health

3 Secrets to Faster Recovery From Injury

Chiro and Craig 300x224 3 Secrets to Faster Recovery From InjuryThis article on the 3 secrets to faster recovery from muscle injury is another great article to print out and file!

But first, confession time.

Despite everything we know, old meatheads like me and Jason Ferruggia still “overdo things” and end up hurting ourselves in the gym.

But I’m lucky, because I just pull muscles (like I did last Monday while deadlifting). Jay, on the other hand, messes up his shoulder joint at least once per year.

Now when you have a serious injury like Jay’s, you have to go to the doctor. There is nothing that I can do to help you – sorry!

NOTE #1 – I hope you never, ever get hurt!

NOTE #2 – If you do get hurt, the most important thing for you to do is get your injury checked out by a doctor. Please be conservative!

But when I get a little muscle strain, I just use these 3 simple secrets for fast recovery. These secrets were given to me by my chiropractor, Dr. Michael Sommers of Evolve Chiropractic in Toronto.

1) Apply Ice immediately

Start by icing for ten minutes, then take ten minutes off, and then ice again for ten minutes.

(NOTE: Keep a thin moist towel between ice and skin to prevent skin damage.)

Ice the injury 3 times daily for the first 72 hours (morning, noon, and night). Of course, if the injury is severe, go immediately to the hospital.

2) Perform frequent, low-intensity activation of the injured muscle

Dr. Sommers says, “You want to start the healing process by moving the muscle through very low intensity movements, and doing this frequently in the early period after injury.”

This low-intensity exercise keeps blood flowing throughout the muscle and prevents over-shortening during recovery.

For example, if you have a sore hamstring, Dr. Sommers suggests, “walking and doing low intensity leg swings will help recovery. But don’t do anything that involves too much exertion.”

(NOTE: If you aren’t sure what to do, ask your therapist…more about their role in secret #3 below.)

Personally, I also add in light, frequent stretching for the sore muscle. I’ll do one light 20-second stretch every hour or two, and that seems to help me.

3) See a therapist immediately…preferably someone skilled in A.R.T. (Active Release Techniques)

According to Dr. Sommers, “For most soft-tissue injuries A.R.T. is the best therapy to reduce scar-tissue build-up and to promote ideal muscle length through the healing process.”

“While other therapies can provide relief (ultrasound and TENS may have some effect), A.R.T combined with specific stretching and exercise seems to heal the tissue in the shortest to time with the lowest incidence of re-injury,” says Dr. Sommers.

In addition to getting A.R.T. treatment, a great therapist will give you a professional advice/assessment to gauge an appropriate time to return to training.

As Dr. Sommers says, “Re-injury is commonplace with weight training. Without the proper guidance it is all to easy to re-aggravate soft tissue injuries and triple the amount of time it will take to heal.”

Now I may push too hard in the gym, but I’m at least smart enough to stop pushing once the injury has occurred. And I’m also smart enough to go in for treatment ASAP after the injury has happened.

Dr. Sommers says, “Injuries rarely resolve on their own. Especially if the improper technique continues. Lifting through pain is a recipe for chronic injury and the sooner you are properly diagnosed and treated the more likely you can expect a quicker return to pain-free activity.”

So don’t try to “avoid” a nagging injury.

It’s better that you take 2 days off now rather than being forced to
take 2 months off in the future.

Train safe and listen to your health professional!

To find an A.R.T. practitioner in your area, simply google, “Active Release Techniques + Your area”

**********************

Those are the 3 most important secrets for healing fast, however I have a few more tips for you.

- Nutrition

I believe that nutrition plays a huge role in recovering from injury.

Dr. Sommers agrees, saying, “Certain foods promote inflammation within the body’s various systems while others have an anti-inflammatory effect.

“Avoiding pro-inflammatory foods (nightshade vegetables, white processed flour, and deep fried foods) and eating a diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids can only help speed up the healing process.”

(For those who don’t know: Potatoes, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, paprika, cayenne, and Tabasco sauce are classified as nightshade foods.) CB SimpleNutrition Ebook5 43 3 Secrets to Faster Recovery From Injury

Personally, I recommend eating a diet of at least 10+ servings of fruits and vegetables per day. This should provide your body with the best healing environment. At worst, at least limit your intake of sugar, western diet, comfort food, etc., that promotes inflammation in the body.

I recommend my Simple Nutrition plan for fat loss & recovery:

- Listen To Your Body

Dr. Sommers says, “Each of us has to consider our own particular ability in trying to train safely. Fortunately our bodies are amazing communicators. They give us warning signs when we’re verge of injury. Unusual aches and pains lasting longer than 48 hours should be taken seriously and all training should cease until it is deemed safe to continue.”

Be conservative!

Recovery As You Get Older

“Finally,” Dr. Sommers says, “Don’t forget that older bodies take longer to heal. Older muscle fiber requires longer recovery time, so whether it comes to recovering from heavy workouts or working through nagging tendon problems, age plays an important factor in return to activity planning.”

Be conservative!

Please forward this information on recovery from injury to your friends and family.

To your health & healing,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

  • Share/Bookmark
Permalink Print Comment
  • Share/Bookmark

Tony Horton Explains P90X for Fat Loss

Just finished up a powerful interview with one of the most well-known fitness experts in the world, Tony Horton. Tony, as you may know, is the creator of the programs Power 90, P90X, 10-minute trainer, and One-on-One with Tony Horton.

He’s a heck of a guy, and we covered everything including…

- Tony’s story about how he created P90X (you’ll also find out why Tony originally moved to LA)

- How Tony got Power 90 on TV (and you’ll discover who the original Power 90 program was designed for…this is very cool info for all you rock and roll fans)

- What his favorite workouts are in the program (and which type of exercise he dreads…I’ll give you a hint, it’s the kind I don’t like either!)

- The truth about what folks can do in 10 minutes to get great results (and why his 10-minute trainer program is so important)

- What type of intervals he likes best

- Why Tony thinks cardio is important

- What he REALLY thinks about yoga (he makes some pretty bold statements)

- His simple and powerful nutrition tips for fat loss and energy (and what he thinks about counting calories)

- His unstoppable inspiration and motivation secrets

- Amazing inspirational stories of P90X users who cut their body weight in half and lost over 100 pounds

And a lot more. It was just a great, great call.

Click here to listen to Tony Horton’s fat loss coaching call

And make sure you join Tony’s Facebook Fanpage where he is dedicated to bringing a healthy lifestyle to the world through fun, entertainment, and fitness.

Unlike most personal trainers, Tony doesn’t have his windpants pulled up to his navel, and he actually makes fitness fun and easy to understand. Download this call to your Ipod, it will make for a powerful workout motivator.

NOTE for Personal Trainers:

Without realizing it, Tony also happened to drop 3 killer business tips for all personal trainers who want to create their own workout programs, books, and DVD’s, including:

1) How he leveraged a program he designed for a major celeb (you’ll find out who) into a mega-info product

2) How Tony took one of Time magazine’s “Top 10 Future Trends” and used it in P90X to set it apart from everyone else

3) The “testimonial secret” that Tony and I agree on, 100%!

Find out all of that and a lot more in our interview here.

And feel free to share this interview with everyone you know who is interested in improving their health and fitness.

Pay it forward just like Tony,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

  • Share/Bookmark
Permalink Print 37 Comments
  • Share/Bookmark

5 Day Workout Program

cb ttrecon ebook 41 5 Day Workout ProgramFor all those folks who want a 5 day per week workout program, I have good news for you. This week we’re going to look at the TT Reconstruction Program.

Plus, I have some big announcements for a big month.

Click here for this week’s podcast

1) Transformation #5 wraps up on August 18th…and a new contest will start August 31st.

2) We’ll soon have TT Kettlebell Workouts!

3) TT is going to Europe – Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussles, here we come!

So all that crazy stuff…and more to come this month.

But let’s get into our top transformation tip of the week.

Monday – August 3rd

Transformation Tip: Dream Big!

Kekich Credo #40: No dream is too big. It takes almost the same amount of time and energy to manage tiny projects or businesses as it does to manage massive ones…and the massive ones carry with them – proportional rewards.

Craig’s thoughts:
Your long term goals must include massive dreams. After all, the same steps will be taken to lose 50 pounds as will be for 5 pounds.

Dream big!

Now let’s train…

TT Reconstruction Workout A

1A) Pullup / DB Row (Max-2)
1B) SHELC (Max-1)
2A) Push-up (Max-2)
2B) DB Split Squat (8)
3A) Inverted Row/DB Rear-Delt Raise (Max-2/12)
3B) Mountain Climber (15)

Tuesdaytennis ball 2 5 Day Workout Program
30 minutes of reconstructing – Reconstruction “Off-Day” Workout 1

1) Calf Rolling with tennis ball (10) ===>
2) Foam Rolling (10)
3) OH Squat (10)
4) Chest Stretch (30sec)
5) Stick-up (10)
6) Hip Extension Hold (30sec)
7) Stability Ball Leg Curl (15)
8] Plank (60sec)
9) Side Plank (30sec)
10) WYLIT (10 each)

1) Stability Ball Rollout (12)
2) Stability Ball X-Body MC or Reg. X-Body MC (10/side)
3) Stability Ball Plank (30sec)

Wednesday

TT Reconstruction Workout B

1A) Deadlift / DB Squat  (12)
1B) DB 1-Arm Chest Press  (10)
1C) Stability Ball 1-Leg Curl (8)
2A) DB Chest-Supported Row (12)
2B) Military Press/DB 1-Arm Standing Shoulder Press (8)
2C) DB Reverse Lunge (10)

Thursday
30 minutes of Reconstruction Off-Day Workout 2

1) Squats  (15)t2 5 Day Workout Program
2) Rolling (10)
3) WYLIT (10 each) T’s =====>
4) Stability Ball Hip Extension (15)
5) Side Plank (45sec/side)
6)Plank (60sec)
7) 1-leg Hip Extension (10)
8] Calf Stretch (30sec)
9) Stability Ball Mtn Climber (10)
10) Stability Ball Jackknife (12)

Friday

TT Reconstruction Workout C

1) Prisoner Squat (10/20)
2) Close-Grip Pushups (10/20)
3) Stability Ball Leg Curl (10/20)
4) Stability Ball 1-Leg Jackknife (10/20)
5) Diagonal Lunge (10/20)
6) Underhand Inverted Row (10/20)
7) Grasshopper Pushup (10/20)
8] Side Plank Leg Raise (10/20)
9) Spiderman Climb (10/20)
10) Run In Place (10/20)

Social Support Saturday!
30 minutes of fun activity, and then find a way to start recording your meals online – using Facebook, Twitter, or TT Members.

Sunday – Plan, Shop & Prepare
30 minutes of fun activity and then plan, shop, & prepare.

You might want to consider adding the ingredients for a “Vegan Burger, Fries, and Shake“. <== Click for more info.

Next week! boot camp marketing
Another TT Bootcamp Workout using only bodyweight exercises
More blender drink recipes and summer eating

Enjoy this new program and try that challenge,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

  • Share/Bookmark
Permalink Print 13 Comments
  • Share/Bookmark

Post Workout Shake

facebook fitness site

Today I’ve got a post-workout shake mistake, my total body workout, and a quote on responsibility that I hope will motivate and inspire you to get back on track.

More about that post workout drink mishap in Craig’s kitchen in just a sec, but first, here’s something I posted on my Facebook page today:

“You must set goals, and upon reaching them, reward your performance. But at the same time you have to be tough on yourself. It is not easy to succeed.”

Hopefully that gets you back on track after the weekend…and whatever you do, don’t let a couple of burgers kick you off track till January 1st!

So if you haven’t already, get out your paper and write down three short term and three long term goals. I’m big on goal setting and have a huge document with goals for the year and for the month in all categories of my life.

The goals are benchmarks and guide posts for all my actions. They simplify my life because I simply use those goals to guide me. Cuts out a lot of tough decisions.

All I need to do is think, “Is this going to get me to my goals?” If yes, then do it. If not, then don’t (of course, all things have to be safe, legal, and moral as well!)images3 Post Workout Shake

So that’s a “kick in your mindset” today, I hope you use that as inspiration to move forward.

Now after a couple of kettlebell-bodyweight workouts on my balcony this weekend, it was back to the gym today for a total body workout and then my post-workout shake at home…

I’m digging this workout because it is fast (doesn’t require the lengthy warm-up that I used to require when doing heavy bench presses). And it also tricks my mind a bit…because I leave the gym without being exhausted, but a good fatigue sets in when I get home.

The upper body gets quite a bit of work and then the other two workouts this week have more lower body movements.meathead workout

It’s very “Reformed Meathead-like”.

1A) Overhead squats – 135×3x5
1B) Pullups – 3×11

2A) DB Chest Press – 85×3x8
2B) BB Row – 185×3x10

3A) Chinups
3B) Dips
3C) Pistols
3D) Hanging Leg Raise

Then I walked home and tried out my new blender for the vegan meal plan post workout drink…I added a banana, some Hemp Bliss, cacao nibs, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter. images2 Post Workout Shake

Mixed it up and I accidently opened up the spout and poured out all over the counter.

Brutal.

I did manage to save 3/4 of it.

But this particular post workout shake tasted brutal too.

Oh well, back to the shake drawing board. Or maybe I’ll just never use the blender again.

Maybe I just need some help.

Got any good shake recipes?

Got any good shake ingredients I need to add to my grocery list?

Let me know below,

Craig Ballantyne

PS – The workout was based off of my friend Jay Ferruggia’s progams.

He’s one of the few guys I’ll listen to in the fitness industry.

Click here for more muscle gaining tips from Jay.

  • Share/Bookmark
Permalink Print 10 Comments
  • Share/Bookmark

Kettlebell Bodyweight Circuit Workout

bootcamp fitness workoutI have a little workout for you today (and these are great for bootcamps, too)…

…it’s a sweet little circuit I did on my balcony yesterday morning, and it’s going to be part of the August TT Workout of the Month…but why not try it a little earlier, right?

I call it the Kettlebell-Bodyweight 555 workout.

Why 555?

Because my math skills are horrendous.

I started the program planning to do a new Kettlebell-Bodyweight 500 workout, similar to the one I did on Sunday morning. kettlebell body

But as I got near the end of yesterday’s workout, I realized my plan was going to take me to 550, not 500.

So what the heck, I thought, why not add another 5 pushups. After all, 555 sounds so much better than 550.

NOTE: This definitely is not a beginner fat loss workout, so I’ve included a modified version below.

Advanced Kettlebell-Bodyweight 555 Workout

1) Kettlebell Swings – 200

I doubt anyone reading this will be able to pull off 200 straight kettlebell swings. Even I can’t…

…but I broke it down like this: 100, 50, 30, 20. The grip really starts to go in the last two sets. Once you’ve hit 200, move on to:

2A) 100 Prisoner Squats (hands locked behind head)

supersetted with:

2B) 50 Stability Ball Rollouts

I did 25 prisoner squats followed by 12 stability ball rollouts (but I did 14 rollouts in the last set to hit 50). Then, onto…

3A) 100 Bodyweight Squats (hands down at sides)

supersetted with:

3B) 105 Pushups

I did 50 squats, 30 pushups, 25 squats, 25 pushups, 25 squats, 25 pushups, and then another 25 pushups to finish the workout. bally oct 5 010 Kettlebell Bodyweight Circuit Workout

Workout lasted 25-30 minutes. And thanks to the beautiful weather, I was able to do this all on my 5th floor balcony with a beautiful view of downtown Toronto (that photo of the snow covered city is obviously not from yesterday!).

Alright, so what if you can’t do that full workout? Here’s a beginner Bodyweight 225:

Take as MUCH REST as you need to as you try to do all the reps and between exercises. Train hard but safe with these bodyweight exercises!

1) 25 Jumping Jacks
3) 25 Bodyweight Squats
3) 25 Kneeling Pushups
4) 25 Prisoner Squats
5) 25 second Plank
6) 25 Stability Ball Leg Curls
7) 25 Kneeling Pushups
8] 25 Bodyweight Squats
9) 25 Jumping Jacks

Even if you can only do the exercises 5 reps at a time, that’s fine. You can split up the program however you’d like. If you want to do 5 circuits of 5 reps, then go for it! Stick to that exercise order because like every Turbulence Training fat loss workout program, there is a method to my madness!

Trust me.

The one thing I really hate to see is personal trainers running fat loss bootcamps all “willy nilly” without a plan and just making things up as they go along. That’s not my style, and I hate to see people being ripped off like that. If you do bootcamps, make sure your trainer puts you through a STRUCTURED workout. (Heck, teach them about TT to be safe!)

Enjoy!

Train hard but safe,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

PS – If you want more TT Bootcamp workouts OR… make money personal trainer

…secrets on how to build a 6-figure personal training business by doing TT Bootcamps only a few hours per day, visit this website for a FREE report on how to do it!

Turbulence Training Bootcamp Workouts

You’ll have more freedom and have more fun while making money and by doing bodyweight-only bootcamp workouts anytime, anywhere!

  • Share/Bookmark
Permalink Print 25 Comments
  • Share/Bookmark
Name: Email:
*Spam free zone: Your email will not be shared or solicited