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Newsletter 09/10/07

In this week's issue:

Hi, and welcome to this week's newsletter! This week I have included a new VERY important article that I believe everyone who is thinking of starting a fitness regime that includes regular jogging should read before jumping in at the deep end. Without overstating anything, reading this article could be the difference between being injured and getting the results you want. Of course, if you are a client, we don't really run anyway, but feel free to read it and pass on the advice! (smugness optional) If you would like to forward this article to anyone else that you feel would benefit from it, please forward this link: http://www.absolutegoldfitness.co.uk/articles/running.pdf .

Remember, if you are not a current client, I have a special offer for new clients in the month of October, check it out at www.absolutegoldfitness.co.uk/october . Time is running out for this offer, so act fast for the discount!

Also, I've put some articles on the site, check it out on the left under.....'articles'!

Running Into Problems – The Hidden Dangers Of Jogging For Weight Loss

When most people think of getting in shape, the thought comes up that it would be a good idea to go out running a few times a week, watch what they eat, and before they know it they will have the body they have always wanted! Well, maybe not exactly that, but jogging is seen as a good way to lose weight. However, you may be doing more harm than good, and in more ways than one…

The Dangers Of Jogging

The number one problem with just going out jogging is that you will quickly adapt to it and become more efficient at using fat for fuel. Sounds good, right? Not really – if you improve the fuel efficiency of your car it’ll use less fuel, and that’s exactly what will happen with your fat burning runs. Now you have to either run faster or longer to keep seeing the same progress, and you can only run so fast using the aerobic system so unless you plan to spend hours on end running every day this is not an optimal approach to fat loss.

The other issue with running is best explained by looking at the training of high level athletes training to become more explosive. These athletes will perform phases where they do various types of jumps; jumps off boxes, jumps onto boxes, bounding drills and other similar exercises. This type of training is very stressful on the body and joints however, and recommendations even for high level athletes are not to exceed a weekly volume of five hundred foot contacts (number of times the athlete hits the ground with force) per week. Let me repeat that – advanced athletes are urged not to exceed five hundred ground contacts per week.

So how does this relate to you? After all, you’re not jumping off high boxes, you’re just going for a jog! Here is where the parallel can be drawn – the athlete is very strong, and able to absorb a lot of force into the muscles, which is why they can do these jumping drills without getting hurt. If you are starting out from a sedentary lifestyle, I am assuming you don’t have the capability to put twice your bodyweight on your shoulders and perform a squat with good technique. This means the threshold for injury, or the amount of stress the muscles can take off the joints on impact is much lower. Low enough, in fact, that the force of hitting the ground with each stride (a force equivalent to three to five times bodyweight) may be at or near your threshold of safety. This means you are effectively working at the same relative level as the professional athlete doing plyometric drills – only you’re doing fifteen hundred ground contacts per mile! Run a couple of miles three times a week and your weekly volume of ground contacts is nine thousand. Looking at it this way, you should be able to see why so many people get injured by jumping into ill-advised running regimes.

Run To Get Fit, Or Get Fit To Run?

So it seems that going out jogging without being prepared is not a good idea. In fact, you could say that the idea of running to get fit is contradictory, and you must get fit in order to be able to run safely! Here is a little test you can do right now – if you’re sitting in a standard height chair, take one foot off the ground and try and stand up. If you cannot do this it is unlikely you have the muscular strength to be able to absorb the constant impacts involved in running, especially on concrete.

Additionally, from experience I can say that most people are not suited to running, either due to body type of weakness in specific muscles. Women are at a higher risk than men of problems due to their wider hips increasing the likelihood of the knees ‘caving in’ on impact, but anyone can have issues that may not be obvious to the untrained eye but cause huge problems once the body is put under stress. For example, if the glutes are not working correctly they will not stabilise the thigh as they should, which normally leads to problems at the knee. The trend in running circles is often towards ‘fixing’ problems by using specially cushioned shoes, orthotic inserts and the like, but in fact these cushions may make the problem worse, as they reduce the feedback the foot receives from the ground and can alter firing patterns all the way up the kinetic chain.

To Run, Or Not To Run? That Is The Question!

So with all the problems running can cause and the fact it is an inefficient way to get fit or burn fat, the question may be – is it worth doing it? Well, I would suggest that anyone that is simply training for fat loss or general health does not need to run. It is not an efficient means of achieving the desired goal, and comes with more inherent risks than many of the alternatives. For weight loss, resistance training with your own body weight or external resistance, cycling, swimming or walking are all much safer and/or more effective means. If anyone is reading this who enjoys running or wants to achieve a goal like running a marathon, I will say these words of caution: Ensure you are strong enough to properly absorb the force, ensure your technique is flawless, ensure that your muscular system is balanced and firing correctly and gradually build up volume of foot contacts. Most of this cannot be accomplished by simply running, so I would recommend finding a professional for more in-depth guidance.

Quote Of The Week

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall"

- Confucius

An Easy Way To Cook Great Tasting Chicken

I've always used the grilling machine to cook up my chicken, adding a bit of seasoning to make it a little different each time, but recently I've been doing the following.

The advantage to this method is the chicken is basically steamed, and stays very moist. The grill tends to dry the chicken out - it's ok if you are cooking fresh, but the next day the chicken is very cardboard-esque. Do not use too much olive oil, just enough to stop the chicken sticking. I have experimented with turning it and not turning it and found turning to not be required as the whole thing will cook anyway. This is great as I can make half a kilo or more of chicken by spending five minutes then walking away while it cooks, not having to worry about it. Give it a try and let me know how you like it!

Precision Nutrition Tip of the Week

Tip #3
Fish Oil Rules
by Dr. John Berardi

I consider fish oil to be an essential supplement for fat loss. Data from the University of Western Ontario shows that fish oil supplementation increases lean body mass (during non-dieting conditions), increases BMR (by up to 400kcal/day), decreases inflammation, and improves the ratio of fat/carb oxidized (sparing carbs, burning fat). Recommended dose: Start with 6-10g per day of total fish oil (assuming 30% EPA and DHA).

SEE ALSO:

This tip is sponsored by Precision Nutrition - our pick for the best nutrition and supplement resource currently available. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.