Pregnancy Training- Spring!

Being Spring and all I thought it would be a perfect time to write a quick blog about Pre and Post Natal training. I have had the pleasure of training dozens of women though this experience and cant stress how important it is to train before, during and after pregnancy.

The video below is of my lovely wife Miki training under the Sakura trees in our local park.  Miki gave birth to our little girl just over three months ago and as you can see in the video- she has not only fully recovered from her pregnancy she is able to once again kick some butt!

The reason Miki can safely kick box (as well as do weights, run, and of course do the dreaded "stairloops" etc) is because she not only diligently trained before and after pregnancy, but, she did it right! Like most of my clients Miki trained all the way through her pregnancy and focused on strengthening her hips (butt, hamstrings etc), abdominals (tva, pelvic floor) and back (particular the muscles that retract the shoulders). Obviously the choice of exercises during this period is important, but, equally important is HOW you do the exercises. As I always say to my client "a squat isnt always a squat!" Squatting without stabilizing the spine and correct lumbo-pelvic rhythm can  exacerbate hip and back pain (especially when under load). So make sure you are moving right!

Focusing on these important postural muscles and movements allowed Miki to also continue to do the exercises she really likes such as boxing. 

The results? 

Miki had next to no pain throughout her pregnancy and the doctor was very impressed with her pushing power as baby Sora was shot out into the world!

Just 7 days after giving birth Miki began doing gentle pelvic floor exercises. 6wks later she progressed to training all those important muscles we trained during pregnancy and when we were satisfied Mikis core muscles were working well and she was pain free we got straight back into the fun stuff! If you notice in the video, when Miki is kneeing you can see her navel pulling in as her knee rises- this means she is sufficiently stabilizing her pelvis and lumbar spine and is not at risk of injury. 

Performing such exercises as this (or squatting, lunging, running etc) without adequate stabilization of the lumbar spine and pelvis can lead to short and longtime injury (also means that no matter how much you diet that little paunch will never go away!).

Pre and post natal pregnancy does not have to be boring! Perform the important exercises and you can still do the fun stuff. Being pregnant, giving birth and raising a baby is a wonderful experience and it shouldnt mean you have to be in pain or lose your pre-baby physique in the process!

Happy Training!

Nathan

Tokyo Fitness Personal Training

Review: "Toe Shoes" Adipure by Adidas

I have been testing out the Adipure "barefoot" trainers for the past few months and thought I would write up a bit of a review.

I am a big fan of barefoot training, in fact, as a young runner we were always encouraged to train barefoot on grass to strengthen our feet/ toes and legs in general.  Although I dont run barefoot anymore, I still always tried to train in the gym barefoot. Unfortunately this is often frowned up by gym operators!

The Adipure is basically designed to mimic being barefoot, with a little extra protection for the soles of the feet.  I was originally a Vibram Five Finger wearer, the originators of this type of shoe, but wanted to see how Adipures measured up. To be blatantly honest, one of the main reasons I wanted a change was the Adipure looks a lot cooler! Of course any shoe that looks a "foot glove" looks a little weird, and I am not ready to wear them out on the street just yet, but for the gym they work!

But the real question is, does it improve movement/ training in the gym? Structurally the Adipures are very flexible and do allow for very natural movement. The soles are a little more stiff than the Vibrams that I have worn, but I prefer this when I am doing heavy weight training as I get a quicker response via the nerve sensors in my feet and it also allows for a very good base of support.

The highlight for me in the design are the toes. With the Vibrams my toes felt slightly displaced, but the "wetsuit" like material in the Adipures are very comfortable (dont notice any seams) and I really feel good control of my toes.

All in all, I think Adidas have done a great job with these shoes and its great to see a major shoemaker get into this market. Their ability to promote "barefoot" training shoes will benefit many people who are currently training in heavy, cushioned  gym shoes and in turn suffering from a variety of orthopedic injuries.

So why dont I run in them long distances? I have progressed to "Free" trainers (little support and super flexible soles)  for running but after years of running thousands of kilometres in running shoes I am not ready to change. I have tried short runs but had some pain in my platar fascia (bottom of my feet) and Achilies tendons. Short bursts on soft surfaces are fine, but for longer running, for now, I will stick to the "free" trainers.

So all in all- I say five toes shoes are a great step in shoe develop! They definitely do improve training conditions and your body"s bio-mechanics.

 I encourage anyone wanting to make the transition to do so with caution- start slow! Gym training, walking, short jogs are a great way to allow your feet to adjust- after all, they more than likely havent worked right for decades!

Check out the Adipures here.

Yours in health,

Nathan
Tokyo Fitness Personal Training

Push and Pull Training Session

Push and Pull Training Session

Nathan and I did our push and pull training session tonight at Golds Gym. We were mixing a combination of Power and Strength.

Pull: One of the exercises we did tonight were Chin Ups using close grip. Nathan is demonstrating a power chin up: he pulls himself high enough to be able to let go of the bar as he drives up and catch it again on the way down. I am demonstrating the chin up as a strength exercise. I am using my own body weight as it is heavy enough for me, however it is often performed with a weight tied around the waist by a weight belt.

Push: Performing a push up exercise, Nathan is using the power range to explode off the ground lifting all arms and legs off the ground and landing again with good form. I am performing the push up in the strength phase. I have added a weight on my back to be able to achieve the amount of weight needed for me to be in this particular phase.

I hope you have enjoyed these demonstrations. Please remember that when you are performing any exercise, ensure you are doing so with correct posture and alignment.

Lani
Tokyo Fitness Personal Training
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