Balance training is something a lot of people overlook while they’re at the gym. It is a skill we take for granted until we realize that we’ve lost it. It isn’t until then that we actually appreciate how important balance is to activities of daily living.

As we get older, our balance diminishes. It’s not just you, it’s everybody. That’s just the way the body works. Balance can be viewed through the lens of – use it or lose it. Generally, as we get older, our need to work on balance activities becomes increasingly important.

As children, adolescents, and even young adults, we are training our balance fairly regularly because generally speaking, people are more active when they’re younger. Climbing trees, running through sand, swinging and playing sports are activities we perform early in our lives and generally stop doing them as we get older. From my experience, it seems to be the golden age of 25 years when humans start becoming less active. At that age, people are finishing school, working full time, holding a relationship, having children, owning a home and while doing all of that, usually they stop being active.

It’s at this point we begin to see a decline in a person’s balance. Tasks become just a bit trickier than what they once were. As we age, our balance continues to decline in a linear fashion.

Getting into older age (over 65 years), our ability to remain living on our own without assistance is partially determined by how well we can or cannot navigate our surroundings. If a person is at risk of injury while living in their home because they have less than acceptable balance, that person may have to live in an assisted living facility far sooner than an individual with markedly better balance.

Young people often ask about the importance of balance training. Think of it as an investment in your future. Investing the time to improve your balance when you’re younger, will yield a return on that investment as you age.

Balance Exercise Recommendations

The take-home point here is to make sure you work on your balance because it doesn’t just hang around forever for when you do need it. Use it now and use it often.

About the Author:  Eric Noyes BHSc (Kin), CSEP-CPT

Eric is  Kinesiology Graduate from The University of Ontario and holds his Training Certification with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology.  He has been training general population and sport specific clients at Body Fit since 2013 and is currently the Lead Trainer.  He can be reached at eric@bodyfit.ca for advice and consultation.

Doing crunches will help me lose belly fat….

This myth is really easy to believe. It sounds great whichever way you look at it. Do crunches and you’ll lose fat around your stomach. Obviously, if the muscles of the stomach are burning, that must be the fat melting away…… In most cases, that could not be further from the truth.

I’m a firm believer in science. If something can be scientifically proven, it intrigues me. And the bare bones fact of the matter when it comes to this topic is the science does not support it whatsoever. I hate to break it to you, but if you think that crunches and sit-ups are going to get rid of your belly fat, you have sadly fallen victim to one of the greatest illusions since David Copperfield made the statue of liberty disappear. It simply isn’t supported by science.

What I have provided here, are two research articles that both disprove the myth that belly fat can be reduced simply by doing abdominal exercise.

Study #1, conducted by Vispute et al in 2011 examined the effect of performing abdominal exercise and the effect it had on abdominal fat reduction.

This study examined the effect of performing abdominal exercise to reduce subcutaneous fat around the abdomen. 14 men and 10 women, healthy/sedentary adults between the ages of 18 and 40 years were included in this study. They were randomly assigned to one of two groups, either (1) the control group or (2) the intervention group. The intervention group performed 7 abdominal exercises, 5 times per week for 6 weeks. The control group performed no additional exercise or physical activity other than their usual day to day activity. An isocaloric diet was maintained through the duration of the 6 weeks for both groups. “In conclusion, abdominal exercise training was effective to increase abdominal strength but was not effective to decrease various measures of abdominal fat. Some individuals attempt to reduce their waistline by solely performing abdominal exercises possibly because of claims made by various abdominal equipment advertisements. The information obtained from this study can help people to understand that abdominal exercise alone is not sufficient to reduce waistline or subcutaneous abdominal fat. It is likely necessary to include aerobic exercise along with reducing energy intake to have more favorable changes in body fat percentage.”

Study #2, conducted by Ramirez-Campillo et al in 2013 examined regional fat changes induced by localized muscle endurance resistance training. In other words, performing abdominal exercises.

This study was conducted to examine the effect of localized muscular endurance training on total body and regional tissue composition. 7 men and 4 women, of an average age of 23 years participated in this study which was conducted over 12 weeks. All participants worked out 3 times per week. The workout included 1 set of 960 – 1,200 repetitions of Single leg presses at 10-30% 1RM. The non-dominant leg served as the intervention (performing the exercise) while the dominant leg performed no leg presses and served as the control. “A significant decrease in fat mass was observed in the upper extremities and trunk. The reduction of fat mass in the upper extremities and trunk was significantly greater than the fat mass change observed in the trained leg but not in the control leg. In conclusion, the training program applied effectively reduced fat mass, but this reduction was not achieved in the trained body segment. Our results show that when a muscle group is trained, changes in fat mass may take place in body areas not necessarily adjacent to the trained muscle group. Therefore, trunk body fat may be modified by training arm or leg muscles.”

So what does this mean? It’s one thing to have the research, but knowing how to apply it is a much different animal.

The take-home message

Based on the results of these two studies, a few different observations can be made. Firstly, stop performing abdominal exercises with the hopes of reducing your belly fat. The body does not work like that, as outlined above. Abdominal exercises should be performed to enhance strength endurance and not fat reduction.

The second take home point here is you must monitor your energy intake. In other words, monitor what you’re putting in your mouth. If energy intake exceeds energy output, then you will never lose weight.

The last take-home point here is to monitor your energy output and perform appropriate exercises that will aid in weight loss. When we look at the mechanism of caloric expenditure, more oxygen consumption yields a greater expenditure of calories. Take for example, an abdominal crunch versus a deadlift. Not only are crunches incredibly harmful to the spine, they are also an incredibly inefficient use of time if you want to reduce belly fat. Simply put, larger muscles burn more calories. The muscles used during a deadlift utilize far more energy than the muscles used during an abdominal crunch. What am I saying? Do more deadlifts and full body compound movements…… They burn more calories. Therefore, performing deadlifts are a far more effective use of your time if you wish to lose weight compared to an abdominal crunch.

3 Keys to Success.

Have you ever wondered why it is that the million crunches you do just don’t seem to give you the six-pack you’ve been looking for? Why does it feel like your nutrition is constantly taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back?  Do you ever think that if it hasn’t worked by now, that perhaps maybe the problem might actually be yourself? It’s a tough concept to come to grips with when you really think about it. Often times, we as people are our own worst enemy. However, we have a terrible time actually admitting it to ourselves.

It may be something you don’t care to hear about; however, if you’re serious about seeing a real return on the investment you’ve made or are currently making in this whole “healthy living” thing, then you may want to continue reading. As hard as some of the things I’m going to talk about may be, it’s time we own up to our behaviors that are hindering our success. You must own up to the fact that the blame can only be put on yourself for not seeing results you want out of the gym.

If you’ve made it this far, you’ve probably realized that this post might be a tough pill to swallow. If you wish to keep reading, you will find outlined below, three keys to help ensure that your investment in your health will see a big return.

1.Effort

All results and success are relative to expectations. Meaning, if your goal is simply to come to the gym three times a week, and you successfully achieve that goal, then congratulations, you’ve achieved your goal. However, is that really your goal? Generally speaking, if you’re coming to the gym, you’ve identified that there is something about yourself that you wish to change. You’ve determined that there is a problem and you would like to fix it.

Think of it in these terms, if I wish to eat healthier, I can go to the grocery store three times in a week, but does that mean I’m eating healthier? Did you notice, I didn’t actually tell you what/if I bought anything at the store? But I feel great because I actually physically travelled to the grocery store. When someone says they’re going to the gym three times a week, that doesn’t mean they’re doing anything productive while they’re at the gym. Saying I wish to eat healthier, going to store three times in a week, and not purchasing any “healthy” food items, I successfully expended time and energy and simultaneously not moved any closer to achieving my goal. Rounding back to my point, if you wish to lose weight, going to the gym three times a week, and not doing exercises that aid in weight loss, then you’ve expended time, energy, money and have not lost any weight.

Simply going to the gym is not going to get the results you’re looking for. You have to look at the gym the same way you look at going to your job; you’re there for a very specific reason. You give maximum effort while you’re there, and then you go home and relax.  I’ve seen people using dumbbells while reading a book. No one will ever be able to convince me that that person was working out with maximum effort. 100% effort must be given if you want 100% of the results.

2.Plan

As a fitness professional, it amazes me that despite not seeing concrete and measurable results; people day in and day out will continue to plug away at the same old “workout program” they’ve been on for years expecting different results to magically happen. Unfortunately, there is one glaring error with this way of thinking, and that is; if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got. It really makes loads of sense doesn’t it? Continuing the same behaviour and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. You’re probably thinking – “well of course that makes sense, who in their right mind would expect something different to happen?” I can honestly say that I’ve seen way too many people over the years do the same thing for months, until they get frustrated and give-up.

They key is following a plan. But what plan should you be following? This is always the million dollar question. Often times, people will grasp at whatever fad “workout program” they find online, or they do what their friend does. The problem with this is….. “workouts” people put online were not designed for YOU. Nor is your friends workout designed for YOU. The key here is the plan has to be specific to YOUR goals and YOUR body. Did Joe Fitness online assess you? Did you get to tell Mr. Fitness that you have knee pain while squatting? Does Mr. Fitness program guy/girl online know that you have chronic low back pain? Chances are Mr. Fitness online program person doesn’t know any of this information about you. My question is then, why would you follow an exercise program that wasn’t built for you?

Think of it this way, would you take someone else’s medication and expect it to work for you? Well of course not; is what everyone reading this should say. If you wouldn’t take another person’s medication, why would you use their exercise program? I know some of you may be thinking, “well following someone else’s program can’t harm like taking another person’s medication.” That may not be as correct as you would think. If you have a chronic low back problem, and begin performing exercises that will make the pain worse, that’s not good. You are now harming yourself.

The take home point here is if you’ve begun an exercise program without the person who made the program evaluating you, I would suggest stopping what you’re doing. That person has not taken into consideration your physical limitations and performing inappropriate exercise can be potentially harmful.

3.Consistency

So now that you’re giving 100% effort and have gotten yourself on the best personalized plan imaginable…… how do you get results? The answer here is consistency.

We’ve all been there. It’s Saturday night, we’ve just eaten 4 slices of pizza, garlic bread, half a bottle of wine, and some ice cream for dessert and we whisper to ourselves; “I’m starting again on Monday.” You can’t give 100% effort for one week and expect miracles to happen. You have to link those weeks of constant effort together, and that is where the hard work will pay off. Having a great week at the gym to throw it all away on the weekend is the equivalent of two steps forward and one step back. If you’re always setting yourself back, how can you possibly expect to make any progress?

Think if it this way. A little riddle for you….. Let’s say you leave your house in your car intending to make it to the grocery store for all those healthy foods you promised to eat. Take a left turn out of your driveway, take the first left turn you come to, and then take the subsequent 3 left turns….where do you end up? Now unless you’ve driven onto a one-way street, you more than likely have returned to your home where you began. Did you make it to your intended destination? This is exactly what it’s like when you go wild on the weekend and eat everything in your fridge. You make that great progress towards your goal until you take those last two left turns, and before you know it, BAM you’re right back where you began.

The take home point here is you can’t expect to make it to your goal if you’re just driving in a circle, or in this case, a square.

So now that you have the 3 keys to success, it’s simply a matter of putting them into action. I know that if you cut out all of the excuses, and begin consistently following a proper plan, and execute it with maximum effort, you will be more that pleased with the results you see.

At the beginning of the year we made a commitment to focus on current members and do things to make them happy.  Since then we have introduced the 365 Days of Christmas daily give-away and now we are launching our Cash for Referrals Program.

Earning cash for referrals is as simple as 1, 2, 3 for current members! 

Step 1 – Grab a Buddy Pass from the front desk.  Put your name on the back and give it to a friend, family member or co-worker.

Step 2 – Bring your Buddy into the gym!  We will set them up with a 2 Week No-Obligation Membership.  They can come as often as they wish with or without you.

Step 3 – If you Buddy thinks we are a good fit and joins for 4 months or more, then we reward your efforts with CASH! 

There is no limit to the number of people that members can refer!

Check out these Happy members!

Here are the program details:

1. Must start with giving a Buddy Pass to a friend – Buddy Pass must be completed
2. Current member must bring the Buddy in with them for the first visit.
3. Applicable to Couples and Family memberships.
4. Rewards are for referring NEW clients or clients who have not had a current membership for a minimum of 2 years.
5. If a membership is purchased on a discount (4 month summer) the Rewards will be adjusted accordingly.
6. Does NOT apply to those that have claimed a free week.
7. The referring member must be willing to have their picture taken for the purpose of advertising and promoting the program.  Picture must be taken of the client receiving the Cash Bonus from Staff.
8. Referral Cash will be paid out 30 days from the date that the Buddy becomes a paying member.

Rewards:

4 month m/s – Member receives $50

6 month m/s – Member receives $75

12 month m/s – Member receives $100/annual m/s

From the fall of 2009 through to about the beginning of 2014 we were using Grey Cook’s Functional Movement Screen for a large portion of our Assessment protocol with new and existing members.  If you ever went through an assessment with us you will recall the process from the picture below:

For us at the time it was a fantastic tool to help identify and score very specific movement patterns.  Once an individuals screen was scored it served as an indicator for asymmetries that would, if they haven’t already, result in functional movement deficiencies.  From there we would proceed to incorporate corrective exercises to address these impairments.  Professional sports associations even use this same screen as part of their combine testing to help identify potential risk of injury based on the imbalances identified by the screen.  All in all, it’s a pretty cool tool and was light years ahead of the typical step test, sit and reach, sit-up test, push up test etc. that unfortunately many clubs and associations still use today.  The reason I say unfortunately is because many of those tests have been proven to be unreliable for testing what they are supposed to be testing.  For example, the sit and reach was defunct in this study by world renowned expert and fellow Canadian Dr. Stuart McGill back in 2003: http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/h03-013#.Weons7WQy2w

Fast forward to the beginning of 2014 and I was reading a blog post from another fellow Canadian, Dean Sommerset.  He is a Kinesiology Grad and spends a lot of time in the trenches as a Trainer but also keeps up on current research.  He shares a great deal of what he learns and in his blog here: http://deansomerset.com/side-plank-internal-rotation-question-answered/,  I had that light bulb moment.

The video he was referring to in his post really inspired me.  So much so that I have spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours relearning from some of the very best in the industry including Dean.  What Dean did with that woman’s hip seemed like a magic trick.  The FMS testing we were doing provided insight into Functional Anatomy but never could it ever help me learn about how the body works like what I have learned since watching that video.

It’s been over 3 years since Dean posted that article and despite the fact that I am a believer in the science behind the outcome, I just had to prove it to myself that what he did wasn’t a trick.  That the woman wasn’t faking her lack of range of motion.  So, once I was confident in my ability to identify the impairment and rule out structural or mechanical restrictions, I had someone grab a video camera and give it a shot.

But before you watch the video, I need to preface the situation.  I was working with a 14 year old athlete who upon evaluation had very limited Internal Hip Rotation.  Normal ranges are upwards of 35 degrees and this boy was locked at about 10 if that.  The main reason behind this demonstration was to prove that just because someone is tight or lacks range of motion, doesn’t mean that stretching will help.  He has a functional impairment.  One of my favorite lines from Dean’s post is,

“The reduction in hip internal rotation is merely a symptom of something else not working properly. Because of this, we could stretch it as much as we like and never see any difference. As a result, we have a generation of people focused on the kinesiology of “stretch the tight” without asking the best question possible: why is it tight in the first place? Muscles don’t just get tight on their own, they’re told to be tight. Figuring out the why helps to target in on the reason, which will help to give better results than simply banging your head against a wall and wondering why your headache doesn’t go away.”

So, without further delay, here is the magic that can happen when you understand Functional Anatomy…

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