The number of resistance and rehabilitation exercises that can be done with Thera-Band products is enormous. While a new resistance training machine may be needed for every different movement pattern, Thera-Band straps and tubing can be attached to any fixed, stable structure and movements of almost kind can be performed. They are easy to setup and provide a useful alternative to machines or cable weights in movements that may be otherwise difficult to replicate with resistance. They can also be used in addition to a regular resistance training program that consists of free weights, cables and machines. For example, Thera-Bands could be used for an athlete looking to improve his/her explosive pressing or jumping movements.

For advanced exercisers, they can be used to alter the ‘strength curve’, so that where a movement might normally be easy at the top of a movement (like a pushup) – as the band stretches more it gets more difficult. So the movement is challenging throughout the full range of motion.

Some common exercises include internal or external shoulder rotations for shoulder rehabilitation, squat + press, rows, chest or overhead presses.

There is a large range of intensity that these exercises can be performed at due to the varying resistance of both the colours (the ‘light’ yellow band up to the ‘heavy’ gold and silver bands) and distance in which you stretch the band. For example, a gold band stretched to 250% of its original length equates to a resistance of 40 pounds. On top of this, multiple bands can be used simultaneously in order to get just the right resistance for the individual and the movement being undertaken.

Though Thera-Band straps and tubing are very versatile and safe when used correctly, care needs to be taken as there is a risk of them breaking when stretched too far. Stretching a band over 300% of its resting length greatly increases the chance of failure and bands should be checked frequently for cracks or breaking of the tubing. Latex and non-latex varieties are also available for those with allergies.

Overall, Thera-band straps and tubing can be a valuable addition to any resistance training program, whether for overall health or pre- / rehabilitation exercises. They provide resistance in movement patterns otherwise difficult to perform with cables or machines. Their versatility in being able to perform many different exercises by simply changing the anchor point is a cheap alternative to large amount of machines that would be needed to perform the  same movements, while yielding similar results.

Weight training is vital! The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you will burn, even while sleeping! Fatty tissue is only being dragged along for the ride. As I have said before, you do not need to worry about accidentally getting ‘big’. Females simply don’t produce enough testosterone to become overly muscular. Even most males have to work extremely hard and eat very, very well to make significant gains.

You will need to start teaching your body to eat again. If you drop your calories too low for an extended period of time, your metabolism will slow down as well to compensate. This is a survival mechanism. You never want to drop calories to below your Basal Metabolic Rate (www.bmi-calculator.net), or basically, the bare minimum your body burns each day just being you. You can use your BMR and activity level, to work out a rough guide to the maintenance levels of calories you require. This is just a guide and individuals will need to find their own maintenance level (the amount of lean muscle they carry will have a big effect on this). If you want to lose weight, you could start by reducing your maintenance calories by 15-20% and see how you go. If you are sitting well under you BMR, you are very likely to hit a point where you cannot lose any more weight because your calories are too low (I have actually tested this out myself and it really does happen!). So if this is you, start increasing your intake by around 50 to 100 calories at a time until you are at an acceptable daily calorie intake. Your weight may come up a tiny bit as your body re-adjusts, but you should then start seeing weight loss again (for more information about this, talk to us). Note: If you feel that your metabolism is too fast for you to ever gain any weight, you can also address this issue. Start by increasing your maintenance calories by 300 or so per day, and start a challenging weight training program with lots of compound movements and good technique.

The types of foods you are eating will also make a huge difference. All calories are not created equal. Aside from the difference in nutrients, 50 calories of donut, will give you that much energy. However 50 cal worth of broccoli comes with a lot of fiber. Fiber causes the body to have to do a lot of work to digest the food. In the case of broccoli and a lot of other vegetables, it is believed that the hard work the body puts in burns through all the energy the broccoli provides, and then some extra! So the inclusion of lots of fibrous fruits and vegetable in your diet will help to fuel your metabolism. Some foods are much more thermogenic than others (use more of the body’s energy to be digested). These foods include lean meats, fish, eggs and whey protein. Including a sufficient amount of lean protein will also stimulate the metabolism. This is also the method by which it is thought that chili and green tea can assist the metabolism.

Eating small meals every 3-4 hours will also help with you metabolism and hunger regulation. Eating all of your food at the end of the day places a huge strain on the metabolism. When you eat a large meal full of carbohydrates, all of the blood rushes to the region to aid in digestion. This is why a big lunch can make you sleepy. At first eating 5 to 6 small meals a day can seem strange, but after a week or so, you will start to feel more regulated hunger and satiety signals.

Mat Pilates, usually offered in group sessions, provides the client with some basic skills of Pilates and tends not to use much additional equipment. In many cases it is a more general approach to stability training that may be conducted in a classical sequence or with a modern approach that has been adapted by the instructor. Consequently, mat Pilates is accessible at a lessor cost in classes run in gyms and studios. Classes may be tailored to different levels (beginner, intermediate and advanced) or offered as pre or post-natal classes specifically designed to develop control of pelvic floor and abdominal muscles.

By Megan McBreen

At first glance, the squat and deadlift may seem like identical exercises that stress the lower body. However due to the position of the external load, each exercise emphasises different body parts in a different way. In conventional deadlifts, the gluteals, hamstrings and lower back do most of the lifting whereas in the squat the quadriceps and gluteals are the primary muscles utilized. As stated above, there is still a great deal of upper limb and torso involvement to stabilize and support the weight.

There have been numerous studies that investigate the benefits of each exercise for development of lower limb strength and even fat loss. Studies have shown that both the squat and deadlift result in higher muscle activation and greater improvements in lower limb power and strength than other isolation exercises. This is due to each movement using the large muscles of the lower legs including the quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteals over a large range of motion. This not only increases the demand on the muscles, which results in greater strength gains, but also develops the nervous system’s ability to activate motor units (and muscle fibres) to lift weight more efficiently.

Several other studies have shown there are other beneficial effects that occur when performing exercises with a large amount of muscle mass. One such effect is the increased release of the body’s natural muscle-building hormones which greatly enhance the body’s ability to repair muscle damage done in the gym. Another effect is increased fat loss due to greater calorie expenditure during the squad and deadlift, as well as muscle repair needed post-workout.

While some believe that the squat and deadlift can lead to injuries of the knees and lower back, respectively – there is little evidence to support this. Contradicting this belief are Olympic weightlifters who endure decades of multiple, maximal sets of below parallel squats with no apparent ill effects. Similarly, deadlifts performed with good technique strengthen the muscles of the back and legs to prevent injury while deadlifting and in activities of daily living.

From the information above in addition to countless other studies, it can be seen that squats and deadlifts are the best exercises to collectively increase the size and strength of the legs. Few other exercises provide a comparable stimulus for strength gain while also offering overall systemic conditioning of the body.

Mitchell Birch

The reason you should snack is to increase your metabolism, eating every 3 hours or so is a fantastic way to keep that metabolism going so you can ultimately burn more fat. In the case of trying to gain muscle, you should snack every 3 hours to keep your body fueled, to in muscle recovery.

If you’re snacking for weight loss, you’ve got a couple of options, firstly you can eat 5 or 6 small meals per day instead of your regular 3. Alternatively you can start snacking between your main meals (it’s still recommended to keep your 3 meals relatively small), ideally snacking on protein based snacks or fruit.

If you’re looking to gain muscle you should also snack on protein but should include carbohydrates as well, ideally low gi, e.g. multigrain breads etc.

All in all the thing to remember with not only your snacks but your diet is to keep sugars low, when you go for carbohydrates focus on good quality carbohydrates such as mutligrain breads, brown rice etc.

What does it do?
Claims have been made by companies suggesting easy weight loss, improved strength, stability, power, flexibility, bone density and muscle tone. However, there is not significant evidence to suggest that all of these promises will eventuate by using the machine. Firstly, little benefit will occur from simply standing on the machine. For benefits to occur exercises, that you may already do in the gym, must be performed on the machine. The vibration is thought to recruit a greater number of muscle fibers and thus amplify the stimulus which is applied through exercises like abdominal crunch, squats and push-ups.

So what does the research say?
The maintenance of bone mineral density (BMD) following menopause and a 6% improvement in young females who presented with low BMD has been reported. It is argued that a good moderate intensity resistance training or circuit training routine would have the same, if not better, effect on muscular strength and peak power in most individuals and research suggests that the ‘warm-up effect’, created by vibration in the muscles induces the most benefit causing improved explosive power (6-8%) and circulation; though isometric force was reduced in the same instance by 5%.

Whole Body Vibration (WBV): Does it work?
Balance during perturbed or challenged stance was improved and falls risk reduced in sedentary elderly women with WBV training. Some evidence of improved flexibility, blood glucose control and reduced stress levels have been shown to occur when using WBV though these improvements have not been shown to be greater than conventional exercise interventions. Special populations, particularly the elderly, who may be limited with their activity or athletes looking to enhance power-based performance, are thought to have the most potential for benefit when using WBV machines. Reports of therapeutic use with patients suffering from chronic lower back pain, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis and Parkinson’s disease are new within the literature. Further investigations are also underway as to the use of these machines with stroke and spinal cord injury patients.

The verdict…
So, with these machines on the market for $28/week or anywhere between $2000 and $12000 straight-up are they a worth whiled purchase? Evidence suggests that they can be beneficial as a supplement to your regular exercise program though most of the general population could achieve similar benefits from a well developed exercise program alone. Wobble boards, dura discs, fitballs and other more economical and space-efficient pieces of equipment can be used to intensify exercises and achieve your health and fitness goals. Guidance is recommended with the use of WBV machines as long term use could be harmful. So before rushing out to purchase a WBV machine first consider what you want to achieve, how much you are willing to spend to get the right machine, how committed you are to continued use and if you have a suitable space to put the machine.
By Megan McBreen

Most massage techniques involve using pressure and tension on the target area, which could be a given muscle, tendon, ligament, joint or other connective tissue. Massage therapists need to be skilled practitioners and are represented in Australia by the Australian Association of Massage Therapists.

As mentioned above, there is a wide variety of massage techniques used around the world which serve different purposes. General benefits for almost all massage therapies can include pain relief, reduced anxiety and depression as well as improved quality of life. A given session might include a broad back massage to relieve stress and ease tension, followed by targeting areas of pain or discomfort with various tools in an attempt to improve function and relieve symptoms.

The benefits of massage are difficult to prove due to the nature of the practice, though some studies have found significant improvements in several of the areas above. Clinical studies have proven that massage can significantly reduce pain, anxiety and tension in a post-operative patient in conditions such as cardiovascular disease and bone pain related to advanced cancer.

Deep tissue therapy and myofascial release therapy are more advanced (and sometimes painful!) massage techniques. They involve the massage of deep layers of muscle and other connective tissue that may not be sufficiently activated from normal physical activity. This may increase blood flow, improve stretch reflex, reduce inflammation, relieve tension and stimulate greater function in the targeted areas.

However, there are some situations where massage can be inappropriate. Some studies have investigated pre-event massage and the effect on physical function, suggesting that the relaxation experienced from the massage leads to a decrease in performance. There is some suggestion that this could be beneficial in sports where intense physical performance is not necessary and where pre-event tension is prevalent.

Overall, massage therapy has been shown to relieve pain, depression and anxiety in both short and long term treatments. Massage therapy can be a useful tool in improving physical function and enhancing the healing process. In addition to this, some studies have shown benefits with regard to functional outcomes and quality of life in chronic disease.

By Mitchell Birch

Ok, so you might think that I’m sitting on the fence, or being a cop out, but let me explain… If you’ve ever read a health and fitness magazine they always have the latest and greatest training program that is designed to burn fat and build lean muscle mass. The truth is they all will probably work, but inevitably as with every program you will plateau and the results slow and the training becomes simply maintenance.

Ok, so let me first explain how we program for clients initially and then I’ll explain how I personally train myself to ensure that I’m continually moving forward with my own training.

Depending on your training age (how long you’ve been training) we will generally start you off on a 6-8 exercise full body program with most exercises anywhere from 6 to 15 rep range. Most exercises will be simple compound (using multiple muscle groups) designed to move you up to more complex compound exercises. If there are any isolating exercises these are designed to build strength in a certain muscle to ensure that you can move up to these complex compound exercises.

However, there is no reason to stay with this formula as your training age increases and you begin to build strength and lean muscle mass. In fact quite the opposite. By staying with this formula you’re actually staying mediocre with your strength training. The natural tendency for most people is to do a set of 10 reps then rest for 1min then do it again (you probably notice that we never write programs this way). Even if you progress well initally doing this, eventually you will hit a training plateau and have gains that are frustratingly spread out.

So earlier in the year I increased my lean muscle mass by about 4kg in approximately 8 weeks, without changing my nutrition, without ever repeating a workout and particularly without doing an isolating tricep or bicep exercise. In fact when I’m training these days the only time I touch a bench is about once a fortnight to do bench press and I do one ab exercise maybe every 3 weeks.  

My point here is not to brag, my point is that if you want to build muscle and progress with your training, always be doing something different and try to do things in that engage multiple muscles. Once you have trained for a while do some strength sets (most times I work out I usually choose 1 or 2 exercises, choose the number of reps (generally between 2 to 6) and then try to achieve my max).

Secondly do workouts that you actually have to sweat your way through and leave you gasping for air, for example choose 3 or 4 exercises, choose your number of reps and do 5 sets of each or do as many sets as possible in a set period of time.

Lastly, choose exercises that are going to challenge your core strength while you’re doing them. That means ditch the leg press (I haven’t touched it for about 12 months) and get squating (no I don’t mean having the guide rails put up to your armpits – your bum needs to go below your knees, put a box under you and make yourself squat to it), deadlifting and single leg squatting. Do push ups, chin ups and horiztonal pull ups and if you’ve got no shoulder problems start overhead pressing.

At least 60% of every exercise I do involves using legs, why? Because that’s the way life is! If you go to pick something up you use your legs, if you running, jumping, walking, rowing, playing tennis, gardening, getting up and down from a chair, it’s all using your legs. Still not convinced about my philosophy all you males wanting to build massive biceps, tricpes and chest? Ok then, doing leg work actually helps you to build upper body muscle. Sounds strange doesn’t it? But it’s actually true! Leg work is utilising the biggest muscle groups and creates an anabolic response in the body which creates a state that’s ideal for building muscle.

So forget about your tricep push down, bicep curls, and doing 5 sets of bench press 5 times a week, you will actually gain more muscle if you start coverting those sets into leg work. Still don’t believe me? Ok but why don’t you try it yourself? I’m happy to write you a program for 8 weeks, if you follow it I will gaurantee you will be benching more and have a bigger chest than by what you’re doing now. Just leave a comment and i’ll help you out

The cervical and thoracic vertebrae govern the posture of the upper back/neck and are also important in shoulder girdle balance. Incorrect posture can affect the angles at which muscles of the shoulder act which can lead to shoulder impingement (‘nerve pinching’) as well as rotator cuff injuries. . A condition involving both of the spinal sections is called kyphosis or ‘hunchback’. It is often seen in osteoporosis sufferers where fractures occur in the vertebrae and make correct neutral spinal position impossible. The lumbar vertebrae are also important in total spine health, with office workers and truck drivers particularly at risk. The most common effect of incorrect lumbar spine position is chronic lower back pain.

As seen above, a neutral spine position is important in distributing load and maintaining a safe position with which to move in activities of daily living. This is also true for strength training you do in the gym. An incorrectly aligned spine alters body biomechanics and can increase joint torque (force) between vertebrae, which can result in discomfort and ultimately injury. Therefore the maintenance of a neutral spine during all strength training exercises in the gym (or at home) is important in many ways for long term health goals.
Correct Spinal Posture and It’s Importance So what is the correct spinal position?

The correct upper body position is usually described simply as ‘shoulders back’ with a high chest. The correct lower body spine position can be more difficult to remember and execute. The correct lumbar curve is associated with pelvic tilt, which is the forward/backwards orientation of the hips. As a visual example, if you put your thumb and index fingers on your hips so that your thumb sits just above your glutes and index finger ~4cm below the line of your belly button. Correct pelvic position would be one where your thumb rises slightly whilst your index fingers drop slightly. It is the goal of this exercise to make your pelvis tilt forwards slightly to teach and illustrate correct pelvic position and control.
Another common analogy for correct lumbar position whilst sitting is imagining sitting on your upper hamstrings rather than your buttocks. This often engages the correct posture automatically; the problem is maintaining it during a long work day! It is important to note that during standing, lumbar position is often correct – it is during sitting or some strength training activities that it becomes inefficient at loading and a contraindication to spine health.
These simple cues above are often enough for most people to remember the correct spine position. It is important to note that the long term adoption of correct sitting/standing posture and during strength training is the goal of these spinal position cues.

Modern or contemporary Pilates programs include adapted exercises and methods that tend to be more varied between sessions. Pilates centres on the connection between the mind and body and requires the participant to be aware of where their body is in space and how they control movement.
Many resources and techniques are available and used in small individually tailored classes, large generic classes and as lessor components of every day exercise sessions.

How does it work? What does it do?
A Pilates based exercise session may include floor based activities, reformers, small weighted balls, swivel or rotating discs, bands, boards, exercise balls, foam rollers and many other tools. The activities aim to develop flexibility, strength, control, endurance and coordination. People may specifically use Pilates to reteach correct posture and muscle activation which can reduce pain in joints and improve function and movement efficiency. Creating balance around the body’s core or midline is an important part of the Pilates philosophy with core strength vital for optimal function and movement.

Who is it good for?
There are no age restrictions or gender biases when it comes to Pilates, there is always an approach suitable to your individual needs.
Many have found Pilates to be of particular benefit during and after pregnancy (though professional guidance is recommended) in training core stabilisers like the transverse abdominis, multifidus and pelvic floor muscles. It is also useful as part of rehabilitation programs, to enhance athletic performance and for general strength and fitness.

Pilates can be a great addition to almost any exercise program whether you attend regular classes or incorporate key exercises into your regular routine. With that being said Pilates has it’s limitations in terms of strength gain therefore it is best used in conjunction with a regular strength/resistance training program.

By Megan McBreen