Periodization is a very popular word in the bodybuilding and powerlifting worlds. It seems that every day we see an article promising us great gains through the use of this or that periodization scheme. We have old school linear periodization. We have new school Russian waved periodization, for example, by Boris Sheiko or Pavel Tsatsouline. We have Westside Barbell’s conjugate periodization. Well, get ready, because now we have yet another form of periodization: Pain Periodization.

What is Pain Periodization? Is it some new hardcore bodybuilding method? Is it the latest fitness fad? Is it some leftover practice of the Marquis de Sade? Is it a new reality game show? That would be three nos. It is simply a common sense way to schedule productive bodybuilding exercises that might otherwise be discarded. Read on and I’ll explain, but first let me illustrate the problem we are trying to overcome.

We all know that there are exercises that we both love and hate. For example, skullcrushers are one of the best triceps moves for getting those huge guns. Unfortunately, some of us also get nasty elbow pain after a few weeks of skullcrushers. It’s the same with presses behind the neck. Some of us swear by them for their ability to build cannonball delts. Some of us swear at them for their ability to produce rotator cuff pain. We all love the bench press, but not all of us can handle the shoulder strain the bench press can produce. Luckily, there is an answer. It’s called Pain Periodization. Let’s break it down.

Pain Periodization is a method of planning our workouts so that we can use our favorite exercises without letting the pain get out of hand. We use the exercise for a certain preplanned period, and then move on to something else. As James Brown would say, we “hit it and quit it.” Let’s look at some examples.

For shoulder size, we might like the behind neck press. But after four or five weeks, the rotator cuff is so sore that it takes a month to heal. We have forsaken the behind neck press altogether and instead used machine shoulder presses. We’d like to do behind neck presses, but we can’t afford the pain and possible down time. By using Pain Periodization, we can have our cake and eat it too. We can start using our favorite shoulder exercise again and still retain shoulder health.

Here is an example 8-week workout plan using Pain Periodization.

· Weeks 1-2 Behind Neck Press

· Weeks 3-4 Machine Press

· Weeks 5-6 Behind Neck Press

· Week 7 Machine Press

· Week 8 Prehab/Rehab

In the above example, we used the behind neck press for 2 weeks only, then went to the machine press which we find easier on the rotator cuff. We don’t just keep using the behind neck press until our shoulder health is wrecked. In effect, we “hit it and quit it.” In the second 4-week period, again we use the behind neck press for 2 weeks followed by the machine press. Also shown is an optional week of rehab or “prehab” during which time we drop all heavy overhead pressing and focus on rotator cuff work and stretching. This one-week rehab phase can work wonders for our shoulder health.

Let’s look at another example using the bench press. We all want that big bench press, but we don’t want a blown rotator cuff. We can use Pain Periodization to allow us to work the bench press without wrecking our delts. Like this:

· Weeks 1-3 Bench Press

· Week 4 Machine Bench

· Weeks 4-6 Bench Press

· Week 7 Machine Bench

· Week 8 Rehab/Prehab

Are we getting the picture here? In both of these examples, the “painful” exercise was alternated with an exercise that we find to be easier on the body. The examples were slightly different, but the main idea is the same. The pain producing exercises were used only for a short period, and then we switched exercises before the pain had a chance to accumulate. In essence, we “hit it and quit it.” Try Pain Periodization. It may be just what you need to resurrect some of those forsaken exercises.

Randy Williams is an online personal trainer with 24 years of weightlifting experience. Please visit my blog at massactionheroes.com/ massactionheroes.com/ and sign up for my free newsletter and receive a 2-part free report on bread and butter bodybuilding set methods. Inquire about online personal training by emailing me at mailto:Randy@massactionheroes.com Randy@massactionheroes.com

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CRAMP

Cramp is caused by a lack of circulation to the muscles. Muscles need oxygen and nutrients to convert into energy to allow us to play sport or perform exercises. As a result waste products are formed in the muscles. The circulation increases to meet these demands and get rid of these waste products. In people with poor circulation the blood flow isn’t sufficient to get rid of all the waste products produced by the muscles during exercise. When this happens the waste products irritate the muscles causing an involuntary contraction which we call cramp. Professional sportsmen take great care to maintain the circulation immediately after exercise so that waste products are quickly removed from the muscles and therefore reduce the danger of cramp occurring. Most often, for non-sports people, cramp is associated with stretching feet into the cold part of the bed in the small hours. In this case the cumulation of being cold and immobile in bed is enough to cause the muscles to go into cramp. Cramp is usually relieved either by massaging and stretching the muscle or getting out of bed and walking about. This improves the circulation in the short term and allows the removal of the waste products causing the cramp.

TREATMENT

Treatment with Connective Tissue Manipulation reduces the tension around the blood vessel walls and allows them to open up and allow better blood flow into the area. This improves the circulation in the longer term and reduces the frequency and the severity of episodes of cramp

londonphysiocentre.com londonphysiocentre.com

Jacqueline is one of a few UK Physiotherapists combining Connective Tissue Manipulation, Manual Lymph Drainage, the MacKenzie Exercise Regime and Cranio-sacral Therapy in private practice. During the past four years she has successfully treated over 1,000 patients with spinal problems and a further 1,300 patients with other muscular skeletal problems in her Gillingham Physio Centre in Dorset. In order to offer her specialist techniques to a greater number of patients she started the London Physio Centre at 148 Harley Street.

A Chartered and State Registered Physiotherapist, Jacqueline qualified at St Thomas’s Hospital, London with additional emphasis in the treatment of backs and necks. She spent five years at the Leicester Royal Infirmary gaining experience in all branches of physiotherapy and became Senior Physiotherapist on the Medical Unit. In 1977 she created a private practice at the Leicester Clinic, eventually covering all orthopaedic, spinal and post-op physiotherapy.

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It is important that we all exercise and keep fit especially as we grow older because it will greatly improve your health. Fitness is just as important for the disabled although exercises will have to be adjusted to suit.

Physical activity is as important a part of a weight loss program as eating the right food. A growing number of women are overweight or obese. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, breathing problems, arthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea (breathing problems while sleeping), osteoarthritis, and some cancers.

It is not just how much fat a person has but also where it is located. A “pear” shaped women, has a tendency to store fat around the hips and buttocks whilst an “apple” shaped women stores fat around the waist. There is greater concern for women with an “apple” shape because carrying extra weight around their waists (larger than 35 inches) raises health risks, for example heart disease, diabetes or cancer. You can work out your body shape by measuring your waist and hips in inches and then divide your waist measurement by the hips measurement. A result of 0.8 or more generally indicates an “apple” shape women.

Exercise helps you to lose fat and build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis. It has been found that bone density is lost when weight loss is achieved through dieting alone. Exercise not only helps to prevent bones from breaking but also makes the body stronger and improves balance, and so helps to prevent falls. Though care has to be given when exercising, as there is a need to ensure that the body has enough nutriments to build muscle otherwise minerals could be leeched from the bone and so make the bones weak. It is best not to exercise on an empty stomach.

Exercising provides a lot of benefits to the body such as:-

· help to reduce anxiety, depression, and improve moods

· help to control stress

· help to control weight

· provide more energy

· help with sleeplessness

· help you look better.

The best way to stay fit is to have a well-rounded workout plan, which combines aerobic activity, muscle-strengthening exercises, and stretching. The ideal plan is to do at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity three of four times a week, adding muscle-strengthening activities to your aerobic workout two to three times a week.

To reduce the risk of injury you need to do a slow aerobic warm-up, then stretch before any aerobic or strengthening activities. An aerobic activity is an activity that speeds up your heart and breathing while moving your body at a regular pace. If you have been inactive for a while you will need to start slowly and gradually build up the pace without hurting the body.

Before starting any sort of exercise routine make sure that you talk to your health care provider especially if you have any of the following:-

· have or at risk of heart disease or a stroke

· have or at risk of diabetes

· are obese

· have an injury such as a knee injury

· older than 50 years

· are pregnant

Gill Webster is dedicated to helping people, especially women over 40, learn how to live a healthy beautiful life, while succeeding at weight loss. To learn more, jump to slimyouwin.com slimyouwin.com, sign up for her free newsletter on health and fitness and receive her free e-book. Signup is a simple sign and Gill guarantees a no-spam policy!

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What creates the cottage cheese effect of cellulite? Simply put, cellulite is caused by loose or weak skin and connective tissues that are unable to keep the fat tissues contained within their compartments. Fat tissues or deposits escape through weakened connective fibrous strands and buoy up to the surface, creating the pebbly, orange peel effect. Strong skin and muscles are the best preventive measures for runaway fat. Keeping the cell body firm and intact would mean keeping control over fatty deposits. Cellulite is formed by the creation of water pockets and fat deposits which means that the most effective avenue for controlling them is through exercise and diet. An exercise program is absolutely necessary as well as proper foods and supplementation. Certain foods known for their cell-building properties can help control cellulite.

Protein: The cellulite problem is most pronounced in women who have sagging muscles and skin. Exercise and protein can reduce the stores of fat under the skin; protein helps to firm up muscles that can keep fat stores in place and reduce the dimpled effect of cellulite. Older skin, like older muscles, needs protein, especially soy protein with less fat, for toning and firming. How much protein would you need to produce firm, toned muscles? Approximately .6 gram per pound of lean body mass if you are a moderately active person and 1 gram per pound of lean body mass if you are very active. Go for lean protein in fish, especially salmon because fish provides a high dose of essential fatty acids.

Amino Acids and Essential Fatty Acids: You also need amino acids that help build the skin’s store of collagen and elastin. The best sources for these are complex carbohydrates like beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruit. These provide your body with essential fatty acids that slow down the division of skin cells, thus reducing the incidence of mutations and inflammation within these cells, even when they are exposed to ultra violet light. All cells in the human body are surrounded by a membrane composed of phospholipids made chiefly from essential fatty acids. This membrane controls what goes into the cells and what comes out. A good source of essential fatty acids would literally fortify the cell membrane and keep the cell body intact. Research shows that supplementation with fish oil and flaxseed oil can produce marked improvement in skin texture and tone within the first 2 months of use. Because the outer skin replaces itself every 50-80 days, proper supplementation can have a direct and firming effect on skin.

Glucosamine: Glucosamine is a supplement that helps arthritis; it has been shown to restore moisture to arthritic joints as well by keeping the cell tissues well hydrated; this in turn has a positive, plumping effect on the cells, thus reducing the dimpling and curdling of the skin. Adequate amounts of glucosamine in the blood are necessary for skin resilience. Studies show that participants who begin taking glucosamine before and after surgery experienced faster healing with less scarring of skin tissues than participants who did not take glucosamine.

Of course, dietary supplementation and diets are only half effective without exercise. There is no doubt that cellulite can be improved with exercise. Wayne Westcott Ph.D, director of research programs at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachussetts, produced workout routines that showed an appreciable decrease in cellulite. For 2 months, 16 slightly overweight women participated in 20 minutes of cardio, strength and flexibility exercises three times a week. At the end of 2 months, the women lost an average of 1 and 1/3 inches from their hips, and an average of 1 pound. All the women reported less cellulite on their lower bodies, a situation that was confirmed by ultrasound measurements.

For best results in reducing the cottage cheese look of cellulite, eat protein and take up a consistent exercise routine. This combination will raise your metabolism, build lean body tissue, firm the muscles under the skin and keep the fatty deposits under control within the connective tissues. As well, eat plenty of beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits for sources of amino acids to help build collagen and elastin in the skin. Take glucosamine supplements to increase skin resilience. A good source of essential fatty acids from fish oil and flaxseed oil can also bolster the integrity of skin cell membranes which will minimize the problem of runaway fatty tissues– which essentially is what cellulite is all about.

Copyright 2006 Mary Desaulniers

A runner for 27 years, retired schoolteacher and writer, Mary is helping people reclaim their bodies. Nutrition, exercise, positive vision and purposeful engagement are the tools used to turn their bodies into creative selves. You can visit her at GreatBodyat50.com GreatBodyat50.com or learn how she lost her weight at greatbodyproteinpower.com greatbodyproteinpower.com

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