It is Far Easier to Educate a Muscle

than to train one

 

Exercise, by its most basic definition, is movement with intensity and force. Not only is it among the most physical qualities of life we experience, but can also be one of the most powerful avenues for initiating profound shifts, life-changing choices, and arguably the most important factor in our quest for slowing the processes of aging.

 

Ask a sprinter what they were thinking 2 seconds into their race. Ask a power lifter what it feels like to jerk 500 pounds into the air. You see the exhilaration in athletes, young and old with the improvement of their physical performance...of human potential. Regardless of how strong or seemingly weak you may feel, there is a place...a point that you are at your strongest and perform your best...your “peak physiologic state”. It is a compilation of more than 30 years of research, and clinical and practical experience. It encompasses insights into the physiology of exercise and movement, neurologic development, nutrition, and what it means to fully live in a “peak physiologic state”.

 

Attain remarkable results in weeks, not months

Exercise without muscle fatigue or failure

Learn how exercise and foods affect you and why you choose the foods you do

Supports and nurtures healthy eating habits

Achieve greater hormonal balance

Improve mental clarity and emotional wellbeing

Awareness and knowledge of movement as a unifying principle and its influence on wellness

Create a foundation and deeper awareness of the intent and power needed in other aspects of your life

 

Discover Profound Increases in Strength

to lift, to run, to play

 

The ultimate nature of the muscle is strength and power. The strength and power to stand vs. walk vs. run, climb, lift, and so on. Strength and power qualifies movement. It is our physical form of being present just as clarity and purpose is the mental/emotional aspect of being present. The most efficient method of increasing strength, power and tone is to maintain an anabolic state by not going to states of fatigue or failure, thereby avoiding the 48 to 90 hours traditionally needed for the muscle to recuperate and heal. This is accomplished, in part, by exercising within optimum physiologic limits without compromising intensity. In fact, you will typically obtain greater levels of intensity more frequently by preserving your “peak state”. Remember, greater intensity equates to greater results.

 

Combining advances in exercise protocols and strategies that utilize the muscle’s innate learning potential for strength and power, while addressing various parameters of movement and momentum, your ”peak physiologic state” is realized and sustained. The following principles allow for remarkable results that impact other aspects of your life as well.

 

Maintain an anabolic state by not going to states of fatigue or failure, even with aerobic exercise

Training should include more complex intrinsic movements as this will naturally incorporate and strengthen the body’s weakest “links”, which ultimately allows for the greatest results

Train at greater levels of intensity, but less duration...more frequently

Maintain the momentum threshold with “momentum specific” spotting. This allows you to develop a relationship/understanding between your intensity and your peak physiologic state.

 

Aerobic Activities

run, jump, cycle, dance or...

 

Perform aerobic activity at the intensity (e.g., speed) that feels invigorating and emotionally uplifting. Just before the activity begins to feel like effort instead of pleasurable or smooth, stop and walk or stretch. Once you have rested to the point that you feel like you could go again and it not be effort, then start again at an intensity (e.g., speed) that feels invigorating and emotionally uplifting. Again, when the activity begins to feel like effort instead of pleasurable or smooth, stop and walk or stretch. When you have reached a point that after resting, starting feels like effort, then you are through with aerobic exercise at that time.

 

Sample Runs

Regardless of how fast or far you run, as you run be aware of your energy and how your pace and/or distance changes (faster or longer) or, becomes at all labored. Remember, intensity (power and strength) will always yield greater results than fatigue.

 

If you enjoy sprinting, you might run a 300 meter pace, but only run for 200 meters before feeling effort or fatigue kicking in. Or, you might run a half-mile pace, but only run one lap.

 

If you enjoy running distance, you may run at a mile pace, but for only half a mile or three laps around the track.

 

Jumping

Jumping is the next best thing to sprinting and can be a bit more challenging than you might think. Sprinting being the best over-all workout I know of. If it has been awhile since you have run or jumped, you might want to start with squats or deep knee bends for a few days to a week or so. However, before you start you need to stretch the calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, and pelvic and lower back muscles. Begin jumping at a height or intensity that is easily controllable. Continue jumping until the next jump will not be has high as the previous jumps. Don’t think about the number of jumps. Focus on the intensity of the jumps and the “stopping” place prior to the next jump loosing height. In the beginning you will probably want to do 2-3 sets of jumps. As you improve with jumping, begin adding more intensity by going higher. When you are able to jump at least 12-14 times with good intensity, start changing the vector of each jump. For example, you can imagine a square on the floor and jump randomly from corner to corner. This will not only pull in more muscle involvement, but will increase intensity as well.

 

Strength Training

 

Strength training should be an integral component of everyone’s exercise program. Studies have shown that the most debilitating aspect of aging is loss of strength and mobility, which also has a detrimental effect on hormonal production and balance. Free weights, especially dumbbells, are much more effective than machines as they allow for greater movement and recruitment of the stabilizing muscles. Suspension training is even more effective as it allows for movements that are impossible to achieve with free-weights, and the suspension training requires much more recruitment of the stabilizing muscles. It is very important to learn proper technique and move with the breath allowing the whole body to take part in the movement without compromising proper technique.

 

Find a weight or amount of resistance that you can perform 7-9 reps before any fatigue sets in. The first sign of fatigue is when a rep loses momentum or gets a little “sticky”. This is the "momentum threshold". Your last rep should be the one before any fatigue or "stickiness" is experienced. As you bring your attention to the momentum of your reps or exercise, you will naturally learn where this is and when to stop.

 

Breath can be a very beneficial component for increasing strength and power. It is our most fundamental movement of the body, thus making it an integral part of any physical movement, especially with intensity of movement as with exercise. Breathe in conjunction with the movement of the exercise. For example, you would breathe out when doing a push up, bench press, dips, or pull downs behind the head, and you would breathe in when doing a shoulder/military press, pull downs to the chin or seated row. This is noted below in parenthesis.

 

Sample Free-Weight Routine: alternate days with 1-2 days rest as needed

 

 

Suspension Training

 

Core training protocols combining the power of resistance training with freedom and integration of movement with levels of difficulty for a grandmother or an athlete that pushes 120 lb. dumbbells. Combined with “no fatigue" protocols and the Metabolic Diet, rapid gains in sculpting, strength and conditioning far exceed results seen with free-weights and machines. Workout your entire body with each session as little as 2-3 days a week for 15-20 minutes or as much as 5 days a week for 30-45 minutes. The choice is yours.

 

Benefits over free-weights include:

Amazing gains in strength within weeks, as it allows for greater variety of movement (i.e., more complex intrinsic movements), which naturally incorporates and strengthens the body’s weakest “links”

Greater efficiency and intensity than free weights: with one exercise, you incorporate 3-4 exercises normally done with free weights or machines...with equal or greater resistance

Greater sculpting and shaping of the muscles

Incorporates the body’s “core” muscles for added postural benefits

 

With suspension training, you can workout the entire body as little as 2 days a week for 15 minutes, or up to 5-6 days a week for 20-30 minutes depending on the routine that best compliments your lifestyle. However, as stated earlier, the more frequently you can exercise with intensity and without effort or fatigue, the greater the benefits. Therefore, 15 minutes 5 days a week would be preferable to 30 minutes 3 days a week.

 

Basic Routine: 2-3 Days Straight with 1-2 days rest as needed

 

 

2-3 Days Straight with 1-2 days rest as needed

 

 

Suspension Training Chart (pdf)

 

Why Choose to Create Fatigue or Failure in any Aspect of Your Life?

 

With fatigue and failure taken out of the equation, your exercise program becomes one of greater results and anticipation. This allows for remarkable results that impact other aspects of your life as well. Not only are much of the physiologic stresses associated with muscle fatigue (oxidative stress, tissue breakdown, inflammation, lactic acid build-up, etc.) avoided, but there are mental/emotional and dietary benefits as well. For example, the more you take exercise to fatigue, the more food and heavier foods you will crave and even require. Additionally, your mental/emotional state becomes one of presence and more energetic vs that feeling of fatigue or exhaustion that occurs with excessive workouts. Exercise as if it were play, not work...and play daily.

 

By applying these same principles to diet you can:

 

Eliminate cravings and over-eating

Maintain optimum weight

Learn how exercise and foods affect you and why you choose the foods you do

Decrease somatostatin (antagonist to growth hormone and slows nutrient absorption) resulting in a greater ratio of growth hormone to somatostatin and as much as an 80% increase in nutrient absorption

The muscle, organs, and other tissues more easily maintain optimum function as they are not driven into extreme and basically abnormal physiologic states of fatigue.

Achieve greater health and vitality