Jett Fitness
Physical training for real life situations
A division of Jett Wellness, Inc.
One thing I have noticed after several years of training the average person is that most everyone uses his/her lower back muscles way too much for both lifting and stability. Whereas the lifting issue is relatively easy to correct- concentrate on using your hips and legs while maintaining a flat back when lifting objects; addressing the stability issue is a little tougher.
Proper stability is more difficult to correct mainly because most people are completely unaware that they are doing anything wrong, as well as the fact that the muscles we need to use for stability are muscles that the average person has never heard of.
What really brought this issue to my attention was the extremely common sight of a client arching his/her back while pressing over his/her head, thus using the low back muscles for stability. Imagine the horror when I then caught myself doing the same exact thing!!
So what am I and each one of you supposed to be using in this scenario? The large, powerful muscles in the hips and the muscles of the anterior core (front of the body.) The next time (and every time!) you are trying to stand tall under pressure, squeeze your glutes (your rear end) tight and consciously activate your abdominal muscles. One way to activate your abdominals is to tense up as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach. If you have trouble imagining this, call me and I will come over and pop you right in the belly!
Not only will using your hips and abs give you greater stability, but it will also discourage that nagging low back fatigue and pain that plagues so many in our society. Recently I viewed a documentary that was titled “World’s Manuel and his wife, hoping to turn things around by fleeing the sedentary and quick food lifestyle, returned to Surgery to remove the tumor was a risky option at his weight, but it was Manuel’s only option. Doctors had never operated on a human of such size, and they were unsure how his body would react. Nevertheless, 180 lbs. of fatty, poisoned tissue was removed from Manuel’s leg, and he was able to walk following recovery. Unfortunately, after returning home, Manuel’s tumors returned and began to grow larger than before. He sank into a depression and turned to food for comfort. Shortly thereafter, Manuel’s wife left him, pushing him deeper into the abyss. He grew angry at God and blamed Him for making him the way he did. Manuel’s mother became his caretaker, providing him all his meals, and by 2005 Manuel grew to a staggering 1230 lbs.!! The word got out around the small town of Many doctors answered the call, several recommending the popular gastric bypass surgery. However, the risk involved with respect to Manuel’s size did not make this an attractive option to Manuel. He was also contacted by several dieticians, including one who was the president of Zone Diet Briefly, to summarize the Zone Diet, the aim is to eat 4-5 meals per day. At each meal, one-third of the plate should be filled with lean protein (size of the palm or your hand), the other two-thirds filled with fruits and vegetables, with a dash of healthy fat on the side. Refined carbohydrates are eliminated, as are unhealthy, artificial fats. One of Manuel’s new staples was an omelet made of egg whites and stuffed full of vegetables. Manuel devised ways to stay active in his bed between meals, rolling from side to side (which is no easy feat when you weigh 1230 lbs!) and dancing to his favorite music. Good things were happening for Manuel, and he was careful to thank God for sending people to help him get on the right path. After five months on the Zone Diet, Manuel was set to be weighed for the first time in three years. Special scales were installed in his apartment that his bed could be rolled onto. The first big weigh-in revealed that Manuel had lost 363 lbs. He had accomplished this in five months by simply switching to a healthy diet and engaging in bed-bound exercise, dropping from 1230 lbs to 867 lbs. I found this to be an amazing story. First, that a human could grow so large is astounding. Second, I was very impressed with Manuel. Interviews during the documentary revealed his personality, one that always remained positive even in the darkest of times. He always seemed to have a smile on his face. When his weight became life-threatening, Manuel asked God for help, and he received it. He chose the more natural, healthy option of diet modification over the quick fix of surgery. If this man can lose 363 lbs. by simply changing his diet, while still not even getting out of bed, think what you can do by changing your diet and participating in your normal daily activities, not to mention adding in some exercise! Newsletter 3 11/1/08 Breaking news: recent research has revealed that individuals who are emailed an exercise program can expect the same results as individuals who are given a hard copy to take home (JSCR 22: 1696-1704, 2008.) Of course, once the program is in hand, it is up to the individual to actually do it. But I will go out on a limb here and say that individuals who have an exercise program on hand, be it email or hard copy, will be more likely to work out and will achieve better results than an individual who does not have an exercise program on hand. Some of you have experienced this first hand. Many of my clients ask me to make a program that they can follow at home. Those that actually do it have found it easier to work out alone, as they know exactly what they need to do for each session. They have also achieved better results, because instead of just working out one or two times a week with me, they have added an additional 2-3 days of moderately intense exercise. With that in mind, I am now offering email exercise programs. The individualized programs will be one month in duration, and can be ordered for the low price of $10 per month! Simply email or call me so we can exchange information regarding your health/exercise history, where you will be exercising, and what you would like to accomplish. Now you can no longer use the excuse of “I don’t know what to do,” because I am going to tell you! Call (502-593-3562) or email (mj@jettfitness.com) today!! As a side note, research has also shown that individuals who keep food journals lose more weight than people who do not. Find a friend or family member to swap food journals with weekly, thus making you accountable to one another, or just send it to me! I know it is a pain in the butt but it works, and it will be worth it! Last point, quickly, I want to update the Manuel Uribe story. I heard on the radio the other day that Manuel just got married to his long time girlfriend, and that his weight is down to around 500 pounds! That’s down from an immobilizing 1225 lbs. for those who may not remember. If he can do THAT, you too can lose weight and reverse the effects of chronic, preventable diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Its never too late. Peace. Last week Time magazine ran a cover story about the state of American health. The picture painted was not pretty. Here are a few statistics that were cited: 67% of Americans are overweight or obese; 27% of Americans have high blood pressure; 40% report getting no exercise; and 96% cannot remember the last time they had a salad! Statistics can often be misleading (I would imagine over half of you reading this CAN remember the last time you had a salad), but I believe they do characterize the ‘normal’ American. In this case though, please remember, ‘normal’ is NOT good. Just because two-thirds of the people you know are overweight, that does not mean you have to be. Instead of being one of the 96% who cannot remember the last time they had a salad, be one of the 4% who cannot remember the last day they DID NOT have a salad. Here is a quick tip for getting more green food: most grocery stores sell plastic rectangular containers of organic mixed greens. At Kroger they are found in the (small) organic fruit and vegetable section and have a name like ‘Baby Spring Mix.’ The baby spring mix contains up to 20 different plant foods! This wide variety of nutrients will provide more quality vitamins and minerals than any store-bought multivitamin you can find. Most importantly the vitamins are in the form God made them in, not some laboratory-produced synthetic concoction that your body cannot even process and/or absorb. Your body will absolutely love you for going green! I eat this green mix usually one of two ways. If I have more time, I will fill a bowl with the mixed greens, add a touch of salt and pepper, and then add some olive oil. Mix it up good for a nutrient-packed addition to your meal. Add some sliced chicken and any other vegetable you might have on hand, and you have a meal right there. The other way I get this green serving every day is to simply grab a handful out of the container and shove it in my mouth. Yes I feel kind of stupid doing this sometimes, it has very little taste, so what is the point? Well, the point is that it is extremely important to eat green food every day, so if you are short on time, chomp down right out of the container. It is so easy you really have no excuse for being one of those alleged 96% who cannot remember the last time they had a salad! I would like to close by thanking those of you who have tried out the ‘email’ exercise programs: stick to it and you will see results! I am currently in the early production stages of the Jett Fitness Video Exercise Program. Be on the lookout for this, as it is sure to be challenging and entertaining! Hope everyone has a great Christmas season! Talk to you again in 2009! So what is the explanation for these results? The most logical explanation is that the subjects were less likely to indulge in extra calories if they knew they had to write it down, and thus be accountable for it. The researchers were likely reviewing the journals, and the subjects probably received a mild tongue lashing if a bowl Lucky Charms at On the other hand, the group of subjects who did not keep a journal could eat that pie and forget about it, knowing it would not be brought up again. It’s just like a child doing his/her homework. If the teacher collects it at the beginning of class each day, and the students know that, they are more likely to get it done. On the other hand, if the students know that the teacher will not collect it, but just wants them to do it ‘for their own practice,’ it is likely that a very low percentage of the students would do the homework. Well I am the teacher and I am collecting every day! For those of you who I see weekly, I will be giving you a food journal and expecting you to fill it out and return it to me. For those who I do not see, you can still be accountable to me, just email it! I will give you feed back and that tongue-lashing it you need it! No Lucky Charms at any hour of the day! Now I have tried this before, with mixed results. It will not be easy to write everything down, but few things that are rewarding in this life are easy! It will require some work on your part, and mine, but don’t short-change yourself. Give some effort and you will receive some positive results. Make a change in 2009! How many of you currently have or have previously had shoulder pain or a full-blown shoulder injury? I would guess that most of us, myself included, have experienced a shoulder issue at some time during our lives. So why is this such a common site of injury? The answer is twofold. The first reason is anatomical, owing to the structure of the shoulder joint. As you may know, the shoulder is a ‘ball-and-socket’ joint. There are ten different types of joints in the human body, and the ball-and-socket is the most mobile of all joints. There is, however, a trade-off that must occur for increased mobility: decreased stability. So a ball-and-socket joint is the most mobile, but least stable type of joint in the human body. Other than the shoulders, the hips are also ball-and-socket joints. The hips are more stable that the shoulders, however, due to the large amount of muscle mass that surrounds the pelvis. The shoulder girdle, comparatively speaking, has far less muscle mass surrounding it. The muscles that do attach to the shoulder girdle, however, when used properly, can provide all the shoulder stability you will need to avoid injury when completing activities of daily living and/or when working out. This brings me to the second reason for poor shoulder health: improper use of the shoulder stabilizer muscles. Visualize your shoulder for a moment. The head of the humerus (the upper arm bone) is the ball. The socket is comprised of two bones: the Scapulae (the shoulder blade) and the clavicle (the collar bone.) In order to stabilize the shoulder joint, we must stabilize the shoulder blades. This can be done by activating/contracting the rhomboids. The rhomboids attach the shoulder blades to the spinal bones, and can be activated by simply squeezing the shoulder blades together. The scapula will be locked in place and the shoulder joint will be stabilized. Plus you will get the added benefit of your shoulders being pulled back instead of rounded forward! I have found that most adults have a hard time activating these muscles. Here is how to practice: stand with your back to the skinny part of a door, so the door is aligned with your spine. Now, while keeping your arms hanging at your side, squeeze your shoulder blades together so that they pinch the door, hold 1 second, then relax. Repeat 20 times, being careful to avoid raising your shoulders while pinching. Rather, try to imagine pulling your shoulder blades together and down simultaneously. This is known as scapular retraction. When you are retracted, your shoulders should be rolled back and down, with shoulder blades squeezed together, and your neck should feel long (since your shoulders will be down.) Now, after practicing on the door, try walking around like this. One thing I do is every time I stop moving, I take a mental inventory of where my shoulders (and pelvis) are and make the necessary adjustments. Not only will this improve your shoulder stability but it will GREATLY improve your posture! You will look like Superwoman or Superman walking around!
Newsletters 2 10/1/08
Newsletter 4 12/1/08
In the August 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine there was an article published that discussed the results of one of the largest and longest-running weight-loss studies in history. One of the key findings involved the use of food journals. Food journaling is the simple act of writing down every thing you eat, and when you eat it. The study found that those who kept a food journal lost twice as much weight as those who did not keep a journal.
