Archives for 2010

Your Shape Fitness Evolved For Xbox 360 And Kinect: A Review

I mentioned last week that I had purchased the new peripheral for the Xbox 360, the Kinect. The Kinect is basically a motion sensing and tracking device that allows you to control your video games without holding a controller in your hands. To me it’s one of the most exciting advancements in gaming technology in years, probably since the Wii came out with the motion tracking Wiimote.

While the Kinect is priced a bit on the high side ($150), after having a week or so with the device I have to say that I’ve been thoroughly impressed and I feel like it was worth it for me. In my few tests so far in using the device it has been extremely accurate in sensing my motion, and the only real glitches I’ve seen are due to the fact that my play area probably isn’t large enough. That is the biggest con I’ve found of the device so far – that the Kinect needs you to have a play area 8×8 feet or larger to really enjoy it to it’s full potential.

So far I’ve got two games that I’ve been able to test out, Kinect Adventures (which comes with the Kinect), and Your Shape: Fitness Evolved – a fitness title that aims to take full advantage of the Kinect’s motion sensing capabilities, and really take the fitness video game genre to a new level. Today I’m going to do an initial review of Your Shape: Fitness Evolved.

Your Shape Fitness Evolved

Before we get too far into the review, let’s start with a quick look at what Your Shape is supposed to be from the Amazon.com description:

Your Shape Fitness Evolved is a fitness-simulation game for Xbox 360 that is designed to deliver a 3D, controller-free fitness simulation experience like no other. Built around the camera, depth sensors and multi-array microphone of the Microsoft Kinect sensor peripheral,* the game allows for real-time motion capture of the players movements, facial recognition and both voice and interactive menu commands. This combined with Ubisoft’s Player Projection Technology, which enables the Kinect sensor to track up to a million data points on the player’s body, results in low lag and total player immersion in what is destined to be the most challenging fitness-simulation game to date. Additional features include: in-game instructors, multiple exercise classes, workouts created by real experts, progress tracking and multiplayer support.

So Your Shape aims to give the player a totally immersive experience where they’re able to actually be in the game, not be distracted by feeling like the game isn’t a real workout and be challenged by a variety of workouts, classes and mini-games.

For me the game so far has done that – when I’m playing it I feel like I’m really at the gym taking a class or getting a one-on-one personal training session. To me it’s probably the only fitness video game (or video) that I’ve done that makes me feel like I’m actually getting a tough workout, the right way. Because of the Kinect sensor, the game also is able to give you correction and make you feel almost like you’re actually working out with a real instructor!

So let’s jump in and talk about what you’ll find in this product.

Playing The Game

When you launch the game for the first time, the first thing it will do is do a quick scan of you to figure out how tall you are, your body proportions and then ask you some simple questions as far as your age, weight and a couple of other data points. Based off of what you answer – and the body scan, a somewhat personalized workout plan will be created for you.

They say the camera adds 10 pounds, and Kinect has two cameras. So when Ubisoft’s upcoming Kinect title Your Shape: Fitness Evolved put a somewhat stout-looking projection of me on the screen, I shouldn’t have been surprised—especially given that the game’s success depends on players wanting to melt away those love handles (source)

Depending on what your goals are as well you can choose a variety of programs tailored to your needs. Just had a baby? Choose a program tailored to new moms. Trying to drop some weight? Choose the weight loss regimen. Toning up? Choose the toning program.

Menu Systems Very Intuitive

While I was beginning this process the first thing that I noticed was that the menu system for the game is very intuitive. Basically, the Kinect sensor camera recognizes you, scans you as you stand there and inserts a full body image of you in the game. Then as you stand there in game if you reach your arms out you are able to choose different menu options with your hand outstretched, and once you’ve chosen something it always asks you to confirm.

I wasn’t sure how well this was going to work when reading about it online, and whether or not there was going to be a lot of lag from when you do something to when it happens on screen. I have to say I noticed very little if any lag in this game. I played a couple of other demos, and kinect adventures – and Your Shape was by far the most responsive of the games I’ve tried so far.

The menus were very easy to use, and after doing it a few times I found I was controlling the game and menus with little or no thought to it. It just works very well in my opinion.

Workout Options

After being scanned the first time, every time after that you’ll be logged into the game automatically, and the in game hostess will welcome you back with a “good evening” or “good morning”. Once you’re in the main menu you can do a variety of different things. First, you’ll see a customized home screen for you, showing how many calories you’ve burned so far and any challenges you’ve got pending with other users. You can also change your in game appearance or view any news or updates by simply stepping on one of two small circles in your play area on screen. If you don’t want to do any of those things, you can simply begin your workout by choosing either “personal training”, “gym games” or

Personal Training

One of the first options you have in-game is to do the personal training – customized training sessions that are tailored to your fitness level and fitness goals that you chose when you first signed on. To me this is the heart of the game. For me I chose a weight loss goal and started right in with the cardio workouts.

You can either let the game guide you through workouts, or choose a specific one that you want to do. When choosing workouts it will tell you what it is, how long it takes, and how advanced the workout is.

The first one I chose was a cardio workout. The clock starts and the game begins by showing you how to do a couple of the moves that will be included in the workout. The Kinect sensor tracks you and shows you on-screen – and will tell you when you’re not doing the exercise right. Think you’re going to dog it when working out? Think again! The game will recognize when you’re not lifting your legs high enough, or your arms aren’t going up all the way, and will tell you to pick it up and improve. For example, I was doing lunges at one point, and getting tired. I started not dipping close enough to the ground. The game recongized that and told me to dip lower. I did, and felt the burn!

The first couple of cardio workouts that I did were up to an intensity level for me right now (where I’m out of shape) where I felt challenged, but not like I was going to fall over and die. While you’re working out the game tracks the number of calories you should be burning – and will keep track of that for you every time you workout. While I can’t vouch for how accurate that part of it is (there is some debate about that), I can tell you it’s a useful yardstick for yourself when working out.

The day after doing the cardio workouts I did a brief Men’s Health upper body weights workout (there are several Men’s Health and Women’s Health sponsored workouts in the game). The weights workout was effective as well, and I found myself getting a great workout, while getting useful feedback from the game when my form wasn’t up to par. To me, the feedback you get from the game is extremely helpful because it helps you to get a better workout, all while having better form than you might otherwise have had.

I’ve only been doing the personal training workouts for about 3 days now, but so far I’ve been pretty impressed with how much of a workout I feel like I’m getting, and how effectively the game uses the Kinect sensor to improve your workouts.

Gym Games

Another part of the game that can be fun, although I haven’t found it to be overly exerting, is the gym games. You may have seen some of the gym games on the commercial, especially the virtual smash game (show below)

The games found in the title include:

Virtual smash: In this game you are trying to punch and kick as many blocks with your hands, knees and feet as you can before the time runs out. In more advanced levels you’ll also need to avoid swinging pendulums.
Light race: You stand in a circle and have to have fancy footwork in order to copy the pattern of lights appearing on the circle around you. Reminds me of that old handheld game where you hit the buttons in the same pattern the game does, or you’re out.
Loop-a-hoop: You do the hula hoop for a set period of time and try to get the balls lifted and out the hole in the ceiling based on the intensity of your hula-hooping.
Stack em up: You hold your arms in the air and catch blocks and balls on a platform as fast as you can, and dump them into holes in the floor when they open up to get points.

The games can all be played with anywhere from 1 to 4 players, one player at a time. They’re fun, but I can’t see myself playing these games over and over unless we had others over at the house and needed some laughs.

Fitness Classes

There are also currently two fitness classes that you can take in-game. Yoga training and cardio boxing.

So far I’ve taken one of each class, and they do what they’re supposed to. The yoga class takes you through a progression of yoga moves over the time period, scoring you on how well you do. I’m not a big yoga guy so I can’t see myself doing this too often. I had heard it suggested that you do a yoga routine after working out as a cool-down, and i can see how that might work well, that’s how I did it this time.

The cardio boxing is more enjoyable for me. I did this routine the other day and it does give you a good workout. My only thing is that I have a hard time following along sometimes – although part of the great thing about this game is that it helps you to fix what you’re doing wrong. You can see yourself on-screen and compare to the instructor – and the game tells you what you’re doing wrong. I love that.

Conclusion

After playing Your Shape: Fitness Evolved for the past few days, I’ve been very impressed with the game, and would highly recommend it to anyone. Among the high points.

Great utilization of Kinect: The game’s use of the Kinect sensor in the game’s menus, workouts and games is done really well. The menus are responsive, there is hardly any lag, and it really does give you an immersive experience. I especially love how the game gives you feedback and helps correct you when you’re not doing the exercises correctly.
You will break a sweat: While the novelty of Kinect will certainly sell the game, the fact that the workouts actually make you sweat will keep you coming back.
Good variety of workouts: There are a good variety of workouts that will keep you entertained for weeks to come.
It’s fun!: The game is just plain fun – never mind the fact that you’re getting a good workout!

The game isn’t without it’s faults. Some cons:

You need a large play area: One of the downsides for the game is that you need a pretty big area to play the game in, in order for it to track you correctly.
Environment is kinda plain sometimes: The white backgrounds on the game can be kind of plain and vanilla at times. more colorful backgrounds might have been nice.
Number of workouts isn’t exhaustive: Although the game does come with quite a few workouts, the game isn’t exhaustive. They do plan on releasing more as downloadable content, however.

I’m loving Your Shape: Fitness Evolved so far, and look forward to dropping some pounds using it over the next few months!

Get more details and your copy of Your Shape: Fitness Evolved at Amazon.com

Have you tried out Your Shape: Fitness Evolved? What was your experience? Considering getting the game? What’s holding you back? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

There are affiliate links in this post. If you purchase something through my link, I will receive a small commission. Thanks in advance if you do!

Fitness Games For The Xbox 360 Kinect: A Review

By Peter 13 Comments

I haven’t mentioned it much here, but I enjoy video gaming. Maybe a bit too much, it may be part of what has gotten me into such bad shape – sitting on the couch vegging out all the time. Well now, you can enjoy still enjoy playing video games, but get a workout while you’re at it!

If you’re into video games at all you know that next week the Xbox team will be launching a new peripheral for the Xbox 360 that will allow controller free gaming, motion capture, video chat, voice commands and a host of other functionality. It’s going to be called the Kinect ($149.99). Part of what makes the Kinect so great is the motion capture and controller free gaming that allows a whole host of new options to be opened up – one of them being a great opportunity for new fitness games. While fitness video games aren’t anything new, what is new is the fact that you won’t have to be holding a controller while you workout – like you do with a Wii or Playstation. Instead, you ARE the controller. You can workout along with virtual trainers on the screen, get instant feedback as to how you’re doing and in general feel like you’re getting a true workout experience.

The Kinect hasn’t launched as of this writing, so the jury is still out as to just how well Kinect will work. Will it really be as immersive as they claim? Will there be lag time from when the camera picks you up to when it responds? Will it have a hard time picking you up in different environments?

Initial reports are that the Kinect performs rather well, and I for one am excited at the prospect of controller free gaming, and am interested to see how well these fitness games work. Will they really be an intense enough workout to lose weight? We shall see!

Fitness Games For Xbox Kinect

So what fitness games will be available for Kinect at launch? There are 4 Kinect fitness titles that I see on the launch list. Here’s a quick rundown of them here.

Your Shape Fitness Evolved

Read a full review of the game that I’ve now done. Your Shape: Fitness Evolved Review

From Amazon.com: Your Shape Fitness Evolved is a fitness-simulation game for Xbox 360 that is designed to deliver a 3D, controller-free fitness simulation experience like no other. Built around the camera, depth sensors and multi-array microphone of the Microsoft Kinect sensor peripheral,* the game allows for real-time motion capture of the players movements, facial recognition and both voice and interactive menu commands. This combined with Ubisoft’s Player Projection Technology, which enables the Kinect sensor to track up to a million data points on the player’s body, results in low lag and total player immersion in what is destined to be the most challenging fitness-simulation game to date. Additional features include: in-game instructors, multiple exercise classes, workouts created by real experts, progress tracking and multiplayer support.

EA Sports Active 2

From Amazon.com: EA SPORTS Active 2 with Total Body Tracking will include the innovative EA SPORTS Active heart rate monitor that provides constant on-screen monitoring, allowing users to capture intensity and optimize performance over time. Additionally, it will utilize the full body motion tracking ability of the Kinect Motion Camera, providing users complete freedom of motion. Users will also be able to track and share their workout data online through automatic uploading from their online connected console to their personalized EA SPORTS Active profile. 70+ Exercises and Activities – Create unlimited customizable workouts with over 70 exercises and activities to choose from, including foundational exercises like squats, lunges, and bicep curls. Enroll in the 9-Week Program – Designed by certified personal trainers, the EA SPORTS Active 2 9-week program provides total body conditioning using progressive exercise.

The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout

From Amazon.com: The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout is an exercise simulation game for Xbox 360, based on the popular The Biggest Loser television series. Utilizing seamless physical player movements only possible with Kinect for Xbox 360, The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout is designed to evolve along with the player’s exercise routine. Featuring the cast and trainers from the TV show, the game’s 125+ exercises, 2-4 player support via Xbox LIVE, new challenges, customization and more the game provides a fun and healthy exercise outlet suitable for every member of the family, regardless of their weight, physical ability or age.

Zumba Fitness

From Xbox.com: Join the party with Zumba Fitness®, a one-of-a-kind, dance fitness workout set to sexy, high-energy Latin and international music! Find your rhythm and let go as Zumba instructor fan favorites Gina Grant, Tanya Beardsley and Zumba’s creator Beto guide you through 30 routines that will work you into a sweat and make you forget you’re even exercising. Featuring exclusive music and choreography, Zumba Fitness® for Kinect lets you see yourself on screen and naturally dance controller-free in an ultra fun interactive fitness party that’s focused on the joy of movement!

Conclusion

I have already pre-ordered my copy of the Kinect sensor, and since I’ve decided to get back on the weight loss train – i’ve decided to buy one of these fitness games. After looking over the detailed descriptions of each of these games, I ended up ordering a copy of Your Shape: Fitness Evolved because according to the few pre-launch reviews I’ve read it seems to be the one that takes advantage of the Kinect sensor the best. It has a ton of workout routines, availability of future downloadable content and workouts, and in general just seemed to be the most polished product.

I’m sure the other games will be pretty cool as well. I was tempted to get The Biggest Loser game because I’ve done their workouts in the past, and was humbled by how tough they were, but I wasn’t convinced they were using the sensor to the best of it’s ability. Zumba Fitness doesn’t appeal to me, although my wife may like it as she’s taking a Zumba class at the gym. Even though it included a heart rate monitor, EA Sports Active 2 was just too expensive for me to even consider it ($99.99).

I’ll be getting my Kinect Sensor and Your Shape: Fitness Evolved next week, so stay tuned for a full review at that time!

Have you considered buying the Kinect sensor, and would you consider using it for the fitness games that are available at launch?

Read my full review of Your Shape: Fitness Evolved

3 Steps To Stop Running With Knee Pain Forever (Part 1)

By Kevin 2 Comments

Running with knee pain is a common frustration for most runners especially when it’s unexplained and you can’t pin-point anything that might be causing it.

It’s no fun when you’re laid out on the couch with ice packs on your knees popping ibuprofen like it’s candy.

Unfortunately, most runners go through one failed attempt after another to eliminate the pain such as visits to the doctor, rest, ice, pain relievers or (in some cases) surgery.

So, why do these methods fail miserably to eliminate knee pain when running?

Because they’re focused on treating symptoms without addressing the actual cause of the problem.

Confused?

The video below will explain it so you can get back to pain free running:

Squat Test: Hold the position in the photo below (WITHOUT THE BALL IN YOUR HANDS–just hold your arms in front of you) for 30 seconds and notice where you feel it the most (hint: it’s somewhere in your legs..:). Go as close to parallel as you can but don’t allow your hips to drop below your knees.

Single Leg Test: Begin on one leg and try to touch an object about 6″ tall (like the cone shown in the photo) with control. Touch with your right hand and come back back up. Then on the same leg try it with your left hand and come back up. Repeat the test with both hands on the other leg as well.

Notice if you can do this without wobbling, if you can do it with some difficulty or if your other foot touches the floor at any time on the way down or up.
1)

Ok, so now that you’ve completed the tests let’s go over what all of this has to do with knee pain from running:

Stay tuned for part 2 in this series where I’ll show you how to eliminate the cause of your running knee pain.

Leave me a comment below and let me know if this helped you.

Go HERE for 3 Steps To End Running With Knee Pain Forever Part 2

My Fat Butt Is Back On The Workout Wagon

By Peter 6 Comments

Ok, if you’re a regular reader of this site you may have noticed that I have pretty much dropped off the face of the earth the past few months (probably longer). I haven’t been exercising regularly, and my diet hasn’t been one to be proud of either.

I’ve been full of excuses as to why I haven’t been working out, and why I’ve been consuming a steady diet of fast food garbage. Among them:

Family Health Issues: My wife has been having a ton of health issues the past 2 years. She’s been in and out of the hospital several times, and has had 2 surgeries for unrelated problems. She’s also now pregnant with our first child, and I’m taking on an extra load at home because of it. As a result I haven’t been focusing on myself as much. Yes, I know it’s an excuse.
My Blogging & My Day Job: I work an 8-5 day job, and also blog at night at my personal finance blog. Focusing on all those things takes a lot of time and effort!
No Motivation: I just haven’t been motivated to work out or eat healthy. I’ve been tired. I’ve been focused on other things, and I’ve been lazy.

I know I’ve just been making rationalizations for my own laziness, and it’s time for this all to change.

Re-starting My Workout Regimen

As of yesterday I’m restarting my workout and health eating regimen. After realizing that many of my clothes are no longer fitting me – I decided that it’s time that I take some of the weight off, and get back on track to living a healthy life. After all, with my first child on the way I want to be here for a long time – for him and for my future grandchildren!

My workout plan that I’ll be engaging in:

Day 1: Upper Body Weights
Day 2: High Intensity Interval Training
Day 3: Lower Body Weights
Day 4: High Intensity Interval Training
Day 5: Upper Body Weights
Day 6: High Intensity Interval Training
Day 7: Day Off

So basically I’ll just repeat this pattern week in and week out until I reach my goal weight of around 200 lbs. I’m currently a little bit over 270, so I’ve got a long ways to go.

I’ve lost weight in the past using this same workout plan, and on average I was able to lose 10-15 pounds per month. Last time I did this plan for about 4 months and lost over 40 pounds. That was back in 2007. Here we are in 2010 and I’ve gained it all back and then some. Time to lose it and keep it off for good this time.

Update: I just bought the Xbox 360 Kinect sensor and Your Shape : Fitness Evolved workout video game as well, so I’ll e adding this to my workout regimen once it arrives.

I Started Last Night

I started my workout program last night with a upper body weight lifting routine. It was tough, and I could tell it’s been quite a while since I’ve worked out. I know I’ll be extra sore tomorrow.

Tonight I’ll be doing some running using interval training as discussed in yesterday’s post. Hopefully I don’t pass out, have a heart attack and die. We shall see!

This post is my way of keeping myself accountable, and putting an end to the excuses. It’s time to get moving!

Have you ever been to the point where you just get sick of it – and end the excuses? Are you still in the excuse making phase? Tell us your thoughts on beginning a weight loss plan, and what it takes to get started in the comments.

For A Better Workout Don’t Stretch Beforehand

By Peter 9 Comments

One thing I can often remember doing in high school physical education classes is stretching before we did any vigorous exercise. We had to “stretch those muscles out!” they said, or we might hurt ourselves. Now there are studies showing that just the opposite might be true. From MSNBC

Want a better workout? Then don’t stretch beforehand, some experts say.

Many people take it for granted that they should start their exercise routines with some stretching on the spot, perhaps hoping it will loosen them up for their workout. Most fitness experts now agree this kind of static stretching before exercise is not just counter-productive, but potentially harmful.

Traditional stretches, like when people bend over to touch their toes or stretch their legs on a fence, often cause the muscles to tighten rather than relax — exactly the opposite of what is needed for physical activity.

Experts say it is like extending a rubber band to its limit. When people stretch to the maximum, they are more likely to pull a muscle.

“We have developed this idea of static stretching at exactly the wrong time,” said Kieran O’Sullivan, an exercise expert at the University of Limerick in Ireland, who has studied various types of stretching and their impact on athletes.

When you stretch before exercising, your body may think it’s at risk of being overstretched. It compensates by contracting and becoming more tense. That means you aren’t able to move as fast or as freely, making you more likely to get hurt.

I know at times I have done exactly what they’re saying, stretching my legs out before I go running in the hopes that I’ll be a bit more loose. Guess I know why it didn’t completely always work as I had hoped now. Stretching can actually cause your muscles to tighten.

The article goes on to talk about how stretching hasn’t really been shown to decrease injury either.

experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention combed through more than 100 papers looking at stretching studies, they found people who stretched before exercise were no less likely to suffer injuries such as a pulled muscle, which the increased flexibility from stretching is supposed to prevent.

So what are you supposed to do if you’re not supposed to stretch before working out?

Instead of stretching, many experts recommend warming up with a light jog or sport-specific exercise, like kicking for football or a few serves for tennis. That type of light movement increases the heart rate and blood flow to the muscles, warming up the body temperature.

“This allows you to approach your full range of motion, but in a very controlled way,” said Dr. Anders Cohen, chief of neurosurgery and spine surgery at the Brooklyn Hospital Center and former physician for the U.S. Tennis Open. Cohen said elite athletes in all sports are increasingly ditching static stretching and using other warm-up techniques instead.

But the message has yet to trickle down to legions of joggers and recreational athletes. “This is classic, old-school stretching that has been done for generations,” Cohen said. “It’s going to be very hard to convince people to start doing something different.”

So start out with a jog, or other moderate physical activity to get you warmed up.

What do you think of this updated news? Do you still stretch? Will this news change your strategy?

photo credit: Tobyotter

Interval Training Can Cut Your Exercise Time

By Peter 3 Comments

In the past when I’ve tried to lose weight I’ve found that one of the things that works best for me is when I workout using high intensity interval training in combination with some form of resistance training (along with eating healthier of course).

Now they’re finding that by using interval training you may be able to cut the amount of time that you’re exercising as well!

From MSNBC:

People who complain they have no time to exercise may soon need another excuse.

Some experts say intense exercise sessions could help people squeeze an entire week’s workout into less than an hour. Intense exercise regimens, or interval training, was originally developed for Olympic athletes and thought to be too strenuous for normal people.

But in recent years, studies in older people and those with health problems suggest many more people might be able to handle it. If true, that could revolutionize how officials advise people to exercise — and save millions of people hours in the gym every week. It is also a smarter way to exercise, experts say.

One of the most common excuses that I hear people make for not exercising is that they don’t have enough time. I may have even used that excuse myself from time to time. High intensity interval training can help you to cut down the amount of time you’re exercising, and jump start the weight loss!

“High-intensity interval training is twice as effective as normal exercise,” said Jan Helgerud, an exercise expert at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. “This is like finding a new pill that works twice as well … we should immediately throw out the old way of exercising.”

Intense interval training means working very hard for a few minutes, with rest periods in between sets. Experts have mostly tested people running or biking, but other sports like rowing or swimming should also work.

Helgerud recommends people try four sessions lasting four minutes each, with three minutes of recovery time in between. Unless you’re an elite athlete, it shouldn’t be an all-out effort.

“You should be a little out of breath, but you shouldn’t have the obvious feeling of exhaustion,” Helgerud said.

In Britain and the U.S., officials recommend that people get about two and a half hours each week of moderate exercise.

My favorite way of engaging in the interval training is by running. Normally I’ll run for around 20 minutes, starting with a warmup and then doing several sets of varying intensity. I’ll start out with a slow jog and continue for five minutes increasing my intensity and speed with each minute, ending each cycle by running fast. I then go back down in intensity to a jog and work back up to a sprint by the time the five munites is done. I repeat the cycle 4 times.

Experts say that’s because intense bursts of activity are precisely what the body needs to build stronger muscles. Traditional workouts lasting an hour or more simply don’t push the body enough.

“A lot of the (benefits) from exercise are due to a stress response,” said Stephen Bailey, a sports sciences expert at the University of Exeter. “If you disturb your muscles, there’s an imbalance created and your body will start signaling pathways that result in adjustments.”

Bailey said intense bursts of exercise help the body to convert one type of muscle fiber into another type that uses oxygen more efficiently and is capable of exercising a lot longer. Even though interval training only takes a few minutes, its effects last for hours.

“You’ve exercised at such a high intensity that you’re going to create a massive disturbance in your muscles,” Bailey said. That creates a higher metabolism for several hours afterward, which the body will bring down by burning fat and carbohydrates.

I think I’m going to re-start my workout regimen tonight because I’ve been letting myself slide over the past year. Time to get back into the interval training, and working off some of my excess weight!

Have you tried interval training? If so, what type of exercise do you do? How has it worked for you? Do you do it in combination with anything else? Tell us your experience in the comments.

photo credit: jontunn

Manual Muscle Testing For Core Stability

By Kevin Leave a Comment

Manual muscle testing is a skill that takes time and practice to perform with reliability. However, it is a valuable tool for fitness professionals.

There are visual and verbal cues that can be used to perform an exercise properly but looks can be deceiving.

Let’s use the squat exercise as an example.

If you were to instruct a client on how to properly perform the squat you would probably explain the proper stance width, foot, trunk and head position, staying back on the heels, etc.

And, from what you can see, it appears that they’re doing the exercise correctly but they feel lower back pain. Now, you could simply modify the exercise or substitute an alternative.

But, what if the pain wasn’t caused by the exercise itself but from the inability to activate the core stabilizing muscles?

Since this isn’t something that can actually be seen, and verbal feedback from the client can be misleading at times, manual muscle testing can help to determine whether or not an exercise is achieving its main purpose.

This is particularly true when performing core stabilization exercises for the abdominals because many times the client will recruit the rectus abdominis but fail to recruit the deep abdominal stabilizing muscles (ex: transverse abdominis).

The client might feel their abs working however without manual muscle testing it’s difficult to know if the right muscles are being activated.

Below are 2 manual muscle tests for assessing core stability:

Modified Deadbug:

deadbug manual muscle testing

Instruct the client to try to hold this position for 30 seconds and ask them what area or part of the body they feel most. If they feel it in the thighs and/or just below the ribcage the abdominal stabilizers are weak or inhibited

Sitting ‘V’ Position

abdominal manual muscle testing

Instruct the client to hold this position for with a slight backward lean of the trunk for 60 seconds and notice any changes. If the chest drops, they feel burning in the thighs, cramping in the hips and/or the lumbar extensors this indicates weakness or inhibition of the abdominal stabilizers.

These tests take time and practice to learn but manual muscle testing is a valuable skill for fitness professionals that can help correct muscle imbalances, prevent injuries and improve the effectiveness of an exercise program.

Unfortunately, muscle testing isn’t taught in most personal training certification courses however there are some excellent resources available on muscle manual testing and core stabilization exercises.

Does The Bowflex Treadclimber Really Back Up Its Bold Claims?

By Kevin 24 Comments

The other night I saw an infomercial for the Bowflex Treadclimber TC5000 which is like a combination of a treadmill and elliptical machine in one that helps reduce joint stress and claims to burn 2 x the calories than on a regular treadmill due to their 3-in 1-technology (which I’m still not sure what that means but it sounds pretty cool doesn’t it?) and that you’ll get more results with less effort in less time…

Now, I’ll admit that I’m all for time efficient workouts that produce better results than traditional high volume training. However, at times during the infomercial I noticed a block of fine print that quickly flashed on screen.

The fine print is so small you practically need a telescope to read it and the text is white which they cleverly blend into a white background making it barely legible…Also, that fine print is on and off the screen in the blink of an eye so unless you’re one hell of an amazing speed reader with the vision of the bionic man you probably won’t even notice it.

But, thanks to the creation of the DVR I was able to take a closer look and I was shocked at what the fine print said…

So, here’s a summary of the Bowflex Treadclimber TC5000 fine print facts:

Fact #1: Studies were performed with the Treadclimber at 3.2 mph and at level 12 intensity versus a regular treadmill at 6.2 mph and 0% incline

Now, I’ve never actually used a Bowflex Treadclimber but I have used an elliptical trainer at a level 12 intensity and I’m willing to bet that level 12 intensity on the Treadclimber is pretty darn difficult to maintain just as it’s difficult for most people to maintain a 6.2 mph pace on a treadmill for 30-60 minutes.

While the Treadclimber allows you to move at a comfortable walking pace the reality is that you are simply substituting speed for resistance. This is the same thing you can do using an elliptical machine.

Fact #2: The Treadclimber infomercial shows a chart revealing you burn 321 calories on the Treadclimber (at 3.2 mph and level 12) over a 30-minute period which is more than on the treadmill (at 6.2 mph and 0% incline).

However, I’m curious as to how they came up with this number since calorie expenditure is largely dependent upon how much you weigh.

Another thing to consider is that at most only 60% of those calories burned actually come from fat.

So, if we do some quick math we can see that out of 321 calories burned x 60% of those calories come from fat = 186 calories from fat burned…

1 lb of fat = 3,500 calories

This means that you would have to perform about 9 hours on the Treadclimber just to burn 1 measly pound of fat…Coincidentally, this is about the same amount of time it would take to burn 1 lb of fat using a treadmill

Maybe it’s just me but trading 9 hours for 1 lb of fat just doesn’t seem like it backs up their claim of more results with less effort in less time.

Fact #3: The participants in the Treadclimber study lost a significant amount of body weight and body fat.

However, the participants used the meal plan that comes with the Treadclimber which goes to show that you cannot achieve your weight loss goals without controlling your calorie intake.

And, since we now know that it takes about 9 hours to burn 1 lb of fat using the Treadclimber this suggests that a large contributor to the weight and body fat loss is due to proper diet.

The bottom line is that the Bowflex Treadclimber has some advantages versus a regular treadmill (and a hefty price tag) but when it comes to losing weight and reducing body fat cardio just isn’t a very effective option.

While the Treadclimber may burn 2 x the calories versus the treadmill it’s still only slightly more than 5% of a pound of fat for 30 minutes!

The 2 most important factors for weight loss and body fat reduction are: (1) diet and (2) resistance training and you can achieve your goals without fad diets or expensive over-hyped fitness equipment.

The Science Behind My Love For Running

By Guest Contributor 2 Comments

This is a guest post by Joe over at joetherunner.com. His site is about how running can change your life; make you a better father, husband, and friend. You can check out his site at the URL above, or by subscribing to his feed here.

My love of running started off like many long lasting and fruitful relationships; rather difficultly. You see I haven’t always had the fondness for the sport that I do now. In fact at first we hated each other. There was simply no mutual respect. I used running as a way to lose some much needed weight and running used me as a moving symbol of how not to run.

However, for one reason or another I kept at it. I did lose some weight but the best outcome of our new relationship was the respect I gained for the wonderful aspects of the sport that were hidden beneath the surface. After years of using running it has become my favorite tool to deal with grief, purge stress, stay lean, maintain a positive attitude, and boost my confidence; and there seems to be a genuine scientific explanation for it.

The Science Behind The Love Of Running

The most popular explanation for my near dependency on running stems from a runner’s favorite little compound – the endorphin. Produced by the pituitary gland endorphins are proven to produce a natural feeling of well being and pain relief, and even in name have a chemical relationship to the morphine family. And though they are proven to have very powerful effects on the human body, there has been some speculation over the notion that running produces enough of them to have a measurable effect.

However, in 2008 the New York Times reported on a study done by researchers in Germany. The published findings were that running does in fact produce a surge of endorphins in the brain. Backing up the study were leading scientists, who were not directly involved, also accepting the researcher findings.

I am glad the debate seems to be satiated, but to be honest I wish they would have come to me first. I don’t know if my personal experience would have been sufficient to warrant publication in neurological journals but I would have let them study the life changing benefits running has had on me, for a fee of course.

Here is what I have discovered. First, running has the ability to do all the things you have heard. It can alter your mood in the most positive ways and has lasting effects. I also attribute it to helping me establish healthy sleep patterns, not something I see mentioned in many discussions. Also, the harder you push yourself the more endorphins are released. This was proven by the same study referenced above and backed up by yours truly.

Not Only Running Can Give You The Runner’s High

It should be mentioned that running is not the only exercise that produces these benefits. It just happens to be the only one I know how to do well. My love of running came when I embraced it for its mental as well as physical benefits. Any fitness quest comes with it fair share of challenges; embracing exercise on multiple levels delivers much needed motivation for the bumps in the journey.

Have you experienced the release of endorphins, and the runner’s high? Tell us why you love running in the comments!

Should You Lose Weight Running?

By Kevin 2 Comments

photo credit: SashaW

What do you tell your clients who ask if it’s better to lose weight running? After all, if you visit just about any gym or health club the most popular area is the cardio section. I remember back in 2002 when I was a personal trainer at a health club how in-demand the treadmills were.

It was crazy!

The ‘after work crowd’ would flock in around 6pm and due to the massive popularity of our brand-new ‘state of the art’ treadmills, we actually had little signs posted on each treadmill that read

“2o-Minute Time Limit When Others Are Waiting”

I actually had to put out a waiting list for members to sign up to use the cardio equipment…

It got so bad because some of the members wanted to run on the treadmill for their hour and so they got creative with ways to stay on the equipment longer. Some put gym towels over the timer display while others just stopped the thing around the 19th minute just to restart it so the timer would reset.

Ah, those were the days.

So, where am I going with all of this? Well, it got me thinking about the most popular methods people use to lose weight. And, aside of diets, cardio is a very popular method. Many people who run on the treadmill do so because they want to lose weight.

Since the majority of “cardioholics” fail to achieve the weight loss results they want and their bodies never significantly change because it’s just not that effective for weight loss purposes I decided to dig up some info to better answer the question “Is it better to lose weight running?”

But, what I found out will surprise you.

Watch the video below to find out if running really does help to lose weight then leave me a comment below: