Nu-U PT

EXERCISE SPOTLIGHT...
HIP THRUSTS!
The barbell hip thrust, maybe the most awkward looking exercise you can do in the gym, but possibly one of the most under rated!

- Great for hamstring and gluteal development
- Trains hip extension, an important movement for athletes, particularly strength athletes, sprinters, tackling sports
- Carry over to deadlift and squat performance

CRAMPS?
Cramps keeping you up at night? Effecting your performance?
Your answer might not be what you expected.... GHERKIN JUICE!

Scientists concluded that pickle juice was 37% faster at ridding cramps than water or regular sports drinks - and 45% faster than having nothing!

ARE YOU BUILT TO SQUAT?

For myself, unfortunately not. God blessed my skeleton with long femurs (thigh bones) and a short torso. Add to that being 6"2, the bar has to travel a fair distance to get from A to B. Looking at the picture below (left), this means my squat is ugly- a lot of forward lean and a low bar position in order to keep balanced and not very deep in comparison. Not a movement that comes very naturally!

If we look at our other trainer Anthony's squat (right), his frame consists of short femurs (thigh bones) and a long torso. Tell Anthony to squat and he can stay nice and upright with a high bar position, go very deep and it looks a lot more effortless and pretty!

Not fair is it! But not much we can do about it, work with what you were given!

Lest we forget

BANDS AND CHAINS!
Some may have noticed a lot of different coloured bands lying around our gym!
These can be used to perform "Variable resistance training".
Adding these bands to your load changes whats known as the strength curve, either making the resistance heavier or lighter as you move through the motion
A recent meta analyses found trainers experience greater average strength gains with this additional form of training added to their program, than those performing conventional weight training only

TESTOSTERONE
For men, our testosterone is important not only to our sexual and reproductive health but also for the growth of muscle, bone, skin, heart health and more generally our well being.
We know that once men pass the age of 40 they lose about 1-2% of testosterone per year, so clearly to keep all cylinders moving we want to do all we can to keep this ever important hormone firing!
New research focusing on men aged 64-74 showed that those who slept 7 hours plus had testosterone readings of 500-700 ng/dl, which was nearly TWICE the level of the men who didn't sleep well, and the SAME as you'd expect in healthy young men.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE: For men 50+ who are starting to notice the decline, have a look at your sleep patterns to improve testosterone function!

EXERCISE AND DEPRESSION
A meta analyses looked at exercise intervention with people with clinically diagnosed depressive disorder vs. controlled subjects.
The study looked at all relevant studies published on this topic and concluded that....

"Exercise has a large and significant antidepressant effect in people with depression (including Major Depressive Disorder)."
"Our data strongly support the claim that exercise is an evidence-based treatment for depression."

If yourself or someone you know is struggling with depression, along with other appropriate measures from health care professionals, exercise has been shown to be a great treatment option!

CHEAT MEAL!
A psychological reward.. but is it worth it?
A 2000 calorie cheat meal, on top of your regular intake mathematically has sufficient calories to effectively "undo" a lot of the hard work put in the previous week.
If you psychologically require this cheat meal or binge weekly, it may be that your diet is too restrictive/ depriving anyway!
Enjoy the foods you love, but within moderation and your allocated calorie limit and you will keep the body and the mind healthy
If you feel the need to binge eat, have a look at why!

The popular nutritional supplement Glutamine has been the focus of a meta-analyses and has been shown to have no significant difference to placebo in reducing fat mass or increasing muscle mass. You probably won't see any supplement stores posting this research!

An interesting new form of training that is showing extremely promising results.

Blood flow restriction training, aka occlusion training

The most common way of performing this is using either knee or wrist wraps and wrapping at a tightness of 7/10 either around the top of the thigh (for training the quadriceps or hamstrings) or around the top of the upper arm (for training biceps or triceps). The trainee will then use a light weight (roughly 20% of their 1 rep max) and perform 3-5 sets of 15-30 reps.

By doing this, blood is trapped within that area- as it allows arterial blood flow, however does not allow venous return. The exact mechanism of its benefits is unknown.

The research has shown that it induces muscle growth similar to, and in some studies greater than traditional resistance training using heavier loads.

This is great news for those with joint problems such as arthritis, as it allows muscle growth without the accompanying joint pain and inflammation. Also those rehabbing injuries, and those deloading following intense training blocks.

Of course, if you have any vascular or sensory problems, you will need to discuss this with your GP before using this technique. All trainees should also consult a trainer experienced in this form of training before commencing.

Happy Australia Day!!!
Have a great day...