Insanity
After watching Insanity, it seems as though the people at Beachbody have a nice template that they can plug their fitness productions into. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing, but it is very noticeable from the moment you pop in the DVD. There are a lot of similarities, at least conceptually, between P90X and Insanity. The way they are marketed, the packaging, the tone of the workouts and the overall visual experience are, for the most part, reflections of one another. However, that’s where most of the similarities end.
Shaun Thompson, also know as Shaun T, actually has a BS in Sports Science from Rowan University in New Jersey. He also has a very extensive and accomplished background in dance. With that said, and maybe to your surprise, I do have some good things to say about this workout program. First and foremost, the exercises are all performed without weights, tubes or fitness equipment of any kind. Everything is performed using your own body weight, from push-ups and squat jumps to knee ups and planks. The exercises demonstrated and performed cover many aspects of strength training and conditioning including agility, speed and reactive strength training along with core, upper body and lower body strength training. Shaun T also demonstrates all of the exercises CORRECTLY and does move around the room to check form and cue the participants accordingly. I feel more comfortable with this video because he is not incorrectly throwing around excessively heavy weight, which I feel is an added risk with the P90X program. It’s not to say that you couldn’t hurt yourself by performing a body weight squat or push-up if you performed it incorrectly, but the risk can be greater to your person when you perform an exercise with weights incorrectly.
While there are some things I like about Insanity, there are also a couple issues I have with it as well as some cautions to the user. The most important thing I should mention with this video is that it is high intensity. I don’t know if I would go as far as insane but definitely high intensity. This is not for a beginner, casual fitness enthusiast or anyone with any pre-existing conditions. Shaun T does not really offer any modifications to exercises and the cardiovascular demands are high. This video is for someone in good health and at a high intermediate to advanced level of fitness that is looking to change things up a bit. It also may be a good form of cross training for established athletes.
Time is also a consideration with the videos. Most of them are approximately an hour long and inherently come with the same problems most group exercise formats come with. It is next to impossible for even the best fitness instructor or personal trainer to keep an eye on every participant all of the time and Insanity is no exception to this. Many of the participants have their own twists on the movements and form is sometimes compromised…especially as they become more fatigued. That is when someone can really get hurt. There were even times when Shaun T was compromising his own form and while his verbal cueing was relatively spot on, there wasn’t always follow through.
Overall, I thought the program was pretty well done. It has its flaws, like any DVD or even a live group setting exercise format would have but I do think it could offer someone a great workout with positive results at a relatively low safety risk. However, like most exercise trends, it’s not the answer to all of your health and fitness needs. Keep variety in your workouts; seek out local experts, i.e. a yoga class or group fitness class. And just don’t settle for one. Try different classes and watch and listen to the instructors. You’re not going to be able to identify a sub par one until you find a good one and the difference is measurable!
And finally, if you can’t afford one on one instruction and are thinking about following a DVD workout program, a good idea might be to hire an experienced and knowledgeable personal trainer on a short term basis to at least walk you through it, to decrease your risk of injury and to get the most out of all that time you’re going to be spending performing those workouts.
Nicholas J. Perri MA, NASM-PES
The CrossFit Concept – Trend or Timeless?
I recently read an article about Crossfit and its founder, Brian MacKenzie. I’m always interested in reviewing and learning about new fitness trends, practices and theories. Most of the time, I’m highly critical and for good reason. Most trends are exactly that…TRENDS. They grab the attention of the average fitness enthusiast and milk that DVD, gadget or even mode of exercise for as long as they possibly can. They go out of style faster than night clubs and you’re left searching for the next magic pill.
In my opinion, while “Crossfit” may also turn out to be a trend…the concept of it is here to stay and in fact I would argue has been here for quite some time. Using myself as a case study, as Brian MacKenzie did to develop what is now known as Crossfit, I found that training in a fashion similar to the concepts of Crossfit, I have reduced injury and the risk of injury, while increasing performance. And I have also reduced the total amount of time spent training to produce these results.
Since 1995, my training has consisted of short, intense bouts of exercise with as much variety as possible. Cardiovascular exercise would include running, cycling, rowing, jumping rope, boxing, etc. My goal has always been to push myself as hard as I can in the widest range of exercises as possible…never letting my body adapt. Strength training has always been intense with as little rest as possible, utilizing circuit training and super setting formats. More times than not strength training has been and is combined with short, intense cardio elements such as 500 meter sprints on a rower, 2-3 minute rounds on a heavy bag or 2 minute bouts of jumping rope. In recent years, my workouts have been expanded to include increased amounts of plyometrics, kettlebell training, and rope undulation training. I have also added the occasional yoga class to my workout regimen while Neuromuscular Stabilization Training (balance training) has always been a part of my repertoire.
This subject really peaked my interest when I realized, as Brian MacKenzie did in his own personal experiences, that while training for the Chicago Marathon in 2003 I found that the running schedule was just too much for my body to handle. Running five to six days a week wreaked havoc! My body was breaking down. Most mornings, it took some time before I could walk normally because of severe Achilles tendonitis. Moreover, I ran the marathon in 2001 without training at all. I stretched after the race and felt fine. I didn’t even experience so much as a blister. I decided I wanted to improve my time, so why not train with a traditional running schedule for the marathon in 2003? I was training at a 7:30 pace and would have had a faster time, but at what price? My body couldn’t take it and it affected other areas of my training.
My feelings on the subject have been further solidified when I hear the story of a local high school runner who is logging 70-80 miles a week who can’t stay healthy. And I recently trained an accomplished female runner, who ran in high school, college and who is now a high school level track and cross country coach who has seen her body endure stress fractures in her foot and hip along with several other lower extremity maladies. The common threads between these two…the miles logged and the one dimensionality of their training.
Currently, I am training for the Fox Valley Marathon and a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon. I run three days a week…a three mile run, a four to six mile run and a long run. The shorter runs are done at a 5k or slightly slower pace. The long run is done at a goal pace. In other words, I’m training less but I’m training harder. Eight years after training for the 2003 Chicago Marathon and eight years older, I am currently averaging somewhere around 6:55 miles. I have maintained my strength training schedule and regularly cross train. In recent years, I have finished 8th out of over 500 participants in the Oakbrook Terrace Tower Climb, which I did not train for and stopped midway through for water! I regularly finish at the top of my division in duathlons that I compete in, while training for two thirds to half the time most others train with a sub standard bike compared to the other top finishers.
My point is…training harder and keeping your workouts as diversified as possible will produce superior results while making you a more complete and all around athlete. I am a perfect example. An entire fitness model has been developed and expanded based on these concepts. And the best part about it, you don’t have to join a Crossfit gym to do it. You can accomplish this in your own home or gym just as easily. I train like this and my clients have trained like this for years.
“I really believe it’s the future. It may not be exactly what I’m teaching, but in one form or another, I think we’re going to see changes in how the elites train to be great.”
~ Brian Mackenzie (Founder of Crossfit)
Nicholas J. Perri MA, NASM-PES
P90X
So…the P90X craze is probably on the downswing of its popularity but I finally was able to get my hands on a set of the much coveted DVD set. After watching the program in its entirety, I feel obligated to give my professional opinion on Tony Horton’s nicely packaged and ingeniously marketed P90X program.
Let me preface my review with a couple points. First, as a fitness professional who works with clients primarily in a live one on one workout session, I know how hard it is to get compliance and a perfect reproduction of the exercise I model without constant cueing, repetition and modification in many cases. Therefore, I am not a huge fan of any workout DVD. While they may be more cost effective, no matter how hard they try, they will never be able to reproduce the type of learning environment it takes for a workout to be at its safest and most effective level.
The second point I would like to make is that regardless of my professional opinion on the DVD set, I am incredibly happy to hear that someone has been motivated to workout and has seen positive results from using the P90X program. My only concerns are for the safety of the people who use it and that misinformation or poor modeling by the exercise instructor is addressed and corrected. In addition, an integral piece of my training philosophy is maximizing the time you spend exercising. A person once said to me, “time is the new money,” and I firmly believe that. This will bring me to my first problem with the P90X program.
As I previously stated, maximizing the time you spend working out is an integral part of my training philosophy. Why strength train for an hour when you can get comparable to better results in as little as fifteen to thirty minutes? Why do cardio for an hour when you can get better results in a twenty to thirty minute workout? Why would you spend ten minutes warming up prior to every workout when you really only need three to five minutes. And in most cases you can begin a workout with core exercises that will raise your body temperature in preparation for the meat of your workout that given day. I’m not trying to minimize the importance of core exercises. I’m trying to point out that you can spend the first fifteen minutes of your workout performing core exercises or you can spend the first ten running in place or hopping around on the fitness floor. There’s a place for all of it but it’s all about maximizing the time you spend working out so you can get back to the rest of your life. I spend a little over two hours a week doing high intensity cardiovascular exercise and about an hour of strength training. That’s a little over three hours a week. Every P90X DVD I watched was approximately an hour to a little over an hour long. I couldn’t imagine spending that much time training when I can get the same or better results in a fraction of the time.
This brings me to my biggest problem with P90X. I’m not a yoga expert but I am an expert in strength training, cardiovascular training, flexibility training, overall performance enhancement and martial arts. I don’t claim to know every innovative exercise out there or have the answer to every question but the application of the knowledge I do have is second to none. And in watching the P90X strength workouts, it was very apparent that Tony Horton still has a little bit of World Gym in him. I’m sorry to report that a good number of the strength exercises in the DVD series were modeled incorrectly, including dumbbell rows, skull crushers and bicep curls just to name a few. If you were learning an exercise for the first time, you would be hard pressed to know which fitness model to watch because each one was performing the exercise differently and most of the time, one of the background models was performing the exercise better than Tony Horton himself. And to compound the problem, his verbal cueing was misguided on more than one occasion. One way to maximize your time exercising is to execute the exercises you’re performing to perfection, getting the most out of every rep and every set you perform. The other key ingredient to maximizing your time working out is intensity of the exercise. Unfortunately, Kenpo X makes TAEBO look like an Ultimate Fighting Championship training program. And for the record, I am a fan of TAEBO. The bottom line is, if you want to maximize your time exercising, practice perfection in your form and intensity in every rep and every second of your workouts. There are times P90X falls short in those areas.
My overall opinion on the program is that it is no better or worse than most that have come and gone. It can be a good workout but it also reinforces poor habits and can be unsafe. The exercises vary from beginner to advanced and there are portions of it that more than meet the standard of a good workout but there are portions that fall way short. If you feel you’re getting a good workout and getting positive results, I applaud all your hard work and the results you’ve garnered. However, my advice would be to seek the professional guidance of a yoga instructor, martial arts expert or qualified personal trainer to reach your fitness goals. While Tony Horton is a great spokesperson, physically fit and has experience in the fitness industry, he doesn’t have the credentials or proper training to be considered a fitness “expert.” Click on this link to learn more. http://menshealth.coverleaf.com/menshealth/201102/?pg=108#pg108
While the credentials and the proper training do not guarantee you’ll get the proper guidance or that the trainer or instructor you seek out is able to apply that knowledge, it is a good starting point. And it’s probably a good bet that they will have heard of the SAID (Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands) Principle, aka muscle confusion, the cute name Tony Horton gives a training principle that has been around much longer than P90X has. Any qualified trainer learns this in their undergrad and applies the principle from day one of their personal training career.
Nicholas J. Perri MA, NASM-PES
High Intensity Versus Low Intensity Exercise
There is an ongoing debate about whether you get better results by exercising at a low intensity for a longer duration or exercising at a higher intensity for a shorter duration. Cardiovascular machines in health clubs and fitness studios everywhere depict heart training zones and fat burning zones in plain view on their display boards. And many fitness enthusiasts who belong to a gym or have a treadmill at home with goals of decreased body fat and weight loss put their trust in those zones to achieve their goals. Unfortunately and ironically, working out in the fat burning zone is not as effective as using that heart training zone to reduce body fat and lose weight.
While training at a lower intensity for prolonged periods of time (45-60 minutes) may burn more calories from fat, there are a number of studies that have been conducted that unequivocally demonstrate that training more intensely for shorter lengths of time (20-30 minutes) burns more total calories actively and boosts your metabolic rate for hours after your workout, burning even more calories. This effect is known as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption or EPOC.
There is some debate about how much your metabolism is boosted and for how long the effect lasts but it is undeniable that the effect exists and is achieved through high intensity training. Furthermore, I have used this training method with my clients for years and the results do not lie! Clients that have worked with me over the years have lost anywhere from ten to over one hundred pounds, with many losing and keeping off anywhere from thirty to fifty pounds.
So, put down the book, newspaper and or cell phone and start kickin’ your butt! If your training isn’t at a high intensity, you at some point are just spinning your wheels. Mix things up as much as possible, keep variety in your workout. Use different modes of cardiovascular exercise, incorporate interval training, resistance training, plyometrics and integrated strength training that challenges your neuromuscular system and keeps your body on it’s toes.
Have a great workout!
Nicholas J. Perri MA, NASM-PES
Deciphering Detox Diets
I recently had a client ask for my opinion on detoxification. I had never really given the idea too much thought because it was never something I seriously considered implementing into my diet. I am a firm believer and always have been a firm believer in eating a balanced diet. I’ve also never been a fan of supplementation, with the exception of a daily vitamin, calcium, etc. And the occasional protein shakes when you’re short on time after a good strength workout.
After reviewing several articles, it seems the medical opinion is that most detoxing isn’t necessary and in some situations even robs the body of essential vitamins and minerals. I would also be weary of any liquid detox diets for an extended amount of time. Detoxing the body may have some benefits for a short period but even a juice detox can prove to be dangerous if lasting more than one to three days.
The liver and kidney do a pretty good job of detoxing the body all by themselves. If you want to make their job and your life a little easier, try not to put toxins into your body in the first place. Reduce the intake of substances such as alcohol and acetaminophen, eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
If you have any questions or concerns about a “detox” diet you are currently on or considering, please contact a registered dietitian.
Nicholas J. Perri MA, NASM-PES
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/detox-diets/AN01334
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/09/14/healthmag.detox.diets/index.html
http://www.uknetguide.co.uk/Health_and_Fitness/Article/Detox_Diets_Good_or_Bad_For_You-100312.html
http://www.dupagedietitians.com/dupage/index.aspx
Healthy Holidays!
With the holidays upon us, temptation to forego your normal workout schedule and eat ungodly amounts of sweets and holiday dinner sides, is running high. DO NOT let the holidays run rough shot over taking care of you. Make it a point to try even harder to get your regular exercise in, and be aware of what foods and how much of them you are putting into your mouth. One of the best suggestions I can give you, is to not waste calories on foods and beverages you can eat and drink anytime of year. If you or you have a relative that makes a special dish for the holidays, use a few of those extra points or calories on that item. You can eat chips and drink wine anytime of year…have that lemon bar and eggnog instead.
In terms of activity, there are many things you can do. For one, keep your regular workout schedule. If it is tough to do so because the kids are off school and/or you’re traveling, put your workouts in your calendar between shopping binges and child activities. Bring exercise clothes and shoes with you to your travel destination. Sign up for a Turkey Trot to keep you motivated. Give yourself a goal to maintain, if not lose weight, during the holiday season. There are many things you can do to keep yourself motivated and on track. Do what resonates with you. And while the holidays are about giving, it is not possible to give to others at the best of your ability if you’re not a little selfish and able to give to yourself.
Nicholas J. Perri MA, NASM-PES
Here are a few links to other “Health Holiday” tips;
http://www.mypyramid.gov/holiday-tips.html
http://www.munsonhealthcare.org/munson/health_info/resources_links/healthy_holiday_tips.php
http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthy-holidays-8/holiday-fitness
Redefine Your Workout and Define Yourself!
Most people who begin training and stop or who have trained for years and don’t see the results they would like to usually share three common factors in regards to their exercise habits. They are intensity, quality and consistency.
I have been training for fifteen years, and in that time I have worked with perhaps one client, who when I started with him had very good form. That leaves hundreds that I have worked with, in either fine tuning their form or completely overhauling it. And a good number of these clients are or have been club, high school and college athletes that have been trained incorrectly by strength and conditioning coaches or who have been given a workout on a handout by their team’s coach. Training the body is not rocket science but it is still a science and should be treated as such. A gimmick on an infomercial, a workout in a magazine or a fad diet is not going to get you the results you’re looking for, and in many cases, it may cause more harm than good. The only way to get results is to work hard and have discipline with your exercise program and a healthy diet. Diet is outside the scope of this article but we are going to talk about exercise and how to make it work for you by working hard and by working effectively.
The quality with which you perform an exercise plays a great role in the overall effectiveness of the workout. When you’re not using proper form, you are not maximizing the time you spend exercising. In some cases, you may just be going through the motions and wondering why you’re not getting the results you desire. And even when you have great intensity with your workout, if you are not using proper form, you are not getting the greatest possible return on your investment. Not using proper form also puts you at risk for injury. Why do you think so many athletes of every rank, including professional, have so many injuries? It isn’t only because of the demands of their sport. It’s because of improper training. Every time I walk into a health club, I see 99.9% of people working out incorrectly. And I have seen it in the ranks of the professional athlete as well. It is the norm…not the exception. With that said, injury reaches beyond the acute nature of the injury itself. It may have longer lasting and more compounding effects such as leading you further away from your health and fitness goals, increasing the vulnerability of the area for future similar injuries, compensatory injuries throughout the kinetic chain and injuries that may reduce quality of life. So, practice safe sets!
Intensity is another important player in the effectiveness of your workouts. Unfortunately, most do not train with an intensity that will derive the results they are looking for. Nine times out of ten, when I ask someone, on a scale of 1-10, ten being the hardest and one being the easiest and seven being considered hard, how intense are they working out? The answer is a five or a six. That’s just not gonna get it done. If you want results, a seven is the lowest number you should be feeling, with the exception of a warm up or cool down. If you walk on a treadmill for 45 minutes every workout and you’re asking yourself right now, how hard do I work for that 45 minutes…and the answer is a five or a six. You need to step it up! You are better off decreasing the length of that workout to 25-30 minutes and increasing the intensity to a pretty solid seven. The idea is to train as intensely as you can for that given amount of time. And that amount of time should be about 25 minutes, depending on your goals and the nature of your workout. If you’re training for a marathon, that obviously isn’t going to work for you. But if you’re trying to lose weight, stay fit, challenge your cardiovascular and cardio respiratory system or train for some short distance running event…that’s perfect for you. And there has been a long running debate about whether you should workout longer with less intensity to be in your “fat burning zone” or workout shorter with more intensity to stay in your “heart training zone.” There have been many studies on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption and its effect on weight loss. High intensity exercise increases EPOC and oxygen consumption is required for fat oxidation. Basically, higher intensity exercise leads to higher total calorie expenditures than moderate to low intensity exercise and it’s achieved in half the time your workouts normally take. I’ve applied this type of training to many of my clients for years and the results and success my clients experience is second to none.
However, none of this matters if you are not consistent with your workouts. It has to become a part of you, a part of your lifestyle, something you do as automatic as brushing your teeth. We can all make excuses. We all have the daily hurdles of life, the responsibility of family and work, the holidays, I have to do this or I had to do that. The bottom line is that they are excuses. The fact that you don’t workout for this reason or that reason is a smoke screen. You didn’t work out because you didn’t want to…you didn’t make it a priority. And while all of these other things going on in our lives are very important, they don’t mean anything if you’re not around or not able to experience them with the vigor we were meant to. Your health is the most important thing in life because without it, you can’t experience life and everything it has to offer…and that includes family, friends, work, the holidays or all of those other excuses you may use from time to time to not workout.
Nicholas J Perri MA, NASM-PES
Stretching Safely
Are you stretching safely? Unfortunately most people do not stretch safely. In fact, most people stretch in a way that is more injurious than if they didn’t stretch at all. Here are a few important facts on stretching.
For starters, it is not necessary or even advantageous to make stretching the first phase of your workout. In fact, it may lead to injury or decreased performance in sport or exercise. The first phase of your workout should involve warming-up. And by warming-up I mean to literally increase your core body temperature. This can be achieved with about five minutes of moderate activity such as jumping rope, walking, jogging, biking etc. Basically any form of aerobic or cardiovascular activity will be sufficient to increase blood flow and your core temperature. Increased blood flow to the muscles will improve flexibility and muscle performance. Stretching without a warm-up is referred to as a “cold” stretch, which may cause tears in muscle fibers and connective tissues.
Another important fact about stretching is that it may not even be necessary for most fitness related activities such as biking, jogging, rowing or using an elliptical. Stretching is more beneficial to the athlete prior to participating in a sporting event and after a general warm-up. It will improve muscle performance through increased flexibility at a joint and help prevent injuries. Injuries that may otherwise be caused by movement patterns that require quick stops, quick bursts of speed and/or power production. In other words, sports that require a great deal of agility require proper stretching techniques for increased performance. However, going out for a three-mile run or spending 30 minutes on the bike may not require stretching because the potential for injury due to sport-specific movement patterns does not exist. Be advised to let the muscles warm-up gradually during your cardiovascular workout. As you increase blood flow and your core body temperature, muscle flexibility and performance will increase proportionately.
The best time for the general fitness enthusiast to stretch would be immediately after your cardiovascular workout. Blood flow to the muscles will be at its peak, which means increased potential for improving flexibility. Hold your stretches for about 20 seconds and you may repeat 3-5 times. You may have slight discomfort during your stretch, but do not overstretch or stretch to the point of feeling pain. Stretches should be slow and controlled and do not hold you breath.
Many stretches that people still use today are considered out-dated or unsafe. If you’re not sure about a stretch please ask a trainer or fitness professional for assistance.
Nicholas J. Perri MA, NASM-PES
