrics, women’s health, sports and cardiovascular and pulmonary. After finishing a residency, a therapist can then sit for board certification in their particular subject area. An individual who has received board certification can then label themselves as a board certified clinical specialist and include the following credentials after their name: orthopaedics (OCS), neurology (NCS), pediatrics (PCS), geriatrics (GCS), women’s health (WCS), sports (SCS), cardiovascular and pulmonary (CCS) and clinical electrophysiology (ECS).

Fellowships, like residency programs, contain both didactic and clinical work and last between nine and thirty six months are usually undertaken by individuals who have already achieved board certification or completed a residency and demonstrate clinical expertise in their particular practice area. The fellowship is designed to provide greater depth in a specialty area and can include one of the following topics: movement science, hand, orthopaedic and manual therapy and sports-division I athletics. Fellows may then use the fellowship credentials, which could include FAPTA (Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association) or FAAOMPT (Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy).

In the end, if you are working with a fellow physical therapist and you are curious about their educational background, don’t hesitate to ask

You can contact Tom Walters, DPT, CSCS, at tom@prevailconditioning.com

How to Prevent Ankle Sprains

2011-03-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

By: Tom Walters, DPT, CSCS

Nearly 25,000 people in the U.S. suffer an ankle sprain everyday and up to 70% of these individuals will go on to have recurrent sprains and other chronic symptoms. Recurrent ankle sprains can lead to joint laxity, weakness, diminished balance and impaired performance overall. A recent study published in the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy identified four exercises that were proven to improve balance and performance and decrease one's risk for future ankle sprains. The exercises involve securing elastic band to one ankle and balancing on the injured leg while performing the four movements pictured below.  
So, try these exercises to keep your ankles healthy and improve performance.

Reference: Han K, Ricard M, Fellingham G. Effect of a 4-Week Exercise Program on Balance Using Elastic Tubing as a Perturbation Force for Individuals with a History of Ankle Sprains. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2009;39:246-255.

Trainer Workout, Feb 28, 2011

2011-02-28T09:34:00.000-08:00

As always, warm up before you get started! Enjoy!

*All Trisets 3 sets each*

Strength/Complex Triset 1
1a. Front Squat Barbell (4-8 reps)
b. Neutral Grip Pull Up (6-8 reps)
c. Single or Double leg Box Jump Up/Down (4 reps)

Strength/Complex Triset 2
2a. DB Alt. Extended Chest Press (4-6 ea. arm)
b. Barbell 1Leg RDL (4-6 ea. leg)
c. MedBall Lateral Hop-Rotational Throw (4 ea.)

Metabolic Work
...And finish it up with...Sled Pushes!!!

45-90 lbs.
4 sets X 4 reps of 15 yards
Work:Rest = 1:1

Questions about the program? Ask any PCPC Trainer! Be sure to pace yourself and complete in a safe manner at your own risk. Consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Enjoy!

Trainer Workout, Feb 21, 2011

2011-02-21T16:40:00.000-08:00

Be sure to warm up before giving this a try!

Clean: 3-6
Slide-outs: 12

Inverted Row: 6-10
Back Squat: 8-12
Russian Twist on Swiss Ball: 8 each
Burpees: 12

Tricep Dips: 10-12
Dead lift: 8-10
Bicycles: 12 each
Ropes: 30 seconds

Questions about the program? Ask any PCPC Trainer! Be sure to pace yourself and complete in a safe manner at your own risk. Consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Enjoy!

Trainer Workout Feb 15th, 2011

2011-02-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

Another workout for you all to try at home! Be sure to complete a warm-up prior to starting.

3 sets, 10 reps

1. a. Rolling Plank

b. Pikes

c. Roll-out

d. Med-Ball V-Ups

3 sets, 8 reps

2. a. Single leg jump

b. Med-Ball power pushup

Rest 1 minute

3 sets, 10 reps

3. a. Squat-Curl-Press

b. Elevated Split Squat- Lat. shoulder raise

c. Back Extension

d. Burpees

3 sets, 10 reps

4. a. Walking lunge-oblique twist

b. Two-leg RDL- Row

c. Chest press (Swiss ball)

d. Jump rope- 100

Questions about the program? Ask any PCPC Trainer! Be sure to pace yourself and complete in a safe manner at your own risk. Consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Enjoy!

Trainer Workout, Feb 2011

2011-02-07T22:17:00.000-08:00

Train like the pros--here is a new PCPC trainer workout! Try it out to add some variety to your current workout routine!

Dynamic Warm up

Circuit#1
Reverse Lunge (Slideboard)
Bosu Ball push-ups
Hanging Abs
RDLs w/Row
Hip-Hops
Suspended X-Lifts

Circuit #2
Bosu Ball Squats w/Curl
Tricep Push-downs
Bicycle crunches
Pull-ups
Burpees
Cable Chops (Low to High)

Circuit#3
Thrusts

Walking Side Lunges
Plank up/downs on Bosu ball
Med-ball pass
Slide boards mountain climbers
Glute-Ham

Questions about the program? Ask any PCPC Trainer! Be sure to pace yourself and complete in a safe manner at your own risk. Consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Enjoy!

Hey Mr. DJ Wont You Turn the Music Up?

2011-01-06T20:26:00.000-08:00

by Juliann Boubel, BS, CSCS

Once you step into most gyms in North America, you are usually greeted by music blaring the latest radio jams or looped on a CD.

Although you may cringe when Lady GaGa comes on (again)

about the “Paparazzi” in her “Poker Face...”

there is good reason these fast paced songs accompany you in your spin classes and weight training. Seriously, think about the last time a slow song or a commercial came through the speakers right at the peak of your treadmill sprint or sled push—motivation…shot. Music can put you in the zone, or zap you right out of it. No massage therapist would try to create a relaxing environment with TOOL. While it can be difficult finding music that everyone enjoys, great music can really create an atmosphere of superior performance.

According to Lee Crust of Health and Life Sciences at York St. John University,

there seem to be four parts of a music selection that determine its motivational quality during exercise: “rhythm response, musicality, cultural impact and association” (3).

Crust notes that music helps focus and stimulate exercise as well as synchronize exercise patterns according to what is heard. In this way, rhythm response is probably the most important component in exercise stimulation. When a person hears a song, the rhythm (recurring pattern of beats or pulses) and its tempo (how fast or slow the beats are) create a “rhythm response” and an exerciser will unknowingly adapt their movement patterns to match what is being played. This type of background music, like at Prevail Conditioning, that creates a synchronized response to an uncoreographed song is called asynchronous music and can be super helpful right at a high point of exertion. While your body responds to the rhythm, your mind responds to the musicality (harmony or tune) of a song. If the harmony does not flow well or a note is out of tune the mind is basically distracted or dissatisfied. Thus, a well-constructed score can strongly affect a person’s workout through his physical movements and mental drive.

The cultural impact of a song has to do with how present a song is in society (i.e. “Top Ten” on iTunes), and association is how our brain connects a song to an event. People can connect songs like “We are the Champions” and “Ice Ice Baby” with immediate memories of times past or a movie in which it has aired. Contrary to what you might think, however, just because a song is familiar does not necessarily mean it will pump you up most effectively.

Crust found from a group of researchers that “melody and rhythm were more important than lyrical content in diverting attention from aversive stimuli during high intensity running,” but that these “researchers also stressed the importance of personal meaning and personal associations in producing distraction from pain” (6). Music can be a great distraction and a great encourager to get you through hearing us say, “one more rep!” or “15 more seconds!”

Many people have a “pump-up” song; maybe from high school football or what you like to blast while your cleaning your house. Share them with us! At Prevail Conditioning we love to mix up the type of music we play and are always open to suggestions. We try and keep things fresh in our workouts as well as our choice of music, so bring in a suggestion, a playlist, or a request for more volume! We would love to hear it.

Julian Boubel, BS, CSCS is a Strength & Conditioning Coach for Prevail Conditioning Performance Center and works with athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. For further information regarding this topic please contact Juliann Boubel, BS, CSCS at Juliann@prevailconditioning.com.

References:

1. Crust, Lee (2008) Perceived importance of components of asynchronous music in circuit training. Journal of Sports Sciences, 26 (14). pp. 1547-1555. ISSN 0264-0414

2. Karageorghis, C. I., Priest, D. L., TERRY, P. C., Chatzisarantis, N. L., & Lane, A. M. (2006). Redesign and initial validation of an instrument to assess the motivational qualities of music in exercise: The Brunel Music Rating Inventory-2. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24, 899-909.

Evolve Your Workouts and Avoid Overtraining

2010-12-09T14:16:00.000-08:00

by Will Hughes, BA, NSCA-CPT

Do you workout much? Maybe too much? Be honest! Maybe you have been working out lately and you feel a little bit more tired before or during your workout. Do you always feel soar or pain during/after your workouts? Or maybe you just feel completely unmotivated to go the gym altogether because that really good feeling you used to get from doing your workouts just doesn’t happen anymore. You may even have noticed that the progress towards your personal fitness goals has become stagnant. These are all symptoms of overtraining (2) and if any of those things sound familiar to you then you may suffer from overtraining. Since I have become a trainer I have become much more aware of the importance of changing my workouts and the workouts of my clients, every so often, to not only help reach goals but to also help avoid overtraining. So I would like to offer you my understanding on the subject of overtraining based on a few readings I have come across recently. I’ll cover what overtraining really is, and a few misconceptions of overtraining. I’ll also talk of ways that you can avoid these symptoms of overtraining that I mentioned previously.

What is Overtraining exactly?

If you have been training for any period of time you may have heard of overtraining or overreaching, which can lead to overtraining (3). In which case you may or may not have a full understanding of what overtraining actually is. Overtraining can be defined as exercising to the extreme in intensity, frequency and/or duration (1). Understand that all three of these factors we get from this definition could include any different number of interpretations. The important thing to keep in mind is that true effects of these extremes in exercise usually result in a decline in performance or your fitness goals, even after an extended period of rest (2).

How can you help yourself avoid Overtraining?

A good approach to change your workouts from time to time is a commonly known concept called periodization. Since there are so many ways to determine exercising to the extreme in intensity, frequency, and duration there are also many ways to change your program design so that you can avoid such extremes. Periodization allows you to manipulate or change the different training variables (sets, reps, exercise progressions, rest between sets/reps, resistance/loads, tempo, number of exercises during a session, number of training sessions per day/week, recovery between sessions, etc.) that are involved in your program design over a period of time to help avoid overtraining (5). Intensity and volume are terms that are often used when referring to periodization. If we use volume in place of frequency from our definition for overtraining above, then you can see how changing your training variables by periodization could help combat exercising to the extreme in intensity, volume, and duration; thus helping you avoid overtraining.

When in doubt R&R!

As should be the case with periodization or any other approach to training you must make sure to allow for adequate rest time during and in between workout sessions in order for the body to recover. This is not only important in helping you to avoid overtraining but also in reaching your fitness goals. However, you should not confuse the need for rest between workout sessions as a cure for overtraining. A good example of this would be the 48 Hour Rule. This is used by many as a way to allow the body proper recovery before another resistance session or intense training day. People who use this do not train the same muscle groups within 48 hours of the last time they trained those muscles. While this may be a good approach to help avoid overtraining it does not allow for adequate recovery if you are indeed suffering from overtraining. It’s important to take note of the fact that everything I have talked about thus far has been of ways to help avoid overtraining, not to cure it. It can take anywhere up to a week, to weeks, or maybe even months to recover from/cure overtraining (2). If you feel a little tired before your workout and decided to take a day or two off from training, and everything is better when you pick things back up afterwards then chances are you were never really suffering from overtraining, you simply need a few days to rest and there may have been other outside factors that contributed to your feelings of fatigue.

Having a bad day?

I’m a firm believer that you should never underestimate the effects that stress can play in your workouts. If you don’t feel like today is a good day to workout or you are just not “filling it”, then maybe you should listen to your body and do one of two things. Lower your intensity in that day’s workout or give yourself the day off and rest! Forcing yourself to go through a rigorous workout when you know you’re not up for it, simply because you don’t want to mess up your routine, is a way of overreaching (1) and it could lead to you hurting yourself, overtraining, or both.

William has been in the Santa Barbara area since 2002. Originally from Indianapolis, IN William received his B.A. in Mathematics from Earlham College in Richmond, IN. He played 4 years of football at the Div III collegiate level as a wide receiver and 2 years of Track and Field running the 400m, 200m, 4x400m relay, 4x100m relay and triple jump.

For further question, contact Will: will@prevailconditioning.com

References:

FACTS ABOUT OVERTRAINING ‐http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercisehealth/a/toomuchexercise.htm
SYMPTOMS ‐ http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/overtrain.htm
Training and Overtraining: an introduction ‐ Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise – Vol. 30, July 1998
Overtraining in Sports – Medicine & science in Sports and Exercise – Vol. 30, May 1998
Periodization ‐ http://training.strengthengine.com/periodization.shtml

Give the gift of Health....and SAVE!

2010-12-03T14:13:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

We hope that your Christmas season is a time filled with joy and family and friends. However, because it can also be a busy and stressful time, we put together a variety of packages that can be purchased as Gift Certificates for friends, loved ones (or even yourself!) to save you some time and keep you healthy through the holidays.

Take a look at our packages and savings below.

Group Training Packages (10% discount)
8 sessions 2x/wk = $145
12 sessions 3x/wk = $215

Personal Training (10% discount)
6 sessions = $310
12 sessions = $595

Elite Personal/Strength & Conditioning Training (20% discount)
6 sessions = $755
12 sessions = $1350

Trainer Sample w/10% discount
4 Private Training sessions (1 Session w/each Trainer) = $215

Massage (10% discount)
4 - 30 min. massages = $160
4 - 45 min. massages = $235
4 - 60 min. massages = $290
4 - 90 min. massages = $395

Prevail and Recover Plus (20% discount)
3 Pvt. Trainings / 6 Group Training classes / 3-30min. massages = $349
3 Pvt. Trainings / 6 Group Training classes / 3-60min. massages = $510

Group Training + Massage (20% discount)
8 sessions 2x/wk + 4-45min. massages = $335
12 sessions 3x/wk + 4-45min. massages = $400

Private Training + Massage (20% discount)
6 sessions + 3-60min. massages = $470
12 sessions + 4-60min. massages = $785

*All packages available for purchase in store now.

**Stay tuned for online Gift Cards promotions next week!

Top 10 Mistakes People Make in the Gym

2010-11-10T17:12:00.000-08:00

This week on Functional Fitness I interviewed Peter Aguilar, MA, CSCS. Peter is a lecturer/faculty member at UCSB and a seasoned strength and conditioning professional. Take a look at what his thoughts were on common mistakes and how to correct for them.

Top 10 Mistakes People Make in the Gym

Baring Your Sole Part 2

2010-11-10T17:09:00.000-08:00

Part 2 of the two part series of Baring Your Sole. In this controversial installment, you'll learn about running biomechanics, anatomical and physiological dysfunctions leading to pain and injury, and why to avoid running/jogging for "fitness."

Baring Your Sole Part 2