Blog - Author - Josh Saunders Feed

Boot Camp Posture 101

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 05:05:29 +0000

Some individuals think chiropractics is quack work. I disagree with that opinion. The practice of aligning the spine is of paramount importance to the efficiency in which signals are transduced from our minds to our muscles. Our spine has 3 curves naturally, and any deviance from this optimal structure will interrupt the flow of information and cause other muscles to overcompensate because of this.

There was good reason your mom told you to sit up straight even if she didn't understand the principles of spinal anatomy. A crooked spine backs up optimal functioning in our bodies. That signal from your medulla oblongotta to your lungs to take that breath is now ever so slightly slower, and all that slouching and crouching is definitely not enough room for your organs to function – think about all that oxygen you're not getting into your lungs on this one. So stop suffocating yourself and sit up straight!

Proper posture is standing as tall and as straight as gravity will let you, while you are keeping your core tight and not letting your belly stick out. That's the easy part – now let's talk about sitting properly.

A large portion of the population has issues with sitting up straight. We have gotten our bodies so familiar with what bad posture feels like that we have to actively think to put our bodies into proper posture, and when we are there, our muscles tire, because they are not used to it. We begin to suffer from forward head posture, as we are always leaning in looking at computers or TVs and causing excessive flexion through the cervical portion of the spine.

What we are looking for is the straight line! I am talking ears, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles all in a nice line. Think about this line, be the line! (You never thought you'd be told to be a line when you woke up this morning, but here we are…)

We are so accustomed to hunching over on computers and sitting for very long periods that I feel that we are devolving as a species! 1 million years from now, we will have hunch backs, small legs, and big brains (I guess it's not all bad.)

A huge point to make about proper posture is the position of the scapula (shoulder blades). You always want them where they are supposed to be (retracted and depressed) and unfortunately they are not.

Always keep in mind how you are sitting, and get up, move around, and re-adjust from time to time. This is the perfect excuse to get out of some work at your desk…

Many people suffer from kyphosis or hunch back from tight chest muscles and weak back muscles. Often associated with this is tight hip flexors, weak hamstrings, weak abs and a tight lower back.

This is purely a by-product of how we live our lives. Most of this can be attributed to all the sitting we do. They should start teaching school in a more dynamic environment where children are standing and able to move around and express their ideas on a giant white board that encompasses the room. This way, we could help prevent bad habits from forming at an early age. (I was the biggest sloucher in school – I thought it was cool – I'm shaking my head disapprovingly).

Our ancestors, let's say 10,000 years ago, never suffered from this. They were strong from all the manual labour (I'm thinking farming) and riding horses with their abs braced and sitting up straight.

Oh the good ol' days ;)

Keep moving. A Langley Boot Camp is a good place to start!

Josh Saunders
The Bootcamp Effect

Your Shoes Are Causing You Back Pain

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 05:05:33 +0000

Hey guys,

I see this mistake often in the gym. Lots of people are guilty of it, and it may be further adding to your lower back pain.

And it is...

Stay away from shoes that have a pronounced heel lift!

Besides sucking for lifting weights (except for squats in people with no ankle range of motion), high heels and shoes with an elevated heel such as Nike Shox are biomechanically unsound and may lead to knee and back problems.

Yes, I'll admit, I think women look great in heels and can still be worn in moderation, but everyday use is wrecking havoc on your body! And don't be fooled by any multimillion dollar ad campaigns!

See, an elevated heel shifts your center of gravity forward and puts your pelvis in an anterior tilt. This causes the thigh muscles to overwork leading to strain on the tendons of the knee and the thigh, which leads to tight hip flexors and quads and strain on your tendons. One of the issues you'll experience with an anteriorly tilted pelvis and tight hip flexors is back pain – it is anatomy 101.

Fact: A recent study showed that elevated heels increase pressure inside the knee by 26%, which can lead to osteoarthritis over time.

The human foot was not designed to be elevated while walking. It was designed to walk barefoot and absorb impact across the entire foot on every step taken in a day. Deviating from this natural design causes problems to roll up the kinetic chain – ankles, knees, hips, back.

An elevated heel keeps that calf muscle of yours in a flexed position, which will shorten it. Having tight calves alone can lead to some issues – not to mention you wont be flexible enough to perform the “bread and butter" exercises such as squats and deadlifts that burn tons of calories.

During a normal gait (when you're walking), the leg muscles both contract and relax (stretch), and you're body was designed to do this perfectly! An elevated heel maintains the knee, hip, and low back in a flexed position and prevents these joints from getting stretched. Over time, this leads to muscle imbalances, which means stiffness, pain, and injury for you. Lower back strain is a major issue. And wearing heels is only making it worse for most women.

Random fact: Women have 4x more foot problems than men – you can probably by now guess a major culprit of this.

Now to the resistance training side of things: Most people want that tight, firm butt. Well, if you are wearing a show with an elevated heel this means you are creating tight hip flexors, and a weak butt because you can't get a full contraction when walking or running, and when doing exercises such as squats and deadlifts where you need to really drive off the ground thru your heel, well that is not going to work very efficiently now. (And not having a strong butt will further perpetuate the cycle of knee and back pain).

In summary, just do your best to exercise (and play) in shoes that don't have a pronounced heel lift. A 1 inch heel is much better than a 3 inch heel and great options for athletic shoes include new balance minimus, converse all stars, nike free trainers (what I presently wear), reebok crossfit nano, or any flat training shoe.

So leave the calf raises for a fitness setting!

Josh Saunders
Founder, The Bootcamp Effect
Serving Langley and Surrey

My Favorite Boot Camp Exercises

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 05:05:36 +0000

There are a lot of traditional boot camp exercises out there (running, sit ups, mountain climbers, etc.). Unfortunately, most of them will not get you great fat loss results. Most of them are hard to do if you are injured or managing a chronic injury and cause a lot of frustration with your weight loss results. With that said, a boot camp must provide a dynamic, periodical program with progressive overload so clients can build more muscle, raise their metabolism, and thus burn more fat. With a focus on intensity and a collection of full body exercises, the results will be impressive.

Here are my 5 favorite boot camp exercises:

Sled push - it's like sprinting up a steep hill, with weights easily adjustable for difficulty level. Just make sure your calves are nice and flexible, as it can be hard on the Achilles.
Pull ups - my personal favorite exercise, these should be a must on everyone's bucket list of accomplishments. They're great to do, even with beginners, as you can attach a super band for assistance, using different thicknesses as progressions until you can manage your own bodyweight.
Heavy split squat - to the laymen, this one is a stationary lunge. It's a fantastic exercise for loading the lower body in a safe and effective manner and a great exercise for finding out imbalances in the lower body. Hint: always start with your weaker leg!
Plank - building a strong core is paramount to staving off back pain (coupled with stretching of course!) The plank works the transverse abdominus (the body's natural weight belt), so keeping this strong and engaged will aid in the functionality of all movements.
Box squat - most people are too inflexible to perform a squat safely and effectively. Making them shift all their weight to their back foot and sitting down on a box reinforces good form and mechanics. Once they understand how to perform the movement correctly, you can load the exercise by adding a dumbbell in their hands (aka goblet squat), and really start to see the training effect!

That's the list! All exercises were chosen for their functionality and ability for clients to execute easily in a group setting. There are a lot of great exercises out there but when working with groups you want exercises where the risk of injury is low if the exercise is done incorrectly. In a 21st century world where everyone sits down at a car, chair, couch or computer all day, you have to consider the mobility limitations of your clientele. Nothing will halt a fat loss objective faster than injury.... oh wait, fast food will!

Stay healthy,
Josh Saunders
The Bootcamp Effect
www.thebootcampeffect.com