I like to read inspirational quotes from time to time to help me get started on a project and I found this list called Kekich’s Credo online. It is a list of 100 very powerful quotes about living life to the fullest.
Here’s #81 which really hit home with me…
“The best way to get started is to get started. Life rewards action… not reaction. Wait for nothing. Attack life. Don’t plan to death or ask for permission… but act now… and apologize later.”
We all need to pay attention to that lesson. After all, we can make a million and one excuses for not starting a new nutrition and workout program at this time of year…
- It’s too close to the holidays.
- It’s too stressful with all this craziness going on in the USA
- I’ll wait till New Year’s
And so on…
Or, you can be like the many Athlon Elite members, who didn’t plan to death, or over-analyze things. Instead, they found an opportunity to better themselves and TOOK ACTION.
Here’s what just a few of them have to say about that action…
“Your workouts and supplement plan have made a huge difference in my fitness and energy levels, and my wife likes the results too…”
–Russ Levanway
“I have lost over 10% body fat and gone down four dress sizes.“
–Kerry Pollock
“My gains in fat loss and core strength far exceeded my expectations.“
–Todd Porter
“They consistently and creatively find new ways for me to achieve my personal best.”
–Dave Alles
Sure it’ll be hard work, you’ll make mistakes, go through some hard times, have to make some sacrifices… but aren’t you used to that by now??…
Everything in life takes hard work, mistakes, hard times, sacrifices, etc.
Be like these people and take control of your life. No more excuses…
We offer free consultations to learn more about Athlon Elite programs.
Just call Laura at (805) 440-0215 today and get signed up. It’s simple, painless and FREE.
Sitting for long periods during the day can adversely affect your body and hence your performance in your daily activities and chosen sporting activities, and is quite often a predisposing factor in injury.
Most of us are not professional athletes and spend large chunks of our day sitting hunched over a computer, in a vehicle or slumped on the sofa.
Such prolonged sitting can cause all or some of the following problems:
* tight hip flexor, hamstring and calf muscles
* tightness through the external hip rotator muscles, which can lead to restricted movement at the hip joint
* reduced extension through the lower back, causing stiffness in the mid (thoracic) spine
* tight and hunched shoulders with weak lower shoulder muscles
* tight and weak muscles at the back of the shoulder
* “poked chin” posture and muscle imbalances in the neck and upper shoulders
Prolonged sitting has also been linked to acute muscle strains in dynamic sports, in particular hamstring strains. That’s because the lower back stiffness associated with sitting leads to altered nerve input into the rear thigh. This can manifest as increased muscle tone of the hamstrings, which will increase the risk of strain.
Muscular imbalances and weaknesses in the shoulders and mid-spine – caused by spending much of the day hunched over a computer screen – can lead to a shoulder impingement/tendinitis injury.
The fact is, our modern “white-collar” work environment is exactly opposite of what our bodies were intended to do. And it’s playing havoc on our bodies… I see this everyday. You MUST counteract this sitting abuse to your body with a regular dose of healthy exercise.
Mark your calendars now for three days per week that you will come into Athlon Elite and go through a simple but very effective exercise session.
Three days is all you have to do!! I know you can do that.
Ok, so many of you have probably already seen the High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) commercials that have been running on TV the last couple weeks. Their stating that HFCS should not be made the villain and that its a perfectly healthy food. The commercial is below. Watch it and then read our take on it…
Hmmm…
Made from Corn
No artificial ingredients
Fine in Moderation
Let’s look at these.
Made from Corn… well yes but its not corn, nor is it fructose from corn. It’s not natural at all, it is a synthetic food that is made chemically out of glucose that has been extracted from corn that in turn has been enzymatically converted to fructose then mixed back with glucose again. Hence, the body does not react to it the same way that it reacts to natural sugars or even table sugar. Plus, I can think of many natural things, and things made from natural things, that I wouldn’t put in my mouth or body.
No artificial ingredients… Well here’s how they make it. You tell me if this sounds natural???
1. Cornstarch is treated with alpha-amylase to produce shorter chains of sugars called oligosaccharides.
2. Glucoamylase breaks the sugar chains down even further to yield the simple sugar glucose.
3. Xylose isomerase (aka glucose isomerase) converts glucose to a mixture of about 42% fructose and 50–52% glucose with some other sugars mixed in. While inexpensive alpha-amylase and glucoamylase are added directly to the slurry and used only once, the more costly glucose-isomerase is packed into columns and the sugar mixture is then passed over it, allowing it to be used repeatedly until it loses its activity.
4. This 42–43% fructose glucose mixture is then subjected to a liquid chromatography step where the fructose is enriched to approximately 90%.
5. The 90% fructose is then back-blended with 42% fructose to achieve a 55% fructose final product.
6. Most manufacturers use carbon absorption for impurity removal. Numerous filtration, ion-exchange and evaporation steps are also part of the overall process.
I wonder if that’s how God (or Mother Nature) makes real sugar?
"It’s Fine In Moderation"… Remember when Coke used to come in 6 ounce bottles (for the record that was long before my time), then 8 ounces, then 12, now 20 ounces. That’s three and a half times bigger. I never see 12 ounce bottles of Coke anymore unless you’re buying cans in bulk… 12 pack, 18-pack, cases, flats, etc. And fountains?? You get the 22 ouncer only if you’re a big sissy! Otherwise it’s 32, 48 and the 60 if you’re real messed up! You’ve heard it before… the next one up is "only 10 cents more." Does moderation still exist these days?
Today, if I were not to have followed the Athlon Elite diet plan of natural meats, veggies, starches and fruits, I probably would have had some Pop-Tarts for breakfast (loaded with HFCS), a granola bar for mid-day snack (loaded with HFCS), a sandwich and chips and maybe a cookie for lunch (bread, chips and cookies are loaded with HFCS), Cheez-Itz for a snack (these have corn syrup instead, which some would argue is even worse because that’s what you get in step 2 above),… you get the picture here?
Moderation is fine but try to moderate in this society. It’s more challenging than you think to go a day without HFCS. If you’re a parent, like the one’s in the video above, just try at your kids next party to only pour ONE 8-ounce glass of punch per kid. How do you think that will go over???
From the Santa Maria Times: "Shyla Motley has burned up the pools along the Central Coast since her freshman year at Pioneer Valley. Now entering her senior season with the Panthers, Motley is aiming for both All-American status at the prep level, and a spot on a NCAA Division I swim squad." – Len Wood/Staff
Shyla has been training her tail off in the pool and at Athlon Elite for the last 4-5 weeks and its really going to pay off. She has significantly improved in her strength and work capacity already in the early phases of her 16-week program. We are very happy to have Shyla training here with us and look forward to her really "burning" up the pools this coming season…
and for those of you who are having trouble making it to your training sessions, Shyla has school from 7 AM to 3:30 PM, swim practice 4:30 to 6:30 and then training at Athlon Elite from 6:30 to 7:30… on most days of the week! What a Stud! Definitely worthy of Spartan honors.
Click below for a recent article on Shyla in the Santa Maria Times:
(they’re pretty ugly if you ask me but what do I know… they’re definitely not the best way to lift your buttocks that’s for sure)
Many people out there might say, "you don’t need to train the butt… Victoria’s Secret now has ‘butt-lifting jeans.’ " However, the weakness that I was referring to yesterday needs to be addressed for functional reasons… it’s an athletic issue (though addressing weak buttocks will have an aesthetic effect too… I’ll bet all the money in my pocket that after going through the "butt-training" routine below you won’t need to blow a dime at Victoria’s Secret… at least not on their jeans )
Yesterday we saw that a lack of strength in the butt/hip, more specifically the gluteus medius, can greatly affect your running mechanics, hence increasing your risk of injury. Many physical therapists will tell you that they often see weaknesses in the gluteus medius (butt region). Personally, I have found this to be true as well in people with chronic low back pain, but that’s another blog post.
So, to really stengthen your buttocks and improve your running mechanics (and appearance in jeans) you need to do a functional butt strengthening routine (and not those "leg kick-back things" they do in aerobics classes). Below are two exercises out of our unique "Pre-hab" routine here at Athlon Elite that will strengthen your butt muscles like never before and get you moving very athletically, pain free:
The Single-Leg Posterolateral Reach
We like to do 2-3 sets of 6 reps each leg. Form is key here. Make sure your knee cap stays over your big toe and your belly button stays pointing directly forward.
And,
The Single-Arm, Single-leg Cable Row
Hannibal does a decent job here though he should be completely extending the hip at the top by standing really tall. Do the same sets and reps as the exercise above.
There are other exercises in this routine and many modifications depending on the person’s needs but these two will make a big difference in your hip strength and will definitely "lift your jeans rather than your jeans needing to lift your butt!"
Sign-up today for a FREE consultation on how we can incorporate these effective butt exercises into your routine to have better running mechanics (and more firm buttocks). Call 805-440-0215 or click the Get Started button at the top of this page and submit the form.
“The gluteus medius should be considered in every running injury.” So says Sean Fyfe, an experienced Australian sports physical therapist. He explains his reasoning:
“So many athletes with running overuse injuries of the lower limb present with poor gluteus medius function that I have come to the view that the strength and function of this muscle is probably the most important active component in the achievement of a biomechanically efficient running technique.”
Posterior View of the Hips
The deep-lying glut med muscle is normally associated with movement, but as Sean Fyfe points out, its key role in running is to act as a stabilizing force, to slow the downward drive of the pelvis on the opposite side during stance phase. This pelvic restraint prevents excessive hip sway or roll of the type that is classically known as “Trendelenburg gait”.
(this is why many Athlon Elite members and athletes spend so much time on Athlon Elite’s "pre-hab" routine)
But even short of the tell-tale waddle of a Trendelenburg, there are various adaptations that runners make to compensate for weakness in gluteus medius. These are summarized as follows:
How athletes cheat to compensate for weak buttocks:
Adaptations
Areas at risk of structural overload
1. Excessive lateral pelvic tilt (Trendelenburg)
Lumbar spine, sacroiliac joint (SIJ), greater trochanter bursa, insertion of muscle on greater trochanter, overactivity of piriformis and tensor fascia lata (TFL)
2. Medial knee drift
Lateral tibiofemoral compartment (via compression), patellofemoral joint, patella tendon and fat pad, pes anserinus, iliotibial band (ITB)
There are three good tests that Athlon Elite performs on its members and athletes to test weakness of the gluteus medius. If you’ve been having any of the above symptoms or problems and are not a member click the GET STARTED button at the top and schedule a consultation. It’s easy and painless and can get you back on track and in great shape!
We all spend so much time working on things other than felxibility.
While many of you do not need any more flexibility than you already have, many of us (me for sure) need a healthy dose of increased flexibilty to perform movements necessary for optimal performance.
The big trouble areas are typically the hamstrings and the gastrocs. If you are having trouble squatting properly without having your heels raise up off the ground, you likely have some problems in your hamstrings and your calves. Not sure if this is you? Ask one of the Athlon Elite Team to take a look at your squat for you and give you a quick critique!
In the upper extrmities, the flexibility deficits are usually seen with getting the elbows high enough during the front squat or on your cleans. Again, if you are working these lifts, have one of our Team take a quick peek at your form.
Personally, I have huge hamstring flexibility deficits. I am working to improve my hamstring flexibility currently through 2 X daily stretchign for 60-90 seconds each leg. Nothing fancy, just lay down and use a towel to stretch the hamstrings, one at a time.
Guarantee you will have results if you approach stretching right:
Use it or lose it…
60-90 seconds for muscles being stretched…
Stretch at the end of your workout….
If you sit all day at work, for sure stretch your hip flexors…..
Stretch so that you can comfortably get into the PROPER movement positions…
A little pain for maximal gain…..
Hold don’t bounce….
For more up to date information on stretching, ask Ryan about the Dara Torres routine he has received from her coaches!
A Spartan can not only see their feet but can touch them as well!
Do you keep a journal of your daily activity and nutritional intake? If you are like most, the answer is "NO!"
Apparently one of the best ways to improve your overall health and vitality is to keep a health journal. Nothing fancy is needed, just a simple composition book will suffice. Write the start date on the front of the book and then when it is full put the end date to help keep track of things. Save these books forever as you will be going back to look at them at some point.
What should go in the book? Whatever you think you want to track: workout including reps, sets weights etc, food intake (don’t forget to include the vices like BEER and WINE) including quantitites, how you felt, goals…….
–Russ Levanway
–Kerry Pollock
–Todd Porter
–Dave Alles
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