Look forward to your answer.
Member

Dear Member,
Poor gym etiquette is an ongoing issue at most gyms. I've heard a myriad of comments about this topic over the years. There are a few things one can do that will really make fellow members appreciate your efforts. For the most part, our members are extremely considerate when it comes to proper gym decorum. Every now and then, a reminder is helpful. Here is a list of all of the dos and don'ts of good gym etiquette.

1) All the equipment in the gyms is meant to be shared. Some pieces are more popular than others. Be aware of members around you who might also wish to use the equipment you're on. It is good manners to allow someone else to use a machine or exercise tool, while you rest between sets. This is called "working in". If you'd like to use a machine that's not available, wait until the person has completed, his or her set, and then ask if you may work-in with them.

2) Return equipment to its storage space when finished. Dumbbells, medicine balls, rubber bands, glides and bosu balls, are much easier to locate when they're placed back where they belong after use. Keep in mind that these things are also tripping hazards. Please consider your fellow members and keep floor spaces clear.

3) Stay clear of immovable equipment, when doing free standing exercises. You can move about freely, but most of the benches are screwed into the floor, rendering them useless if you're doing an exercise too close for someone to use them. It's courteous to use benches when they are absolutely needed. For example, it's fine when the gym isn't busy, however holding onto the back of a bench for balance is not putting the bench to good use when the gym is crowded. Another example is placing a mat between two fixed benches to do floor work, or putting your feet up on a bench to do abdominal work. That makes both benches unusable.

Please keep floor work limited to designated mat areas. It's safer and helps us maximize the use of gym space.

4) Keep designated mat work areas clear of dumbbells and weight plates. Hovering over people lying down, while using dumbbells is dangerous. Similarly, doing mat work in designated weight areas is also dangerous. You should never be in a position to have to be stepped over. Be aware of high traffic areas, near weight racks, or walkways toward cardio equipment and stay clear of them to do stationary exercises.

5) Practice good hygiene. This may seem obvious to most of us, however many people believe that the gym is a place where wearing your unwashed clothing, three workouts in a row (or more) is acceptable. Yes, it's a gym where we all get sweaty, but for the common good, please use deodorant and make sure that your gym attire is clean to start with. If you believe that your gym clothes will smell like a field of daisies, after they've been worn and stuffed in a plastic bag for a week, remind me not to ask you if the milk has gone bad.

We've all had the unpleasant experience of being within a 30 foot radius of someone who has not followed this rule, the perpetrator completely oblivious, while people are gasping for air during their workouts.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the other extreme. The gym is not the place for excessive cologne or perfume. If you've applied it that morning, that's fine, however, it's not acceptable to douse yourself in it prior to your workout. Many people are sensitive to fragrance. Let's keep the air as scent free (good or bad) as possible.

6) Be aware of the space around you. Exercises are not always stationary and can move in varying directions. I don't see this happening intentionally, however it happens, that someone is cut off during an exercise, creating a potentially hazardous situation for both people. Please offer the "right of way" to those who are already mid set. When using floor space for mat work, please leave room for fellow members.

7) Be kind to your fellow members. Not everyone is familiar with the gym environment and may not be aware of the "rules", or various designated areas throughout the gyms. This can be brought to their attention, nicely. Remember gyms can be intimidating for newcomers. Let's all try to help them out. It's always nice to go one step beyond and help members who are unfamiliar with how to use a piece of machinery (if you know how), or to spot another member who might need help with a rep or two.

It's also important to mention that you be considerate of other members when practicing personal grooming. Some things should only be done when you're completely alone. I'm all for "manscaping", however some personal habits are just a little too personal for the locker room.

8) Avoid making loud noises. There only two innate fears in humans, while all the others are learned. The first is the fear of loud noises. Excessive grunting, yelling, dropping dumbbells, or smashing of weights is unnerving, not to mention unnecessary. Among other things, workouts are to help relieve stress. Let's keep stress inducing noise to a minimum. In case you're wondering the second innate fear is falling down. Please refer to point number 2.

9) Take care of the equipment. I was at a gym recently where I heard a member complaining to a trainer about the condition of the dumbbells, which were rickety from excessive dropping. The irony of this was not lost on me, given that this member was notorious for throwing and dropping them, himself, after every single set. I did have a word with him, myself, but you can be certain I followed point number 7.

10) Wipe down equipment after use. Have you ever approached a bench or piece of machinery and noticed a sweaty butt print awaiting you? Aw, thanks... is that for moi? You shouldn't have... literally. The same goes for cardio equipment surfaces; especially handle bars.

11) Make sure most of your body parts are inside your gym clothing. Guys, if you're really proud of your nipples, because you think they are the eighth wonder of the world; and ladies, even if your butt is simply spectacular, keep it all under wraps anyway. There's nothing wrong with feeling good about what you're wearing when you're working out, however, use your sense or propriety when it comes to clothing. Even gyms have a dress code. Fellas please keep your shirts on (even when you're hot - as in warm, not 'dead sexy'). Could you imagine what would happen if we all did that? Sure, membership sales might go up for awhile, but we're not that kind of club. Please - shirts and shoes on, and butts tucked inside your shorts.

12) Un-rack your weights. This goes for everyone. Gentlemen, if you are racking 45 pound plates, please keep in mind that there are older adults who would like to use the equipment, as well as members who might be half your size. It's not that easy for everyone to manage that kind of weight. Please unload your weights when you're done with them.

I recognize that some of these points may be a little touchy for some. I've received more than my fair share of scowls when asking someone to put his or her weights away, for example. But, many other members have benefited from these requests. It makes everyone's workouts better and members are generally happier when a few rules are followed.

We don't have too many problems with gym etiquette here, as our Adelaide Club members are good-mannered, considerate of others and very helpful, overall. We'd like to keep things that way, so if you find yourself experiencing any difficulty related to this topic, we'd like to know.

Anna

Thank you! L.M.

Dear L.M.,
MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane) is one of my favourite thingsC It benefits a wide range of health problems, both internal and external. The good news is that your sulfite allergy shouldn’t prevent you from taking it and it’s really your best non-pharmaceutical option for joint pain.

MSM is not a sulfite or a sulfa drug. It is a nutrient and a naturally occurring compound in the environment and in the human body. Sulfur is necessary for the structure of every cell in the body. Hormones, enzymes, antibodies, and antioxidants all depend on it. And, because the body utilizes and expends it on a daily basis, sulfur must be continually replenished for optimal nutrition and health.

Sulfa-based drugs, also known as sulfonamides, do not occur naturally and are used as antibiotics. The sulfa molecule is much larger and can cause severe reactions in some individuals. An estimated one million people are sulfite sensitive, in the North America. Most often, they are asthmatic adults and predominantly women. While many people are allergic to sulfa drugs, no similar reactions have ever been reported with MSM. A third sulfur-containing compound, known as sulfites, is a form of preservative that can cause allergic reactions in some individuals. The human body produces sulfites in its normal metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids. Sulfur compounds have been used for more than three hundred years and are generally considered safe.

MSM does not contain sulfites and should not cause a reaction in sulfite-sensitive individuals.
Where It Comes From MSM originates in the ocean and reaches the human food chain through rainfall. It is the prime source of bio-available sulfur, which is lost from our food by processing, drying, cooking and preserving.

Pure forms will dissolve quickly in water, when used in the powder form. If it doesn’t, your MSM is probably cut with some form of filler such as cornstarch, rice flour, sugar, or herbals. If you mix the MSM clear, with no sediment on the bottom of the glass, no particles floating at the top and no cloudy look to the water itself. Any filler added to the MSM reduces the overall dosage and therefore its effectiveness.

Why It’s Important
MSM is an important nutrient (not a drug or medicine) and is a component of over 150 compounds. It is needed by the body for healthy connective tissues and joint function, proper enzyme activity and hormone balance, along with the proper function of the immune system.

MSM is non-allergenic, non-pyretic, and has no interfering or undesirable pharmacological effects. Because it is also a free radical and foreign protein scavenger, MSM cleans the blood stream, so allergies to foods or pollens can be eliminated, sometimes in just a few days.

Research suggests that you cannot overdose with MSM - the body will use what it needs and flush out the rest without harm.

Here are some additional benefits that MSM provides.
Speeds Healing Clinical research studies show that MSM speeds healing of musculoskeletal injuries and inflammation, broken bones and reduces post workout muscle pain.

Chronic Heartburn and Ulcers MSM will allow patients with peptic ulcers and chronic heartburn to experience fewer symptoms.

Cancer Research studies done on laboratory rats, at the Oregon Health Science University and Ohio State University, have shown that MSM slows the development of mammary and colon tumors. It had also shown to delay the onset of the cancerous tumors.

Joint Inflammation For conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, fibromyagia that promote joint pain and inflammation, MSM is a non pharmaceutical supplement prescribed to significantly reduce symptoms.

Stress When taking MSM people have reported to feel less depressed, as well as diminished symptoms of S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder), mostly due to the boost in energy it provides. MSM reduces the stress from chronic pain as it provides pain relief.

Pain Relief MSM taken orally can relieve pain and inflammation, causing less soreness in the injured tissues. Using MSM also as a topical will give even more pain relief as the MSM is absorbed directly into the injured area.

Allergy Relief MSM gives fast relief for pollen allergies commonly known as "hay fever". MSM may be as effective as any anti-histamine on the market.

Periodontal Conditions MSM can lessen the inflammation caused by plaque activity. You can make your own mouth wash rinse by adding 1 teaspoon of msm powder to a cup of water (room temperature) and holding it in your mouth for a minute or so. This will help to relieve the pain and inflammation of the infected area. You can also brush with it to whiten your teeth.

Multiple Sclerosis MSM does not have a whole lot of effect on MS, but it will reduce the amount of pain in the joints and muscle tissue. It will also make sufferers feel less tired by giving a bump in energy level.

Natural Detox MSM has been known to pull mercury out of cells and is recommended for those who eat fish more than once a week. It reduces the occurrence of “fish brain”, a new condition developed from increased mercury ingestion. It helps restore healthy cell function after any type of bacterial infection and draws parasites out of the intestines.
Hormone Therapy

Due to its ability to regulate body temperature and improve cell function, MSM is recommended is used in small doses to improve symptoms caused by hormonal imbalances.

Candida/Yeast This organism belongs in the large intestine, where it co-exists with acidophilous and prevents the take-over of harmful bacteria. When acidophilous is damaged or eliminated by antibiotic use, Candida can overgrow to the extent that it becomes "systemic", i.e. gets into the blood stream, where it competes for nutrients and emits waste materials that produce myriad symptoms of disease. MSM, by balancing the pH of the blood stream and tissues of the body, prevents Candida from living anywhere outside the intestines, where it belongs.

Ulcers Ulcers can be life threatening. See a physician. Ulcers caused by too much stomach acid can be reversed by MSM supplementation.

Lung Dysfunction Emphysema is not always caused by smoking. Horses and dogs get emphysema, and they don't smoke (at least they’ve never been caught). It is a deficiency of MSM that causes this and supplementation can reverse it.

Wow, is there anything wrong with this stuff?? Apparently not…

Safety There have been over 30 years worth of research studies done at the Oregon Health Science University in Portland, Oregon, as well as numerous other research facilities. The have determined that the LD-50 rating (lethal dose) of MSM is comparable to that of water.

There are no known drug interactions with MSM, however if you are on any medications it’s important to check with your doctor first.

Side Effects MSM will cause your hair and fingernails to grow at a faster rate, reduce eye puffiness, wrinkles, strengthen bones, improve skin tone, reduce photosensitivity and improve circulation. Sign me up!

Recommended Dosages Nutritionists recommend a daily intake of 1 to 20 grams a day, depending on the purpose for use. This is equal to about 1/4 to five level teaspoons. MSM can be taken in higher doses (21 to 40 grams) but only under a doctor's supervision, due to its blood-thinning effects.

Capsules Versus Powder Powder is absorbed more quickly and easily than capsules. There’s no gelatin to breakdown with powder alone and it’s easier to take if you require more of it for a particular condition. Better results are achieved from taking MSM in the powder form rather in the capsule form for more serious conditions listed above, in part because larger doses are required. The powder can be dissolved in water and consumed over a 12 hour period. It’s also the most cost effective. Don’t take it too close to bedtime; it will affect your ability to sleep. Remember it’s an energy booster.

For general health, 1000-3000 mg. a day is the daily recommended dose (unless you cannot take anything with blood thinning properties). If you have a condition that requires more, please consult with a qualified health practitioner about how much is the right amount for you. Your GP may have never heard of it, but any licensed nutritionist, or naturopathic doctor will have more information to offer.

L.M., I think glucosamine is a great product with so many people seeing great results from it, however its benefits will be improved greatly with the addition of MSM. Glucosamine helps with the rebuilding of cartilage, but MSM deals with inflammation and pain management. There is a combined formula that will help with your joint pain, or you can simply supplement your existing glucosamine dose with MSM powder.

I have never taken glucosamine, however I’ve been taking of MSM since 1984, increasing daily doses depending on what I’ve needed. Initially, I started taking it for natural detoxification and to speed recovery between workouts, but soon afterward I discovered its many other benefits. And, as you can see, there are so many.

Thank you for your question, L.M. Below is some additional reference on MSM.
Anna

Beth L. Ley, MSM: Our Way Back To Health With Sulfur; B&L Publications- ISBN -1890766003
Earl L. Mindell, Virginia Hopkins, The Power of MSM; McGraw-Hill Companies-ISBN - 0658014609
Please send your “Ask Anna” questions to anna@adelaideclub.com

The reasons that's the case are much more complicated.

Anybody who has ever touched a weight knows the feeling...

It happens the first time you do squats or dead-lifts, the first time you do negative-only training and often the first time you do an exercise you've never done before.

As painful as this feeling is, ironically it can actually be quite addictive! I’m not sure when being able to sit, stand and walk normally become a bad thing. We workout to look and feel good, yet, at some point, walking like you just spent four consecutive days on a horse became fashionable.

Many people I hear from actively seek out ways to make themselves sore because they love that feeling of soreness. To them, it's an indication that they've made progress or that they've accomplished something in the gym.

Without that soreness to give them feedback, some people feel they haven't really done enough.

So, Christina, for you, the others in the locker room and anyone else who equates muscle soreness with workout effectiveness, you’re about to learn why you shouldn’t.

There are so many things you can do that will induce a kind of muscle soreness that doesn’t come from an effective workout, that soreness alone cannot be an indicator of results producing exercise. Sore muscles the day after doesn’t guarantee your workout was productive or that you’re going to achieve desired results. Similarly, not being sore the day after doesn't mean your workout was ineffective, or unproductive. As far as effectiveness, muscle soreness means nothing. If you’re sore, why you are is more important. If it’s from doing “the wave” one too many times at a sporting event, it won’t mean much. If you are not sore, the workout you did, and not the level of pain you feel the next day will determine its effectiveness.

First, I’ll talk about the physiological reasons for aching muscles.

Muscle soreness is also called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), or muscle fever. DOMS does not refer to 'the burn' that is sometimes felt during strenuous exercise; it is when the muscles begin to feel sore and stiff after exercise, typically between 24 and 48 hours later. “The burn” during exercise, is something on which I’ll elaborate later.

It is not clear exactly what causes delayed muscle soreness (DOMS). One theory is that muscle soreness occurs because of microscopic tears in muscle fibres, and another is that it is due to tears in the tissue that connects the muscle rather than the muscle itself. Further possibilities include inflammation, changes in osmotic pressure, and a change in the way the muscle cells regulate calcium.

Muscles are distressed when they are made to perform actions they are not used to, such as working out harder than usual, taking up a new sport, or beginning a new workout program. You would think that the greater the intensity of exercise that is performed, the greater the muscle soreness experienced afterwards, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes, regardless of how hard you push, there is no sign of it, post workout. Other times, you may not have found a workout or activity that strenuous and yet you’ll experience muscle tenderness.

Muscle cells repair and regenerate themselves in the days that follow intense exercise, and they get stronger in preparation for performing the activity again. After this recovery process, the muscles function more efficiently and are more resistant to damage. This process is known as adaptation. If someone has adapted to a specific movement, activity, exercise or type of training, the chances of experiencing DOMS is reduced. There is a higher probability of experiencing DOMS if adaptation has not occurred. Here’s an example.

If a 250 pound body builder were lifting heavy weight, with the main objective of gaining muscle mass, he may possibly feel debilitating soreness after a body sculpting class, in which he used much lighter weights, and did lots of reps. Would this suggest that he’s unfit or weak? No. It would mean he had not adapted to this type of training. He did something his body wasn’t used to doing and he got sore. That’s it.

If he continued with this high rep workout, the soreness would diminish. Certainly, he would stand to benefit somewhat from this type of training, however it would not move him any closer to his goal of gaining muscle mass.

Soreness can be an indication that what you've done will result in muscle growth but, again, there is no guarantee.

Here is a list of things that may produce muscle soreness, none of which will produce the results you want when you think about getting or being in shape:

Going down many flights of stairs during a fire alarm; horseback riding; an afternoon of gardening; packing and moving boxes; washing windows; doing a stretch class; playing with children in a playground; having an arm wrestle; standing, walking or running in high heels; stripping furniture; doing 200 bicep curls with a three pound weight; taking a belly dancing class; doing a walk-a-thon; participating in a three-legged race; playing a game of “Twister”; lifting a stroller up a flight of stairs; climbing a tree.

These are all examples of very different activities you can do to feel sore in different places. For all 365 days of the year you could choose an activity, or a combination of them, that would make you sore every single day. Compare the physical outcome of that, to someone who is doing the workouts you’ve listed in your question (even if you’re rarely sore), and the result in overall fitness would be obvious.

Even though I teach some tough classes that sometimes result in a lot of muscle discomfort, it’s not my main objective. Your confusion about that is probably my fault. You all tell me how sore you are after a workout and I reply with an enthusiastic, “Great!” The reason for that reply is that I know what made you sore. It wasn’t from a hoolahoop contest. I gave you the exercises. If I don’t know the reason for your soreness, I’ll always ask why, first. You may or may not recall that when you tell me you're not sore after a workout, I give exactly the same reply. That's when I consider you've made progress.

My main objective is to challenge your muscles to promote adaptation. If I wanted to dole out pain, there are much more targeted ways of doing that. I would just beat you all with a hammer in time with the music. There's pain for you...lots of soreness, too. Woo hoo!

Here's a personal experience I had with DOMS to further illustrate my point.

During my last trip to New York, I did a high rep workout class with a friend. The instructor discouraged me from using more than 5 lb. weights and urged me to keep a set of 3 lb. weights nearby. I knew at that moment that I was in for a Mickey Mouse workout that would still leave my muscles screaming, despite that fact.

The workout consisted of hundreds (literally) of weighted arm circles (80’s style), isometric contractions and acid producing knee bends (still with 3 lb. weights). My friend Holly and I exchanged several glances during the workout, acknowledging each other’s unrelenting agony. Our arms were in the air at right angels for at least 20 minutes. All I could think was, “Someone pleeease just shoot me..."

Before I proceed with this story, it will be helpful to explain the physiology of "the burn".

Once a level of exercise intensity is reached, muscle cells shift toward acidosis. This process can be described as an abnormal increase in the acidity of the body's fluids, caused either by accumulation of acids or by the depletion of bicarbonates.

'It was once thought that lactic acid was responsible for the immediate discomfort during intensive exercise. Lactate production itself is not what causes this discomfort experienced at high intensities. It is the proton accumulation (H+) that coincides with, but is not caused by lactate production, that results in acidosis, impairing muscle contraction and leading to the burn’. Len Kravitz – 2004

‘Interestingly, the lactate production is proposed to be a physiological event to neutralize or retard the exerciser’s muscle acidic environment, reducing the toxicity of acidosis. Lactate accumulation, associated with “the burn” is actually a beneficial metabolic event aimed at diminishing the burn (/acidosis)’ Robergs, Ghiasvand, Parker – 2004

What was also discovered is that high intensities, achieved from minimal loading (very light weight) with long durations, increased levels of acidosis, also diminishing the benefits of lactic acid production (which helps diminish the burn).

‘…On muscle loading, the exerciser stands to benefit from lactic acid assistance with more rapid fatigue, induced by higher levels of resistance. Without sufficient loading, exercise duration increases, creating toxic levels of acidosis.’ Brooks– 2005

Brook states here that if your body cannot remove acid as fast as it makes it, it becomes toxic. Based on this research, if you’re sore from legitimate muscle loading that’s fine (unless it’s from over training), but if it’s just from an accumulation of acid, that’s not a desirable result. If it’s not promoting growth or a beneficial form of adaptation, it’s not worth it.

I use these references to explain that there is a "burn" that takes place during certain types of exercise that will produce DOMS, but not the kind of burn that is favourable.

Consistently high levels of blood acidity will make you tired, lower immunity, create hormone imbalances, promote adrenal fatigue, insulin sensitivity and increase cortisol production (all of which greatly impede the breakdown of fat).

‘Acidosis is an accumulation of more acid than the body can effectively process and is generally seen by medical science as a part of the pathology of several different diseases including impaired liver function. Teske - 2009

It occurs to me that some may conclude from the preceding information that high intensity exercise is not good for you, in general. Not so fast. I'll also point out, in that case, that the same problems can occur with too little exercise.

'We are animals. As we are not required to hunt and kill our own food, some simulation of increased blood flow, heart rate and muscle contraction must take place in daily living, in order to ensure essential cell function and regeneration. Without it, we are more prone to over 150 degenerative diseases, including liver malfunction, diabetes and arthritis, heart disease and of course, obesity, to name only a few...' Kerns - 2002

The point is to inject some logic into your approach to exercise. If you’re working hard yet not getting sore, consider it a blessing.

Back to my story.

With the hundreds of repetitions we were required to perform during this class, our bodies were mostly producing acid. More and more was accumulating with every 3 lb. bounce. The process was not accompanied by the type of muscle loading that would see eventual muscle growth. It was just pure acid.

Of the two of us, I would be considered more of a heavy weight lifter, doing mostly 10-15 reps per set, whereas Holly participates in group exercise classes, doing lots of aerobic activity and body sculpting classes (moderate weight with higher reps).

The next day my trapezius muscles and shoulders (which rarely get sore) were aching. Holly felt almost nothing. I didn’t get a better workout than she did, because I was sore and she wasn’t. It was likely due to her adaptation to higher reps from all of her group exercise classes, while I do little to no high rep training, or perhaps it was that she did a few minutes of cardiovascular training afterward. It didn't matter. Whatever the reason, two things were certain; I was not about to replace the 30 lb. dumbbells that rarely make me sore, with the 3 lb. weights that did. And, neither one of us got a great workout, but we did both waste our workout time, equally. The loads weren’t great enough to have any great impact on muscle development and the proof was in the participants. No one in the class (not even the instructor) looked fit.

Christina, you had hoped you'd feel sore after the Chisel class. You’re doing Flex It (moderate to high reps with moderate to heavy weights, with multi-joint movements); Chisel (higher reps with moderate weight doing isolated movements); Power Workout (cardio, weights, plyometrics) and resistance training on your own (programs I gave you, using heavy weight), plus I know you’re a long distance runner. You do everything - and you've mentioned that you rarely get sore; not even after a marathon. You’ve become a cross-training machine. Your body has reached levels of adaptation, doing so many various forms of training, that you’d have to do one of those things on my list to make you sore, none of which would make a difference that matters to you. The Chisel class was a different variation on one of your other workout themes, so to speak. That’s probably why you weren’t sore.

I understand that soreness makes you feel that you’re utilizing your workout time efficiently and wisely. The best thing anyone can do, to improve his or her results exponentially, however, is find out what kind of workouts produce the best results for his or her personal goals and leave the concern about achieving DOMS out of it. Think in terms of exercises combined with intensity levels and the results will happen with or without the pain, afterward.

(If you're working out regularly and you're not seeing progressive results (that doesn't mean going from Kathy Bates to Halle Berry in 2 workouts) something you're doing is not working. Let's also not forget how diet plays a significant role in muscle development, definition and overall fitness. If you're relying solely on exercise to get your results, I believe there's a place somewhere in The Land Of Oz that can make your dream come true.)

There are so many additional factors that will influence your “day after” experience; how much energy (glycogen) is stored in muscles, i.e., what you had to eat in the last 24 hours - before or after your workouts; if you drank alcohol; how much sleep you got; if you had a long rest between workouts; if your recovery time was too short; genetic predisposition; analgesic consumption and overall health. Contrary to what you’d think, a sauna or whirlpools after a workout can increase muscle and tissue inflammation, making the pain worse the next day.

If you did your last weight workout in addition to something else, like a run, or a yoga class, that would have an impact on what you feel the next day. Even changing the order in which you did your exercises would change the muscle fibre recruitment pattern. Also, we each have a propensity to feel the hurt in some muscle groups more than others.

Maybe you always get sore triceps, regardless of how long you’ve been working them, which can definitely be the case. My inner thighs get sore (within hours) every single time I work them. All I have to do is flex my hamstrings and I’ll feel them the next day.

A certain amount of adaptation will always take place. Eventually, the amount of weight you use for an exercise in hypertrophy (muscle growth) will feel lighter to you as you adapt. Once this happens, to encourage more muscle development, either the number of repetitions you do, the number of sets, or the weight you’re lifting will have to change. These changes should be based on how challenged you’re feeling, during, and not solely upon whether this particular workout is producing day after pain.

A higher number of reps with lower weight will achieve a different result from fewer reps with higher weight and more sets, for example. Your personal fitness goals will determine what changes you make. You know now that if your goal is soreness, you may very well never see the changes you want.

So, how do you know what types of workouts to choose and in what kind of repetition range to do them, if you’re not using muscle soreness to gauge effectiveness? It really helps to know what exercises produce results.

First, let me say that I wouldn’t go as far as to say an exercise is bad, unless it is unsafe, or has contraindications for you, personally, however some exercises are just better than others. How to make that judgment is not based on whether everyone else is doing it.

There is too much to cover here for an in depth tutorial on how to be discerning, when it comes to exercise choices, but I will say this; the fitness industry is not unlike the fashion industry, as you have trends and classics (or variations of both). There’s also a natural evolution that takes place, as with most things. The wooden corset will never come back in fashion and neither will the front-loaded burpee… Ok, maybe the fitness industry is a little slow, but it should only be done under strict supervision, while wearing a harness and a back brace – head gear optional.

New trends can be great for awhile, providing a refreshing change, but how long will that be the case before you find yourself wearing acid wash jeans for a lot longer than you should? Before you jump on any fitness bandwagon, don’t assume that it will do what it purports. Ask your fitness providers questions – lots of them. And, make sure you get answers.

There’s one more very important point I’d like to make.

Professional athletes of all kinds train specifically to avoid muscle soreness. Their coaches won’t permit any practice that will affect the mechanics of their sport, or require more than 24 hours of recovery time. When a muscle is sore, it is considered to be in a recovery phase. No additional training takes place during this phase. So you can see, in this example, how working toward DOMS will impede progress. If athletes are winning medals by reducing muscle soreness, why do we feel our workouts are useless without it?

Muscle has no brain. All it knows is when it needs to adapt to a workload greater than what it's accustomed to. A targeted increase in workload will generally result in an increase in muscle mass, when other factors are accounted for, like nutrition and recovery. There is no benefit to destroying muscle, or connective tissue to the point where you can do permanent damage.
If you want to measure effectiveness, use a scale, a mirror, a measuring tape, pictures or a workout log. If none of these methods for measuring success works for you, and you continue to feel disappointed that you can sit, stand and walk normally, I'll be sure to bring my hammer next time I see you!

Thanks for your submission, Christina. I hope this has answered your question.
Anna

Janet T.

Dear Janet,
I would be happy to provide that list for you. Here are 15 points to help you create a shift in your thinking, so you can stick to your plan.

1) Food is abundant.  
This is not the Great Famine of 1845. If you don't eat something at a buffet or party, where there is a lot to choose from, you're not missing out on anything. Food is everywhere. It won't mean you can never eat something that tastes good. The feeling of missing out or sacrificing something makes it harder to say "no." You're saying "yes" to a leaner, healthier body, not "no" to ever eating again. No need to feed to stock up for the winter season. The only thing you're missing out on is more body fat. You're making a choice, not sentenced to a life of not having one. 

2) You never regret what you don't eat, just what you do eat.
We need to fill our stomachs with food to thrive. The key is to make a healthy choice. Once you've satisfied your hunger, you won't find yourself saying, "I can't believe I DIDN'T have that double cheeseburger with fries and the triple fudge cheesecake."

3) Don't keep unhealthy, fattening foods around.
Out of sight out of mind. Maybe not entirely, but they'll be off your mind more  than if you can see them, or if you know they're there.  Willpower doesn't rest on a continuum. It's going to be harder some days than others, so keep it out of the house. If you're keeping it around "for the kids", it's not less harmful to them than it is to you. They don't need it either. It's never too soon to teach them about healthy eating. 

4) Think in terms of a daily calorie bank.
You can cut back a little each day to "save" up calories for a big event, or you can just omit calories from your diet altogether and "save" the calories that add up to pounds at the end of each month or year. 

Let's say that every afternoon you have two cookies as a snack. There are 3500 calories in a pound. If each cookie is 90 calories and you had just one, instead of two, that would mean that after about 5 weeks, you would lose one pound. That adds up to over 10 lbs. in one year.  If you replace the cookies with a low fat yogurt, that would be 15 pounds in a year; replace the butter or mayo in your sandwich with mustard and that's another 10-15 pounds of weight loss a year.

5) Don't eat everything off your plate.  
If you're eating at home, you can help yourself to small portions and have more control over how much food is on your plate. If you're eating at a restaurant, or being served large portions, think about this for a moment.  Does is make sense that the amount of food your body requires, at any given time, is exactly the amount that's on your plate?  I completely understand that a lot of this need, to clean everything off your plate, comes from how we were raised and/or guilt around letting food go to waste. If this is something you struggle with, then it might help to think of it this way. Food you don't need becomes trash in your body.  Should you have all of the leftover food scraped off the plates and poured down your throat? It's not really that different when you eat beyond hunger to avoid "waste". You're not a garbage can. Once you've eaten what your body requires, the rest becomes leftovers, or should go in the garbage receptacle.

6)  Let your body decide how much food it needs.  
It's not the same everyday.  If you've been exercising a lot, you will probably feel hungrier than you would if you weren't doing much, unless you're "hungry" because you're bored. 

It's not necessary to eat until you're stuffed.  It's not a myth that you can stretch out your stomach to the point where you require more food to feel satisfied.

7)  If you're bored, don't let eating become the activity that keeps you entertained.  
Write a poem about how you love to jog; see how many lunges you can do at one time; now try push-ups. Still bored? Do them again. 

8)  Eat your protein source first.  
It will likely take longer to digest than your other food, so eat it first to give it a head start. Here's something else. Protein releases more hydrochloric acid in your stomach which will rev up your metabolism. If you can't commit to eating all of your protein first, then have it for the first couple of bites.

9)  Follow four steps for every bite.  
(1) cut; (2) transfer fork to the other hand; (3) take a bite ; (4) Put down your fork while you chew. When you're starving, this is impossible and a little ridiculous. In that case, take your first 6 or 7 bites as you would normally and then slow it down. One third of digestion should take place in the mouth. When you don't chew your food properly, you weaken your digestive enzymes and your metabolism slows down.  Over time you can develop digestive problems. It's not worth it. 

10) Don't drink with your meal.  
Liquids will dilute your digestive enzymes, slowing down the breakdown of food. Drink water 15 minutes before a meal and/or one hour afterward.  If you're having wine with your meal, sip it very slowly and don't use it to hydrate.  It's not Gatorade. 

11)  Don't drink more calories than you eat. 
Juices, some energy drinks and coffees that require at least five adjectives to order are typically high in calories. Protein and carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram, while alcohol has 7 calories per gram. That's only 2 calories fewer than fat, which holds 9 calories per gram. Potentially, you could drink more than a day's worth of calories at one meal. Yikes!

12) A product labeled with a fat-free claim does not mean that it is low in calories.
Similarly, a product labeled as low-sugar or low-carb does not mean it is low in fat or calories. Always read the nutrition label on the packaging.

13) 'Nothing tastes as good as slim feels.'
I don't know who said that first, but they were right. Successful weight loss leaves people feeling elated and empowered. No piece of cake can do that.

14) Don't sacrifice absolutely everything.  
If you do, you'll find it's just a matter of time before you find yourself sacrificing absolutely nothing. Everyone has his or her favourite treats. Allow yourself a little indulgence, but watch out for the frequency and the quantity. Having a small treat on occasion can be rewarding to your weight loss/control experience. Enjoy yourself, but don't take it so far that you end up eventually sabotaging all of your other efforts.

15) Treat your body as well as you do your other possessions.
We only put the best fuel in our cars, we use high efficiency soap for our washing machines and install energy efficient furnaces.  Our clothing gets special care dry cleaning. What about our pets? We don't let them have their pick of the buffet, because we know it will hurt them. We worry about the environment and how our lifestyle will affect it. How will what we put in our bodies affect us?  What about OUR energy efficiency?  

Our homes get a lot of attention, but we forget sometimes that where we actually live, first and foremost, is inside our own bodies. 

There's a theory that our life expectancy is genetically determined and that a healthy lifestyle will not have any impact on life extension. I'm rolling my eyes right now, but let's say (/pretend) that statement is true.  No one can argue that eating and living healthily will significantly improve the quality of life. Your wellness will translate into years of actively participating in life, not just existing. And, you'll look a lot better too. 

Janet, you can do this. When you think about all of the things that one has to deal with in life, this is not that hard. It's just a decision - one you can make, and stick to. 

I often hear people talk about 'that last five or ten pounds' like it's some sort of condition. It's not. Of all the things we have little or no control over in life; the weather, other people, company cutbacks, taxes, in-laws, traffic - this is something, in most cases, over which we have full control. Tell yourself you can do it and prove yourself right. 

Thanks for your question, Janet. If you stick to these tips, you'll succeed this time around.
Anna

What are your thoughts on this? Would you explain the difference between pilates and yoga?

Thanks Anna.
Karen M.

Dear Karen,
In the world of health and fitness you’ve hit upon one of the ultimate family feuds. Pilates versus Yoga. Meet the Montagues and the Capulets of mind-body exercise.

“Two households, both alike in dignity….” Two methods, both alike in purpose… yet instructors from both families defend their turf with zealousness that belies the inner nature inherent in both forms. Pilates instructors swear off yoga, stating unsafe instruction, chanting, and obtuse spirituality, excessive overstretching, all as reasons to avoid this ancient training form. Yogis find Pilates a little bit dull, more clinical, and too exclusive.

Not every yoga or Pilates practitioner feels this way about the other, but these strong opinions do exist. This conflict may be, in part, why you were instructed not to do yoga.

The Pilates instructor you met said yoga is ‘dangerous’ and I don’t believe that’s a fair statement. The fact is, everything can be dangerous. I hear of just as many desk injuries resulting from improper ergonomics and repetitive strain, as I do of any from yoga, or even from weight lifting or sports. The most important thing, is your attention to what you are doing and how you are doing it. Unaware of proper safety measures, we become more at risk for injury, regardless of what we are doing.

I’ll come back to this point and make a recommendation for you, but first let’s compare the two practices of yoga and Pilates.

HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY Let's take yoga first. The root of yoga is in faith and spirituality. Yoga is based on the Eastern idea of moving energy through your body. The more freely the energy flows, the healthier and more energetic you feel. Physical tension hinders that flow; over time, areas of tension in your body can become tight and rigid, even painful. The goal of yoga is to keep the body supple through movement and stretching and held postures. But there's another dimension. Yoga is a holistic spiritual discipline with its roots in Eastern forms of meditation. The physical postures, although they condition the body, are really aimed at the mind. They symbolize the goal of living your life in a state of balance and composure. How these goals are symbolized will change with the type of yoga one chooses. There are several different styles.

Objectives: Mobility, relaxation, stability, strength, under the umbrella of spirituality.

Pilates on the other hand is physical conditioning first and foremost, with an emphasis on stability and muscle balance -- and there's nothing quite like it. Pilates has scientific roots. Its creator, Joseph Pilates, was looking for a way to rehabilitate injured soldiers after World War I. He developed an assortment of curious machines with names like the "Reformer" and the "Cadillac." Using cables, springs, trolleys and unusual body positioning, Pilates exercises stretch and strengthen and are unique in their ability to encourage coordination between the muscles that stabilize the body.

Pilates techniques quickly became a way for injured dancers to rehabilitate, while soon discovering it was a highly effective way to improve body awareness and alignment and promote graceful, fluid motion.

Objectives: Joint function and mobility, muscle function and mobility, strength and coordination, under the umbrella of stability.

THE ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCES Pilates borrowed a lot from yoga, which has been around 5,000 plus years. Joseph Pilates took the study of the movements and asanas themselves and applied them with a modern approach to anatomy and physical therapy emphasis – leaving the dogma and spirituality behind. Its more clinical approach is easier to digest for many athletes and rehab patients than yoga. Its hard enough to get people to slow down, focus on the breath, and THINK about what their muscles are doing in Pilates but add in the possibility of incense, chanting, and twisted contortions associated with yoga stereotypes and you won’t get a foot in the door!

Machine-based Pilates actually has more in common with weight training than with yoga since it involves moving against resistance (provided by springs) with the aim of overloading the muscles. In particular, it resembles functional strength exercises such as squats or cable pulls.

There's also the Pilates mat class, which relies more on calisthenic-style exercises and stretches. In traditional Pilates, the mat techniques are an essential introduction to the “Reformer” or “Cadillac” to ensure these machines are used properly.

Its attention to detail, some find excruciating at first, but necessary for a safe transition onto machinery. Not all Pilates exercises require intricate movement, but every exercise was developed to be equally precise. As a result, the technique, when taught correctly, is brilliant in its ability to enhance muscle/body awareness and muscle/physical synergy.

Mat Pilates is physically a bit more similar to yoga and has had people more often comparing them. The emphasis, however, is still on physical change rather than on spiritual development through postures and breathing. The focus required would not allow for distraction or carrying on casual conversation.

SAFETY For Joseph Pilates, the goal was to add precision and make tempo second to detail for the purpose of safety. So it is fair to say Pilates is safer because it was designed for injured people.

Before the Capulets take any offense to the ’safer’ comment,
I’d like to be clear that I am a huge fan of yoga. My statement is
considering yoga, in all its forms, and all its pretzel like asanas.
Practiced with commitment, it is a real physical challenge.

Yoga is about pushing the body, exploring your potential and therefore inherently taking risks, just like in life. Therein lies one spiritual component. The risk is supposed be balanced with knowing your limits and discovering balance through meditation in tandem with the postures.

Even with a knowledgeable instructor, if you do something your body is not ready for, you run the risk of being injured.

Now, consider how most people come to class with physical imbalances and instabilities. I have seen it happen, outside of the Adelaide Club, or course, that teachers encourage beginner students to try headstands, full backbends, and plough with no knowledge of how to safely cue these for a healthy student, much less for one with injury issues.

WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU It’s important to determine what your body needs first and foremost. You, for example, Karen, have been experiencing some back discomfort from yoga.

Not all back rehabilitation or movements affect people in the same way. That’s because some require more stability, while others require more mobility to achieve healthy function. If you require more stability, repetitive back extensions and flexions could be deleterious. This does not make yoga dangerous, generally, by any means, but simply not right for you at this time.

As a general statement I would say that if one requires more low back stability, Pilates would be a better fit. If more mobility is needed, then yoga might be the answer.

Both are great practices that demand extreme physical and mental engagement, instructed by knowledgeable, conscientious practitioners.

Seeing a physiotherapist or chiropractor to determine the root cause of your back pain would be a great start.

ONE MORE CONSIDERATION Finally, here is something else to consider. There are so many hybrid forms of "yoga" and "Pilates" that it's important to understand what kind of instruction, exactly, you're signing up for. There are certifications being thrown at people by Cracker Jack certifying bodies, over the period of one or two weekends. Exercising on a yoga mat does not make it yoga, nor does working out on a reformer make it Pilates.

PEACE BETWEEN THE PRACTICES Its time to put aside the age old feud and recognize that the two methods benefit each other. Pilates’ focus on abdominal strength and stabilization makes one’s yoga practice stronger. Yoga’s focus on breathing and focus, improve Pilates. Whether a Montague or Capulet - its the melding of the two families that makes one stronger in the long run.

Thanks for your great question, Karen.
Anna

Thanks Anna!
Joanna T.

Dear Joanna,
In many cases the amount of time you spend at the gym is somewhat irrelevant. I've spent 10 minutes at the gym and was left debilitated for a week from muscle soreness. Similarly I've spent 90 minutes "working out" and didn't feel I got much out of it.

The amazing results these shorter, intense workouts purport to produce are based on the idea that a lot of time spent in the gym is wasted. Twenty minutes can be plenty, depending on what you do in that time.

Some workouts simply require more than 20 minutes because of how they are designed and the objectives of the program. However, I am definitely a proponent of the type of workout you have described for the already conditioned athlete or exerciser.

During the average hour-long weight lifting session, the approximate high intensity portion is only about 20 minutes, when you take into consideration rest between sets. Implementing a few time effective strategies will save you time without compromising workout intensity or your overall fitness.

In a one-hour resistance-training workout, actual rest time between sets is about 30 minutes. Retying shoelaces, hydration, chatting and checking oneself out in the mirror can take another 5 to 45 minutes, depending on the person. Actual workout time is about 20 minutes, with approximately 20 exercise sets completed. This is a pretty inefficient use of time!

If your total workout time is 20 minutes, imagine replacing your passive rest time with “active” rest. This means that while you're resting your upper body after a set of lat pull down, for example, you can work your lower body with a set of lunges. In the time it takes to complete this set, your body is ready for another round of lat pull down, or something else, until you've completed about 20 sets. In the meantime, your heart is getting a workout from the constant intensity of movement. You will also work up quite the sweat.

This active approach to working out starts with the warm up. Your warm-up will consist of the same exercises as your work out, with the first set of each performed at a lower intensity. You'll be emulating the movement pattern, preparing the muscles, ligaments and tendons for the more intense loading ahead. This is a better way to warm-up for your weight workouts, generally, over using cardio equipment.

Like all other things, the 20-minute workout has its place and is not right for everyone, nor best used as a training method, indefinitely, unless you're making frequent changes to the tempo of your reps, the sequence of exercises and length of your sets, e.g., 10 longer sets at 2 minutes each. For some very specific goals toward muscle mass, longer rest times may be required, making it necessary to dedicate more time.

In your case, Joanna (because I know you), you would do well with 20 minutes of resistance training, immediately followed by your cardiovascular training. You can lift weights, every day you come in, working three or four body parts, hard (not the same ones every day), and by doing so, burn many more fat calories during your cardio, as resistance training before cardio expedites fat burning.

The more conditioned you become, the harder you can make the sets, while reducing rest times. You can still take a moment to catch your breath and hydrate properly, however you stand to develop a great deal of stamina and strength from these workouts, despite their shorter duration. Followed by the cardio workouts, you'll burn more total calories (especially fat) than you would if you continued to do your weights, alone, only twice a week, on separate days. Women generally respond brilliantly to this approach, given that most of us are interested in gaining strength and muscle definition, not muscle mass. For men looking to increase more muscle power, strength or mass, more rest time is required between sets and 20 minutes may not suffice. This is not to say that men wouldn't stand to benefit from these workouts, as the focus is also on muscle stamina, not just on strength.

Many of the group exercise classes that involve both cardio and resistance training have this process "built in". Our group exercise schedule is rich with total body conditioning classes that will provide some variety for you, combining resistance training with your cardio. The group dynamic may also inspire you to work harder than you would on your own.

I think shorter weight lifting sessions are fantastic, generally, and perfect if one has time constraints. The caveat being that they may be too strenuous for beginners, due to the physical demands around completing 20 sets in 20 minutes. Someone just starting out would certainly benefit from 20 minutes with some creative fitness programming, however lower weight would be used and rest time between sets would increase. If you're injured or suffer from chronic joint pain, this 20 minute program may not be the best method.

If you are an experienced, conditioned exerciser, the frequency of workouts, does not necessarily need to increase if you adopt the 20 minute program. That would depend on their intensity. Three to four times a week will likely suffice, if you choose good exercises (they are not all created equal). Multi-joint exercises produce better gains. These are exercises that require movement at more than one articulation (joint). A leg extension, for example, is a single joint exercise, where you are moving only at the knee joint (if you are doing it correctly). A squat, on the other hand, requires that you bend at the hips, knees and ankles for proper execution. If you combine the squat, with an overhead dumbbell press, you involve more muscle groups for more strength and stamina benefits and burn more overall calories.

Single joint exercises are beneficial and should be incorporated, however you want to limit these to about a third of your total workout.

Please note that the question was related to higher intensity resistance training. For cardiovascular fitness, stretching, Pilates, yoga and most sports, 20 minutes may not be enough. Whatever you choose to do during your workout time, exercise form and safety come first.

Thank you for your question, Joanna.
Anna

Thank you for your time.
S.T.

Dear S.T.
Here is a quick tutorial on muscle fibres.

Slow Twitch (Type I) are slow contracting, slow fatiguing with a small diameter. They are efficient in maintaining posture and sustaining prolonged, low intensity activity such as distance running.

Fast Twitch (Type II) have been subdivided into several sub-classes, the most frequently mentioned being Type IIA, which are suited to fast, repetitive, low intensity movement, while also resistant to fatigue and Type IIB (or IIX), fast contracting, thick fibres. These are for high power output and recruited only where very rapid, very intense effort is required, as in field athletics and heavy weightlifting.

As we get older, we develop hybrid fibre types, which contain mixtures of slow and fast myosin isoforms (myosin plays a special role in determining the contractile characteristics of muscle).

Interestingly, these hybrid fibres are scarce in young people, who exhibit less than 5% of this variety. In older adults, this value rises to over 30% and becomes the dominant fibre type in the elderly. In the active, weightlifting, older adult, muscle is referred to as "mature", with the development of additional fibre types, and requires less frequent stimulation to sustain itself' - (Anderson et al, 2000).

It is a myth that muscle is developed more quickly in young people and lost more rapidly in older individuals. In fact, the opposite is true. After 14 days of rest between heavy, muscle loading workouts, younger individuals lost a greater percentage of their strength than their older counterparts (Tesch,1998).

I've often heard people referring to making, what they feel are, necessary program changes, in order to "shock the muscle".

This comes from the idea that if you do the same exercises, repeatedly, your body will become more efficient at doing them and the exercises will require less energy and muscle effort than those which are newly introduced. This is true, however it has little to do with the exercises you choose and more to do with how you're doing them.

If you're pressing the same weight at the same speed in every workout, your progress will plateau, quickly. If you increase the weight, you will progress, but much more slowly than if you incorporate weight and speed variations, during both the concentric and eccentric phases of the movement, i.e., the pushing and the lowering, respectively, in a bench press, for example. In fact, if you do a slow count bench press, lowing the bar for six counts and pressing for three, you would have to reduce the weight you're currently lifting, as it's much harder. The change in speed, not only the change in weight, significantly impacts the muscle fibre recruitment. You take away momentum and you recruit more muscle fibres, as well as more fibre types, with increments of movement.

Let's say John can do 100 push-ups with an even beat of one second, going both down and back up. Chances are, he uses mainly slow and moderate twitch fibres (Type I and IIA) for the first 70, if he can do as many as 100. If the tempo of the push-up changes to a double count both ways, John may find he can only do 75, or less. This has mostly to do with which muscle fibres are recruiting and how resistant those fibres are to fatigue. The slow push-up will likely use more Type IIA and IIB and produce more growth. You don't necessarily need to change the exercise, to change the recruitment pattern, and therefore start making changes to both strength and muscle development. At this point, the number of push-ups becomes irrelevent. This is true for all resistance training. Your muscles don't understand how many repetitions they're doing, only the level of stimuli they receive.

As an experiment, do your current resistance training workout, but slow down the speed of your reps, considerably. This is only one method to stimulate muscles toward positive gains, however it's a good one. Some of the best exercises for muscle development, are basic, and don't involve doing a one arm handstand, on a bosu, while doing a bicep curl with the other.

Communicate any concerns you have with your trainer. Your feedback will be much appreciated, as he or she is committed to making your workouts as beneficial as possible.

Thanks for your great question, S.T.
Anna

Dear Dave,
It's important to remember that the increase in strength in relative newcomers is due, primarily, to a learning effect which is neuromuscular in nature. Such increases and improvement in skill can even take place within the first training session. This is typical for the novice weight trainer. After that, strength changes take place within the following typical pattern:

1) First 2-3 weeks; increase in intermuscular coordination. This describes the functional improvement that takes place as groups of muscles learn to work together.

2) At 4-6 weeks; increase in intramuscular coordination. This describes the enhanced cooperation between the fibres in a specific muscle group.

3) At 6-12 weeks; increase in muscle hypertrophy. When a significant increase in strength, due to growth in muscle tissue, becomes prominent, this is referred to as hypertrophy.

4) After 12 weeks; stagnation. The rate of improvement for structural and functional reasons now reduces, considerably. This is also referred to as the "plateau".

For continued progress, it becomes necessary to determine whether the stagnation is due to neuromuscular or muscle growth factors and then modify the training program accordingly. Often, during this phase (let's call this the panic phase), haphazard trial and error programs are implemented, in pursuit of continued growth, possibly leading to injury.

So, what do you do about it? Something needs to change, however what that is, needs to be determined. Working with a skilled fitness professional would definitely be helpful.

In next month's newsletter, I will be answering another question submitted by a member, that will explain the physiology of muscle growth and how to avoid long stagnant phases in decreased muscle growth or strength.

Thanks for your question, Dave.
Anna

That said, very slow, controlled crunches, with the focus on abdominal contraction and working within your zone of highest resistance, are a great way to increase strength. The more you bend your knees, while keeping your feet down (unassisted) the harder they will be. Abdominal muscle definition will be greatly improved, provided your mid section is lean enough to reveal them. This comes with the proper diet, cardio and resistance training.

All plank exercises; prone (face down) or side lying are good, with the ability to vary intensity by lifting one leg at a time, or doing them on an unstable surface (bosu or ball). Planks recruit all layers of abdominal muscle simultaneously and continuously, unlike some other exercises that provide a slight break between repetitions.

Remember that, regardless of whether you're using equipment or not, proper form is key for several reasons: No abdominal exercises will be very effective without it; you'll run the risk of injuring your back; you could develop an abdominal muscle bulge in the midsection, producing an undesirable esthetic result.

Thanks for your great question, Kristine.
Anna