Jammin'

The speakers are pumping. Sweat droplets are flying in all directions. There's a giant smile on my face, and my body is moving to the beat. I am completely lost in the music as I dance my cares away.

Zumba still makes me feel this way, even though I've been teaching lots of classes every week for almost six years. That doesn't just happen. I have to keep up with the latest hype. I get bored easily, so I have to constantly change up my classes to keep myself interested. If I'm not energetic and enthusiastic about what I'm doing, how will I be able to motivate my class participants?

I stay inspired by attending continuing education workshops and researching ways to improve myself as an instructor. I am also always looking for hot new music to introduce to my students. I took a road trip to Columbus, Georgia for a ZIN (Zumba Instructor Network) Jam session over the weekend, and it ignited a fire inside me that I will be able bring back to my classes!

A ZIN Jam Session is a three hour workshop for licensed Zumba instructors in which we learn new choreography created by a Zumba Jammer (instructor selected by Zumba Home Office to teach). This particular Jam Session focused on Reggaeton, a popular rhythm that we use in Zumba, and was led by Jammer Ahaja Scott from Atlanta.

I was willing to drive three hours each way to go to this jam because I feel like I could improve my own choreography of Reggaeton songs. The ones I come up with are kind of boring and repetitive. I definitely got my money's worth out of this one! I left feeling much more comfortable with it, and super inspired to introduce my students to more of this rhythm.

Ahaja, nicknamed "Baby", explained the history of Reggaeton music to us. It is influenced by Caribbean and Latin music, and originated from Puerto Rico and Panama in the 1980s. Then she demonstrated the main steps that the Zumba program uses for Reggaeton music, and showed us many variations of each one. Next, she guided us through complete choreography for two different songs. We practiced and practiced, and she had us take turns teaching the songs ourselves in front of the attendees.

Here is a link to one of the songs: La Pregunta by J Alvarez

The first time I heard the song, I thought it was kind of boring, but Baby made the choreography amazing! Even though the rhythm is slow, she put sexy moves together to make it really focus on core muscles. I hope my class loves it as much as I do!

Another incredible part of the Jam Session, was the list of Reggaeton songs that Baby included in our handout. It was comprised of fifteen songs that would be perfect for our classes. I picked out a few that I am in completely in love with, and will be working on my own original choreography for them. My classes are going to see much more Reggaeton in the future. The Jam Session motivated me exponentially, and I know my teaching tonight will reflect that passion!

Workout of the Week: Jiu Jitsu

Have you ever seen a someone wearing a "TapouT" T-shirt and wondered what it was all about? Tapping out is way to submit to another opponent in the martial art of jiu jitsu. Jiu jitsu is used frequently in mixed martial arts fights, and "TapouT" is a brand of clothing that sponsors the fights, worn by fighters and fans.

Even though jiu jitsu involves more thinking than exercising, I leave every class I attend pouring sweat with exhausted muscles, so I chose it as my workout of the week this week. I want an active lifestyle for the rest of my days, so I like to try new workouts regularly. I have decided to commit to writing a blog about a different workout every week, and what better one to start with than my latest passion: jiu jitsu!

Martial arts have been around since the dawn of man, originally used in warfare, but transitioning mainly to sport with the emergence of weapons and military in modern civilization. No one knows the exact history of jiu jitsu. Most scholars say Buddhist monks from India brought it to Asia. Others say it was developed in Greece during the time of the Olympians, while many more think that jiu jitsu originated from the Ming Dynasty in China. What we do know, is that it was refined in Japan between the 8th and 16th centuries, and the term "jiu jitsu" was first heard in 1532. The art was brought to Brazil in 1914, where it continued to develop into the form that we practice today.

The word "jiu jitsu" comes from the Japanese word "jujutsu", with "ju" meaning gentle, flexible, or yielding, and "jutsu", which means art or technique. Jiu Jitsu is a grappling (rolling on the ground) sport, that uses traps, holds, and joint locks to defeat an opponent. It was developed as a method of hand-to-hand combat when striking proved ineffective, such as when the adversary was wearing armor. When an opponent submits, or "taps out", then he is defeated. Photo from www.graciemag.com.

I first attempted a jiu jitsu class in 2008. I had a friend who was a mixed martial arts fighter, and I used to prescribe workouts for him that would help increase his endurance. He talked me into trying it, and I loved it! I attended classes regularly for about six months, but had to stop because of scheduling conflicts with work.

This past October, I heard that a new mixed martial arts gym, Reflex MMA, had opened up that was close to my home, and they were offering a kid's class. I had been looking for a good extracurricular activity for my son, so I signed him up. I learned that the adult classes were later in the evening, and would fit my busy schedule, so I began attending as well.

I have been going to classes between two and four times per week, as often as my schedule allows, since October, and I think I have improved myself as a person, an athlete, and a martial artist greatly in the last nine months. Learning jiu jitsu gives me more self-confidence, and I feel a huge sense of accomplishment when I am able to execute a move properly. I'm still not very good when compared to many others in the class, but it's an ongoing process. I'm learning more and more each week. My instructor, Coach Kam, always says to us that a black belt is a white belt who never quit, so I'm not giving up!

Each class begins with an aerobic warm up to get our bodies warm and our joints prepared for the intensity. We run, shuffle, and then do some technical drills. Next, we gather on the mat while the instructor breaks down and demonstrates the moves that we will learn, and then we practice them on each other. We will stop several times during class while the coach shows us things that we are doing wrong, or gives us tips on how to perform each move more efficiently. The class usually ends with some live competition, when we grapple one another to submission.

While jiu jitsu is an incredible skill and a great workout, it's not for everyone. You have to be tough in mind and body. I was forced to submit more times than I can count before I ever won a match against someone. When I was finally able to apply my knowledge while grappling an opponent, I felt extremely fulfilled! I have also had a few minor injuries since practicing regularly, but nothing to debilitate me.

I get a great workout every time I take a jiu jitsu class, but the object is to learn how to apply skills without expending too much energy. I am not on that level quite yet, but I am continuing to learn. More importantly than just exercising, I am gaining knowledge from jiu jitsu classes that I will have for the rest of my life!

Next workout of the week: YOGA!

How Low Can You Go? Is It Safe to Squat Super Low?

Do you even squat? This sarcastic question shows up in the news feed of social media sites regularly, often accompanied by a picture of someone squatting butt to heels. But some say that squatting, especially below parallel, (when your hips go below your knees) is bad for your knees and back. Let's explore the evidence.

Any weight lifting exercise, particularly the squat, can cause an injury if done with improper form, too much weight, or without adequate recovery. You must be conscious of your technique, be careful that you're using the correct amount of weight for your ability, and ensure that you've given your muscles enough rest between sets and between workout sessions.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine's current comment on squat safety, the notion that squatting is bad for your knees began with a study from the 1960s of military troops who were using squats during training. The study showed that the ligaments around the knee were damaged in the subjects. The ACSM feels that this study was skewed because the subjects were paratroopers who jumped out of planes regularly, causing excessive impact when landing. Landing hard on the ground is a more realistic reason why the subjects had knee injuries.

There have been many studies since then, all with findings that the squat is a safe exercises. The ACSM says that there is "no increased instability created relative to depth of squat." I personally feel that the ACSM is the "gold standard" when it comes to health and fitness. Their articles are all based on scientific research.

On the other hand, a Men's Fitness article expresses one strength and conditioning professional's view that heavy squats cause back injury. Strength coach Mike Boyle doesn't prescribe his athletes squats because he thinks they compress the spine and makes the body move in a way that it isn't meant to. This article is his perspective based on his personal experience, not on a scientific study.

The Huffington Post published an article recently entitled "Squats are Safe, But You're Probably Doing Them Wrong,"
The title sums it up. The author goes on to describe how full squats work the entire lower body, and half squats (those that aren't very deep) focus mainly on the quadricep muscles (those in the front of the thigh), and tend to neglect the hamstrings and glutes (back of the thigh and butt.) He also states that squats strengthen the connective tissue (tendons and ligaments) around the knee, which helps decrease the chance of injury. People usually have pain from squatting because they're not doing them with proper technique.

Based on my 10 years experience as a personal trainer, and many more years as a workout fanatic, I agree completely with Mike Rippetoe, the author of the Huffington Post article. Deep squats hit all your leg muscles effectively. I have been squatting below parallel regularly for around 15 years, and I have never had any pain or injuries due to my squats.

When I was in college, I was a competitive powerlifter. In each competition, I squatted, bench pressed, and deadlifted as much weight as I possibly could for one repetition. We HAD to squat below parallel, or we were disqualified. During this period, I did experience some lower back pain, but after discussing it with my coach, I started stretching my hamstrings several times every day, and soon all my discomfort was gone. The squatting wasn't the source of the pain. Tight hamstrings from all the heavy weights were causing a pelvic tilt that influenced my back negatively. All I needed was some stretching!

Toddlers have the best squat form when they're playing. This natural inclination for deep squatting makes me believe that they are definitely within most people's normal range of motion. Photo credit: www.pagingsupermom.com

Let's talk about form. I think most people experiencing problems from squatting aren't doing them correctly. Squatting low is much more difficult for certain people. For example, people with tight hip flexors (muscles around your hip/groin area) physically can't get their hips very low. I currently have a personal training client with this issue. I am working on improving her squat by having her sit down on a step and stand back up. For each set, I take away a riser so that she has to sit down a little lower.

Another group of people with trouble squatting properly are those with long legs. A long femur (thigh bone) makes it very difficult to lower hips without the knees going forward. If your knees go past your toes during a squat, it causes tension on the knee joint rather than the thigh muscles. and that can certainly cause injury. I have one client that I worked with a LOT in order for her to get proper form. I had to hold my hands in front of her knees to keep them from going forward. It took a lot of explaining on my part, and lots of work for her, but she was able to learn! Here she is deadlifting just about her entire body weight!

Most people need good coaching in able to squat deeply with correct form. I often begin teaching squats by having clients do kettlebell swings or granny shots with a medicine ball to get them used to their hips going back rather than their knees going forward. Then we will do regular squats with no weight before adding resistance.

Some lucky people find it natural to squat very low. This client loves her deep squat! She goes heavy too!

I think squatting low is perfectly safe as long as you do it correctly. I have my group fitness class participants do squats on a regular basis, but never with weights unless I am able to coach them appropriately. I constantly remind them of what they need to do to squat correctly, but not everyone can get it in the beginning. Like everything else, practice makes perfect!

The squat is a phenomenal exercise for strengthening and toning legs. To answer the question "How low can you go?" The correct answer is as low as you want, as long as you're practicing excellent technique! 

Client Spotlight: Bikini Competitor Ashley Hollingsworth

I've been a personal trainer for over 10 years, but I have never trained a bikini, physique, or bodybuilding competitor, until now! My personal training client, Ashley Hollingsworth, is stepping on stage this Saturday for her debut bikini competition! I'm so proud of all the hard work she's been putting in to prepare for this contest.

I met Ashley at Anytime Fitness about a year and a half ago. She began attending my 6:00 am Boot Camp classes with a friend. She was already well on her way to being healthy and fit. She had recently lost around 65 pounds on her own, and was looking to take her workouts to the next level. She was a faithful student, and within a few months, had built quite a bit of lean muscle.

A health issue caused her to stop working out for several months. She had to have her gall bladder removed. Her docs said it had gone bad as a result of all the weight that she had lost. After her recovery, she called me about personal training. She had enjoyed my Boot Camp classes, but felt that she gained muscle mass too easily, and wanted a more personalized workout plan.

I prescribed exercises that would increase her muscular endurance, and help her burn fat, without adding too much bulk. We did resistance training with low weight and high repetitions, and little or no rest in between sets of exercises. We worked opposing muscle groups on the same day so that she was able to go immediately from one exercise to another without tiring. For example, chest and back are on opposite sides of the spine; chest performs pushing movements while the back primarily pulls. Ashley could alternate between exercises focusing on these two muscle groups without too much fatigue in one area.

Her body started responding the way that she wanted it to, and, in January, she decided to set a new goal. She wanted to strut her stuff at a bikini competition! She enlisted the help of other fitness professionals for her nutrition plan and posing practice, and I planned the workouts that would get her body where it needed to be.

We continued to focus on muscular endurance workouts, adding some circuit training and plyometrics to the mix. She needed to add a little muscle in her lower body and abs, so I gave her heavier weights with less repetitions when she worked those areas. As we neared the competition, and her diet became more strict, I changed her exercise prescription to all heavy weights and more interval cardio so that she could maintain her muscle mass while simultaneously burning fat.

I'm feeling awesome about her progress. She looks amazing! I have no doubt in my mind that she has given all she could to prepare for this competition. Even though this is my first experience training a bikini competitor, I know I presented her with the appropriate workout plan to give her exactly what she needed. She's going to rock that stage on Saturday!