Ouch! What To Do When You Hit The Gym TOO Hard

Now I love a good "beast mode" work out as much as the next girl, but sometimes I over do it and before I know it, that "good" burn turns into "oh my gosh I can't move!"  For instance, yesterday I could barely walk due to an awesome leg session the other day, and I was definitely paying the price!

This needs to happen, for real though...

But from my pain, came a little inspiration! So here's the scoop on that pesky next-day misery and what you can do to ease the suffering.

What is it? Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS),  is the pain and stiffness felt in muscles several hours to days after unaccustomed or strenuous exercise.
The soreness is felt most strongly 24 to 72 hours after the exercise.

What causes it? One big misconception is that DOMS is the result of lactic acid build up within the muscle, however this is not the case. Blood lactate levels return to resting levels within one hour of exercise, even after intense workouts. Instead, DOMS is the result of microscopic tearing of the muscle fibers and the accompanied inflammation. The amount of tearing (and soreness) depends on how hard and how long you exercise and what type of exercise you did. Eccentric muscle contractions seem to more closely associated with DOMS than concentric movements. Going down stairs, running downhill, the lowering of weights and the downward motion of squats, lunges and push-ups are all examples of eccentric movements.

How to ease the pain:
Ibuprofen - This reduces inflammation within the body.  Ibuprofen has been known to be harsh on the liver with prolonged use, so you don't want to make it a habit. It's best to consult with your doctor to ensure you are able to safely take ibuprofen since it should be avoided with some medical conditions.

Warm soak with Epsom salt - The warmth increases blood flow to the affected muscles, a treatment shown in several studies to reduce the pain associated with DOMS. Adding some Epsom salt to the water will also bring down any inflammation.

Massage/Foam Rolling - If you have someone on hand nice enough to give you a nice massage, a gentle but firm massage of the area will help loosen up any stiffness and increase blood flow.  If no one is around to lend a hand (literally, hahaha), most gyms come equipped with foam rollers, or they can be purchased at most mega-stores (Wal-Mart, Target, Ross, Marshalls) and sports stores. Essentially, you just slowly roll the sore area back and forth against the roller on the floor.  I'm warning you, both massage and foam rolling will hurt, but should help relieve some pain afterward.

Continued movement - Now I know the last thing on your mind when you have a bad case of DOMS is going to the gym, but low-intensity movement increases blood flow and will help the muscle loosen up a little.  I recently tried this method, and I have to say it worked!  Even though I was hobbling along all day yesterday, I still took my butt to the gym for a Body Pump class.  It was a little uncomfortable at first, but after a few minutes, I warmed up and wasn't nearly as sore as before.  I was worried that after class the pain would come back with a vengeance, but it didn't (yay!)

What can be done to prevent DOMS? Unfortunately not a whole lot has been proven to effectively prevent the day-after pain.  Two methods that have shown promise include gradually increasing the intensity of a workout as well as maintaining proper nutrition, focusing mainly on electrolyte and glycogen balance both pre and post work out. Another common myth is that stretching before and after exercise can prevent DOMS, but this method has been shown noneffective in several studies. That isn't to say stretching isn't important, it is very effective when it comes to preventing injury, just not plain old muscle soreness.  

What works for you when you're hit with a nasty case of DOMS? 

Cardio or Weights - Which Comes First?

We all know that both strength training and cardio each play a pivotal role in a well rounded exercise routine, but on days when you are squeezing both into the same sweat session, do you know which should come first? 

Photo courtesy of Google Image search

When I was working in a gym,  this was definitely one of the more common topics of debate, which really got me thinking.  Then I started asking around my circle of friends which they thought should come first, and again, there didn't seem to be a consensus. So, I decided to do some actual research into the subject, and the answer is.....(drum-roll please).....

there is no right answer!

Ideally, strength training and cardio should be done on different days, or one in the morning, and the other at night.  This allows you to give your maximum effort to each.  However, if that's not an option, whether you do strength training or cardio first depends on your goals.

If your goal is to gain muscle mass: your best bet is to do some light* cardio prior to lifting. The reason behind this is that in order to build muscle, you want your body to go into an anabolic state, or a "rebuild/repair" state, immediately after your strength routine.  If you were to do cardio after lifting, you would be delaying this process.  Also, depending on the duration of your cardio session, your body may be forced to rely on fats and amino acids from muscle protein for energy - and if gaining muscle is your goal, you would want to preserve as much muscle protein as possible. 

If your goal is to lose body fat or maintain: cardio after strength is a-OK! After about 60 minutes of physical activity, the percentage of calories being burned from fat stores goes way up. So your body will be in "fat burning" mode during your cardio routine if it comes after an hour-long strength session.  However, keep in mind that fat doesn't allow for much intensity to be expended, so the less calories you will be able to burn during that cardio session (don't depend on the number of calories burned displayed on the machine!) 

If your goal is to increase your cardiovascular endurance: obviously cardio should come first.  If this is your goal, more than likely the strength training you are doing is mostly to maintain tone to prevent injury.  In this scenario, your cardio endurance is your number one priority, so giving it a majority of your efforts would make sense.  Just be sure you are still doing a strength routine, and not neglecting your muscles entirely. 

*Conversely,  it's not safe to do a strenuous strength workout after you’ve already tired yourself out with intense cardio...think dumbbell-meets-toe and you'll get why...

Information from the National Council of Certified Personal Trainers S.M.A.R.T. Fitness textbook as well as "Timing is Everything: Why the Duration and Order of Your Excercise Matters" found at http://www.umich.edu 

Come'on Get Appy!

Just like most Americans, I am practically surgically attached to my smart phone.  I rarely have it out of immediate reach;  it's my alarm clock, entertainment, calendar, camera, GPS, flashlight, iPod and most recently, my fitness sidekick. 

According to a 2011 article in The New York Times, about 1,288 applications for iPhone and Android devices combined are released every day.  Also, as of last summer, there were a total of over 13,000 health related apps available to consumers.  If these numbers tell us anything, it's that health and fitness smart phone applications are not only here to stay but definitely worth taking advantage of!

Personally, I have six health and fitness related apps on my phone: 
       - Nike Training Club
       - MyFitnessPal
       - SELF Workouts
       - Gold's Gym Spotter
       - Workout Trainer
       - Interval Timer

These apps (mostly free, but I can't exactly remember which ones were and weren't...) fall basically into 4 categories: calorie counter, workout guides, goal trackers, and timer.  Here are my favorites...

MyFitnessPal - Calorie Counter/Goal Tracker
                                                            

       MyFitnessPal is seriously one of my favorite tools!  Basically, you input your height, weight, your weight goal (such as loose/maintain/gain ____ lbs per week), your activity level and exercise goals (workouts/week and minutes/workout).  Based on this information, MyFitnessPal will calculate what your daily caloric intake goal should be.  Then, once you have your caloric goal, you simply input your meals and workouts each day.  To do this, you tap the "add" button then type in the food item.  The MyFitnessPal database consists of thousands of different items, brands, servings, ect.  And my absolute favorite feature, you can add foods to your diary using the built-in barcode scanner! Simply scan the barcode of the food product and automatically the item information will pop up! Super easy!   Additionally, for you cooks out there, you can also create and save your favorite recipes.  Just input the ingredients/quantities and servings, and it will calculate the nutritional facts for your creation, as well as save it for later use under "MyRecipes".  The "MyFoods" tool can be used to save foods you frequently eat for quick adding.

Nike Training Club - Workout guide/Goal Tracker

       LOVE this app! It is so easy to use and efficient. You open the app, and it brings you to a screen where you choose what your goal is for the day: get lean, get toned, get strong, or get focused.  Then, you pick your level: beginner, intermediate or advanced.  From there, it gives you a list of various workouts that fits your level and goal.  Once you've selected which workout you want to complete, the workout components will load in a list format.  Click on each component for pictures and videos on how to properly perform the move. Once you've finished the workout, it will save it to your account, so you can keep track your progress.  You also earn points for each workout completed that can be used to unlock exclusive features. You can even set your workout to albums/playlists from your own music library! Super cool guys!

Interval Timer - Just what the name implies...

       This app is pretty straight-forward, but in my opinion, that's a plus.  I hate it when programs that are so full of frills you can't make heads or tails of it!  Anyhow, you can input the name of whatever workout routine you will be doing interval training for that day, for instance, "Sunday Mornings Jog".  The program is pre-set for a 30 minute, 10 set interval routine, including a warm-up.  However, you can adjust the lengths of each interval as well as the number of interval sets.  What I love about this, is you don't have to worry about fumbling with a stop watch while you're sweating it out to keep track of intervals - not fun. An additional feature I like is that you can set the routine to music from your own library, just like in the Nike Training Club app.  This is my most recent addition to my fitness apps, and so I know for a fact this app is free!

Do you use any fitness apps to keep track of your goals and progress?  If so, leave a comment below about which one(s), and why you either like or dislike it.  Also, I encourage you to download any of the above mentioned apps and let me know how you like them!

Giving Side Plank A Second Thought

Hello Everyone!  Have I been a busy girl! Lately, I have had my hands tied-up (a) studying for my Smart Fitness National Council for Certified Personal Trainers exam and (b) both of my lovely kitty cats decided to get sick...at the same time. But, here I am, a week later, a few hundred dollars poorer (thank you vet bills) but having passed my NCCA personal training exam with flying colors! Yay me!

 So in lieu of my new accreditation, I wanted to share one of the more interesting things I learned during my training regarding the widely popular side plank (see right).  Now I have been doing this move for years, have seen countless other gym-goers performing this,  and have seen it incorporated into almost every group fitness class I've ever attended.  Point is, side plank seems to be one of the more widely used moves to target core musculature. Although the benefits of side plank are in fact numerous (improves balance & support, strengthens shoulder/upper body and improves lateral core control)
there are just as many risks associated with this "waist widdler".

Many of these risks stem from poor form.  Three of the most common postural faults include:
       - Sagging downward into the supporting shoulder, this places increased pressure on the shoulder joint.  You want your shoulder to be depressed away from the ear, and be sure you are squeezing your shoulder blades together.
       -  Flexing of the hips, or sticking your butt outward, throwing the spine out of alignment. Squeeze the glutes together to combat this tendency.
       - Allowing the hips to sag towards the ground.  You want to keep the body in a straight line. The only exception here is if you are pulsing the hips up and down (in a controlled motion of course).

Traditional side plank on forearms to protect the wrist

Poor form aside, side plank can cause pain and injury to some individuals, specifically in the wrists and knees.  This is because regardless of perfect posture, when done with the supportive arm extended, excessive pressure is put on the wrist, and load is placed on the knee at an unnatural angle.
To correct the concern regarding the wrist, try moving down onto your forearm (see the picture above).  Now let's think about the dilemma of the knee. 

Our knee joint is designed to move in a hinge motion through one, and one plane only, the sagittal plane.  However, in side plank position, the load is placed on the knee in the frontal plane.  Think about it, when standing upright with your knees straight, you wouldn't want someone to hit you on the side of the knee would you? That would hurt and could potentially cause a pretty nasty injury!  But in side plank, that is exactly where you are placing pressure, on the side of your knee. To make side plank easier on the knee, try modifying the pose by using your top leg as a stabilizer, or better yet, coming down onto the knees(see below picture).

Modified side plank to protect the knees

When using these modifications, just be mindful to not use the extra support/stabilization as a crutch, you don't want to risk compromising the effectiveness of the move for your core.

As I said before, I am not in any way discrediting the benefits of side plank, this is a killer move!  It can just be done very wrong and if the performer isn't familiar with the risks that could be associated with the pose, they could be putting themselves at risk of injury.  So next time your work-out regimen calls for some good 'ol side planks, just take a moment to reconsider the positioning of your shoulder, wrist, hips and knees so you can modify the pose to what feels right for you and your exercise goals.