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Archive for the ‘Questions’ Category

Because I deal with all kinds of people in all stages of life and who have completely different backgrounds, goals and circumstances, I find solutions and adapt my abilities to solve many different problems.

So what is the solution to the question? Can you build muscle; can you provide your body with the right type of building blocks to stimulate muscle growth and power from your muscular tissue?
I might step on a few toes here but I have not seen one person ever in my whole experience able to succeed in this area on a vegetarian type diet. I have tried everything, believe me.

So why not. Surely this can be solved by eating ‘high protein’ types of veggies like soya or quinoa.

Lets begin with the first problem! The way you train to build muscle is to use powerful movements, big, multijoint explosive movements! This requires a certain type of muscular fiber…Muscle. And this muscle is fed by protein and….Creatine. Now without the prescience of enough protein and creatine, which is found naturally in meat you cannot provide the building blocks to keep up with the demand.

So what happens? Typically two things happen at the same time. First, the client gets weaker because the demand is not being met by the dietary requirements. Secondly, the muscles actually degenerate and atrophy and although the client thinks he/she is losing kilo’s this is not actually what I want. The body starts to eat the muscles to provide the protein for energy.

Second problem, Protein that comes from vegetables comes with carbs…too many carbs. Ever checked the chick peas, or soy ratio’s for carbs to protein. Mmmm. 24 grams/400gof protein: YAY; 50 grams/400 of carbs. BOO.

Just a quick sum. A person wanting to eat to build muscle generally needs 1.5 g of protein per kilogram body weight. This means for a 60 kg client to get enough protein they need to eat 1.5 kgs of Chick peas/lentils/soy beans to get 90g of protein a day. 1.5 kgs of the right veggies! This comes with 187g of pure carbohydrate. OUCH way too much. And no Creatine with it.

Now I am not saying you cant get thin using a veggie type diet. I am saying that you cant expect to build muscle or be toned and firm from this type of eating pattern. I know many people who and skinny and flabby and who look pretty good for a while before they start to waste away. Your body needs protein from meat to work properly. This is a fact.
Kind regards

Jason

I will start this article with a little story…
My grandfather is a farmer; he lives in the valley and lives off the earth. Every time my wife and I travel to visit we are reminded of the simple things and the old ways. Along with this comes the traditional Sunday lunch. The full spread as you can imagine. The potatoes and veggies come out amazingly well. Never mind the rest. Anyways we asked Granny for the secret… How can she make those standard potatoes and veggies taste like heaven? So she showed me…every time she makes sausage in the pan, or beef or whatever she saves the FAT in a bucket. Then what she does is add that fat into the roasting dish. Now I want you to imagine a bucket of white, gelatinous, gooey,solid fat; lard the old people call it. It is fantastic! My wife almost fainted. NO WAYS I AM EATING THAT!
So why mention that?
Why does it taste soooo good? Well simply, your brain likes fat. When you eat it and it goes into your tummy your receptors send messages to your brain to say you are full. It says you are satisfied. It says you feel good.
Specifically I am talking about Saturated Fat, the type you get from animals. THE BAD TYPE. The one that gives you cholesterol and that makes you fat.
I know that many of you…especially the ladies, wouldn’t be caught dead eating the skin of the chicken, or the fatty strip on the edge of the steak or pork chop. So What’s the deal with Cheese and Chocolate?
Mmmm where does the fat from cheese or chocolate actually come from…Mmmm can’t put my finger on it….YES that’s right. It comes from the milk that cows produce. Actually what they use is the nice fatty full cream part of the milk and then they process that. So do you know the difference between the fat they get from the milk and the fat on the piece of steak….NOTHING! Same bad white, gelatinous, gooey, solid fat. It’s the same message that gets sent.
Here is a little experiment…take a block of cheese and microwave it for a minute…look what is left over. Yes it is FAT. That is what you are putting into your body. Now look, I have had this conversation with many people. All I am saying is that you need to make an educated decision as to what you eat. However, is it not hypocritical to say you won’t eat the fat on the steak, or the skin on the chicken, yet you keep eating chocolate and cheese without pausing to consider the effect.
Funny thing is, you are well within you rights to keep eating blocks of cheese and bars of chocolate. Just don’t be confused when the weight won’t come off, when the skin starts to fill out. Remember you are what you eat. I just give you the information. Use it, don’t use it. Up to you.

Kind regards
Jason Hough

When I started looking into the major causes for obesity and over eating, I kept finding a common thread. People who suffer with weight and over eating are often un-satisfied by the food they consume… Why?
Why do you feel hungry?
Your brain has several receptors in the body and bloodstream specifically that help to measure levels of nutrients and also the needs of you tissues. When your demand is high, or your supply of nutrients is low, those receptors send messages to your brain to make you feel hungry. The reason you sometimes feel like specific things is those food items contain the nutrients your body requires. Interesting hey?
The problem occurs though when the food you eat fails to provide the necessary nutrients for your body even though you have just eaten. Although you have consumed calories, the need for specific energy has not been met… so you still feel hungry!
The major cause of this nutrient and energy deficient state…Processed foods and Alcohol.

Processed foods:
Remember I said you get hungry because of a certain need. Your body wants specific nutrients. Well processed foods are energy depleted imitations of the real thing. An example is process. There are many examples I am sure you could identify. Processed foods fail to supply your body with proper energy so you consume more to meet the chemical levels versus eating natural foods that have high nutrient contents. The solution lies not in volume of consumption, but in actually selecting the most energy rich foods to supply your body with energy.
A general rule is that if it comes out the ground or is produced by nature it is far better than anything that comes out a factory.
Alcohol:
The reason I mention alcohol is because I have seen its effects on clients that I train. Alcohol actually robs the body of essential nutrients. The calories consumed by alcohol are not only unwanted but the chemical composition of alcohol actually blocks absorption of nutrients in the stomach and it is an undeniable fact that alcohol messes with your insulin secretion, which in turn MAKES YOU STORE FAT!
The moral of the story here is that you have a choice to make about what you eat. Processed foods, and yes alcohol is also processed, are making you fat. Even some of the yogurts out there are so full of CRAP that they aren’t healthy anymore. Oh sorry CRAP stands for Carbohydrates, Refined Sugars, Additives and Preservatives.

I will keep this article short. Easier for you to read but it is the information that is important. Hidden hunger is a reality. People are eating themselves to sickness and death because the food they consume is of pathetic quality. Marketers and food sellers are very, very smart. They know that need to sell you stuff that tastes good and is cheap. It used to be that if it tasted good your body recognised it as healthy. Nowadays the food producers mimic those chemicals with all kinds of things to fool your brain. They use cheap poor quality products like MSG, corn syrup and maltodextrin to make there product taste better or look better. Sneaky hey. Watch out cause they don’t have your interest at heart, they just want your money and your tummy!

Kind regards

Jason Hough
PS I have moved my training business to the Cape Quarter in Green Point. If anyone needs to contact me I am there. My mobile is 076 3970 284.

Hi readers.
It has been a while since you have read any material I have written

In the past, there has been much research to promote the benefits of stretching both prior and post workout for most sports. However, over the years there has been more scientific evidence that points us in the direction of when to stretch and what types to use. There are 7 different types of stretching, all with their own application and purpose.
Before I get into that, I would like to just define and explain what flexibility is.

What is Flexibility?
It is the ability to perform a joint action through a certain range of movement.
In any given movement, there are two groups of muscles at work.
1) Protagonistic muscles which cause the movement to take place
2) Antagonistic muscles which determine the amount of movement at a joint by opposing it.

New research on Stretching
It has long been the rule for coaches and Trainers alike that stretching before an event, game or fitness routine is of the utmost importance – and the more the better.

Research now shows that athletes should not perform prolonged stretching routines before playing a game because it temporarily slows muscle activation. Prolonged stretching (10min or more) decreases strength for up to an hour after stretching by slightly impairing muscle activation. (Reduced strength after passive stretch of the human plantar flexors ,2000,Fowles).

It is due to this research, that I now recommend that people who want better performances, rather to stretch at the end of the workout, game or event.

What is the main benefit of stretching?
Flexibility plays an important part in the preparation of developing athletes and regular exercises by keeping them injury free. This is done by developing a bigger range of motion and ease of motion to allow for more technical development of movement patterns and less stress on connective tissue.

There are 7 Different types of stretching:
Static (most common and suited to most gym goers)
Ballistic (higher risk of injury, and more suited to specific sports)
Active (used in yoga)
Passive (used in yoga)
Assisted (partner stretching, mostly used by coaches, Bio’s or Personal Trainers)
Dynamic (typically used by athletes just before an event)
Isometric

Which method is best?
You have to choose the methods that suit your goals best. Are you a regular gym goer? Weekend warrior? Recreational athlete or professional athlete? The greater the demands and forces that are applied to your body, the more important it becomes to have the flexibility in place to move your biomechanical human joints to cope with the demand and strain on ligaments, tendons and muscle tissue.
Static methods produce far fewer instances of muscle soreness, injury and damage to connective tissue than Dynamic or ballistic type stretches. Static stretches are less complicated and easy to execute almost anywhere.
Dynamic stretches can also be suited to most individuals, as it requires you to move joints slowly through their full range with control.
For the fastest gains in flexibility, PNF stretches are one of the best types of assisted stretches but must be carried out and applied by someone with experience in this type of stretch.

With stretching, the gains tend to be slower and take longer to achieve than with other modalities of exercise. It has been observed that the body seems to fight flexibility gains for the first few weeks. Then, between weeks four and six, the body stops resisting and agrees to increase flexibility.
This is one very important component of exercise that shouldn’t be neglected and is very sensitive to the “use it or lose it” rule of the human body. You have to keep doing it week after week.
Thanks for reading.

Yours in Health & Wellness,

Jonathan Mannheim
Personal Trainer

Attention all readers… this article is to warn you about the dangers of training with Kettlebells without proper supervision or adequate induction.

Why do I feel that it is necessary to warn you? It is because you can easily harm yourself by using this system. It is very high impact on your body. You will get hurt if you do not take the proper precautions to Warm up, correct Flexibility weaknesses and most importantly to ensure you have the proper technique.

Everyone seems to be jumping on the bandwagon… as it always is with a ‘new’ system for training. Just remember, with any form of exercise, your safety that comes first. Any trainer, or you for that matter, must first make sure you are ready and fit enough to begin this type of training.

Kettlebell training is very effective , but also super high impact. Sessions should not last longer than 45 minutes. 10 mins warm up and stretching, 20 mins Kettles, and 15 mins for Flexibility and cool down.

MAKE SURE YOUR TRAINER KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING!
For a male, you should only be using a 12-16kg Kettlebell for at least the first 3 months, learning the correct technique and breathing patterns. For a female, 4-8kg is the norm.
The movements you should know after 3 months are:
1. Swing
2. Clean
3. Clean and Squat
4. Deck Squats
5. Rolling Squats
6. Snatch
7. Windmill
8. Breathing Crunches
9. Stiff leg deadlift/ 1 leg deadlift
10. Iron Cross

It is my intention to release pictures of these movements progressively throughout the year so you will be able to refer to them. I urge you to make sure that you get assistance from the right people to learn this style of training.

Kind regards

Jason

My last article was written about weight loss and some guidelines on how to achieve it with creating the right caloric deficit.
This article will feature some basic nutritional information about how to gain muscle. This is not only aimed at men, but also those women who are underweight and have a scrawny physique and are wanting to add some lean, toned muscle.

Your diet is paramount in your quest of wanting to add lean muscle mass. There is a fine line between eating enough calories, and too many.
Protein, Carbohydrates and the correct fats are all vitally important and should be consumed in the correct amounts.

To build muscle, one must be in a positive Nitrogen balance. Nitrogen leaves the body primarily in the urine. Nitrogen lost by excretion must be replaced by nitrogen taken in from food. Protein contains a large concentration of nitrogen. Most healthy adults are in a nitrogen equilibrium, or zero balance, because their protein intake meets their protein requirement.
A positive nitrogen balance is what you want, when trying to add muscle, and means that the body is retaining dietary protein and is using it to synthesize new tissue.
Achieving a positive nitrogen balance does not always mean that you have to eat more protein. Muscle cells take up the exact amount of nutrients, including amino acids, they need for growth. So you may ask me, how do I cause the muscles to want to take up more nutrients into the cell for growth, and the answer is through the correct Strength training regimen. It helps them make better use of the protein that is available by adding more myofilaments called actin & mysosin.

The larger your frame and the greater your muscle mass, the more calories it will take for you to build muscle. Therefore you should not just follow some generic pre-assumed quantity that worked for a friend, but rather do some basic calculation work with the below mentioned guidelines.

Men should consume about 52cals/kg bodyweight
Women should consume about 44-52cals/kg bodyweight
Protein intake should be 1.6g/kg bodyweight for both men and women.
Carbohydrates should be around 8g/kg bodyweight for men.
Carbohydrates for women should be around 6-7g/kg bodyweight, unless you have a more Ectomorphic body type, then you should increase it to the same amount as what is recommended for men.
The rest of your calories should be 20-25% fats of your total calories. Fat sources should be predominantly monounsaturated and poly unsaturated, with much less saturated fat.

When you begin to embark on a muscle gain programme the increase in food intake often requires considerable effort for most. That is where modern science has developed weight gain supplements that can help you reach the required daily caloric intake, and more importantly the required daily protein intake. These supplement often come in the form of liquid shakes and bars.
I personally prefer getting most of my nutrients from solid foods, but some are hard pressed for time or cannot stomach another mouthful when trying to increase their appetite and so must resort to other nutritional tactics.

Please note that the above information are only recommendations, and the debate on exactly how many grams of each macronutrient to consume, still rages on between scientists. First see how your body responds after 4-6weeks on my recommendations and then adjust it higher if you are gaining muscle at a satisfactory rate or lower the calories slightly if you are picking up too much excess body fat.
Please note that when lowering or increasing calories to attain your goal, do so in increments of 250-500kcal’s.

Yours in Health & Wellness,

Jonathan Mannheim.

Woman are often faced with the question of how much energy they should be burning off with exercise to induce weight loss.
There are obviously body type and genetic differences between individuals, but having said this there are some fundamental principles that one can apply to start the process and shed some weight.

When it comes to weight loss, one of the most basic principles of weight loss is energy in versus energy out. To lose weight one needs to create a negative energy balance through a caloric deficit. This is created in two ways; by reducing food intake, and by expending more energy through physical activity.

Another thing to consider when reducing nutritional amounts is the quality of the food you are eating. You should not just aim to slash calories per se, but should also aim to consume those foods that are nutrient dense and more beneficial to your body’s physiological processes. After all, we are pursuing optimal immune function, health and longevity and not just a slim physique.
It is interesting to note that I have met many a model who survives on very low calories, but makes poor choices in food selection, and although they appear to have slim physiques, they are weak and susceptible to illness. That however does not account for all of them.

Sounds easy enough, but how much and how often are the two most common considerations for the energy deficit equation to work?
Typically a weight loss of no more than 2lb (about 900g) per week is often a healthy goal for the following reasons:
1. Smaller amounts of weight loss help to preserve lean body weight
2. The lower amounts of weight loss may result in better long term adherence and a better ability of the person to maintain the weight lost as the person has made lifestyle changes, rather than long-term unrealistic changes that cannot be maintained
3. Slower weight loss typically means less water loss and, thus, that a “false weight loss” has not occurred, as does typically happen on crash diets.

Did you know? Your body stores three molecules of water with one molecule of a stored form of energy known as Glycogen, which a complex chain of glucose. When you lower or eliminate carbohydrates, you first start to deplete these stores and therefore lose water along with it. This gives one the false impression that you have lost a lot of weight in a short space of time.
It is important to know that long term(12-16weeks) of carbohydrate depletion will cause Glycogen levels to drop low enough for the body to start looking elsewhere for energy, and one of the sources would typically be fatty acids from the fat cells, if your caloric intake is at the right amount.

To lose 1lb(454g) of body fat per week, a person should be in a 500kcal deficit per day, because 1lb of body fat stores 3500kcal. Not everyone can lose this amount per week, but it is an average guideline, as individual variation does occur. A person can achieve this deficit by exercising enough to burn 250kcal and decrease intake by 250kcal daily. This energy expenditure is over and above your resting metabolic rate or normal daily energy expenditure rate, needed just to maintain your current daily physiological processes and general movement.

It will take the average female about 35-45min of moderate aerobic intensity on a daily basis to burn off 250kcal-300kcal in a session, and about 20-35min of intense vigorous intensity to burn the same amount of energy. Couple this with some resistance training to stimulate lean muscle tissue, and you have a winning formula. Some people cannot train every day and so need to account for this by upping the intensity or duration of exercise on the days they do train, so that the overall weekly energy expenditure is on target. Don’t, however think that you can cram what is meant to be done on 3-5 weekly session into 2 sessions and expect great results. Your body does not work like that.

The differences between gender and weight loss:
Men often typically respond quicker and make progress faster on weight loss programs primarily due to gender specific endocrine differences. Men have more lean muscle tissue, which is the most metabolically active tissue in the body, due to higher levels of Testosterone produced by the Testes. As a result of this it often has a knock on effect on the thyroid producing more heat in the body due to a faster increase in lean muscle tissue when stimulated through resistance training.
Woman do produce smaller amounts of testosterone through the adrenal glands, but in much smaller amounts than men. This is not to say that woman cannot achieve great results, but in my experience woman do tend to lose fat mass at a slower rate. This is also why woman generally have a smoother appearance to their muscles and higher subcutaneous body fat %. This is most visible on a lean woman’s triceps and abdominal area, in comparison to lean men, who appear much leaner and harder in this area.

Summary:
Proper Weight loss takes time. People do not gain excess weight in a short period of time: therefore , they need to remember that weight loss will not take a short period of time. A small deficit in food intake of about 250kcal-350kcal, coupled with an increase in energy expenditure of about 250-300kcal per day, can lead to a weight loss of about 1lb per week.

Yours in Health & Wellness,
Jonathan Mannheim.

Welcome to the new look Functionaltrainer.co.za. For those of you who have been with me the last two years you will have been through quite an educational road trip. This site is dedicated to helping you to understand the philosophy and benefits of Functional Training.

I decided to adjust the look of the site because I know a new feel will keep things fresh. This meant new photos, thanks Anthony Friend, and many tireless hours work by my I.T. legend Steve Pieterse. The results are something much softer with many new features.

Along the left column I have added a video feature. All you do is press play and you will be able to watch clips of extraordinary strength training and routines. In the near future, I will use this to teach you my ab routines.

At the top, you have a sliding carousel where you can scroll through some of the Kettlebell movements I like to use. It will be systematic and each month you will have a new movement to practice. We are still loading these sequences, so I put some pics from the 2009 shoot.

Many of my clients have asked me to keep the ‘gallery’ option for the site so I have one for 2008 and the one from 2009. Each year I will do a new shoot, this year I hope to get Jonathan to join in, he is sometimes in better physical condition than I am!

Another new feature is ‘Downloadable Programs’. Here you can download programs that actually work. This is a system I have collected over the years. In addition, there will be advanced programs for those who already have the basics covered. Those of you who get information from me by remote contact will find these programs familiar. What I intend to do is teach you how to use the system to improve your performance overall. There will be separate ones for men and women.

What I do intend to keep is the articles I write about training, diet and health related topics. I will however try to keep these short. (I know you do not always have the time to read all the information.)

I really hope you enjoy the new changes, I know I enjoyed working with my team to deliver it to you.

Kind regards

Jason

 

Firstly, I would like to welcome you all back to the site. I hope you have all made a real effort to enjoy your break. If you are like me, and had the best of intentions to control my eating and minimize my festive alcohol consumption, but who did not exactly achieve that goal, you will be wondering ‘Where to next’.

 

Referring to my previous post on periodization and modalities of training it is plain to see that, with the extra kilo’s you are sitting with, weight training is not the proper solution to this problem. Initially you want to concentrate on activating your muscle groups and increase your base level fitness.

 

It is a mistake to think you can just begin training where you left off last year. Remember that we worked up to a peak and you have been resting. Starting at a high intensity is going to lead to injury. So be careful how you begin.

 

The systems you want to focus on most in these next few months are

• Cardiovascular fitness
• Flexibility
• Joint strength
• Stability

 

To stimulate your ‘fitness’ system I recommend using pyramid systems for your endurance workouts.

 

Using a stationary bike try doing this pyramid:

Increase the intensity each minute until you reach a high point at 5 minutes, then decreasing the intensity to begin again. This is a forward pyramid.

For example 2,3,4,5,6,3,4,5,6,7,4,5,6,7,8,5,6,7,8,9. This is a 20-minute workout.

 

For the treadmill, I use a complete pyramid:

Start with one-minute walk at 6 km/h, and then run at 10 km/h for 1 minute. One-minute walk, two mins run etc.

For example w1,r1,w1,r2,w1,r3,w1,r4,w1,r5,w1,r5,w1,r4,w1,r3,w1r2,w1,r1. Where ‘w’ is walk and ‘r’ is run. This is a 40-minute run.

 

For Joint Strength and stability, I use a circuit system for training. Either you may use the super circuit in your gym or you can do a simple circuit I use when I train at work (I do not have the super circuit at my gym).

 

Do 10- 15 reps per movement with no rest between exercises. I suggest using two 4kg dumbbells for women and 10 kg’s for men. Remember the point is to get fitter and stimulate joint stability not to lift heavy.

 

First, warm up with a 7-minute run.

 

Front Squat

Stiff leg Deadlift

Stationary lunges

Push-ups on D/b

Bent over rows

Squat/curl/press combo

Step ups onto a box

 

Repeat this circuit 2 -3 times.

 

Finish with a 7-minute run. Try to maintain the pace of your first run.

 

To complete my training I Stretch for10 minutes. This is important because the muscle need to cool down and need to be stretched when they are warm. Give yourself some time to relax the begin stretching. DO NOT skip this part. Neglecting your flexibility is the biggest cause for pain and injury.

 

I try to keep the training relatively simple for the first few weeks before I even consider increasing any intensity. I use a 4-day training week. 2 days circuit two days pyramid cardio, with a rest day between the two.

 

I hope this can get you going. Do not put off starting your year. The sooner you begin the better your results will be. I am going to be updating the sites tomorrow so do not be alarmed by the changes or if the site is down for a while.

 

As always

 

Kind regards

 

Jason Hough

Compartment syndrome is an acute medical problem following injury, surgery or in most cases repetitive and extensive muscle use, in which increased pressure (usually caused by inflammation) within a confined space (fascial compartment) in the body impairs blood supply. It can be a result of overuse and over-developing the muscle through training.  This condition is most commonly seen in the anterior compartment (shin) and posterior compartment (calves) of the leg.  It is commonly misdiagnosed by laymen as “shin splints”. Compartment syndrome can be very painful, and if left untreated, can lead to a very serious medical condition where the muscle tissue dies – due to lack of oxygen and nutrients.

Symptoms of Compartment syndrome

• Pain is often reported early and almost universally. The description is usually of severe, deep, constant, and hard to locate. The pain is aggravated by stretching the muscle group within the compartment and is not relieved by pain-relief medication. The pain increases during exercise which eventually makes running impossible. Pain goes after a short rest but comes back again during exercise.

• Paresthesia (alterated sensation e.g. “pins & needles”) in the cutaneous nerves of the affected compartment is another typical sign.

• Paralysis of the limb is usually a late finding. The compartment may feel very tense and firm as well (pressure). In some cases, some find that their feet and even legs fall asleep. This is because compartment syndrome prevents adequate blood flow to the rest of the leg.

• Tense and swollen shiny skin
• Difficulty in lifting the toes and foot up.
• Pain when pulling the toes and foot downwards.

Treatment: Acute compartment syndrome is a medical emergency requiring immediate surgical treatment known as a fasciotomy to allow the pressure to return to normal.

Subacute compartment syndrome, while not quite as much of an emergency, usually requires urgent surgical treatment similar to acute compartment syndrome.

Chronic compartment syndrome in the lower leg can be treated conservatively or surgically.

What can the athlete do?

Rest, but try to exercise your upper body or cycle if it is not painful. Apply ice and compression for 20 minutes at a time. Rest until there is no pain. Apply sports massage techniques to increase the elasticity of the muscle sheath.

Apply heat and use a heat retainer.  See a sports injury professional who can advise on rehabilitation.

What can a sports injury specialist, biokineticist or doctor do?

Prescribe diuretics and anti-inflammatory medication e.g. ibuprofen. Correct any biomechanical dysfunction with orthotic devices, or by correcting gait patterns and muscle imbalances. Analyse your training methods, running gait and types of shoe to determine any contributory factors. Use sports massage techniques to stretch the muscle sheath. Operate. They could make a small cut or two in the muscle sheath to allow the muscle to expand out.

                       

 

Article contributed by Angela Paterson – biokineticist and sports massage therapist at the Renaissance Body Science Institute