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Controlology: Pilates Original Concept

By Daniel Weisner

I was a varsity wrestler and strength trainer in 1970; this was when I first heard about Pilates exercises for injuries. Researching Pilates further I found that Pilates was an exercise routine much like yoga, however, at the time I did not realize that there were some very important differences. So, my initial concept of Pilates was that it was more of a girl thing, a yoga thing, not an exercise routine for a "manly man." Manly men lift heavy barbells and do squats with 280 pounds lying on their traps. Fortunately, most of us grow wiser throughout the years and I was no exception. When revisiting Pilates as an exercise routine about 10 years later I was awakened to the concept of good, proper posture and inner strength that Pilate's instructors exhibited throughout their bodies during exercise, especially through the core - the body's powerhouse.

Over the years much has been written about Joseph Pilates and the history of his exercise routines. Lately, there seems to be more newly discovered films showing Joseph Pilates performing demonstrations of his exercises, many of which have been modified from the yoga disciplines. As in everything, it is a good idea to learn the history behind that which you would like to understand. However, since you can get this information elsewhere, I am going to begin this article with a discussion of my own personal experience with Pilates training.

diet nutrition coach personal trainer private studio high energy training jacksonville fl qigong beaches in home personal fitness trainer pilates training instructor located atlantic neptune ponte vedra beach phone (904) 422-6218 women's fitness specialist body rolling diet exercise thai massage. As a student in taekwondo and unarmed Korean combat training, I knew that real strength came from the Dantien, the area below the navel. When I watched expert Pilates instructors perform feats of strength without any visual sign of stress or straining, I knew there had to be something to this Pilates thing for me. Luckily, I was fortunate to experience another display of human strength when Cirque du Soleil came to town. The same strength that Pilate's experts displayed could be seen in the performers of Cirque du Soleil.

Over the years, I experimented with various Pilates exercises along with other "New Fad" exercises. Finally, I became convinced that this form of strength training called Pilates was for me, I began learning the basics of Pilate's exercises. I was to begin at the beginning; I should have no expectations or preconceived prejudices. With an unbiased attitude and open mind, I began learning the basics, step by step. Soon, I got really good at the exercises and later, perfected some.

I used to get low back pain when splitting and carrying fire wood, the prime heating source for my home in the winter, and there was little I could do about it other than letting it relieve itself over several days to weeks. The Pilates exercises that I found were most helpful with my low back pain were the roll up and the jackknife. I experienced immediate relief and a sense of accomplishment from these simple mat exercises that took no longer than five minutes. I found that my low back pain was relieved after performing several of these exercise routines correctly.

Much of the Pilates exercises involve strengthening the abdominal muscles to stabilize the spine. Strong abdominal muscles are a key element to reducing the possibility of low back injury. The exercises are performed with control and focus, they are done smooth and slow, using small the muscles everywhere that are usually ignored in other exercise routines. There is no momentum in the exercise, no skipping through the range of motion. The control and focus are so emphasized in all the exercises that there is no doubt why Pilates exercises were first coined "Controlology". (Katagi)

A Pilates routine works the transverse abdominus muscles, which acts like a strong armor fabric of tissue and muscle around your anterior and posterior torso protecting your spine from wear and tear. Back and abdominal muscles that are weak usually lead to chronic back pain as do muscles that are too tight. That's why Pilates is so effective-- it both strengthens and stretches. (St. Lifer)

So, my advice to you who have low back pain, or those who wish to gain strength from the inside out, is to enlist the services of a Pilates instructor for a minimum of four weeks. the money you spent for the sessions will last a lifetime. You will be able to continue your program knowing what to strive for in terms of proper form and results.

By Daniel Weisner

References

Eller, Daryn. "A state of grace: If pilates is not the perfect exercise, it comes close, says our expert. Low on tech and high on inner focus, it engages your mind as well as your body, offering the gain without the pain. (Well-being)." Victoria Feb. 2002: 32+. General OneFile. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

Davis, Kimberly. "Power of Pilates." Ebony Dec. 2003: 106+. General OneFile. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

Katagi, Kellee. "Core values: your core is your skiing powerhouse. And despite the wimpy name, Pilates can rev it up like few other workouts can." Ski Feb. 2003: 140+. General OneFile. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

Martin, Suzanne. "Classic Pilates: Down to the Mat". Dance Magazine 80 no4 30 Ap 2006

Reents, Jennifer Newton. "Pilates power: tips to improve your performance from the pros." She Knows Diet & Fitness Apr.-May 2006: 60. General OneFile. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

Sokolov, Jennifer. "Strong and Silent". Tricycle 16 no2 28-9 Wint 2006

St. Lifer, Holly. "We've got your back! Stay limber--and pain-free--with this simple strengthening Pilates move." Natural Health Nov. 2009: 46+. General OneFile. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

Stricker, Lauri Ann. "Pilates and the core centered skier." Cross Country Skier Oct. 2009: 30+. General OneFile. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

Stuart, Goldman. "Proof of Pilates". Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro 25 no4 38, 40-2 Ap 2009

Strength Training

By Daniel Weisner

The next time you think about weight lifting, a form of strength training, think about your bones too! Increasing bone strength, bone mass and bone density are also primary benefits of strength training. Strength training encompasses a wide variety of modalities including yoga and Pilates. Often it is not necessary to even use weights for strength training. Many strength training exercises can be performed through body weight or with a partner ... don't think about strength training as strictly weightlifting.

A muscular body like the cartoon character Popeye has more advantages than you think! Not only does a weight lifter / bodybuilder gain muscle strength and muscle size, but the greatest benefit, especially for middle age and older individuals, is the strength they gain in their bones. That is correct, I did say bone strength. Of course you may not be interested in body building, I know of no one over the age of 40 who is; but the benefits of strength training can be gained by working as little 30 minutes, two times a week. Studies show that this is enough exercise to ward off age related reduction in bone density and actually increase bone strength. It is widely known in the medical community that bone density is increased through progressive strength training at any age. Without some form of strength training, we will lose bone density.

Strength training is simply exercise to build muscles or maintain muscles mass. Each one of us, after the age of about 25, begins to lose several or more pounds of muscle every decade. This muscle loss results in lowering your metabolism, resulting in an increase in the size and mass of your fat cells. In other words, you are getting fatter as you get older if you do not exercise to maintain your muscle mass. I tell my prospective middle-aged clients, "You're getting weaker, older and frailer, and more importantly, your bones are becoming weaker." Continuing I'll often add, "Your posture is dependent upon your musculature and bone structure, stooped posture, lack of exercise and bone weakness go together." Strength training builds stronger bones!

We can categorize strength training as the type of exercise where the muscles are stressed just enough to allow them to increase in size. It is incorrect to look at this as a bodybuilder or muscle man type of exercise. I am often amused at comments from new clients like "I don't want to get big and bulky". Invariably these comments or more correctly, concerns, come from women who have no concept of their bodies; they lack the ability to see their bodies, their physical world in reality. Amusingly my response to these types of comments are, "Don't worry if you have too much muscle you can always lie in bed and eat Twinkies for a couple weeks!" Actually, it takes a man several years to decades of training extremely hard to build huge muscles like you see in the muscle man contests. Women just don't have the hormones that men have so it is not something that you have to worry about.

Strength training involves stressing the muscle to the point just short of where you are no longer able to continue. In terms of time, one set of a strength training exercise should last no more than 60 seconds. Don't give me any excuses that you don't have the time to strength train or exercise; it only takes 15 to 30 minutes - 2 to 3 times a week. You can get a full body workout 20 to 30 minutes if you know what you are doing. In order to know what you are doing I suggest hiring a personal trainer for several weeks to get you started.

Strength training can be done using your own body weight with just a floor exercise mat or by using rubber straps with and handles that act like large rubber bands. You use your arms and legs to stretch them out thereby stressing the muscle. Conventionally, strength training uses weights-dumbbells, barbells, kettle bells or medicine balls. Cable machines that have adjustable weight resistance can also be used. Remember, it doesn't take a lot of equipment or fancy machines to strength train. There is really no reason that you can't begin today in your own home.

There are many myths associated with exercise, strength training, and differences between men and women, I will discuss a few of them here:

Women, in general have about the same strength as men from the waist down, pound for pound. From the waist up, women have about one half of the strength of men. Men can lose weight (fat) and build muscle quicker than women because of the chemical makeup of the hormones in the body. Women need about 20% more body fat than men to stay healthy.

Women bodybuilders train with high-intensity for years to decades to achieve those big muscles that appear like men's muscles. Some of these women even take hormones to get that look. Most of the women that I've trained ended up looking toned and fit, not bulky and manlike. As a woman, that doesn't mean you can't look that way, you just have to work extremely hard for many years.

"Strength training for the middle-age client is customarily designed to build muscle to the point where he or she is confident and physically able to maintain an active life. The goal is not to achieve a bodybuilder-muscle- man-look; the goal is to achieve a healthier overall body and mind. Excellent posture, walking tall, flexibility and positive energy are all side effects of strength training. The reality is a person who is fit from strength training has a strong overall look to their body. Once we have achieved the level of strength and fitness that we are comfortable with we go onto strength training only to maintain our newly added muscles and bone density."

"Muscle lost through inactivity can be substantial leading to lower metabolism, weight gain, and reduced bone density and reduced bone strength. As we age, unless we do some form of strength training, we begin to lose muscle mass and gain fat mass."

"The skeleton provides more than just a framework for the body. Bone is a calcified conjunctive tissue sensitive to various mechanical stimuli, mainly to those resulting from gravity and muscular contractions. Animal and human studies have demonstrated the importance of weightbearing physical activity as well as mechanical loading for maintaining skeletal integrity." (1,4). (Andreoli)

"Stress applied to a skeletal segment affects the geometry of the bone, the microarchitecture, and the composition of the matrix (5). The stimulatory effect occurs when the skeleton is subjected to strains exceeding habitual skeletal loads; under these conditions the intensity of load is more important than the duration of the stimulus. Physical activity leads to greater bone density in children and adolescents and, to a minor extent, in adults (5). Weightbearing activities, such as walking, have a greater effect than nonweightbearing activities, such as cycling and swimming, whereas a reduction in mechanical loading, i.e., bed rest or space flight, leads to bone loss (14). It has been previously suggested that the type of physical activity necessary to build and maintain bone density must be weightbearing, in part, because the loss of ambulation or weightlessness results in marked skeletal atrophy. Research conducted on astronauts suggests that a loss of bone mass could be driven by a lack of gravity. Loss of BMC has been documented in individuals with injuries of central nervous system leading to muscle atrophy and in people restricted to bed for long periods of time. Therefore, weightbearing activity has been widely recommended as a possible prophylaxis for age-related bone loss." (Andreoli)

References


ANDREOLI, ANGELA  et al. "Effects of different sports on bone density and muscle mass in 
   highly trained athletes" Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 33 no4 507-11 Ap 2001

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AUTHOR:	FRENCH CLEMENTS
TITLE:	Strengthening Your Upper Body
SOURCE:	Dance Magazine 83 no6 56-7 Je 2009

AUTHOR:	Rett Larson
TITLE:	Steeling Your CORE
SOURCE:	Volleyball 20 no5 14-17 My 2009

AUTHOR:	Michael Sagiv
TITLE: Safety of resistance training in the elderly
SOURCE: Eur Rev Aging Phys Act 6 no1 Ap 2009

AUTHOR:	Gunnar Peterson
TITLE:	Short Circuits
SOURCE:	Best Life 6 no3 52 Ap 2009

AUTHOR:	FRENCH CLEMENTS
TITLE:	Strengthening Your Upper Body
SOURCE:	Dance Magazine 83 no6 56-7 Je 2009

AUTHOR:	A DAM BORNSTEIN
TITLE:	MUSCLE BULLETIN
SOURCE:	Men's Health 24 no6 80F Jl/Ag 2009

AUTHOR:	CRAIG BALLANTYNE
TITLE:	MORE MUSCLE, NO WAITING
SOURCE:	Men's Health 24 no7 148A, 148B, 148C, 148D S 2009

AUTHOR:	SELENE YEAGER
TITLE:	THE ESSENTIAL Over 40 Workout
SOURCE:	Prevention (Emmaus, Pa.) 61 no9 116-25 S 2009

AUTHOR:	MICHELLE LOVITT
TITLE:	Taking It Up A NOTCH
SOURCE:	Volleyball 22-4 S 2009

AUTHOR:	ADAM BORNSTEIN
TITLE:	Shed Your Spare Tire
SOURCE:	Men's Health 24 no9 42-5 N 2009

AUTHOR:	Adam Bornstein
TITLE:	MUSCLE BULLETIN
SOURCE:	Men's Health 24 no10 44 D 2009

AUTHOR:	NIKKI KIMBALL
TITLE:	One Leg at a Time
SOURCE:	Runner's World 44 no12 46 D 2009

AUTHOR:	UNKNOWN
TITLE:	Seven facts you may not know about EXERCISE
SOURCE:	Nutrition Action Healthletter 36 no10 7-10 D 2009

AUTHOR:	ADAM CAMBELL
TITLE:	Lift to Lose
SOURCE:	Men's Health 25 no1 86, 88, 91 Ja/F 2010

AUTHOR:	UNKNOWN
TITLE:	Muscle to Burn
SOURCE:	Men's Health 25 no1 60 Ja/F 2010

AUTHOR:	UNKNOWN
TITLE:	BURN FAT FASTER THAN EVER
SOURCE:	Men's Health 25 no1 88B, 88C, 88D Ja/F 2010

FYI - Formulas for Calories burned vs. Heart Rate and Circumference Method of Measuring Body Composition in Terms of Fat Percentage.
Sleep Deprivation and Fat Loss.
A new study looked at the amount of sleep dieters got and found interesting results. It seems the more sleep that you get the more likely it is for you to lose fat weight. This is due to the amount of hormones generated. The more sleep the dieter received the less they craved carbohydrates and other calorie rich foods. The extra sleep accounted for a loss of appetite and satiety.

"Probably the most critical finding in this study showed that even with two weeks' sleep deprivation, that you start to already see changes in two of the most fundamental hormones regulating appetite and satiation, or feeling full and therefore decreasing appetite. And those hormones are called ghrelin and leptin." (NPR)

There's no question, sleep deprivation can sabotage your waistline and your health. (WebMD)

References:

NPR. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130ttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130432596

WebMD. http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/lack-of-sleep-weight-gain
Anti-Depressants and Weight Gain
One of the most overlooked side effects of antidepressant medications known as SSRIs is the possibility of weight gain. Some of these medications are so troublesome that even cutting calories may still cause weight gain. Consult your doctor if you have trouble gaining weight or losing weight as this may be a side effect of your medications. It is a real phenomenon and many may benefit from adjustments in their medications, but you will not know unless you consult your physician. Never stop taking antidepressant medications without the approval of your physician.
I have seen cases where clients have been on drugs known as Risperidone and have gained as much as 20 pounds over the course of six months. Dropping their calorie intake to lower than 1000 calories a day still resulted in weight gain. This is a metabolic syndrome and is quite a study. The good news is that your metabolism goes back to normal after the medications are adjusted or dropped.
The point of this article is to make sure you read the side effects of any medications you may be prescribed. Consult your physician if you experience any of these side effects.

Losing the FAT in 2012 - One of the most effective things you can do, to help you lose weight, is go through your refrigerator and your cabinet pantry and remove all desserts and snacks. Just give them away or throw them out. You need them no longer as you are now attempting to control and lose fat. When the time comes and you are craving snacks, which in most cases are lacking any nutritional value, if you don't have snacks around the house you will not be tempted. You might go the refridgerator, open it and look, stare for a minute, but you'll close it, and rethink your motive - Am I just emotionally charged right now? Am I OK? What do I really need? Remember, even one snack every evening is enough to stop your weight loss. You should be able to lose at least 2 pounds a week. Pick up a pack of Keto-Stix from your neighborhood pharmacy, and test yourself for the presence of keystones. Ketones will show up in your urine when you are burning fat. Now you have a way to monitor the foods you eat and what effect they have on your fat loss. Go into this new year with a new attitude and you will succeed at fat loss if it is the most important, or one of the most important priorities in your life.
The following information is derived from the Federal Bureau of Consumer Protection:
Source: http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus38-voluntary-guidelines-providers-weight-loss-products-or-services

Voluntary Guidelines for Providers of Weight Loss Products or Services

Mission: To promote sound guidance to the general public on strategies for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

Principles:
Following sensible and healthy guidelines for eating and physical activity is important for healthy weight management.

Obesity2 is a serious, chronic disease that is known to reduce life span, increase disability and lead to many serious illnesses including diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Excess weight is caused by an interaction of genetic (inherited) and environmental (social and cultural) factors, which include metabolic (physical and chemical) and behavioral (psychological and emotional) components. Because of the complexity of weight loss, gain, and maintenance, promises of quick and effortless weight loss are worthless.

A sedentary lifestyle is a significant barrier to successfully maintaining weight loss and preventing further weight reduction.

Losing weight requires burning more calories than the body takes in, by either reducing caloric intake or increasing caloric expenditure, or preferably, both.

Achieving and maintaining even a modest amount of weight loss can reduce the severity of illnesses associated with obesity.

Effective weight management involves behavior modification which is a lifelong commitment and includes at least two components: healthful eating in accordance with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, emphasizing a reduction in total calories, a lowered fat consumption, and an increase in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and increased frequent and regular physical activity of at least moderate intensity.

Medical, pharmacological and surgical interventions may be options for individuals with more serious cases of overweight and obesity. These interventions, used in conjunction with a plan for healthy eating and physical activity, should be utilized in conformance with applicable treatment guidelines.

The consumer is entitled to accurate, reliable, and non-deceptive information about methods for weight management. The Partnership encourages weight loss providers to adopt the Partnership's Voluntary Disclosure Guidelines for Providers of Weight Loss Products and Programs.

The Partnership opposes discrimination, including discrimination based upon size or weight.

The Partnership does not endorse any particular product or program for weight loss or weight management.

Healthy weight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 19 and less than 25 among all people aged 20 or over. To determine body mass index, divide weight in kilograms (2.2 lbs. = 1 kg) by height in meters squared (39.4 ins. = 1 m).

For the purposes of this document, "obesity" is defined as a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 30, which approximates 30 pounds of excess weight. Excess weight also places people at risk of developing serious health problems.

Fat Loss Gimmicks: A Multibillion-Dollar Industry Based on Lies and Deceptions
By Daniel Weisner

Weight loss, or more importantly fat loss, is simply a product of two modifications of daily life--the modifications to lifestyle are diet and exercise. In the quest to lose body fat it is necessary that both these components, diet and exercise, be addressed. Exercise alone will not lead to weight loss.

Consider that the average 60 to 90 minute workout might burn off 400 calories. That's great! But let's sample several bites from your friends' doughy-sugary bearclaw and guess what: You have negated the calorie deficit effect of the workout. Although exercise is excellent for your heart and health, in terms of weight loss, you have just stopped the fat burning process that you fired-up from your workout.

If you are going to leave out any of the components to reduce your body weight you can leave out the exercise. The reason that I say this is because you can actually lose weight without exercising, it is done by restricting your consumption of food to the point that you begin to use fat and muscle as a fuel. It does not work the other way around; you cannot continue to eat all you want while thinking that you will exercise every day and and work off the calories.

Take a look at all the complaints and fines levied against companies by the Federal Trade Commission on a weekly basis. Some of these gimmicks and schemes involved exercise machines designed to target a specific area of the body. There is even one out there to target the fat on the neck under the chin claiming that it will remove the sagging skin and tissue and make you look younger. The fact is that selective fat loss, in a specific area of the body, does not work. I've had clients with large abdomens, beer bellies, and they claim they do 50 to 200 crunches and sit-ups a day. They might be building their abdomen muscles and creating a six pack but it's hidden under all the layers of fat-and additionally, all those sit-ups and crunches might be traumatizing to the muscles and in some cases lead to abdominal hernia. I like to tell my clients that fat loss is first in last out. You have no control over where on your body you will lose fat.

Diet:
To correct one's diet it may be only necessary to control the portions consumed. It could be that eating after a certain time of day is a solution. You might try adding more vegetables and reduce starchy foods. Add more vegetables from the cruciferous family such as broccoli and cauliflower. Try cutting out (or simply reduce) empty calories foods such as sweet desserts and sweet sugary drinks. Try drinking more water. For some of us sugar is an addiction. If you feel you're one of those people who are addicted to sugar there is only one solution, the solution is just don't get started on sweet foods. You may even have to check labels to make sure the sugar content is below several grams per serving.

Stay away from the flour products such as crackers, pasta, cookies, and flour-based breads. The only bread I suggest is sprouted grain bread, which can be found at your supermarket in the refrigerated or frozen section. In general, stay away from carbohydrates that are considered starches such as white potatoes, surprisingly, a baked sweet potato is it okay. Whole grain brown rice is okay.

Without question, the best fruits to have are those from the berry family. This includes strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries; they are all loaded with bioflavonoids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Berries are relatively high in natural sugar so they are not a light calorie food. Exchange desserts made from flour (cakes, pies, and the like) with fresh berries or other fruits.

Your body needs fat in order to burn fat. It is necessary to feed your body good fats in order to train your body to burn fat. Daily doses of omega-3 fats, real butter, olive oil, and coconut oil are all considered good fats-they will actually help train your body to burn fat. Fresh nuts are a good source of fat.

One warning about fat loss: Even tiny quantities of flour products and/or sugar will stunt your weight loss. Just give my recommendations three days; you will actually see the difference on the scale and you will feel the difference. This should provide you with the motivation to continue and you will become more and more excited about your progress. "Don't ever forget where you came from and how you got here." This will keep you on track.

Exercise:
Whatever the type of exercise program you are on, add sprints to your exercise regime. Sprints are short bursts of fast high-intensity additions to your exercise. This is an excellent tip to follow and will begin to recruit the fat burning enzyme's that work 24 hours a day in your body. For example, if your exercise is walking, a sprint would be for you to pick up the pace of walking for a period of about 20 seconds almost into a jog. Make it is a high-intensity walk. If your exercise is swimming, you will go into an all-out kick butt swim for about 30-60 seconds and give it everything you've got. As a general rule your sprints should be about 10% of the time in your exercise session. For a 30 minute exercise session you would have three 1-minute sprints sprinkled throughout the 30 minute exercise.

Do strength training, it will build muscle which requires more calories to maintain therefore increasing your metabolism. Hire a personal trainer even if it's for only a couple of weeks. You'll pick up many good tips and you'll learn what motivates you.

Personal Fitness Trainer Jacksonville FL, Pilates Fitness Training Instructor, Rossiter Stretching System, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra, Sawgrass, Women's fitness specialist, Health, Diet, exercise, table, chair, Thai massage.