In a world where the pursuit of quick fixes for low back pain prevails, the journey to lasting relief often seems elusive. Many turn to an array of solutions, including back pain stretches, strengthening exercises, pilates, abs workouts, or the simplicity of lying in bed. However, the reality is that these approaches, while potentially providing short-term relief, may inadvertently exacerbate the problem in the long run. Dr. Stuart McGill asserts that the key to addressing low back pain lies not in immediate solutions but in a more profound understanding of how our daily movements impact the spine.

Dr. Stuart McGill is a retired professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo in Canada. He is widely recognized as a leading expert in the field of spine biomechanics and lower back pain. Dr. McGill has conducted extensive research on the biomechanics of the spine, spine stabilization exercises, and rehabilitation strategies for individuals with low back pain.

Dr. McGill draws a compelling analogy between the spine and a wire coat hanger. Much like the repeated bending of the hanger weakens and fatigues it over time, the cumulative effect of continuous bending takes a toll on the human spine. This article aims to unravel Dr. McGill’s insights and present a comprehensive guide to tackling low back pain through an approach he terms as “spinal hygiene.”

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While acknowledging that the true remedy for low back pain varies for each individual, Dr. McGill proposes a three-step methodology to potentially alleviate discomfort. This approach involves not only recognizing the movements and postures that trigger pain but also adopting a conscious and intentional approach to the positioning of the spine throughout the day. By understanding the principles of spinal conservation, individuals may empower themselves to break free from the cycle of recurring back pain and build a foundation for long-term relief.

In this comprehensive exploration, we will delve into the intricacies of each step, demystifying the cumulative effect on the spine, guiding readers through the modification of their postures for lower back pain relief, and unveiling the technique of the hip-hinge—a pivotal element in Dr. McGill’s methodology.

The information for this article is largely based on a video shared by Jeremy Ethier. Jeremy Ethier is a distinguished kinesiologist and fitness trainer who stands as a co-founder of Built With Science. With a staggering 6 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, Ethier has built a reputation for providing lucid information firmly grounded in robust scientific research.

Through practical applications and insights into incorporating these principles into daily life, this article aims to equip individuals with the knowledge needed to embark on a journey of spinal hygiene, fostering a renewed sense of spinal health and well-being.

Let’s dive deeper into McGill’s easiest way to fix lower back pain for good.

Source: Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels

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The spine, likened to a wire coat hanger by Dr. McGill, undergoes a cumulative effect with repeated bending, much like bending the hanger back and forth until it fatigues and breaks. Identifying specific postures or movements that trigger low back pain is the first step in reducing the cumulative load on the spine. Whether it’s prolonged sitting, tying shoes, or certain exercises, recognizing and modifying these activities is crucial for a sustainable solution.

Posture Modification for Lower Back Pain Relief

Dr. McGill emphasizes the importance of proper standing and sitting postures to relax the back muscles. A self-assessment allows individuals to find the position that maintains an upright posture without engaging the low back muscles. This section will guide readers through the steps of the assessment and provide insights into adopting spine-conserving postures in daily activities.

Mastering the Hip-Hinge Technique

To further enhance spinal hygiene, Dr. McGill recommends implementing a hip-hinge technique, demonstrated through the “short stop squat.” This section will break down the steps of the short stop squat, emphasizing how to maintain a pain-free or “sweet spot” posture while performing tasks like tying shoes, lifting objects, or engaging in gym workouts. The article will stress the importance of incorporating this technique into daily activities to prevent added strain on the spine.

Practical Applications in Everyday Life

This section will offer practical tips on integrating the three steps into daily routines. Readers will learn how to modify their approach to tasks like bending over, picking up objects, and even performing weightlifting exercises in the gym. The focus will be on fostering a mindset of spinal hygiene and incorporating these practices seamlessly into daily life for long-term low back pain relief.

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In the quest for sustained relief from the throes of low back pain, Dr. Stuart McGill’s three-step approach emerges as a beacon of understanding and empowerment. Through the lens of spinal hygiene, this comprehensive guide has unravelled the intricate relationship between daily movements and the well-being of the spine. Dr. McGill’s analogy of the spine as a wire coat hanger, susceptible to cumulative fatigue, resonates as a profound metaphor that encourages a shift from quick fixes to a more deliberate and mindful approach to spinal health.

As we navigate the complexities of modern life, where sedentary lifestyles and repetitive movements contribute to the prevalence of low back pain, Dr. McGill’s wisdom can help everyone. The acknowledgment that there is no universal solution for low back pain allows individuals to embark on a personalized journey of self-discovery. By identifying specific postures and movements that trigger pain, modifying daily postures for lower back pain relief, and mastering the art of the hip-hinge, individuals can reclaim agency over their spinal health.

The practical applications outlined in this guide provide a roadmap for seamlessly integrating these principles into everyday life. Whether it’s adjusting the way we tie our shoes, pick up an object, or engage in exercises at the gym, the emphasis on spinal conservation becomes a guiding principle. The incorporation of the abdominal brace, the discovery of pain-free postures, and the conscious effort to move in a spine-friendly manner are transformative steps toward mitigating stress on the lower back.

Crucially, Dr. McGill’s teachings extend beyond a mere regimen; they advocate for a paradigm shift. Spinal hygiene becomes a way of life—a commitment to moving intentionally, avoiding static positions, and nurturing the spine’s resilience. It is a holistic approach that not only aids in the recovery from existing pain but also serves as a steadfast foundation for preventing its recurrence.

In essence, the journey toward spinal health is a continuous process, requiring dedication and mindfulness. By implementing the principles discussed herein and cultivating an awareness of one’s body, individuals can forge a path to lasting relief. Dr. Stuart McGill’s three-step approach to low back pain offers not just a remedy, but a transformative philosophy—one that encourages a harmonious coexistence with the spine and a renewed sense of well-being. As we embrace the principles of spinal hygiene, we embark on a journey toward a healthier, more resilient back—one step at a time.

For a full explanation from Ethier, utilising Dr. McGill’s knowledge, simply watch the video below.

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When the new year arrives, everyone start making plans on what to change in their lives to become a better version of themselves. While some might focus on career, it is commonly known that new year’s resolution often involve some kind of fitness promise to become healthier, maybe lose weight, or get stronger.

Although BOXROX is a fitness online magazine, today we are not going to focus solely on the fitness trend of new year’s resolution. We are focusing on lifestyle changes that you can make this year to make yourself even healthier and better than what you currently are.

The information you will see in the coming paragraphs was largely based on a video shared by Dan Witmer of the Jump Rope Dudes.

The Jump Rope Dudes are a fitness duo named Brandon Epstein and Dan Witmer. They gained popularity through their YouTube channel and social media platforms, where they share jump rope workouts, tutorials, and fitness tips. Their content is known for being energetic, engaging, and focused on promoting the benefits beyond jump rope exercises for fitness. If you’re into fitness or looking for a fun way to stay active, their videos might be worth checking out.

As we embark on a new year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on our habits and consider making positive changes to enhance our overall well-being. In this article, we’ll explore five straightforward lifestyle adjustments that require minimal effort but can significantly impact your health and happiness in 2024.

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Source: Pixabay

5 Easy Lifestyle Changes to Make in 2024

Without further ado, let’s dive into the 5 easy lifestyle changes to make in 2024 that turned things around for the better for Dan Witmer and that he believes you should strive for too.

1. Cut Back on Alcohol Consumption:

After the festive season, it’s common to indulge in alcohol, but it’s essential to find a balance. Consider participating in “Dry January” or “Dry February” to give your body a break from alcohol. A great alternative is embracing mocktails, like the refreshing “Mermaid Refresher” (shared below in the video). By reducing alcohol intake, you can still enjoy socializing without the negative effects on your health.

Additionally, using apps like My Fitness Pal can help track your caloric intake and make you more aware of what you’re putting into your body. This step can be instrumental in achieving weight loss goals and building a healthier you in 2024.

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2. Align Your Sleep with Natural Rhythms:

Adopting a sleep schedule that aligns with the natural circadian rhythm can have numerous benefits. Aim to go to bed shortly after it gets dark and wake up when the sun rises. This simple adjustment can lead to better sleep quality and overall health improvements. Utilise the extra morning time for personal activities, whether it’s a workout, work, or spending quality moments with loved ones.

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3. Limit Social Media Usage:

Source: Anastasia Shuraeva on Pexels

While this article might be on a social media platform, it’s crucial to acknowledge the potential negative impact of excessive social media use, especially on platforms like Instagram and Twitter. Set boundaries by limiting your daily usage or designating specific times for social media engagement. Embrace real-life interactions, and you’ll likely experience an improvement in mood and reduced stress levels.

4. Stay Hydrated with a Water Bottle:

Hydration plays a vital role in maintaining overall health. Invest in a reusable water bottle and aim to fill it up 2-3 times a day. The recommended daily water intake is 90 to 120 ounces, and this simple habit can ensure you meet this goal effortlessly. Staying hydrated has numerous benefits, from promoting better skin health to supporting overall bodily functions.

5. Prioritize Social Interactions:

In a world dominated by screens and digital communication, it’s easy to forget the value of face-to-face interactions. Make an effort to be more social by spending time with friends and family. Engaging in activities together, whether it’s a walk, a bike ride, or a spontaneous outing, can significantly enhance your mood and motivation to achieve your goals.

These five lifestyle changes might seem simple, but their cumulative effects can lead to a healthier and happier you in 2024. By prioritizing your well-being through mindful choices in alcohol consumption, sleep patterns, social media usage, hydration, and social interactions, you’ll set yourself on a path to a more fulfilling and balanced life. Cheers to a healthier and happier 2024!

For a deeper analysis of the 5 easy lifestyle changes to make in 2024, simply click and watch the video below from the Jump Rope Dudes.

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Sticking to New Year’s resolutions can be challenging for several reasons:

1. Lack of Specificity: Many resolutions are vague and lack specific, measurable goals. Without clear objectives, it’s challenging to track progress and stay motivated.
2. Unrealistic Expectations: Setting overly ambitious goals can lead to frustration and burnout. Unrealistic expectations may make it difficult to maintain the necessary momentum to achieve long-term change.
3. Lack of Planning: Failing to create a concrete plan to achieve your resolution makes it easy to get lost or discouraged. Planning is crucial for breaking down larger goals into manageable steps.
4. Too Many Resolutions: Trying to tackle too many resolutions at once can lead to overwhelm. Focusing on a few key changes allows for better concentration and increased chances of success.
5. Lack of Accountability: Without a support system or someone to hold you accountable, it’s easy to let resolutions slide. Sharing your goals with friends or family can provide motivation and encouragement.

To make your New Year’s resolutions more achievable, consider the following tips:

1. Set Specific Goals: Be clear and precise about what you want to achieve. Instead of a vague resolution like “lose weight,” specify a goal like “lose 10 pounds by March.”
2. Break Down Goals: Divide larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks. This not only makes the process less overwhelming but also allows for more frequent feelings of accomplishment.
3. Create a Realistic Timeline: Establish a realistic timeframe for achieving your goals. Avoid setting arbitrary deadlines that may lead to unnecessary pressure.
4. Build a Support System: Share your resolutions with friends, family, or a support group. Having a network of individuals who understand your goals can provide encouragement and accountability.
5. Track Your Progress: Keep a record of your achievements and setbacks. Regularly assessing your progress allows for adjustments to your plan and helps maintain motivation.
6. Celebrate Milestones: Acknowledge and celebrate small victories along the way. Recognizing your progress reinforces positive behaviors and keeps you motivated.
7. Adjust as Needed: Life is unpredictable, and circumstances may change. Be flexible in adjusting your goals or approach if needed, but don’t use setbacks as an excuse to abandon your resolution entirely.
8. Incorporate Enjoyable Activities: Choose resolutions that align with your interests and passions. Enjoying the process makes it more likely that you’ll stick with your goals in the long run.

Remember, the key to successful resolutions is consistency and persistence. Embrace the journey, learn from setbacks, and stay committed to your goals throughout the year.

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Sleep is a necessary break for both our bodies and minds. It happens when we become less aware and most of our muscles stop moving. It’s not just a nightly break; sleep plays a big role in keeping us healthy. It’s a crucial time when our bodies repair and refresh themselves, making sure everything works well when we’re awake.

During sleep, our conscious and unconscious minds do a sort of dance. As our bodies rest, our brains get busy. They process and organize all the information we gathered throughout the day, creating memories and getting ready for the challenges of the next day.

Not getting enough sleep has well-known consequences. It takes a toll on our bodies, slowly making our physical and mental health worse. It quietly contributes to various health problems, like a weaker immune system or not thinking as clearly.

But what if you do get enough sleep and still feel really tired? That’s what Joey Schweitzer talked about. Feeling exhausted despite sleeping enough is a puzzle that many people can’t figure out. It challenges what we thought we knew about sleep fixing tiredness.

In simple terms, the talk about sleep goes beyond just having enough or not having enough. It looks into the quality of sleep, making us think about what makes sleep truly refreshing and how it balances with being awake. Joey Schweitzer’s exploration starts a bigger conversation about sleep and how it connects with our overall well-being.

If being tired almost constantly is happening to you right now, check out what Max Posternak explained recently about the reasons that might be.

Max Posternak is the founder of Gravity Transformation, a website focused on giving tips and training guidance for people looking to improve their fitness and lose weight. His YouTube channel has almost 6 million subscribers.

Let’s dig deeper into the realm of unconsciousness and recovery.

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5 Reasons Why You’re Always Tired

In today’s fast-paced world, fatigue seems to be a common complaint among individuals. Regardless of how much caffeine one consumes or how many hours of sleep are obtained, a constant state of tiredness persists. This article aims to shed light on the five proven energy drainers that may be contributing to perpetual exhaustion. By addressing these factors, individuals can experience increased vitality, motivation, and overall well-being.

1. The Caffeine Paradox

Contrary to popular belief, excessive caffeine consumption can be a significant cause of perpetual exhaustion. While caffeine provides a short-term boost by blocking the neurotransmitter adenosine, habitual consumption leads to decreased effectiveness over time. The body compensates by producing more adenosine, resulting in a cycle of increased fatigue. To break free from this cycle, it is advisable to gradually reduce caffeine intake to no more than 400 mg per day, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

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2. Dietary Habits and Nutrient Deficiencies

The standard American diet, characterized by processed foods, refined sugars, and unhealthy fats, often lacks essential nutrients. Nutritional deficiencies, such as insufficient iron, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids, can contribute to fatigue, weakness, and brain fog. Incorporating nutrient-dense foods, including lean meats, leafy greens, and a variety of fruits and vegetables, can provide the necessary micronutrients for sustained energy levels.

3. Sunlight Deprivation and Vitamin D

Lack of exposure to natural sunlight can lead to vitamin D deficiency, impacting testosterone levels, the immune system, and overall energy levels. Sunlight also regulates melatonin production, influencing the sleep-wake cycle. Spending 10 to 30 minutes in direct sunlight at least twice a week or considering vitamin D and melatonin supplementation in colder environments can help combat fatigue.

4. Sedentary Lifestyle and Lack of Exercise

Physical inactivity contributes to chronic fatigue by causing muscle loss, reduced blood circulation, and decreased energy efficiency. Incorporating regular exercise, whether through strength training or cardio, promotes cardiovascular health, releases endorphins, and enhances overall energy levels. Starting with simple activities like walking for 30 minutes a day or incorporating basic bodyweight exercises can make a significant difference.

5. Inadequate Sleep

Sleep deprivation has a profound impact on feelings of tiredness, fatigue, and overall well-being. Even a few hours less than the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night can result in difficulty concentrating, increased irritability, and impaired cognitive performance. Establishing a consistent sleep schedule, limiting screen time before bed, and creating a conducive sleeping environment can contribute to improved sleep quality.

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While addressing these five energy-draining factors can significantly improve overall vitality and well-being, persistent fatigue may be indicative of underlying health issues. It is crucial to consult with a healthcare professional if fatigue persists for more than two weeks, especially if accompanied by other symptoms. By taking proactive steps to eliminate these energy drainers, individuals can reclaim their energy, feel more refreshed, and enjoy a more fulfilling life.

For a deeper discussion on the matter, you can also watch the video below in which Max Posternak himself explains with more details these 5 reasons why you’re always tired.

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Is It Possible to Sleep and Still Feel Tired During the Day?

Yes, it is possible to sleep and still feel tired during the day. This can be due to a variety of factors, including:

1. Poor sleep quality: Even if you are getting the recommended amount of sleep each night if the quality of your sleep is poor, you may still feel tired during the day. For example, if you suffer from sleep apnea or snoring, you may not be getting enough oxygen during sleep, which can result in poor-quality sleep.
2. Sleep disorders: There are several sleep disorders, such as insomnia, narcolepsy, and restless leg syndrome, which can interfere with the quality and duration of sleep, leading to daytime fatigue.
3. Medications: Some medications can cause drowsiness or fatigue as a side effect, which can impact your energy levels during the day.
4. Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as anaemia, hypothyroidism, and diabetes, can cause fatigue and tiredness.
5. Lifestyle factors: Poor diet, lack of exercise, and high-stress levels can also contribute to feelings of fatigue and tiredness during the day.

Source: Александар Цветановић / Pexels

If you consistently feel tired during the day, despite getting enough sleep at night, it may be worth speaking to a healthcare professional to determine the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatment.

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Have you ever found yourself wishing for more discipline in your life, believing that with it, you could achieve everything you desire—whether it’s a sculpted body, a higher-paying job, or simply the satisfaction of going to bed on time?

Many people approach discipline as an elusive trait, something you either have or you don’t. However, the truth is that discipline is not an innate quality but a skill that can be developed over time.

But how can you become more disciplined for life, dieting and training? The information in this article was taken from a video shared by Marcus Filly.

Marcus Filly is the creator, founder, and CEO of Functional Bodybuilding. He is a six-time CrossFit Games athlete (2016, 12th fittest) with decades of experience coaching and designing individual and group training programs.

Let’s debunk the myth that discipline is all about sheer force. Merely forcing yourself into a routine, like waking up at 4:00 a.m. every day, might not be the most effective strategy. Instead, understanding the discipline equation can be the key to unlocking your potential.

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How To Be More Disciplined for Life, Dieting and Training

According to Steven Bartlett, a prominent figure in the field of discipline, the equation for developing discipline. Yes, it exists and it consists of three crucial factors:

1. Importance of a Goal (Subjective)
   • Your “why” is the foundation of discipline. To raise the importance of a goal, connect it to a deeper reason within yourself. For example, framing the goal around the stakes and consequences of not being disciplined can make it more meaningful.
2. Psychological Joy of Pursuing the Goal
   • Find joy in the pursuit of your goals. If a particular diet or workout routine brings you happiness, you are more likely to stick with it. Consider the joy factor when setting your goals, and make sure you enjoy the process.
3. Friction of Performing Tasks Associated with the Goal
   • Identify and minimize the friction involved in pursuing your goals. This could be the time it takes to go to the gym or the complexity of a workout routine. Reduce barriers to make it easier for yourself to stay disciplined.

Applying the Equation

Understanding the discipline equation allows you to manipulate these factors to your advantage. For instance, elevate the importance of your goal by connecting it to personal reasons or consequences. Ensure that the pursuit brings you joy by aligning it with your preferences, and reduce friction by eliminating unnecessary barriers.

Consider the example of a fitness enthusiast who strategically places workout tools at home to reduce the friction of going to the gym. By analyzing where friction exists in your life, you can take steps to remove those barriers and make discipline more achievable.

Source: Yaroslav Shuraev on Pexels

The Power of Self-Respect

Discipline is, fundamentally, about keeping commitments to yourself. It’s more socially acceptable to be our own biggest critic than our own cheerleader, but the commitments we keep to ourselves shape our self-view. Mark Manson’s wisdom rings true: “The person you have to listen to the most in life is yourself. Try not to lose their respect.”

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In essence, discipline is a daily, lifelong pursuit that involves understanding and manipulating the discipline equation to your advantage. By becoming more disciplined, you not only achieve your goals but also shape a positive self-perception and foster a deep sense of self-respect.

In the grand tapestry of life, discipline isn’t a destination you arrive at; it’s a continuous journey that unfolds every day. The idea of waiting for the perfect Monday to embark on your disciplined journey is a common misconception. The truth is, discipline starts in the present moment, not in the future. Each decision you make, no matter how small, contributes to the development of this invaluable skill.

To truly grasp the essence of discipline, it’s essential to recognize it as a dynamic force rather than a static achievement. Waiting for the “right time” to start often becomes an excuse that hinders progress. The power lies in the small, consistent actions you take daily. It’s about choosing discipline in the seemingly inconsequential moments, whether it’s resisting the urge to hit the snooze button or opting for a nutritious snack instead of a tempting indulgence.

Moreover, understanding that discipline is a lifelong pursuit means embracing the journey’s ebb and flow. There will be days when challenges seem insurmountable, and discipline feels elusive. On those days, remember that setbacks are not failures but opportunities to learn and recalibrate your approach. It’s about resilience, adaptability, and the unwavering commitment to the goals that matter most to you.

Source: Helena Lopes on Pexels

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In this ongoing pursuit, self-reflection becomes a powerful tool. Regularly assess your goals, motivations, and the joy you find in the process. Adjust the equation as needed, aligning your actions with the evolving landscape of your aspirations. The discipline equation isn’t a rigid formula; it’s a blueprint that you can modify to suit your unique circumstances and ambitions.

As you navigate the intricate dance of discipline, cultivate self-compassion. Acknowledge that perfection is an illusion and that setbacks are part of the human experience. The journey towards discipline is not about never faltering but about rising stronger each time you do. By approaching discipline with a growth mindset, you transform challenges into stepping stones toward a more disciplined and fulfilled version of yourself.

So, don’t wait for a distant Monday to make a change. Start today, armed with the understanding that discipline is a continuous, evolving journey—one that shapes not only your external achievements but also the resilient, self-respecting character you are becoming. Embrace the process, celebrate the small victories, and keep moving forward, one disciplined decision at a time.

Watch the video below for more information.

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Consistency is the linchpin of success in both diet and training for several compelling reasons. Whether you’re aiming for weight loss, muscle gain, or overall well-being, maintaining a consistent approach is imperative for achieving and sustaining your fitness goals. Let’s delve into why consistency is the key to unlocking the full potential of your diet and training endeavors:

1. Adaptation and Progression:

• The body responds positively to consistent stimuli. Regular and predictable training sessions signal to your muscles, cardiovascular system, and metabolism that adaptation is necessary. Similarly, a consistent diet provides the body with the nutrients it needs regularly, supporting overall health and performance.

2. Establishing Habits:

• Consistency helps in forming habits. When you repeatedly engage in specific dietary and training behaviors, they become ingrained in your daily routine. Habits are powerful because they require less mental effort over time, making it easier to stick to your fitness regimen.

3. Long-Term Sustainability:

• Sustainable changes happen gradually through consistent efforts. Crash diets or sporadic workout routines might yield short-term results, but they often lead to burnout or rebound effects. Consistency, on the other hand, fosters long-term sustainability, ensuring that you can maintain your dietary and training habits over the course of your life.

4. Mitigating Setbacks:

• Consistency acts as a buffer against setbacks. If you deviate from your diet or training plan occasionally, the overall impact is minimized when compared to sporadic, intense efforts followed by periods of inactivity or unhealthy eating. Consistency allows you to bounce back quickly from setbacks.

5. Optimizing Results:

• Results in both diet and training are cumulative. Small, consistent efforts compound over time, leading to significant transformations. Whether you’re aiming for fat loss, muscle gain, or improved endurance, the steady progression achieved through consistent actions maximizes your overall results.

6. Behavioral and Psychological Benefits:

• Consistency provides a sense of control and accomplishment. Knowing that you can adhere to your dietary and training commitments fosters a positive mindset, boosting your confidence and reinforcing a belief in your ability to achieve your goals.

7. Maintaining Metabolic Health:

• Regular exercise and a consistent, balanced diet play crucial roles in maintaining metabolic health. Fluctuating between extremes, such as extreme calorie restriction followed by overeating, can disrupt metabolic processes. Consistency helps regulate metabolism and promote overall well-being.

8. Reducing Decision Fatigue:

• Consistency simplifies decision-making. When your dietary and training habits are consistent, you spend less mental energy deliberating over what to eat or whether to work out. This reduction in decision fatigue allows you to focus on other aspects of your life.

In essence, consistency is the cornerstone of sustainable success in diet and training. By making small, manageable changes and adhering to them consistently, you create a foundation for long-term health and fitness. It’s not about perfection but about persistent effort and a commitment to your well-being, day in and day out.

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Longevity hacks! Lately, it has become a thing to find out how to live longer and healthier. And like any human being likes it, why not find a way to achieve that without having to go through a long and arduous process.

However, sadly, that is not how life happens. Life hacks can be helpful to some degree, but when it comes to your health, cutting corners is not advisable. Ultimately, you should consult your trusted doctor before

In a recent insightful discussion on Athleanx.com, renowned fitness experts Jeff Cavaliere and Jesse Laico uncovered 12 predictors of very poor health as individuals age.

Jeff Cavaliere is a fitness trainer, physical therapist, and the creator of the popular fitness YouTube channel called ATHLEAN-X. He is known for his expertise in strength training, conditioning, and sports medicine. Jeff Cavaliere served as the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets in Major League Baseball from 2006 to 2009.

Jesse Laico is his trusted client and now partner in business who, every once in a while, appears on the videos alongside Cavaliere.

Source: Barbara Olsen on Pexels

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Understanding and addressing these predictors early on can significantly impact the quality of life in later years. This article delves into each predictor, providing detailed insights and expert advice on how to improve them based on the valuable information shared by the experts.

1. VO2 Max – Burst Training for Cardiovascular Health (4-5 mins burst, 4-5 mins rest, 4-5 sets, once a week): Jeff and Jesse emphasize the importance of improving VO2 max, a measure of aerobic fitness. High-intensity cardiovascular conditioning, involving short bursts and adequate rest, once a week, is recommended to optimize overall cardiovascular health and decrease all-cause mortality.
2. Hydration (0.75 ounces per pound of total body weight a day): Proper hydration is crucial for cell function and overall well-being. Aim for approximately 0.75 ounces of water per pound of total body weight daily to maintain optimal hydration levels.
3. Weaknesses – Apley Scratch Test: Identifying and addressing weaknesses is crucial for maintaining functional mobility. The Apley Scratch Test is a useful assessment to gauge and work on restoring lost functionalities.
4. Corrective Exercises – Joint Protector, Decay Preventer: Incorporate corrective exercises such as joint protectors and decay preventers to prevent the decay in function, optimizing current performance, and ensuring long-term health.
5. Grip Strength – Arm Hang and Farmer Carry: Grip strength is a key indicator of overall health. Improve grip strength by incorporating exercises like the arm hang and farmer carry for a minimum of two minutes.
6. Weight Training and Limiting Machines: Weight training, especially with dumbbells and barbells, is essential for maintaining muscle mass and overall functionality. Limit reliance on machines to engage the grip strength and ensure a comprehensive workout.
7. Training Focus – Finding Your Intensity/Volume Balance for Sustainability and Longevity (10:40): Balance training intensity and volume for sustainability and longevity. High-intensity workouts provide compressive stress, while high volume may lead to junk volume. Find the right balance to optimize your fitness routine.
8. Adjusting Caloric Intake – Keep Nutrient-Dense Food, Cut Empty Calories: As muscle mass decreases with age, adjust caloric intake by focusing on nutrient-dense foods and cutting empty calories to avoid unwanted weight gain.
9. Saunas and Cold Water Immersion: Incorporate saunas and cold water immersion for 12 minutes combined per week. These modalities offer hormonal benefits and increase overall body resilience to stress.
10. Jumping and Running: Preserve the ability to jump and run for maintaining functional mobility and overall fitness as you age.
11. Mental Stress – Cognitive Weightlifting: Engage in cognitive weightlifting through activities like learning languages, reading books, engaging in conversations, solving puzzles, and using mental apps to maintain optimal brain function and mental acuity.
12. Regrets – Remove Old Regrets, Prevent New Ones from Forming: Addressing mental well-being is crucial. Work towards removing old regrets and adopting practices to prevent new ones from forming for a healthier and more fulfilling life.

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Source: Tia-Clair Toomey Instagram

In conclusion, the comprehensive insights provided by fitness experts Jeff Cavaliere and Jesse Laico serve as a roadmap for individuals seeking to defy the predictors of very poor health as they age. Each aspect, meticulously discussed in this article, offers a proactive approach to aging, emphasizing the significance of conscious choices in ensuring a healthier and more fulfilling life in later years.

Each of these predicators of very poor health, if addressed early on and worked on, you can be sure to have a healthy and somewhat injury-free life!

In essence, this comprehensive guide serves as an empowering resource for those looking to take charge of their health and well-being throughout the aging process. By incorporating these strategies into their daily lives, individuals can actively defy the predictors of very poor health and pave the way for a vibrant, healthier, and more fulfilling future.

Watch the video below for more information and the conversation between Jeff Cavaliere and Jesse Laico that is the groundwork for the article presented.

Longevity refers to the length of a person’s life, often used to describe the duration of a person’s overall health and well-being. It goes beyond just the number of years lived and encompasses the quality of life, health, and vitality during those years.

Improving longevity involves adopting healthy lifestyle choices and practices that contribute to a longer and healthier life. Here are some key factors to enhance longevity:

1. Healthy Diet: Consuming a balanced and nutrient-rich diet is crucial. Include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Limit intake of processed foods, sugary beverages, and excessive amounts of red meat.
2. Regular Exercise: Engaging in regular physical activity is a cornerstone of longevity. Both aerobic exercises (such as walking, jogging, or swimming) and strength training contribute to overall fitness and health.
3. Adequate Sleep: Quality sleep is essential for physical and mental well-being. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night to support optimal functioning of the body and mind.
4. Stress Management: Chronic stress can negatively impact health and contribute to various diseases. Adopt stress-reducing practices such as mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing, or engaging in hobbies.
5. Social Connections: Maintaining strong social ties and connections with friends and family is associated with improved mental health and longevity. Social interactions provide emotional support and a sense of belonging.
6. Avoiding Harmful Habits: Refrain from smoking and limit alcohol consumption. Smoking and excessive alcohol intake are linked to various health issues that can shorten lifespan.
7. Regular Health Check-ups: Routine medical check-ups and screenings help detect and address health issues early, increasing the chances of successful treatment and prevention.
8. Cognitive Stimulation: Keep the mind active through lifelong learning, reading, puzzles, and engaging in activities that challenge cognitive abilities. Cognitive stimulation is associated with better brain health.
9. Maintaining a Healthy Weight: Obesity is linked to a higher risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Maintaining a healthy weight through a combination of diet and exercise is essential for longevity.
10. Genetic Factors: While genetic factors play a role in longevity, lifestyle choices can significantly influence how genes are expressed. Making healthy choices can positively impact genetic predispositions.

It’s important to note that longevity is influenced by a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Adopting a holistic approach to health and consistently practicing healthy habits can contribute to a longer and more fulfilling life. Always consult with healthcare professionals for personalized advice based on individual health needs.

Why You’re Always Tired and How to Fix It

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We know, sleep is imperative for many reasons. Not only it resets your body, gives you energy for the following day, but it is also when your brain is creating synapses and fortifying memories and your muscles are repairing and getting stronger and bigger.

Needless to say that sleep is one huge contributor factor to a person’s well-being and health. But that doesn’t mean you cannot wake up at 5 in the morning to being a routine that could positively impact your life. That is what Mike Diamonds did, anyway.

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Dr. Mike Diamonds is a retired medical doctor who is now an online fitness coach and a YouTuber. He has close to a million subscribers on his channel and he usually uses his own body transformation as an example of how to help people become their better selves. He is also the creator of the website Sculpt by Science.

For an entire year, Diamonds took on the challenge of adopting Dr. Andrew Huberman’s morning routine. If you’re not familiar with Andrew Huberman, he is a neuroscientist and tenured Professor in the Department of Neurobiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

It was Huberman’s morning routine that Mike did it religiously for an entire year and decided to share the insights in a video he uploaded. Below you will find the key takeaways from his 5am morning routine that will change your life, should you choose to follow too.

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The 5am Morning Routine that Will Change Your Life

Before we get into the results and what Mike’s learned, let’s rewind 11 months, where Mike stumbled upon Huberman’s video. It hit him hard. Ever felt like the person you are meets the one you could’ve been? Mike was in that mental paralysis, screaming for help. Huberman’s wisdom became his lifeline, and he shared the journey on YouTube—1.4 million views later, here we are.

Now, Huberman’s routine, in a nutshell. First off, rise and shine at 6:30 a.m. No need to religiously follow the 5:00 a.m. club; just ensure it’s early. The golden hours from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. are your secret weapon against distractions—no texts, no social media. Time to execute the game plan.

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But how does one pull off waking up early? Simple. Set goals the night before, write them down, set an alarm in another room, and voila! You’re up, no excuses. Now, the game-changer—salted water instead of your beloved morning coffee. Delaying caffeine intake by 90 minutes syncs with your body’s natural rhythms, making that java jolt more potent.

Next up, soak in the morning sun. A 15-minute walk not only fuels your vitamin D but sets the tone for an energetic day. Combine this with intermittent fasting, a powerhouse for fat loss, muscle gain, and overall metabolic awesomeness.

Now, Mike’s personal favourite—fasted workouts. Caffeine becomes your workout buddy, and trust him, it’s a game-changer in a caloric deficit. But let’s talk cold showers. Tough to stick with, but the energy rush, muscle recovery, and immunity boost make them worth it.

Source: Pixabay

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Into the focused work zone. Dr. Huberman’s golden 90 minutes of distraction-free productivity. Turn off the phone, avoid the internet, and tackle your most important tasks. Break your fast with oatmeal or just find your flexible rhythm.

“It doesn’t have to be done in the order Andrew Huberman has done them, but including them into your day-to-day routine will be super effective and having this level of flexibility will be to your advantage,” Diamonds says.

Sometimes, Mike break his fast accordingly, sometimes sooner and sometimes earlier. “But I’ll make sure that I’m always eating in an 8-hour window period and that I’m fasting for 6 hours […] because those are the hours that work for me.”

In the end, it’s not about a rigid routine but incorporating these gems into your day. So, what’s your take? Have you tried any of these tips? Wake up at the crack of dawn, fasting ninja, or cold shower warrior?

Give it a go and you might inspire the next in line.

Watch the video below for more information from Mike Diamonds himself.

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The phrase “prevention is better than cure” has taken a whole new meaning. Or better, it has expanded its meaning. Exercise could be seen before as a prevention to ageing, diseases such as heart attack or obesity. Some would even say it keeps a person’s health issues at bay.

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In an era dominated by social media, where carefully curated images flood our screens, the issue of body dysmorphia has surged, particularly among the younger demographic. The relentless pursuit of an idealized appearance has become a pervasive challenge, with individuals preoccupied by their physical image, often to a pathological extent. This phenomenon extends beyond mere concerns about personal aesthetics; it significantly interferes with daily life, leading to increased levels of anxiety, depression, and distorted body image.

As we navigate through this complex issue, it becomes crucial to delve deep into the roots of body dysmorphia, exploring its connections with societal pressures, the influence of social media, and even the role of plastic surgery in attempting to attain an unrealistic standard of beauty. The rise of platforms like Instagram, where visual perfection is often the norm, exacerbates the problem, fostering an environment where individuals feel compelled to present only their best, filtered selves.

Plastic surgery, often misconceived as a solution to body dysmorphia, is debunked by professionals in the field. Plastic surgeons actively look for signs of body dysmorphia and emphasize that surgical procedures are not a cure for the underlying psychiatric condition. The desire for physical transformation through surgery is merely a symptom of the broader issue at hand.

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Moreover, the prevalence of filters and digital enhancements further skews our perception of reality. The unattainable standards set by these digitally altered images create a perpetual cycle of dissatisfaction, leading to a continuous quest for an elusive perfection that can never be naturally achieved. The societal pressure to conform to these unrealistic ideals has driven many to extreme measures, from cosmetic enhancements to the adoption of harmful practices.

In this environment, influencers and celebrities play a pivotal role, inadvertently contributing to the perpetuation of unrealistic beauty standards. The pervasive influence of individuals like the Kardashians and Kylie Jenner, who may themselves utilize various enhancements, can inadvertently fuel the desire for unattainable physiques and features.

The information below regarding body dysmorphia was based on a video shared by Will Tennyson. Will Tennyson is a Canadian YouTuber who uploads fitness routines, nutrition advice and lifestyle content on his channel which has more than 2 million subscribers. He struggled with body image as a younger kid but has since bounced back after discovering weightlifting and he wants to make people as enthusiastic about fitness and wellness as he is.

The article sheds light on the increasing trend of body sculpting procedures, such as high-definition liposuction and implants, as individuals seek quick fixes to meet societal expectations. The quest for an idealized physique has evolved, with procedures aiming to sculpt bodies into shapes that may be physically unattainable through natural means.

We need to understand the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of body dysmorphia, considering its multifaceted origins and the far-reaching consequences of societal pressures and digital influences. As the article unfolds, it aims to not only illuminate the problem but also explore potential solutions and ways to foster a healthier relationship with one’s body image.

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Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

The Truth about Body Dysmorphia

The Influence of Social Media

The rise of social media platforms, particularly Instagram, has significantly contributed to the exacerbation of body dysmorphia. In an era where curated images dominate feeds, individuals are constantly exposed to idealized and often digitally altered representations of beauty. Filters and photo-editing tools further distort reality, creating unrealistic standards that can lead to detrimental effects on mental health.

The Kardashian Effect and Plastic Surgery

In the quest for the perfect physique, individuals often resort to plastic surgery influenced by celebrities like the Kardashians and Kylie Jenner. However, plastic surgery is not a solution for body dysmorphia; rather, it is a psychiatric issue that requires therapeutic intervention. The pressure to conform to societal beauty standards, perpetuated by influencers, leads to a dangerous cycle of anxiety, depression, and body image issues.

The Dangers of Unrealistic Beauty Standards

Social media’s visual nature perpetuates unrealistic beauty standards, setting unattainable ideals that drive individuals to extreme measures. From cosmetic enhancements to fitness fads, people chase after physical perfection, unaware that many influencers use filters and manipulations to present an altered reality. This constant pursuit takes a toll on mental health, fostering anxiety and dissatisfaction with one’s own body.

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The Rise of Aesthetic Procedures

The popularity of aesthetic procedures such as Brazilian butt lifts, liposuction, and body sculpting reflects the societal pressure to attain the “perfect” body. However, these procedures do not address the underlying psychological issues associated with body dysmorphia. Plastic surgeons, recognizing the importance of mental well-being, often turn away individuals displaying signs of body dysmorphia.

Plastic Surgery as a Solution?

Source: cottonbro studio on Pexels

Despite the increasing demand for plastic surgery, it is crucial to understand that it is not a solution for body dysmorphia. Plastic surgeons emphasize the importance of mental health assessments before undergoing any procedure. The consultation process involves educating individuals about realistic expectations and dispelling the influence of filtered images and social media illusions.

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The Impact on the Younger Generation

The younger generation, heavily exposed to social media, faces immense pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards. Influencers and celebrities play a significant role in shaping perceptions of an ideal physique. Conversations with young individuals reveal a constant desire for physical improvement, driven by comparisons with digitally altered images on social media.

Source: Anastasia Shuraeva on Pexels

Seeking Solutions and Mental Health Awareness

To address body dysmorphia, there is a need for increased mental health awareness, especially among the younger generation. Encouraging open conversations, promoting self-acceptance, and fostering a culture of diverse beauty can contribute to a healthier mindset. Additionally, early intervention through therapy and counselling can help individuals confront underlying issues and build resilience against societal pressures.

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In conclusion, the pervasive issue of body dysmorphia demands our collective attention and a concerted effort to challenge the unrealistic beauty standards that underpin it. As we reflect on the complex interplay of societal pressures, digital influences, and the quest for an unattainable ideal, it becomes evident that addressing this concern requires a multifaceted approach.

Firstly, fostering media literacy is crucial. Empowering individuals, especially the younger generation, with the tools to critically assess and deconstruct the images presented on social media can significantly impact their perception of beauty. Highlighting the prevalence of digital alterations and the often deceptive nature of curated online personas can contribute to a more realistic understanding of self-image.

Moreover, promoting diverse representations of beauty is essential. The beauty industry, media outlets, and influencers hold significant sway in shaping cultural ideals. By actively showcasing a variety of body types, skin tones, and features, these influential entities can contribute to a more inclusive definition of beauty—one that embraces diversity and rejects the narrow constraints of an idealized norm.

Source: RDNE Stock project on Pexels

Education and awareness campaigns are instrumental in challenging the stigma associated with mental health and body dysmorphia. Encouraging open conversations about these topics not only reduces the sense of isolation for those struggling but also normalizes seeking help. Mental health professionals play a pivotal role in providing support and guiding individuals towards constructive coping mechanisms.

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Plastic surgeons and aesthetic professionals, too, have a responsibility to prioritize the mental well-being of their patients. Thorough assessments for signs of body dysmorphia, coupled with ethical practices that prioritize psychological health over unnecessary procedures, can contribute to a more responsible approach to aesthetic enhancements.

Ultimately, the journey towards a healthier relationship with body image requires a collective effort. From policymakers shaping regulations around advertising and media content to individuals challenging their own biases and embracing self-acceptance, everyone has a role to play. As we mark the one-year anniversary of this exploration into body dysmorphia, let it serve as a reminder that the path to positive change begins with understanding, empathy, and a commitment to redefining beauty on more compassionate and inclusive terms.

Watch the video below.

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Staying young, both physically and mentally, offers a multitude of health benefits that extend beyond the pursuit of aesthetic appeal. First and foremost, maintaining a youthful lifestyle contributes to enhanced physical well-being. Regular exercise, a cornerstone of youthfulness, not only helps in maintaining a healthy weight but also boosts cardiovascular health, strengthens bones, and improves overall flexibility. These physical benefits, in turn, reduce the risk of chronic conditions and promote longevity.

Secondly, embracing a youthful mindset fosters mental resilience and cognitive well-being. Engaging in activities that challenge the mind, such as learning new skills or participating in social interactions, promotes neuroplasticity— the brain’s ability to adapt and grow. This can lead to improved memory, cognitive function, and a reduced risk of age-related cognitive decline. Moreover, a positive and curious mindset associated with youthfulness contributes to lower stress levels, better mental health, and an overall sense of vitality.

Lastly, the pursuit of staying young encourages healthy lifestyle habits, including proper nutrition and skincare. A well-balanced diet rich in antioxidants and nutrients supports cellular health, skin elasticity, and immune function. Adequate skincare, with practices such as sun protection and hydration, not only enhances external appearance but also promotes skin health, reducing the risk of skin-related issues. Ultimately, the holistic approach to staying young intertwines physical, mental, and lifestyle factors, fostering a comprehensive foundation for overall well-being.

Source: Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels

But how can one simply explain 3 habits a person needs to stay young? Well, we leaned into a video shared by Brendan Jones, from the Goal Guys, and his journey to achieve better health and longevity.

The Goal Guys are two brothers (Brendan and Cam Jones) with a YouTube channel with more than 400,000 subscribers. They share videos in which they take on “different goals in fitness and productivity.”

Hang on as this is going to be a lengthy ride as we learn through Brendan’s eyes how and what he learned about longevity and health. Or you can just skip to the last paragraph to see Brendan’s takeaways on the 3 habits you need to stay young.

3 Habits You Should Have to Stay Young

Brendan Jones, a 24-year-old man, has been worried about getting older since his hairline started to recede. He’s afraid of getting wrinkles, losing strength, and running out of time to accomplish his goals. However, he’s been told that many of his fears about aging are unfounded. There are a few key habits he can adopt to slow down the aging process and one major change he can make to avoid living a shorter life.

In her book “True Age,” pathologist Dr. Morgan Levine argues that rather than looking at Brendan’s chronological age (how many years he’s been alive), he should instead focus his attention on his biological age, which tracks the rate at which his body is changing and breaking down over time. It sounds complicated to track all this information, but everything Brendan needs can be found in a simple blood test. By tracking these changes, it’s possible for Brendan to enjoy a full year of life while his biological age barely gets older.

Hoping to find his own affordable way to biohack his aging, Brendan read through Dr. Levine’s book and discovered he had a number of habits that might be causing him to age faster than he originally thought.

When it comes to decrease biological age, the key is to increase capacity for resilience. If you push yourself out of the comfort zone, your body’s response will go into a different mode where it restores and repairs itself.

This repeated cycle of stress and response tends to cause biological age to flatline so the body can remain fit and ready to take on whatever challenge comes its way.

Easily the most studied approach for creating a stress and response cycle to slow down aging can be achieved through diet. By changing how much, when, or just what foods to eat, researchers first found a link between diet and longevity when they began testing subjects on calorie-restricted diets. The subjects were still getting the levels of nutrition they needed, but they were doing so in a 20-calorie deficit until their bodies reached the low end of their ideal weight.

As someone who spent a decent amount of time trying to build muscle, the prospect of cutting until he’s 15 pounds lighter and below 140 pounds is not appealing at all to Brendan.

He then explores alternatives to traditional calorie restriction for extending his lifespan, discovering promising options like time-restricted eating and fasting. These methods trigger a stress-response cycle similar to calorie restriction without necessitating significant weight loss. A six-month study on time-restricted eating showcased participants testing two and a half years younger upon completion, actively reversing the aging process.

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Seeking a manageable approach, Brendan finds time-restricted eating requires only willpower within a designated window of time. Diversifying his dietary strategy, Brendan reevaluates specific foods, uncovering that diets high in animal protein may accelerate aging. Considering plant-based protein sources like quinoa, lentils, or beans becomes an appealing substitute, aligning with his goal of extending life. This exploration signifies a pivotal step in Brendan’s journey toward a more mindful and intentional approach to nutrition and aging.

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The second way he can apply short-term stress to his life in order to slow down the effects of Father Time, and that is through exercise. If he wants to live longer, he needs to work harder.

Brendan’s commitment to exercise is evident as his alarm blares at 2 AM, signaling the start of his running routine with unwavering dedication. However, moderation is the cornerstone of his approach to exercise longevity. Striking a balance that challenges his body without risking overtraining is crucial—no excuses, no quitting, but no compromising recovery.

Acknowledging the pitfalls of extreme training, Brendan opts for a more sustainable path. Ultra-marathon runners, studied for their aging patterns, revealed that pushing too hard could accelerate aging. The quest for longevity through exercise involves finding the sweet spot—pushing oneself without exceeding limits. Enter high-intensity interval training (HIIT), a program hailed by researchers for its ability to strike this balance effectively.

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Source: RUN 4 FFWPU / Pexels

HIIT’s principle involves pushing to the maximum intensity for short bursts, followed by a break allowing the heart rate to settle back to around 60% of capacity. This cycle, coupled with resistance exercise, addresses the two vital components of long-term health: cardio and strength. Brendan’s commitment to this balanced and efficient exercise regimen underscores his dedication to optimizing his well-being for the journey ahead.

If Brendan knows how to slow down aging through the right diet and exercise, what are the areas of life that will cause his internal clock to tick faster, causing him to grow old ahead of his chronological age? Acknowledging the well-known culprits like smoking and binge drinking, Brendan focuses on the paradoxical relationship between moderate stress, daily stressors, and their impact on the aging process.

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In Brendan’s exploration, he recognizes that while the key to slowing down aging lies in building resilience through moderate stress, the day-to-day stress in our lives seems to counterintuitively speed up our biological clocks. Work-related anxieties, financial stress, or the perennial feeling of time scarcity trigger the production of cortisol, initiating the body’s fight or flight response.

While cortisol itself is not inherently harmful, the problem arises when its production remains active throughout the day, fuelled by a ceaseless influx of text and email alerts, social commitments, and even concerns about the taste of a meatless chili. Brendan reflects on Dr. Levine’s insights, emphasizing that, despite our stable physical needs for shelter and food, the modern era introduces higher levels of daily stress, impacting sleep quality and compromising the immune system’s ability to ward off sickness and disease.

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Understanding that reducing stress isn’t as straightforward as changing dietary habits or incorporating exercise, Brendan cites Stanford researchers who assert that transforming how stress is perceived can significantly alter its effects on health and performance. Individuals who embrace the positive aspects of stress, viewing it as an energy source and motivator, tend to perform better and experience positive health effects compared to those who solely perceive stress as a negative force to be avoided.

Brendan identifies a second key to mitigating the adverse impacts of stress—fostering a mindset that emphasizes the ability to succeed despite difficult circumstances and a willingness to reach out to others before feeling overwhelmed and run down. This insight leads Brendan to a broader societal observation, noting a sharp decrease in social connections and a rise in loneliness among young people. He laments the shift towards spending more time alone, a trend exacerbated by factors like technology, modern work culture, and urban environments fostering isolation.

Sharing a personal note about moving to a new city during lockdowns, Brendan admits to the challenges of building new connections and finding close friendships. Despite acknowledging the complexities of addressing societal changes contributing to loneliness, Brendan emphasizes the individual responsibility to invest effort in building and maintaining friendships. He encourages a shift in priorities, urging people to allocate time for social interactions alongside work, exercise, and personal pursuits.

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

In Brendan’s view, there’s no ideal number of friends, but the consensus suggests that maintaining three to six close relationships is sufficient for a rich and socially fulfilling life. While building connections may not be inherently easy, Brendan underscores the significance of starting with one or two meaningful connections, positioning individuals halfway towards a socially fulfilling life.

According to Brendan Jones’ exploration of staying young, three key habits include:

1. Moderate Stress with Resilience Building:
   • Embrace moderate stress that pushes individuals out of their comfort zones, fostering resilience.
   • View stress as a positive force that energises and motivates rather than solely a negative to be avoided.
   • Cultivate a mindset that emphasizes the ability to succeed despite difficult circumstances.
2. Mindful Diet and Exercise:
   • Adopt a diet that promotes longevity, considering factors like calorie restriction, time-restricted eating, and choosing plant-based proteins over heavy reliance on animal proteins.
   • Engage in exercise with moderation, focusing on finding a balance that challenges the body without leading to overtraining.
   • Incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and resistance exercise for optimal cardiovascular and strength benefits.
3. Nurture Social Connections:
   • Prioritise building and maintaining meaningful social connections.
   • Acknowledge the importance of friendships for both mental and physical health.
   • Actively invest time and effort in fostering social relationships, understanding that even a small handful of close connections can contribute to a socially fulfilling life.

Drawing inspiration from Dr. Levine’s book, Brendan’s biggest takeaway is the power of small changes. He rejects the notion that drastic measures like working out for six hours a day or spending millions of dollars are prerequisites for slowing the effects of aging. Instead, Brendan advocates for meaningful changes tailored to individual lifestyles and schedules, urging others not to let stress weigh them down. In a concluding note, Brendan reassures readers to embrace the aging process and not to panic when blowing out the candles on their birthdays.

These habits, according to Brendan, offer a holistic approach to slowing down the aging process, emphasizing the power of small changes tailored to individual lifestyles.

Watch his video below for all the information you want about these 3 habits you should have to stay young.

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Inflammation has become a buzzword in various industries, with everyone from celebrities to doctors promoting products and protocols to combat it. However, the narrative around inflammation is not as simple as it seems.

Inflammation is a natural response of the body’s immune system to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. It is a complex process that involves a coordinated response from various cells and molecules. Inflammation can be acute or chronic.

Contrary to the common belief that all inflammation is bad, there are nuances to consider. This article explores the multifaceted nature of inflammation, delving into its types, functions, and when it can be beneficial or harmful.

Dr Mike Israetel, PhD in Sport Physiology and co-founder of Renaissance Periodization, is a well-respected professor in the bodybuilding community. He doesn’t only talk about workouts and fitness tips, he often dives deep into health and nutrition.

It was Mike Israetel who shared a lot of information about inflammation, if it is good or bad for muscle gains, in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel and that we use as background information for this article. Check it out.

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Is Inflammation Actually GOOD for Muscle Gains?

The first misconception to address is that inflammation is a one-size-fits-all problem. In reality, there are two main categories of inflammation: local and systemic. Local inflammation occurs in specific areas, like an inflamed elbow or sore muscles after a workout. On the other hand, systemic inflammation involves the entire body and can be assessed through blood markers and scans.

Surprisingly, inflammation is not always the villain it’s made out to be. Local muscle inflammation, such as the soreness experienced after a workout, plays a crucial role in muscle remodeling and growth. High doses of anti-inflammatories around the workout window can hinder muscle growth, highlighting the complexity of inflammation’s role in the body.

Moreover, research suggests that even in cases of traumatic injuries like broken bones or torn tendons, excessive use of anti-inflammatories may slow down the healing process. Short bouts of local inflammation are essential for healing, making it clear that inflammation is not universally detrimental.

While inflammation can be beneficial in certain contexts, it becomes problematic when excessive. Even local inflammation, if too intense, can impede the healing process by causing secondary damage. Systemic inflammation, especially when chronic, is often an indicator of underlying health issues. Conditions like metabolic syndrome and obesity are associated with systemic low-level chronic inflammation, demanding attention from medical professionals.

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Chronic inflammation, whether local or systemic, requires careful consideration. In the case of acute bouts of inflammation, the body’s adaptive process is at play, making individuals stronger and more resilient. However, when inflammation becomes chronic and low-level, it can persist unnoticed, leading to potential long-term health issues.

Inflammation is a complex aspect of the body’s response to various stimuli, not always an adversary. Its nuanced nature demands an understanding of its diverse forms and functions. While acute inflammation is a natural and essential part of the healing process, chronic inflammation, if prolonged, can lead to health issues like arthritis and cardiovascular diseases. Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach of seeking anti-inflammatory solutions, individuals should approach inflammation with a nuanced perspective, considering its context and potential benefits or harms.

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Addressing the root causes of chronic inflammation is crucial for long-term well-being. Lifestyle factors, such as poor diet, lack of exercise, stress, and inadequate sleep, contribute significantly to chronic inflammation. Additionally, underlying health conditions like obesity or autoimmune disorders may amplify inflammatory responses. Instead of focusing solely on symptom relief, a more effective strategy involves identifying and rectifying these root causes.

A holistic perspective on inflammation emphasizes the importance of lifestyle choices in promoting immune system balance. Prioritizing a nutrient-rich diet, regular exercise, stress management, and sufficient sleep can contribute to reducing chronic inflammation.

This proactive approach not only mitigates the risks associated with persistent inflammation but also fosters overall well-being by supporting the body’s natural healing processes. In summary, understanding inflammation’s nuances and addressing its root causes provides a comprehensive strategy for maintaining optimal health.

Watch the video below for more information from Mike Israetel himself.

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What types of exercise are best for reducing inflammation?

All types of exercise can help reduce inflammation, but some types are more effective than others. Aerobic exercise, such as running, swimming, and biking, is particularly effective at reducing inflammation. Strength training is also beneficial, as it can help to build muscle, which can help to reduce inflammation over time.

How much exercise do you need to do to reduce inflammation?

The amount of exercise you need to do to reduce inflammation depends on your individual fitness level and goals. However, most experts recommend that you aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.

Other tips for reducing inflammation

In addition to exercise, there are a number of other things you can do to reduce inflammation, such as:

• Eating a healthy diet that is low in processed foods and added sugar
• Getting enough sleep
• Managing stress levels
• Taking anti-inflammatory supplements

If you are concerned about inflammation, talk to your doctor. They can help you develop a plan to reduce inflammation and improve your overall health.

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Whether you’re clinging to the railings to ascend a staircase, struggling to raise your arms for simple tasks like brushing your hair, or grappling for support as you lower yourself onto a toilet seat, the culprit is all too familiar—muscle soreness. Despite our attempts to endure and push through the discomfort that follows an intense workout, muscle soreness can significantly disrupt our daily lives. The hindrance goes beyond merely impacting routine activities like sitting and standing; it often necessitates extra days off to facilitate full recovery, ultimately delaying the next challenging workout. This reduction in training frequency becomes a crucial factor affecting overall fitness progress.

It appears that muscle damage, which is often associated with the sore feeling, isn’t as crucial for muscle growth as once believed. Surprisingly, excessive muscle damage might even hinder the process of building new muscle. This revelation turns the tables on the traditional understanding of muscle soreness as a necessary step for progress. Instead of being a straightforward sign of gains, too much soreness can delay your return to the gym and impede overall fitness advancement.

This article aims to debunk such myths and offer practical tips to optimize recovery after a workout. The insights shared here are credited to Max Posternak, the visionary behind Gravity Transformation. With a substantial following of over 5.5 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, Max has established himself as a trusted source for fitness enthusiasts seeking valuable advice and effective training tips. His dedication to providing insights into fitness improvement and weight loss makes his perspective on post-workout soreness both relevant and valuable for those on their fitness journey.

Below you will see Posternak’s 5 ways to reduce muscle soreness instantly.

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5 Ways to Reduce Muscle Soreness Instantly

In a video, Posternak explored the 5 most effective ways to swiftly relieve muscle soreness, allowing you to resume your daily life unhindered and perform optimally during your workouts.

While many trainers advocate stretching immediately after a workout as the primary defence against soreness, recent studies question its effectiveness in reducing delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). That is not to say you shouldn’t stretch immediately after working out. You should. But that is not what is going to help you with muscle soreness.

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In fact, foam rolling, also known as self-myofascial release, has demonstrated more significant benefits for relieving muscle soreness. This technique involves using a foam roller to massage yourself, primarily targeting the stretching and loosening of fascia around muscles and reducing the intensity of sore spots. Proper execution of foam rolling leads to decreased muscle and joint pain, improved circulation, and enhanced mobility.

Source: CrossFit Invictus

To make foam rolling effective, it’s crucial to proceed slowly, rolling up and down the recently worked muscles. When encountering sore spots, pause and apply gentle pressure for 20 to 30 seconds before continuing. Avoid the misconception of sitting on painful spots for extended periods, as this can exacerbate inflammation. Thirty seconds is the recommended duration before moving on, with the option to revisit sore spots later. Additionally, allocate extra time to roll out the muscle areas closer to their joints. While foam rolling directly after a workout promotes blood flow and circulation, it’s an activity that can benefit you beyond that specific timeframe.

The second tip to reduce muscle soreness instantly is to take ice baths or cold showers. Compared to simply resting, studies have indicated that taking a shower with water between or immersion cold baths helps reduce inflammation, which is the indication of muscle soreness. If you do cold showers, try not to exceed 6-8 minutes if you are just starting. In the shower, try to adapt first with 1 minute of cold and 1 minute of warm water.

Source: Cold Plunge

The Best Exercises to Live Longer and Healthier

Thirdly, you will want to eat enough of the right macro and micronutrients. “Without enough essential amino acids in your diet, your muscles will take a lot longer to recover,” Posternak says. So make sure you are eating 0.8-1.3 grams of protein per pound of your bodyweight.

But protein is not the only thing that helps you build muscle and fight soreness. Fat in the form of omega-3 fatty acids as well as DHA, EPA and ALA have been linked to a reduction of inflammation. You can get those nutrients from salmon, avocado, tuna, flax seeds, mackerel, and walnuts. Also, stay away from fried foods, processed meat, sodas, refined carbs and low-quality red meat.

You also will reduce muscle soreness instantly if you stay active. By staying active, you will increase blood flow to your sore muscles and you will recover from them faster. But don’t go all out. Aim for low-intensity active recovery for those sore muscles. If your legs are sore, for example, try a couple of minutes on a stationary bike or simply take a walk. A light yoga session can also help, or simply do easy bodyweight movements for the muscles that you feel sore.

Source: Katie Bush on Unsplash

The last tip from Posternak is to use heat to decrease your soreness. However, you can go wrong with this. Posternak says that if you use heat immediately after a workout, you will probably end up with more inflammation compared to doing nothing at all. For that, you use cold therapy mentioned in tip number 2.

However, a day or two after the workout is over, when the soreness has already started to kick in, a sauna, jacuzzi or steam room can help you with decreasing inflammation and getting muscle soreness alleviated.

Ultimately, grasping the intricacies of muscle soreness proves pivotal in unlocking maximum gains and thwarting setbacks on your fitness expedition.

Even though soreness might not have a direct correlation with muscle growth, embracing recovery strategies supported by evidence elevates both performance and overall well-being. This collective strategy forms a comprehensive framework for expeditious recovery and enduring progress.

To get a deeper understanding of the 5 ways to reduce muscle soreness instantly, watch the video below.

Top Exercises and HIIT Dumbbell Workouts to Improve Strength and Endurance

The research used to come up with these 5 ways to reduce muscle soreness instantly are below:

Stretching Does Not Reduce Muscle Soreness After A Workout

Foam Rolling Beneficial For Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Meta Analysis of Ice Baths and Cold Water’s Effect on Doms

Inflammation and Fatty Acids

Diet’s Without Fruit and Veggies Cause Slower Muscle Recovery

There are also other ways to reduce muscle soreness not mentioned above. You can see them in the link below.

7 Underrated Ways to Relieve Muscle Soreness

To discover how to fix lower back pain in an instant, we look no further than the expertise of Jeff Cavaliere. Jeff Cavaliere was the head physical therapist of the New York Mets for 3 years and is now a YouTube sensation. He delivers clear information without noise on his ATHLEAN-X YouTube channel.

When it comes to changing things around in your daily routine to fix some discomfort or pain, Cavaliere is someone you can rely on. So the next few paragraphs are based on what he talked about regarding how to fix lower back pain in an instant.

6 Stretches to Reduce and Prevent Injury

How To Fix Lower Back Pain in an Instant

The information presented in the following paragraphs was based on a video shared by Cavaliere where he unravels the enigma surrounding the gluteus medius—the elusive culprit behind your back pain. Below you will see an exercise that can provide instant relief and also other exercises engineered to permanently banish the lower back pain issue from your life altogether.

You can perform a quick self-assessment by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and raising one foot off the ground. Take note of whether the opposite hip noticeably drops. If it does, it suggests weakness in the gluteus medius on that side. Repeat the test with the other foot and observe if you need to shift your weight significantly to lift the foot. This imbalance in weight distribution can particularly impact activities like squatting.

To swiftly address this issue, lie down with the affected side on top – if your right lower back is bothering you, lie on your left hip. Locate the tender area just outside the bony prominence of your pelvis and apply pressure with your thumb. While maintaining this pressure, move your leg down and forward and then back and upward. Extend your hip and lift your leg sideways towards the ceiling, ensuring your toes point downward to engage the gluteus medius. Repeat this motion approximately 10 times until you feel the muscle tension release.

Subsequently, you can alleviate the spasm in the trigger point by fully contracting the gluteus medius and holding this position for as long as you can. Since this muscle is often weak, you may only manage 30 seconds to a minute. Afterwards, stand up, and you should experience immediate relief on the affected side.

The Best Exercises to Live Longer and Healthier

Sustained consistency is crucial. As you ease tension in this muscle, you’ll likely notice improvements in your squat performance. Increased depth and alleviation of any previous low back discomfort during exercises can be attributed to the restored equilibrium in force between both legs.

While this provides a rapid but temporary solution, the root cause, being the weak gluteus medius, necessitates consistent exercises for your low back.

Here are 3 exercises, each meticulously tailored to bestow resilience upon your low back. First on this triad is the “hip bump” against an accommodating wall. Next emerges the “sack swinger,” a whimsically named contender that embraces resourcefulness by commandeering a dog leash instead of a conventional dip belt. And rounding off this trinity, a call to revisit the very movement that constituted your treatment, now impeccably repurposed as a low back fortification exercise.

In summation, consistency is your faithful companion on this transformative journey. As the orchestration of muscular equilibrium unfolds, you’ll likely marvel at the crescendo in your squat performance—deeper depths and an absence of erstwhile low back vexations will bear testimony to the harmonious unity of force between your ambidextrous lower limbs.

For a full explanation and video orientation on how to perform the exercises that will help you find out how to fix lower back pain in an instant, play it below.

10 Best Stretches For Lower Back Pain and Stiffness

3 Unusual Stretches for Better Flexibility

Top Exercises and HIIT Dumbbell Workouts to Improve Strength and Endurance

While nutrition alone cannot prevent injuries, maintaining a healthy and balanced diet can play a crucial role in supporting overall health and reducing the risk of certain injuries. Adequate nutrition provides the body with essential nutrients and supports various physiological processes that contribute to injury prevention. Here are a few ways proper nutrition can help:

1. Bone health: Consuming sufficient amounts of calcium, vitamin D, and other essential nutrients helps promote strong bones and reduces the risk of fractures and stress fractures.
2. Muscle strength and recovery: Consuming enough protein, which is crucial for muscle repair and growth, can help maintain muscle strength and support recovery after exercise or physical activity. Strong muscles provide better stability and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries.
3. Ligament and tendon health: Consuming a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants helps support the health and integrity of ligaments and tendons, reducing the risk of sprains, strains, and tendonitis.
4. Inflammation reduction: A diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, can help reduce chronic inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation can contribute to injury development and delay the healing process.
5. Weight management: Maintaining a healthy weight through a balanced diet can reduce the strain on joints and lower the risk of injuries, particularly in weight-bearing activities.
6. Hydration: Staying properly hydrated supports optimal joint lubrication, muscle function, and overall physical performance. It can help prevent dehydration-related issues, such as muscle cramps and fatigue, which can increase the risk of injuries.

While nutrition is an important aspect of injury prevention, it should be combined with other preventive measures, such as proper warm-up and cool-down routines, appropriate training techniques, rest and recovery, and overall good physical conditioning. Consulting with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian can provide personalized guidance on nutrition strategies to support injury prevention based on individual needs and circumstances.

Stop Sitting, Start Stretching: 5 Tips To Improve Flexibility

HIIT Workouts for Men Over 50

Dr Aaron Horschig is a physical therapist, coach, and creator of Squat University. He is one of the most respected authorities when it comes to squatting and everything related to your stance and knees.

Although people grew up acknowledging that shoes are designed to protect our feet, this fact is a bit skewed. Yes, it protects our feet from stepping on something that could hurt us, or from the elements of nature, but shoes as we know can also be doing more harm than good.

See below what Horschig had to say about all of this.

12 Unique Exercises You Are Not Doing (But Should)

Source: Isaac Taylor on Pexels

What Happens to Your Body if You Don’t Wear Shoes for 30 Days?

According to Dr Aaron Horschig, there are 6 big things you will notice if you don’t wear shoes for 30 days.

1. Toes spread out – a sign of a healthy foot
2. Less foot pain – specifically those people dealing with plantar fasciitis
3. Stronger feet – by allowing your toes to flat out on the ground enhancing foot function and stability
4. Better arch control
5. Improved balance – great for athletes and to reduce falls and risk of injury
6. Enhanced lifting technique – better foot stability leads to better lifting technique as a whole

See the video for a full explanation from Dr Aaron Horschig.

6 Best Exercises for Lower Back Pain

3 Unusual Stretches for Better Flexibility

The Best Exercises to Live Longer and Healthier

Walking barefoot, also known as barefoot walking or barefooting, has gained popularity due to its potential benefits for foot health and overall well-being. Here are a few reasons why some people choose to walk barefoot:

1. Strengthening the feet: Walking barefoot allows the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the feet to work more naturally. It can help improve foot strength, balance, and stability, as the feet are actively engaged in adapting to different surfaces.
2. Enhancing proprioception: Proprioception refers to the body’s ability to sense its position, movement, and balance. Walking barefoot stimulates the nerve endings in the feet, enhancing proprioceptive feedback and promoting better body awareness and coordination.
3. Improving foot mechanics: Wearing shoes, especially those with thick soles or arch support, can alter natural foot mechanics. Walking barefoot allows the foot to move and flex more freely, promoting a more natural gait pattern and potentially reducing the risk of foot-related issues such as flat feet or bunions.
4. Sensory experience: Walking barefoot provides a unique sensory experience, allowing you to feel and connect with different textures, temperatures, and surfaces beneath your feet. This can be refreshing and enjoyable, enhancing your connection with the environment.
5. Potential pain relief: Some individuals find that walking barefoot can help alleviate certain foot conditions or discomfort, such as plantar fasciitis or Morton’s neuroma. However, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice, as barefoot walking may not be suitable for everyone or for certain conditions.

While there are potential benefits to walking barefoot, it’s essential to consider individual comfort, safety, and the specific environment. It’s recommended to gradually transition to barefoot walking, starting with short periods on safe and clean surfaces to allow the feet to adapt. Additionally, certain situations, such as walking in public areas or on rough terrain, may require the use of appropriate footwear for protection and hygiene.

Ultimately, the choice to walk barefoot should be based on personal preference, comfort, and any specific recommendations from healthcare professionals.

What Happens to Your Mind and Body If You Walk Every Day for 30 Minutes?

How to Build Strength and Mobility at the Same Time

3 Ways to Squat Deeper and Improve Your Mechanics

11 Morning Habits to Build Muscle Faster

As soon as you wake up, you can begin getting stronger. How? By incorporating these morning habits to build muscle faster.

1. Big breakfast
2. Get workout done as soon as you wake up
3. Drink coffee
4. Take a cold shower
5. Eat lots of protein early on
6. Wake up around the same time on most mornings
7. Pack a lunch
8. Get hydrated
9. Get bright light exposure
10. Supplement with vitamin D
11. Meditate

How to Fix Your Circadian Rhythm: Learn to Improve Your Sleep Schedule

How to Force Muscle Growth – 5 Methods to Accomplish That

Knee pain can significantly impact a person’s life and limit their ability to engage in activities they enjoy, including exercise. Typically, individuals with knee pain find themselves faced with two options:

1. Seeking medical advice from professionals like physicians, chiropractors, or even well-meaning family members, who often advise them to stop exercising altogether.
2. Ignoring the warning signs of pain and pushing through it, which can eventually lead to further injury and the need to stop exercising.

Both paths can bring about various challenges, such as weight gain and frustration from the inability to perform tasks involving heavy lifting or running long distances. BOXROX has previously written about how to avoid knee pain and injury, but if you clicked on this link, it means that ship has sailed.

So how can you fix knee pain? Is it even possible? Yes, it is, but you will need the help of someone who knows what they are doing such as doctor Aaron Horschig.

Dr Aaron Horschig is a physical therapist, coach, and creator of Squat University. He is one of the most respected authorities when it comes to squatting and everything related to your stance and knees.

How To Fix Knee Pain

There could be a few reasons why your knees are in pain, but Horschig says the most common one is revolving the patella, the bone in front of your kneecap, and something called patellar tendonitis. Patellar tendonitis, also known as jumper’s knee, is a condition characterized by inflammation and irritation of the patellar tendon. The patellar tendon connects the kneecap (patella) to the shinbone (tibia) and is responsible for transmitting the force produced by the thigh muscles to the lower leg.

The first exercise you need to do to fix knee pain on your patellar is the Spanish squat isometric in which you will use a thick resistance band. Do 5 sets of 45-second hold.

Source: Matthew Sichkaruk on Unsplash

From that, you need to modify your training, and decrease the stress in the short term. So you need to do exercises that put load on your tendon, but doesn’t continue the pain cycle – or heavy slow resistance training.

One exercise to achieve this is a slow Bulgarian split squat. Take 3 seconds to lower your body to the squat position and 3 seconds to come back up. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.

“This is going to allow your body to improve load tolerance at that tendon without making anger.”

See the video for more information.

Best Exercises to Live Longer and Healthier

How to Fix IT Band Syndrome

There are many possible causes of knee pain, including:

1. Injury: Knee injuries are a common cause of knee pain. They can occur from a variety of causes, such as sports, falls, or accidents.
2. Overuse: Repetitive activities or overuse of the knee joint can cause pain, especially in athletes or people who perform physical labour.
3. Osteoarthritis: This is a degenerative joint disease that occurs when the cartilage that cushions the knee joint wears down over time, causing pain, stiffness, and swelling.
4. Rheumatoid arthritis: This is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation in the joints, including the knee joint.
5. Gout: Gout is a type of arthritis that can cause sudden, severe pain in the knee joint due to the buildup of uric acid crystals.
6. Tendinitis: Tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendons that attach muscles to bones. It can cause pain in the front, back, or sides of the knee.
7. Bursitis: Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursae, small fluid-filled sacs that cushion the knee joint. It can cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in the knee.
8. Meniscus tears: The meniscus is a rubbery, C-shaped disc that cushions the knee joint. Tears in the meniscus can occur as a result of a sudden twist or turn, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness.
9. Patellofemoral pain syndrome: This is a condition that causes pain in the front of the knee, around the kneecap. It can be caused by overuse, injury, or misalignment of the patella (kneecap).
10. Osgood-Schlatter disease: This is a condition that affects children and adolescents, causing pain and swelling just below the knee joint due to inflammation of the growth plate.

It’s important to see a doctor if you experience knee pain for a longer period to determine the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatment.

How to Squat Without Knee Pain (4 Mistakes to Avoid)

How to Fix Knee Pain for Life with 5 Exercises

Hindu Push-Up – The Variation That Will Increase Your Strength and Mobility At the Same Time

Best Science-Based Leg Workout for Hamstrings, Quads and Calves

Strengthening your lower body is important for overall fitness and can also help improve your performance in sports and daily activities. Here are some reasons why:

1. Improved balance and stability: A strong lower body can help improve balance and stability, which is important for preventing falls and injuries, especially as we age.
2. Increased athletic performance: A strong lower body is essential for many sports and activities, such as running, jumping, and squatting. Improving lower body strength can help improve your performance and reduce your risk of injury.
3. Improved posture: A strong lower body can help improve your posture by supporting your spine and reducing strain on your lower back.
4. Reduced risk of chronic diseases: Lower body exercises can help improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, and increase bone density, which can reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
5. Easier daily activities: A strong lower body can make it easier to perform everyday activities such as walking, climbing stairs, and carrying groceries.

Overall, having a strong lower body can improve your physical health, enhance your athletic performance, and make daily activities easier and more comfortable.

12 Healthy Habits That Will Change Your Life

How to Squat Without Knee Pain (4 Mistakes to Avoid)

How to Bulletproof Your Knees with 1 Exercise

When you are younger, people have warned you about it. “Sooner or later you will feel pain in your knees,” some might say. Others would claim it is inevitable to feel knee pain during their life. But that does not have to be the case, per se.

That is because you are about to see how to fix knee pain for life with the help of two guys famous in the fitness industry: Ben Patrick and Will Tennyson.

Ben Patrick is commonly known online as the Knees Over Toes Guy. He is an American fitness coach who overcame a debilitating knee and shin pain when he was younger. His fitness programs revolve around fixing knee issues and strengthening them forever.

Will Tennyson is a Canadian YouTuber who uploads fitness routines, nutrition advice and lifestyle content on his channel which has over 1.85 million subscribers. He struggled with body image as a younger kid but has since bounced back after discovering weightlifting and he wants to make people as enthusiastic about fitness and wellness as he is.

The two of them got together to develop the ultimate routine to fix knee pain forever. Check it out.

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

How to Fix Knee Pain for Life

Well, to be fair, Will Tennyson didn’t develop this ultimate routine for fixing knee pain for life. He is actually the subject of the video because he has very bad knees. He even has nicknames for his knees (one is Anakin because it’s gone to the dark side, and the other is Obi-Wan because it is his last hope).

Anyway, what exactly is this routine that will fix knee pain for life? This is what Ben Patrick told him.

“I would invite you to do 2 to 3 days a week,” he says. The exercises are:

• Sled push
• Backwards sled pull

This is just part of the routine, but if you already have some knee pain or is prone to knee injuries, begin with the above exercises, especially the backwards pull. “This is the one that’s safest to do more often. That sounds ridiculous, but I advise people to put in 100 miles backwards.”

The next exercises are also part of a routine for you to strengthen everything around your knees to get rid of the pain and keep it away.

• Weighted tip toes curl
• Reverse step ups
• ATG split squats

And that is it. Apply progressive overload, either by incrementing weight, reps, or frequency of the workouts, and you will have a pain-free knee for life.

According to Ben Patrick, you should already feel the relief of pain in your knees after two weeks even if you do only backward sled pulls.

For more information, click on the video below.

A Look Into the Mechanics of Ben Patrick’s Training Philosophy

Nordic Curls – The Best Leg Exercise You Are Not Doing

5 Most Common Causes of Knee Pain

There are many possible causes of knee pain, including:

1. Injury: Knee injuries are a common cause of knee pain. They can occur from a variety of causes, such as sports, falls, or accidents.
2. Overuse: Repetitive activities or overuse of the knee joint can cause pain, especially in athletes or people who perform physical labour.
3. Osteoarthritis: This is a degenerative joint disease that occurs when the cartilage that cushions the knee joint wears down over time, causing pain, stiffness, and swelling.
4. Rheumatoid arthritis: This is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation in the joints, including the knee joint.
5. Gout: Gout is a type of arthritis that can cause sudden, severe pain in the knee joint due to the buildup of uric acid crystals.
6. Tendinitis: Tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendons that attach muscles to bones. It can cause pain in the front, back, or sides of the knee.
7. Bursitis: Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursae, small fluid-filled sacs that cushion the knee joint. It can cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in the knee.
8. Meniscus tears: The meniscus is a rubbery, C-shaped disc that cushions the knee joint. Tears in the meniscus can occur as a result of a sudden twist or turn, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness.
9. Patellofemoral pain syndrome: This is a condition that causes pain in the front of the knee, around the kneecap. It can be caused by overuse, injury, or misalignment of the patella (kneecap).
10. Osgood-Schlatter disease: This is a condition that affects children and adolescents, causing pain and swelling just below the knee joint due to inflammation of the growth plate.

It’s important to see a doctor if you experience knee pain for a longer period to determine the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatment.

Source: Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels

How to Squat Without Knee Pain (4 Mistakes to Avoid)

Hindu Push-Up – The Variation That Will Increase Your Strength and Mobility At the Same Time

How to Fix IT Band Syndrome and Knee Pain

Best Science-Based Leg Workout for Hamstrings, Quads and Calves

Strengthening your lower body is important for overall fitness and can also help improve your performance in sports and daily activities. Here are some reasons why:

1. Improved balance and stability: A strong lower body can help improve balance and stability, which is important for preventing falls and injuries, especially as we age.
2. Increased athletic performance: A strong lower body is essential for many sports and activities, such as running, jumping, and squatting. Improving lower body strength can help improve your performance and reduce your risk of injury.
3. Improved posture: A strong lower body can help improve your posture by supporting your spine and reducing strain on your lower back.
4. Reduced risk of chronic diseases: Lower body exercises can help improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, and increase bone density, which can reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
5. Easier daily activities: A strong lower body can make it easier to perform everyday activities such as walking, climbing stairs, and carrying groceries.

Overall, having a strong lower body can improve your physical health, enhance your athletic performance, and make daily activities easier and more comfortable.

12 Healthy Habits That Will Change Your Life

Best Exercises to Live Longer and Healthier

5 Best Bodyweight Exercises for Amazing Mobility

Evening Habits to Skyrocket Your Productivity

Having back pain can prevent you from doing many exercises. When it comes to training your abs, it can be increasingly difficult. Crunches, leg raises, planks. All of these can put stress on your back and make the task not only painful but also useless.

And that is exactly what you want to prevent. So you need to choose the best core exercises for back pain that can be out there. This is where Critical Bench comes in to help you out.

Critical Bench is a website focused on health and strength that delivers many tips on how to get stronger, fitter and healthier. Their YouTube channel has almost 1 million subscribers.

The best core exercises for back pain were shown by coach Brian Klepacki, a certified strength and conditioning specialist. Check it out.

Source: CrossFit / Depositphotos

Best Core Exercises For Back Pain

So what are the best core exercises for back pain according to coach Klepacki? Here is the list:

1. Cat / Cow
2. Bird Dog
3. T-Spine Twist
4. Bent-Knee Drop
5. Bent-Knee Twist

Protecting the spine is incredibly important when it comes to choosing the best core exercises for back pain. If you are experiencing tightness, stiffness, soreness and day-to-day aches from increasing sitting and/or decreased activity, some of these exercises might still be too difficult for you.

In the end, even though these are some of the best core exercises for back pain, you should always listen to your body. If it hurts while doing any of these, stop immediately. Seek a professional for treatment and don’t try to fight through the pain.

To understand how to perform any of these best core exercises for back pain, click on the video below to see coach Brian Klepacki explaining himself.

VIDEO – Best Core Exercises For Back Pain

To further your knowledge, BOXROX has curated a list of links that could be useful for you. Click on any of these to improve your fitness and longevity.

10 Best Stretches For Lower Back Pain and Stiffness

The Best Exercises to Live Longer and Healthier

6 Stretches to Reduce and Prevent Injury

How to Get Back On Track with Your Fitness and Health Goals – New Year’s Resolution Revisited

The Mindset Trick That Will Get You Fit Forever

3 Unusual Stretches for Better Flexibility

Stop Sitting, Start Stretching: 5 Tips To Improve Flexibility

11 Easy Morning Habits To Build Muscle Faster

10 Underrated Habits to Get You Lean in 2023

What Happens To Your Body When You Sleep?

15 Isometric Core And Ab Exercises Better Than Crunches

Jeff Nippard is a natural professional bodybuilder and fitness coach who shares tips and training programs on his YouTube channel. 

If you have been lifting for any significant amount of time, you have probably dealt with an injury. Now you will understand how to treat injuries of any kind if you are an avid gym goer or if you are currently suffering from one.

How To Recover From Any Injury

According to Nippard, the most common body parts that bodybuilders suffer injuries are the shoulders, knees and lower back. So, how to recover from any injury, including these mentioned?

Nippard gives 5 top tips to recover from injuries.

1. Don’t Get Injured

Sounds unusual and easier said than done, but prevention is the best medicine for injuries. How to prevent injuries? The first thing is to do a proper warm-up.

5 Dynamic Stretching Exercises for Fitness and Strength Athletes

Also, pay attention so that you are always doing the proper technique of any exercise. Take a close look if you are sleeping enough and don’t discard stress as a factor in becoming injury prone.

Source: Roman Odintsov on Pexels

2. Find a New Goal for a Period of Time

If you got an injury that prevents you from doing what you were doing, then find a new goal for a period of time. There is a possibility that you can do other exercises without hurting yourself, and that can give you some sense of purpose instead of a feeling that you cannot work on your fitness journey any longer.

3. Don’t Get Emotionally Attached to Old Numbers

Check your ego! You are injured, or coming off an injury, so whatever numbers you used to lift are probably not going to be the same right now.

Source: Victor Freitas / Pexels

Ease into it. Especially after or during an injury period, just because you could lift heavier, doesn’t mean you should lift heavier weights.

4. Careful with Recovery Gear

This includes foam roller, lacrosse balls, massage devices, cryotherapy and more. You cannot just foam roll out of an injury, but you should use that to warm up before lifting.

“I’d pay more attention to your training itself such as by training lighter or choosing exercises that don’t cause you any pain and fine-tune your sleep and nutrition.”

5. Build Confidence

After going through all the previous steps of how to recover from any injury, it is time to lift weights again and it can be a tough balancing act. You don’t want to jump back too quickly, but you also don’t want to delay your comeback forever.

Nippard builds his confidence back by gradually exposing himself to heavier and heavier weights over the course of months while focusing on technique over anything else.

And that is how to recover from any injury according to Jeff Nippard. Click on the video below to see his full explanation.

VIDEO – How To Recover From Any Injury

Now that you know how to recover from any injury, check out more content from BOXROX:

How to Warm Up and Stay Injury-Free like the Fittest Woman on Earth Tia-Clair Toomey

8 Stretching Exercises to Improve Mobility & Recovery you can do at Home

Stop Sitting, Start Stretching: 5 Tips To Improve Flexibility

3 Unusual Stretches for Better Flexibility

6 Stretches to Reduce and Prevent Injury

7 Satisfying Hip Opening Exercises for Tight Hips

How to Fix Tight Hamstrings in 22 Days

Best Chest Stretches To Warm Up For Bench Press

5 Post Workout Stretches (Recommended by A CrossFit Games Athlete)

The Perfect 10-Minute Daily Posture Routine (Fix Your Body and Pain)

How to Fix Lower Back Pain

“Low back pain is by far the most common source of discomfort we deal with.  The irony is, a lot of times what we feel is rooted in the lower back is actually caused by muscles not in the back at all.  In this video, I’m going to show you how the glute medius could be the real cause of your back pain and a quick exercise you can do to relieve your discomfort instantly.  Once gone, I’m also going to show you a few additional exercises you can do to make sure your low back pain never returns.”

“The gluteus medius is sandwiched between the glute maximus and minimus and lies in and around the hip area.  The role of the muscle is to abduct your hip or lift your leg out to the side in either standing or side lying and to keep your pelvis level whenever you take a step.  Prolonged sitting during the day as well as an unequal weight distribution when standing are two of the most common reasons for this muscle to get weak and imbalanced.”

Weak Glutes

“You can quickly test to see if you have the makings of a weak glute medius by standing with your feet shoulder width apart and lifting one foot off the ground.  First take note whether or not your opposite hip drops significantly.  If it does, this would indicate a glute weakness on that side.  You would repeat with the opposite foot as well.  When you do this you would also want to see if you had to dramatically shift your weight to one side just to lift that foot off the ground.  If you do, this would indicate that you have an unequal weight distribution when standing and it would be especially troublesome when squatting.”

Movement Strategy

“To fix this quickly, you will want to lay down on the ground with your affected side on top.  If your right lower back was bothering you then you would want to lie on your left hip.  From here, take your thumb and place it on the area most sore.  You should feel that this is going to happen just to the outside of the bony prominence of your pelvis.  From here, push to hold back the trigger point and start flossing your leg down and in front of you and then back and up.  Your hip should be extended and then lifted into abduction towards the ceiling (being sure to point the toes down to keep the glute medius in focus).  Do this about 10 times until you feel the tension in the muscle release.”

“Now, you can burn out the spasm in the trigger point by getting into the fully contracted position of the glute medius muscle and holding as long as you can.  Generally, because this muscle is often very weak, this may not be any longer than 30 seconds to a minute.  Once you cannot hold it any more you will stand up and you should notice an immediate relief of the pain on that side.”

“This is the quick but not permanent fix for this problem. Since the underlying cause is weakness in the gluteus medius muscle you will want to back this up with some exercises for your low back that you can do a few times a week.  I show you three options for this.  The first is the hip bump against the wall.  The second is called the sack swinger, and can be done with a dog leash if you don’t have a formal dip belt.  The last is actually doing the same movement that you did for the treatment, but this time as a strengthening exercise for your low back.”

“Whatever you do, just be sure you are consistent.  You will also see that as you relieve the tension in this muscle that your squat performance improves as well.  Your depth should be increased and any low back pain that you felt by doing the exercise should be gone since you will now be able to do them with equal force through each leg.”

Video – How to Fix Lower Back Pain

Learn More

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Muscles of the back

The back muscles are a collection of different muscles that allow us to move the spine and torso, and they help us maintain posture. The back muscles are divided into different groups based on their location in the body.

The intercostal muscles

The intercostal muscles are a group of muscles that connect the ribs to the sternum and help with breathing. The intercostal muscles are innervated by intercostal nerves, which are part of the sympathetic nervous system. In addition to helping inspire air into your lungs during inhalation, they also assist in exhalation by contracting while you exhale.

The external intercostal muscles (also called deep or innermost intercostals) run vertically between each rib and assist in inspiration. They’re generally larger than their internal counterparts, which run horizontally between each rib. Both sets are assisted by other muscles responsible for rotation and stabilization of movement as well as diaphragmatic contraction during respiration.

The intercostal nerves

The intercostal nerves are a collection of sensory fibres that run between adjacent ribs. The nerves are part of the autonomic nervous system and carry pain signals from the chest wall to the spinal cord.

Injuries to these nerves can cause dull, aching pain in your chest and may make it difficult for you to take deep breaths.

Extensor muscles

The back extensor muscles extend the spine and are also called dorsal muscles because they run along the back of the body. These muscles include:

• Trapezius
• Levator scapulae
• Rhomboid major and rhomboideus minor

The longissimus thoracis group (erector spinae)

The longissimus thoracis group (erector spinae) is a set of muscles that runs along the back. There are three parts:

• Longissimus dorsi: Located on either side of the vertebral column, this muscle extends from the lower cervical spine to the sacrum and coccyx. Its function is to extend and rotate your upper body.
• Spinalis dorsi: This muscle lies underneath the longissimus dorsi and extends from your neck to your lower back. Its function is also to extend your upper body but also helps stabilize it by supporting its weight while bending forward or backward.
• Iliocostalis lumborum: Also known as “the short head” because it’s shorter than other parts of this group, this muscle begins at two different points on each side (your low back).

Multifidi or Multifidus spinae (or simply Multifidus)

The multifidi are located in the lumbar spine, sacrum, and coccyx. They are responsible for lateral flexion of the vertebral column. They are innervated by the dorsal rami of the spinal nerves.

Sacrospinalis

The sacrospinalis is the deepest muscle of the back. It lies within a sling that surrounds your spine, where it connects with your sacrum (the triangular bone at the bottom of your spine). The sacrospinalis works with other postural muscles to support and stabilize your pelvis, lower back, upper thighs, and tailbone.

Conclusion

In summary, the back muscles can be divided into three groups: extensors (which flex and extend the vertebral column), flexors (which flex the vertebral column), and rotators. They are all innervated by different nerves, which supply sensory information from the skin of the back or neck.

The longissimus thoracis group is a complex muscle composed of several smaller muscles that work together to create movement in different directions depending on what position your body is in at any given time.

Follow these tips to help you alleviate your back pain.

What is Forward Head Posture?

“Forward head posture (also known as “text neck”) is not something you should just ignore as it can have a major impact on your aesthetic, long-term health, neck pain, and even affect certain lifts your performance in the gym.”

How do you Fix it?

“Luckily, forward head posture correction is simple given that you perform the proper exercises and stretches. When it comes to the forward head posture “fix”, you need to focus on two things; stretching/massaging the muscles that have become shortened and using exercises to strengthen the muscles that have become weakened.”

“Although I wouldn’t call it a quick fix to forward head posture, given that you perform what is shown in this video daily and stick to the stretches/exercises consistently you’ll see major improvements pretty quickly. I suggest taking a picture of your forward head posture before starting the routine, and after a week or two in order to track your progress.”

How to Fix Forward Head Posture – Video

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Add Nordic Curls and Reverse Hyperextensions into your training.

Daniel Lieberman is Edwin M. Lerner II Professor of Biological Sciences and a professor of the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University.

Lieberman said he believes people are “exercised about exercise” and decided to debunk a few exercise myths. Check it out.

Harvard Professor Debunks Exercise Myths

1. Running Will Destroy Your Knees

According to Lieberman, this is the biggest myth about running. “There’s ton and tons of studies, more than a dozen randomised, controlled-perspective, gold-standard studies which show that people who run more are not more likely to get arthritis.”

The opposite is actually true. Physical activity, such as running, will cause your joints to repair themselves and to stay healthy.

How to Learn to Love Running

2. It’s Normal To Be Less Physically Active As You Get Older

Lieberman says that hunter-gatherers remained physically active as they aged because they were always doing stuff. “They had to lift things, carry things, and do stuff that keeps them strong.”

The problem is that as you get older you lose flesh in a term called Sarcopenia. With that, people lose strength and power making basic tasks more difficult. And because these tasks are difficult, people become less physically active which creates a vicious circle to become less fit.

As you get older you need to focus even more on strength training.

Related: This Is How to Train For Size and Strength In Your Later Years

Those were the two exercise myths debunked by professor Daniel Lieberman from Harvard University. If you want to see his full explanation, check out the video below.

VIDEO – Harvard Professor Debunks Exercise Myths

Read More: 14 More Exercise Myths Debunked by Physical Therapists

How to Get a Strong Lower Back the Right Way

“Although lower back pain can stem from MANY different issues and there are MANY different solutions, research has indicated that a lot of people with lower back pain often tend to have issues with lower back strength and neuromuscular control. And that improving strength and coordination with lower back strengthening exercises seems to be an effective intervention to prevent and reduce the lower back pain they experience. Unfortunately, most people who attempt to do so go about it the wrong way, worsening the situation. In this video, find out how to get a strong low back with the top 4 best lower back exercises. I’ll also be detailing a full lower back workout routine with these lower back exercises, so do stick around if you want to find out how to fix lower back pain correctly and safely.”

How to Get a Strong Lower Back the Right Way

“First off, before diving into the specific lower back strengthening exercises, we need to cover two compound exercises that should definitely be a staple in your weekly routine – squats, and deadlifts. These have not only been shown to be highly effective for lower back strength and hypertrophy but are also easy to overload with weight to continue adequately challenging the lower back muscles over time. However, there are problems. First, not everyone does them. Secondly, a lot of people don’t perform these relatively heavy enough to actually provide enough stimulus to their lower back. And lastly, multiple studies have also indicated that without proper stabilization of the pelvis, the much larger and stronger hamstring and glutes often tend to take over and do most of the back extension work instead.”

How to Get a Strong Lower Back the Right Way

“Therefore, you’ll want to include the following exercises for lower back: the back extension and the bird dog. Back extensions fill in the gap perfectly by stabilizing the pelvis such that the lower back can be better activated and strengthened to a much greater degree than other exercises, which it’s been consistently shown to do so. And although high loading of the back extensors as we’ve previously done is an ideal way to strengthen them, research shows that an additional exercise that demands more stability is required to selectively recruit individual muscles that play a greater role in stabilizing the lower back. That’s the bird dog; it also manages to elicit greater activation of the lower back stabilizer muscles with minimal spinal compression.”

“So, here’s what I’d recommend as an appropriate lower back workout. Multiple papers have shown that even for well-trained individuals, adding in just one lower back exercise 1-2 times per week was able to quickly and significantly increase lower back strength. Therefore, what I’d suggest is that if you’re currently able to squat and deadlift weekly with free weights, then you’d likely just need to throw in the 2 additional lower back strengthening exercises just once per week. Whereas if you’re unable to do squats and deadlifts or don’t go very heavy with them, you can opt to do these more often (2x a week).”

“There you have it: you now know how to get a strong lower back.”

Video – How to Get a Strong Lower Back the Right Way

Learn More – How to Get a Strong Lower Back the Right Way

Additionally, we always recommend consulting your doctor if pain is intense and persistent. Use the following advice as a helpful guide, not information to replace the advice of your personal qualified medical professional.

How to Fix Lower Back Pain

“Low back pain is by far the most common source of discomfort we deal with.  The irony is, a lot of times what we feel is rooted in the lower back is actually caused by muscles not in the back at all.  In this video, I’m going to show you how the glute medius could be the real cause of your back pain and a quick exercise you can do to relieve your discomfort instantly.  Once gone, I’m also going to show you a few additional exercises you can do to make sure your low back pain never returns.”

“The gluteus medius is sandwiched between the glute maximus and minimus and lies in and around the hip area.  The role of the muscle is to abduct your hip or lift your leg out to the side in either standing or side lying and to keep your pelvis level whenever you take a step.  Prolonged sitting during the day as well as an unequal weight distribution when standing are two of the most common reasons for this muscle to get weak and imbalanced.”

“You can quickly test to see if you have the makings of a weak glute medius by standing with your feet shoulder width apart and lifting one foot off the ground.  First take note whether or not your opposite hip drops significantly.  If it does, this would indicate a glute weakness on that side.  You would repeat with the opposite foot as well.  When you do this you would also want to see if you had to dramatically shift your weight to one side just to lift that foot off the ground.  If you do, this would indicate that you have an unequal weight distribution when standing and it would be especially troublesome when squatting.”

How to Fix Lower Back Pain

Source: CrossFit Inc / Depositphotos

“To fix this quickly, you will want to lay down on the ground with your affected side on top.  If your right lower back was bothering you then you would want to lie on your left hip.  From here, take your thumb and place it on the area most sore.  You should feel that this is going to happen just to the outside of the bony prominence of your pelvis.  From here, push to hold back the trigger point and start flossing your leg down and in front of you and then back and up.  Your hip should be extended and then lifted into abduction towards the ceiling (being sure to point the toes down to keep the glute medius in focus).  Do this about 10 times until you feel the tension in the muscle release.”

“Now, you can burn out the spasm in the trigger point by getting into the fully contracted position of the glute medius muscle and holding as long as you can.  Generally, because this muscle is often very weak, this may not be any longer than 30 seconds to a minute.  Once you cannot hold it any more you will stand up and you should notice an immediate relief of the pain on that side.”

“This is the quick but not permanent fix for this problem. Since the underlying cause is weakness in the gluteus medius muscle you will want to back this up with some exercises for your low back that you can do a few times a week.  I show you three options for this.  The first is the hip bump against the wall.  The second is called the sack swinger, and can be done with a dog leash if you don’t have a formal dip belt.  The last is actually doing the same movement that you did for the treatment, but this time as a strengthening exercise for your low back.”

“Whatever you do, just be sure you are consistent.  You will also see that as you relieve the tension in this muscle that your squat performance improves as well.  Your depth should be increased and any low back pain that you felt by doing the exercise should be gone since you will now be able to do them with equal force through each leg.”

Video – How to Fix Lower Back Pain

Learn More

Add these Standing Ab Exercises and Z Press into your training.

Try BOXROX Pro.

Many people skip through warm ups quickly because they don’t see much worth in their transfer to the rest of the training session and, importantly, to overall development and gains.

It’s normally the case that this is in part due to a lack of structure and meaning, but if you’re training 4, 5 or even 6 times per week it can add up to over an hour of total training time. So why can’t we utilise this time better by implementing inserts of plyometrics?

Using Plyometrics

If we cast a lens on plyometrics for a second, we must remind ourselves that they consist of a landing and take-off sequence when done correctly and must be fast off the ground. 

Imagine jumping up high, coming back down, hitting the ground, and exploding back up into the air. 

Plyometrics don’t just have to be falling from boxes and rebounding back up, but can be a whole host of different movements along a spectrum of intensity, from basic two-foot leaping to bounding and hopping off of one-foot. With such variety comes the potential for a much larger scope of different adaptations to develop you as an athlete. 

A common theme for implementing plyometrics into a warm-up is starting with very light extensive variations and scaling up the intensity as the athlete warms up. See below some light plyometrics you can start with.

Linear focused plyometrics for your warm-up

Light Leaps Forwards

Light Leaps Slalom

Multidirectional/combination plyometrics for your warm-up

Light Leaps Laterally  

Light Split Stance Circle Leaps

The benefits of using light plyometrics in your warm-up

What’s occurring with light movements to enhance the warm-up?

• Progress through simple forward focused movements to complex variations will tend to increase and challenge the neural signals being sent from the brain to the working limb.
• Heighten awareness of these receptors and the excitability of the muscle will increase alongside muscle fibre recruitment.
• This is all part of building up reactivity and increased force output, preparing the muscles for potential maximal contractions met within a session or in competition.

Learn more about Light Tier Plus Plyo movement here:

What’s happening with light plyometric movements to improve the athlete long term?

An addition of around 100 plyometric landings with every warm-up could add hundreds of extra landings a week. Research suggests that an average volume of >300-500 landings a week has a greater effect in increasing many performance factors (Hammami, 2016) such as:

• Power output
• Vertical jumping ability
• Increases in speed

Long term inserts of light plyometrics have the potential to develop tendon stiffness and thickness, which has a direct relationship with power output and explosive abilities.

High landing volume over long periods of time develops subconscious landing skills to help the body understand where it is in space. These skills also help the body prepare for the ground, to brace and stiffen around joints just before contact and this, in turn, helps with propulsion.

This also has a strong link with preparing the lower limbs to avoid injuries when landing; like ankle rolls and knee buckles.

A subconscious bracing and stiffening effect just prior to contact provides a safety mechanism for the stability of unknown landings.

Where to go next in your warm-up and why?

As we scale up the intensity of any warm-up our aim is to get closer to the specific forces and speeds of our sports.

This is due to the need to prepare the tissue to ensure a system’s readiness, to not “surprise” the body in the main session/competition.

This is the same when we look at scaling up our plyometrics intensity and speeds. When we talk about intensity/force regarding plyometrics and dynamic movement, we are referring to the reaction of forces that occur when you come into contact with the ground when you land. Speed relates to the time spent on the ground and the speed/rate in which the foot strikes the ground at.

Both of these measures have a relationship in that the faster we load a movement, the higher the intensity tends to be (remove fast feet ladder drills from this conversation as they have very small carryover into sport. They lack the critical pairing of speed and force and when you leave force out of the equation the transfer to sporting movement diminishes). 

Source: Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Here are ways in which you can increase the intensity and speed of your plyometrics as you move through a warm-up, gearing closer to the main session or competitive scenarios or play. 

• Increasing the airtime of a movement to increase the forces of the next landing

• Larger jumps = higher intensities
• Moving from 2-leg to 1-leg plyometrics will exponentially increase the forces upon that limb
  • 1-leg plyometrics traveling at speed will increase the intensity further due to the speed in which the foot strikes the ground

Here are examples of these more intense plyometrics:

Medium Tier plyos

Double leg plyos – Leaping

Single leg plyos – Hopping

The changes in intensity and speed in these movements are clear and become even clearer when you compare their similarities to game speed intensities. These movements are getting closer to maximal intent-based plyometrics that continue to develop the performance gains mentioned before whilst adding additional adaptations to the body to continue to develop athleticism.

Some of these additional benefits are outlined below:

• Eccentric yielding which is the ability to withstand high forces as you land and maintain a tall position without collapsing.
• This too dampens the bodies built-in inhibitors that tell us to flex and dissipate force when it’s high as we land.
• When we develop the capacity to handle force when we land to remain tall, this shows that we can effectively use this energy to explode off the floor. This is known as effective energy coupling.

Using plyometrics in your warm-up

Let’s recap the benefits of using plyometrics in your warm-up:

• Warm-ups should always be part of preparation, whether that’s on a micro or macro level, they can be feeding the individual session and/or your entire program.
• Placing plyometrics intelligently within your warm-up can be used to benefit the many factors mentioned above, factors that you may need to work on or could be missing completely.
• This segment in your session can be capitalised on, taking away the need to find more space in the program to fit plyometrics in (finding more time is often the hardest part of programming when you have so many variables to juggle in a sport like CrossFit).

Plus Plyos is a coaching and educational website that provides expert knowledge on plyometrics and how to integrate into your program to push your athleticism above the rest. We have specific guidance too on how you can utilise plyometrics in your warm-up and truly transform the way you move.

Who is the author? Matt McInnes Watson is a performance coach and specialist in track and field, speed, power and plyometrics. Matt is the owner of Plus Plyos, a coaching business that provides plyometric programs and education. He is studying for a PhD in Plyometrics whilst teaching in the United Arab Emirates and coaching athletes from the U.K. and U.S.

Reference

Hammami M, Negra Y, Aouadi R, et al. Effects of an In-season Plyometric Training Program on Repeated Change of Direction and Sprint Performance in the Junior Soccer Player. Journal of strength and conditioning research 2016; 30(12):3312-3320.

Fix Bad Posture in 22 Days

“If you want to fix bad posture and do it quickly, then you will want to watch this step by step video for how to get better posture. The key to perfect posture is to address the issues specifically and consistently. Here, I show you a series of six tests that you can easily perform at home to determine where your specific posture issues are and then I tell you the exact stretches and exercises you can do to correct the problem.”

“In just 22 days, you will be able to test yourself to identify the causes of your bad posture and then get a gameplan for fixing these one by one.”

“It starts on day one with the posture test. Now, as a physical therapist, I am definitely one to advocate seeing a professional in your area to give you a thorough evaluation to determine not just what postural issues you may have but the severity of them and how they may differ from one side to the other. That said, the six areas addressed here are usually so prominent that they benefit from working on them now without delaying any further.”

Source: Depositphotos / CrossFit Inc

“These areas of muscle tightness and posture problems are the thoracic spine being too rounded, the hamstrings being too tight, calf tightness, inflexible abs, tight hip flexors and hip rotators that often get neglected. Through a series of tests, you will be able to quickly assess these areas on yourself and determine whether you need to focus on them as part of your specific 22 day plan.”

Fix Bad Posture in 22 Days

“Each of the tests are presented in a pass or fail method. If you pass the posture exam for that area you do not need to focus on the stretches or exercise corrections for this problem. You can simply skip it. If you fail any postural test however you will need to be sure to include the specified exercises and stretches for this area over your next 3 weeks.”

“After testing day, you then perform an alternating series of stretch days and exercise or strengthening days for the next 20 days. Any stretches or exercises that correspond to your failed tests are to be performed as instructed in the video for their recommended hold times, sets and reps. The final day is once again your chance to evaluate and see how much you have improved your posture.”

“For instance, when it comes to your thoracic spine, you likely have allowed it to become too rounded and lost the ability to extend back from all the sitting and texting we do. The stretch to fix rounded shoulders and a forward head is to kneel down and place your elbows on a surface in front of you. Drop your chest down and arch your upper back as much as you can to increase your thoracic extension.”

“You can strengthen this area of weakness by performing a face pull to work the muscles of the upper back more. These muscles often times get weak from being in a prolonged state of stretch due to the tightness on the opposite side of the body.”

“Bad posture is something that can not only make you look bad but feel bad. If you want to fix your posture however you have to be willing to put in the effort. It didn’t take you one day to develop the posture you have right now so it’s not going to take you one day to undo it. That said, with a consistent attention to doing the right things day by day, you will be able to fix your posture and stand tall much faster than you might think.”

“To get better posture, you also don’t want to overdo it. This means, not trying to overstretch or push more than you are comfortable with when you do stretch. What happens is your body winds up rejecting your aggressiveness to the approach and only keeps the amount of flexibility improvements you will see from this to a minimum.”

Video – Fix Bad Posture in 22 Days

Learn More – Fix Bad Posture in 22 Days

Add the Z Press and Standing Core Exercises into your training.

Try BOXROX Pro.

These tips from Jeff at Athlean X will help you bulletproof your body.

How to Fix Elbow Pain

“If you experience elbow pain when you work out then you need to watch this.  In this video, I’m going to show you not only the real cause of the pain and discomfort you’re feeling in your elbows that is wrecking your workouts, but how to fix it once and for all.  It starts by stopping your focus on the elbow itself.  Let me explain.”

“The elbow, much like the knee in the lower body, is a hinge joint that is heavily influenced by the actions and conditions of the joints above and below it.  In the case of the knee we are talking about the ankle and the hip.  We know that dysfunction at either of these joints will cause the knee to torque in unnatural ways which will lead to eventual breakdown and injury.  Even though the wrist is not the same weight bearing joint that the ankle is, the situation still applies and can rear its ugly head if not addressed.”

Source: Unsplash

“In order to fix elbow pain once and for all you need to really start focusing on improving the stability of the shoulder and wrist joints while increasing the strength of the forearms.  This can actually be achieved in one simple exercise sequence that anyone can do regardless of their ability level in the gym.  All it takes is a bar to hang onto and position your body below with your feet on the floor.”

“It starts by setting the bar at about chest height and getting behind it.  Grasp the bar with two hands to get yourself in a slightly reclined position with your feet flat on the floor.  With your shoulders completely level, squared up and parallel to the bar, place one of your hands in the middle of the bar and release the other.  From here, work hard to prevent your torso from dropping even a millimeter to the side of the released hand.  That is what your body will want to do, especially if you are lacking stability through the wrist and or shoulder on that side.”

How to Fix Elbow Pain

“See if you can hold this for up to one minute without moving.  If you can, you will move onto the next progression but not before testing the other arm and making sure that your strength is symmetrical.  If so, then you now want to widen your grip so that the hand that holds the bar is now more in line with your shoulder than the centre of the bar.  This just makes the challenge of keeping your torso parallel that much more difficult.”

“If you can do these again then you’d want to move onto the more difficult version of the challenge by getting your bar lower under the bar and more subjected to the force of gravity as a result.  Same thing goes for the hand position.  Start with one in the center and then move them to the outside.  Finally, if you want to turn this into more of a dynamic challenge for your elbow pain and start to fix it once and for all, do the hand swap shown at the end of the video.”

“All in all, the key to fixing elbow pain lies in the shoulder and wrist/forearms.  If you are lacking strength and stability in the shoulder or wrist as well as the surrounding muscles then you can almost guarantee that you will likely see the end result of that issue wind up causing pain in the elbows.  This can be fixed.  Simply add this one exercise to your routine about 3-5 times per week at the level of challenge that is appropriate for your given state.”

Video – How to Fix Elbow Pain

Learn More

Add the Z Press and Standing Core Exercises into your training.

Try BOXROX Pro.

This guide from Jeff at Athlean X will help you to develop a better chest.

How to Get a Better Chest in 22 Days

“If you want to get a bigger chest at home, this one pushup workout will help you to build a big chest in just 22 days. The key to this home chest workout is that it progresses you through various pushups while demanding that you improve on your rep counts along the way. It consists of three weeks of testing and non-testing days that will quickly build up your chest while increasing the number of pushups you can do in one set by half.”

“The way this pushup workout works is by first establishing your max pushups to failure in a set. From here, you rest two minutes and attempt to complete one and a half times this number in something we call “grinder style”. This means, you are allowed to rest along the way but you cannot put your knees on the ground, stand up, or lift more than one hand off the ground at any one time.”

Source: CrossFit Games / Depositphotos

“From here, we start a series of three non-testing days. In these workouts, the goal is to perform a specific pushup variation for the same number of reps that you did on your max pushups from the most recent testing day. Here however, you are allowed to rest/pause when you fatigue and you are advised to stop a few reps short of total muscle failure. This is to accommodate for the fact that you will be doing a lot of pushups over the next 3 weeks.”

“The second half of the non-test day workouts require that you go back to performing standard pushups, except this time you have to complete your maximum plus 10 percent (on the first non-test day in a block) 20 percent (on the second non-test day in a block) or 30 percent (on the third and final non-test day in a block). Again here, you do not have to perform these pushups unbroken. You simply have to get them done, stopping 2-3 reps shy of failure and using rest/pause if needed to do so.”

“The blocks continue to progress and advance with each new testing day. Be sure to re-test your maximum number of pushups at the start of each new block since you will likely be increasing your overall pushup and chest strength meaning that your number is going to increase. Each block is based on the number of max pushups that you are able to achieve on the test day that starts the block.”

“We continue until we reach our final day of the 22 day workout for a bigger chest. Here, you are to go back to your original max number of pushups from day 1 and attempt to complete one and a half times this number, unbroken. This is not to be performed in grinder style. These are straight pushups. You will be amazed at how many more pushups you can do now than you could just 21 days ago.”

“When you want to build a big chest fast, you have to attack your pecs with a plan. This 3 week workout will progressively overload your chest and introduce variations of pushups that will build not just your chest but help you get bigger shoulders and triceps as well. The fastest way to build a big chest at home is to increase the volume of the most classic chest exercise there is.”

“This home chest workout will get your chest growing quickly. Try it out and be sure to share it with a friend to see who makes the better chest gains in three weeks. Push each other to keep at it and keep checking back to make sure you never forget which chest exercise you need to do along the way to your final test.”

Video

Learn More

Add the Z Press and Standing Core Exercises into your training.

Try BOXROX Pro.

How to Fix Shoulder Pain and Impingement

“If you have shoulder pain when you lift weights or simply lift your arms up over your head, then you’ll want to watch this video. Here I’m going to show you how to fix shoulder pain and impingement forever by attacking the issue at the root cause and giving you the right rotator cuff exercises and progressions to do to get this to go away once and for all.”

“As always, it starts with a look into the anatomy of the shoulder. First, the source of many problems when it comes to shoulder pain is the supraspinatus tendon. The supraspinatus muscle is one of the muscles of the rotator cuff. It originates on the upper surface of the scapula and feeds through a small space in the shoulder joint to attach to the upper humerus.”

“Given the limited room inside the joint already because of ligaments, bursa and an already tight shoulder capsule from limited shoulder mobility, the supraspinatus tendon can become pinched when the arm is lifted overhead. This is sometimes the direct cause of the inflammation that one gets and the shoulder tendonitis that one experiences that keeps them from performing upper body exercises without pain.”

“There is a second important cause of this pain however, that left untreated, will continue to cause a recurrence of the pain without ever getting to the bottom of the real issue. This is the fact that the supraspinatus tendon in the shoulder (as well as the biceps tendon for that matter) have an orientation that leads to them bending around the bone they attach to when the arm is moved into certain positions.”

How to Fix Shoulder Pain and Impingement

“This causes a compression stress on the underside of the tendon. When this occurs, the breakdown of the tendon and resulting inflammation is being caused directly by the inability of the tendon to accommodate to the normal stresses of the joint. Sure, the joint itself becomes even more crowded and unable to safely house the tendon as additional inflammation and swelling mount up. Just doing things to strengthen the rotator cuff in this case to try and open up more room in the joint by positioning the humerus in a more biomechanically safe position isn’t enough.”

“Your training and rotator cuff exercises have to introduce an element of accommodating the shoulder joint to the stresses that the tendon is ill equipped to handle at this point. The way to do that is pretty simple. You need to use the right exercises, and more importantly, the right progression of exercises to push just as much as the tendon is capable of handling at this point.”

“We use a banded external rotation exercise and something we call a sword raise to address this.”

“First thing you want to do with either movement is aim to perform isometric sets. Simply hold the arm in the midrange position and aim to do so for 10 seconds for 5-10 reps. 3-5 sets is enough to get the job done. Ideally, you would save 3-5 days a week to perform this quick but effective routine.”

“From there, you would increase to a concentric external rotation exercise as able. Same rules apply to the number of sets and days per week that you’d be doing this. Reps could be in the 12-15 range per set.”

“Continue to work your way up to the stress that you are able to handle without pain.”

“From there you would introduce a small eccentric stress by adding a step away action. Gradually increase this stress by taking a larger step away and then finally, get to a ballistic or plyometric stress on the tendon by incorporating a small jump out. Increasingly, the tendon will accommodate to the compression stress it incurs, and needs to be able to handle, but only as your body is capable of handling it. Instead of rushing into this and risking further aggravation of symptoms. Do it at this gradual pace and you will be able to fix your shoulder pain once and for all.”

Video – How to Fix Shoulder Pain and Impingement

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Add the Z Press and Standing Core Exercises into your training.

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What is Forward Head Posture?

“Forward head posture (also known as “text neck”) is not something you should just ignore as it can have a major impact on your aesthetic, long-term health, neck pain, and even affect certain lifts your performance in the gym.”

How do you Fix it?

“Luckily, forward head posture correction is simple given that you perform the proper exercises and stretches. When it comes to the forward head posture “fix”, you need to focus on two things; stretching/massaging the muscles that have become shortened and using exercises to strengthen the muscles that have become weakened.”

“Although I wouldn’t call it a quick fix to forward head posture, given that you perform what is shown in this video daily and stick to the stretches/exercises consistently you’ll see major improvements pretty quickly. I suggest taking a picture of your forward head posture before starting the routine, and after a week or two in order to track your progress.”

How to Fix Forward Head Posture – Video

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Add Nordic Curls and Reverse Hyperextensions into your training.

A strong core goes a long way to preventing lower back pain in the human body. Whether you already experience lower back pain or are keen to strengthen yourself in a preventative way, these are all excellent core exercises.

Note: If you are experiencing lower back pain. The best first place to start is with a licensed professional.

How Does a Weak Core Lead to Lower Back Pain?

Jeff explains, “your body craves stabilization, particularly in the area of the spine.  If you have any type of instability in this crucial area, your body will find ways to compensate to create the strength that you lack.  In the best-case scenario, your abs and core would be providing the stability that your spine needs.  Unfortunately, often times this is not the case.  Weak core muscles and abs in particular can cause your body to seek out alternative muscles to provide the help that is sorely needed.”

Source: CrossFit Inc

“The hip flexors are prime targets of this request.  This becomes problematic since the hip flexors attach to the sides of your lumbar vertebrae.  When these muscles tighten up in order to provide additional stability they begin to pull on the vertebra in your lower back and lead to imbalance and often times pain.  The stabilization is there, but it’s not coming from the right muscles, and this is a problem.”

Abs Exercises and the Hip Flexors

Jeff continues “Many different ab exercises enlist the help of the hip flexors as a prime mover. This occurs a lot in lower ab exercises but can also occur in things as simple as the crunch. If you allow your ab training to include too many of these you will wind up simply over strengthening the hip flexors more and leads to a vicious cycle of more pain.”

“Start following the ab and core exercise alternatives you see in this video for a great way to get a stronger core without overtaxing your hip flexors.  There are plenty of options for you to do, just maybe not the ones you would have immediately thought of.  Start with these and you will see how much more quickly your tightness will go away when your ab and core strength starts providing the stability your back was craving all along.  The hip flexors and lower back will finally be able to take a much deserved break.”

Core Exercises for Lower Back Pain – Video

Core Exercises for Lower Back Pain – Learn More

Add Nordic Curls and Reverse Hyperextensions into your training.

What is posture? Your posture is the position in which you hold your body when standing or sitting. Good posture involves aligning your body so that the least strain is placed on your muscles and ligaments while you move or exercise.

Posture is influenced by the joints of the body and, as such, can be trained. This can be difficult without the right knowledge however, as you’ll have to alter life-long habits. Having said that, you can learn to fix your posture and achieve a tall, upright posture with these four moves.

How to fix your posture in 4 moves

Pro athlete and strength coach Jeff Cavaliere breaks down what you need to do to fix your posture.

Before you think about making big muscle gains, you’ll need to fix your posture. This will not only help prevent injury, but will allow you to ultimately lift more weight in the long term.

• Fix a rounded thoracic spine
• Fix rounded shoulders
• Fix a forward head
• Fix anterior pelvic tilt

Get training! Try the perfect workout to lose weight or add the 10 best dumbbell exercises for triceps to your training.

Best Exercises for a Strong Lower Back – The Cat Cow

A great flow when your body needs a break. Cat-Cow, or Chakravakasana, is a yoga pose that’s said to improve posture and balance — ideal for those with back pain.

The benefits of this synchronized breath movement will also help you relax and ease some of the day’s stress.

The Hollow Body Crunch

The hollow body hold is an intermediate to advanced level abdominal exercise that targets the muscles in your core.

Because of the force required to press the lower back into the floor, this exercise focuses on maximum tension through the abdominal muscles, making it an excellent move for athletes.

Bridging

The Bridging exercise is a closed chain weight-bearing exercise.

It also increases muscular strength of the hip extensors and promotes trunk stability.

It is often prescribed for patients with back pain, and increases the activities of trunk stabilization muscles such as the internal oblique, external oblique, and erector spinae muscles.

Source: Photo Courtesy of CrossFit Inc

Individuals with back and hip pathologies are often taught to perform the bridging exercise in the crook-lying position, elevating the pelvis off the floor.

This exercise is particularly useful for facilitating pelvic motions and strengthening the low back and hip extensors, and it enhances motor control of the lumbo-pelvic region.

Quadruped Leg and Arm Raise / Bird Dog

The Bird Dog has been a popular core and spinal stabilization exercise for well over a decade. Made famous by low-back specialists and functional training experts Stuart McGill, Gray Cook and Mike Boyle, the Bird Dog has been shown to be an effective movement to reinforce proper spinal alignment and core recruitment.

Even if you’re unfamiliar with the name, you’ve more than likely performed it yourself or seen it performed at your local gym and fitness center. Performing the Bird Dog is quite simple.

Knee to Chest

That’s where the knees-to-chest stretch comes in.

Not only does it feel great in most instances, but it’s a wonderful way to restore flexibility in your low back muscles following an afternoon of gardening or housework or after a day at the computer.

But the knees-to-chest stretch is good for more than low-back muscle release.

As a range of motion exercise, in other words, a movement that increases your joint flexibility, the knees-to-chest stretch may help reduce stiffness associated with spinal arthritis and/or spinal stenosis.

For people who have osteoarthritis, range of motion exercises can help lubricate the joints, increase blood flow and deliver nutrients to the problem area.

Best Exercises for a Strong Lower Back – Video

Best Exercises for a Strong Lower Back – Timestamps

• 4:05 The Cat Cow
• 4:33 The Hollow Body Crunch
• 5:26 Bridging
• 6:01 Quadruped Leg and Arm Raise
• 6:52 Knee to Chest

Check out more great advice from Calisthenic Movement.

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Add Nordic Curls and Reverse Hyperextensions into your training.

Remeber that it is always important to consult a trained professional when it comes to looking after your back. These tips are designed to give you an understanding and help to improve your body and health.

“It is quite common for us to experience pain and tightness in the low back, sometimes from even the slightest of movements.

Source: Photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc

Whether it is caused by a muscle strain or a disc, the problem is often rooted in an accumulation of bad spinal mechanics that results in what seems to be a sudden blowout.”

Pad Posture and Weak Muscles

“When it comes to lower back pain, too often it is our posture when bending forward and the accompanying weakness in our lower back muscles that sets the stage for problems.

Whether it is being too lazy or ingrained habits of poor hip biomechanics, if you don’t hinge properly you are going to put excessive strain on the low back that doesn’t have to be there.”

So how do you figure out if you have weak lower back muscles?

Let’s take a test.

The Pen Test

Try Jeff’s useful test:

“If you had not watched this and dropped a pen on the floor, how would you pick it up? Do you just bend forward at the waist and reach down to grab the pen:

• When doing this, is your low back rounded?
• Are you reaching out in front of your body so that your arms are drifting forward when you do?

If either of these happen, you are likely joining the 90 percent plus that pick things up this way.

It doesn’t matter that the pen only weighs a few ounces. It’s almost never about the weight of the item you are picking up that results in back pain. It’s about the mechanics.”

So What Can I do About it?

Jeff explains, “bending must always start at the hips with a hinge backwards. In fact, very little knee bend is required to get you to the ground once you’ve fully hinged through your available range of motion at the hips.

By hinging, you not only set the stage for proper biomechanics of the hips but you preload the muscles of the glutes to do the lifting for you rather than the weaker paraspinal muscles of the lower back.

Your glutes are the powerhouses of hip extension. You need to learn how to use them.”

What Exercises are Helpful to Fix Back Pain?

“To do this properly, I highly recommend that everyone includes the RDL into their training regimen.

Even though this shares many of the same characteristics as the conventional deadlift, it is a different movement that is driven entirely by the posterior chain throughout the lift.

The deadlift has a large knee extension moment at the beginning of the pull from the floor.

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

It isn’t until the bar gets to the level of the knees does the movement shift from a quad dominant leg exercise supported by upper body pull musculature to a hamstring and glute dominant leg exercise supported by the upper body.

With the RDL, you want to start the movement from the standing position rather than picking the bar off the floor.

Ideally, you’ll have a rack that will allow you to do this however you can prop the bar up onto a bench if needed to get it off the floor. From here, you take a grip just outside of your legs. Initiate the movement by hinging back at the hips.”

How Will this Muscular Development Help to Fix Back Pain?

“With these muscles of the posterior chain much better equipped to handle these loads and this function, you will find that the action of bending down becomes much more efficient and easier to perform without the risk of strain on the weaker lower back muscles.

Back pain that could arise from an accumulation of poorly performed forward bends will become a thing of the past if you learn to groove this pattern.

It doesn’t just help here either. This movement is critical to performing a deadlift, squat and row properly as well.”

Video – How to Fix Back Pain

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Add Nordic Curls and the Reverse Hyperextension into your training.

Bad back posture is becoming more and more prominent with large portions of the population spending more time sitting down or in a sedentary state.

But, if you’re committed to health and fitness, bad back posture is something you’ll want to address so it doesn’t affect your training and daily life.

Try these corrective exercises and learn how to fix bad back posture with the video below.

How to fix bad back posture

• Wall slides: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Prone Y’s: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Foam Roller for T Spine: ∼ 3-5 minutes
• Shoulder Dislocates: 15-20 reps

Perform this routine daily, it should take about 10 minutes. Remember to also correct your posture throughout the day whenever you feel yourself hunching.

Frequency and consistency are the most important factors in fixing bad back posture!

Science Insider has recently released a video with Dr. Stacie Morris and Dr. Wesley Wang. Morris is the owner of The Physio Fix, in Arizona, and she works with gymnasts and strength athletes.  Wang works at Healthy Baller and he specialises in ACLs.

“If one person becomes more educated, then they can start breaking that cycle right then and there,” Dr. Morris says.

Watch 14 Exercise Myths Debunked

1. Your knees should never pass your toes when squatting

“When you play your sports, do you ever think about your knees being past your toes?” Dr. Wang asks. “You should allow your body to move naturally and if you limit that, you actually add more stress […] to your hips and your low back,” Dr. Morris complements.

2. Soreness is a sign of a good workout

“You should have been progressed in a way that was so gradual that you are feeling stronger, and maybe you’re still feeling a little bit sore, but you don’t feel like you can’t walk the next day.”

3. Bigger muscles are stronger – Exercise myths debunked

Some people have genetic differences with longer muscles compared to other people. “Maybe they don’t look as big, but they may be really, really strong because there is more of them and there’s a shorter tendon where they’re attaching,” Dr. Morris explains.

4. You need to eat meat to build muscle

 You do need to eat protein to build muscle, but you are not forced to get your protein through meat sources only. Lentils and quinoa have protein, for example.

5. Cardio before weights – Exercise myths debunked

That depends on your goals. If you are gearing towards being stronger, you do strength beforehand. If you are aiming for a more cardiovascular endurance workout, prioritise cardio before doing weightlifting.

6. Working out tones your muscles

If it is about being able to see your muscles, it comes down to calorie ingested versus calorie spent. “You need to focus on what you’re eating too, not just focusing on what you’re doing in the gym,” Dr. Wang clarifies.

7. Exercise cancels out unhealthy eating habits

“Definitely not,” Dr. Wang says right out of the bat. “The things you are putting inside your body is going to have a long-term effect,” Dr. Morris says. “It’s not just calories in versus calories out.”

8. You should bulk and cut to build muscle

Professional bodybuilders do that, but if you do not want to follow that and still bulk and cut down you physique simultaneously, it is possible by being in a positive nitrogen state. Increase your protein in the form of amino acids, also adding creatine and getting enough sleep.

9. You need to work out for at least an hour for it to have an effect

Work smarter, not harder. “Can you only survive on 20, 30-minute workouts? Yes you can,” says Dr. Wang. “Obviously you can get significantly more done in a little bit more time, which is, I think, the hour time frame.”

10. Running will destroy your knees – Exercise myths debunked

“It’s definitely not backed by any scientific research,” Dr. Morris comments. It helps your knees, not the opposite.

Source: Kate Trifo

11. The best way to burn fat is on an empty stomach

If you are in a caloric deficit you will be burning fat. “It is more like, what kind of workouts are you doing, what heart zone are you in, and what does your nutrition look like,” says Dr. Morris. Eating breakfast is fine, and skipping is also okay, as long as you get your nutrients in and keep an eye out for your macros.

12. Lifting heavy weights at a young age will stunt your growth

Dr. Morris says that there is no evidence that supports this point of view.

13. Assisted exercises are not as effective

Some people do pull-ups with a band to assist them in lifting their body. “It just means that at their current level they need a band to perform the movement,” Dr. Morris explains. For mobility work, utilising a band to assist in the exercise is actually crucial.

14. You can’t exercise with flat feet – Exercise myths debunked

“Half of the people in the world have flat feet, are they not suppose to exercise?” questions Dr. Morris, saying this myth is just plain silly.

We define stability as the capacity of the muscles and connective tissue to maintain a position or movement despite the perturbations such as the movement of the weight for example.

Therefore the muscles will contract and relax with the exact amount of strength and precision to maintain the posture that we want to achieve.

For example if we look at an overhead squat with a dumbbell, all the muscles of the rotator cuff, combined with the muscles of the back and core should work with minor adjustments to be able to maintain the dumbbell in a vertical position during the entire range of motion of the squat. The appropriate muscles will also be reduced in tension to allow us to lower the weight.

Why is it beneficial to work on shoulder stability?

Simply put, more stability can help to avoid injuries due to unwanted compensatory movements.

If you imagine a very mobile athlete doing an overhead squat with out stabilising the position, we would expect them to see collapse at the bottom of the squat, knees touching and shoulders excessively rotated.

Shoulder Stability Exercises

Which exercises help me develop more shoulder stability?

Typically exercises that can be performed slowly, focusing on the position of the scapula and the humerus all the time and help develop strength in a controlled way.

Some of the exercises will be purely strengthening in the correct directions and some will require balance which helps the musculature to align properly.

BOTTOM UP PRESS

This exercise should be performed with a light kettlebell, holding it with the bottom up.

The shoulder and elbow should be in a 90º position, with the scapula down and slightly back (aiming to get closer to the spine but not exaggerated).

This movement can be performed seated, in a lunge position, standing or walking. That would represent a progression from easy to hard.

W,T, Y AND I

These letters symbolize the movement of our arms during the exercise.

Sit downwards on an incline bench (around 45º) with your forehead resting on the bench. Perform the 4 different movements with your arms (w,t,y and i) by doing 5 of each to complete one set.  Complete a total of 4 sets.

These movements will focus on the movement and shoulder stability of the scapula. Always avoid bringing your shoulders up against your ears.

BAMBOO BAR PRESSES

With a pvc pipe or an empty barbell, attach elastic bands with kb hanging instead of plates.

Perform a shoulder press. The movement of the hanging kettlebells and the elastic bands will generate imbalances in the movement. This in turn will cause your muscles to balance and stabilise the object and maintain the path of the press. Holding the bar and hanging kettlebells for a few seconds in the overhead position also makes for a great core exercise.

HOLLOW PLANK ON RINGS

The rings provide an unstable surface that will cause the instability we need to make our stability muscles work.

Place the rings low enough to perform a plank and maintain the hollow position, pushing and keeping the scapulas protracted. If this is too easy, try moving the rings back and forward in small movements to generate more instability.

Accessory stability work is a crucial part of The Progrm

Don’t forget to add this to your programming at the end of the session or at the beginning to awaken the muscles before a snatch or overhead session.

Remember to use light weights at the beginning and focus on the positioning and the correct activation of the muscles.