Tendinitis & The Kinetic Chain

Jamie W.

What do you recommend for knees plagued with tendinitis?

Seth Estrada ‎

The three basic steps for tendinitis are:
1. Rest/recover [ibuprofin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can help, if you can take them- ask your doctor]
2. Reintroduce exercise carefully
3. STRENGTHEN

Allow me to expand on that last point:

Tendinitis in the knees is a pain very dear to my heart. You see, I suffered from Osgood-Schlatter disease as a kid, and had to deal with pain in my knees all throughout high school. What I've discovered through personal experience is that returning to a 'normal' level of activity after resting and recovering is simply not enough. Not by a long shot. 

Strengthening the affected area beyond it's original capacity is of the utmost importance. It offers your body a respite from the pain by building up all of the tissues in the area. So coming back stronger is not just a quaint idea that people in Hollywood dreamed up to sell tickets to movies about boxing, it's a reality. A necessity.

'Where do I start?' you ask.

Understanding how the entire kinetic chain works is paramount to your long term success.

'What's the kinetic chain?'

Toes, ankles, knees, hips, core, trunk, [neck], shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, and all the corresponding levers/motors.

You must learn how your body derives power from the ground up, literally. Then you must teach your body, through practice, to move in bio-mechanically correct patterns, to keep from straining any one lever/motor too much. Then you must add progressive resistance to all of these patterns in order to reinforce the habit.

Is all of this a little abstract? Sorry. It'll make more sense in our video series: ABC3D We created ABC3D specifically to answer the needs of people who are recovering from injury or pain, using equipment that can be found at any apartment fitness center or YMCA.

So if you got to this point, obviously you read the whole post- Thanks! I've kept this blog 100% ad-free, so if you found any part of it useful, all I ask in return is that you please hit that Facebook Share button, or maybe share it on Google+, Twitter or Digg- it's really easy, and it helps more people benefit from the tips, tricks, and fun we're having over here. Thanks again!

Diabetics Need FaceMelting Love Too!

Michelena B.

Any suggestions for insulin dependent diabetics....like weight training?.....more protein? .. I don't know what I'm doing.

Seth Estrada ‎

Michelena, the basics don't change much for diabetics: get the ok from your doctor, and then find a program that will keep you accountable to a regular exercise routine. As far as the specifics, cardio should be your top priority. Getting to a consistent 5 days a week of relatively vigorous 'metcon' [ or 'metabolic conditioning'] can be done through slowly progressing from 10-20 minutes a day of moderate stationary bike, treadmill [maybe on a mild incline], or walking outside. Moving the amount of time up to 30-40 minutes daily, and then bringing up the intensity of the exercise as weight comes off is the safest approach, as attempting to jog or run with any excess weight poses a risk to the knees.

As for Strength training, it's totally safe for diabetics, totally effective [according to all available literature], and is essential to shaping the physique and burning fat. Resistance training 2-3 times a week should be considered the minimum, and the goal is to do between 15-30 minutes 5 times a week.

Ideally, you would work your way up to a full hour of vigorous exercise daily, with about 40 minutes coming from cardio, and 20 minutes coming from intense resistance.

So if you got to this point, obviously you read the whole post- Thanks! I've kept this blog 100% ad-free, so if you found any part of it useful, all I ask in return is that you please hit that Facebook Share button, or maybe share it on Google+, Twitter or Digg- it's really easy, and it helps more people benefit from the tips, tricks, and fun we're having over here. Thanks again!

How Much Daily Protein?

Matt M.
How much protein is enough? 1 G for every pound you weigh to maintain size? Or can I eat less?


Seth Estrada 
The honest truth is that you can eat less than 1g per pound, and still continue to make strength and endurance gains. You can even maintain a decent physique, but it will be difficult to go up in muscle mass unless you eat that much protein, or more. [But also be sure to eat enough fiber each day, or the story of your intestinal distress will be epic] So anywhere from .6-.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight is still just fine for maintenance, as long as you train with serious intensity, á lá Crossfit. For traditional bodybuilding, you'll need a tad more.

So if you got to this point, obviously you read the whole post- Thanks! I've kept this blog 100% ad-free, so if you found any part of it useful, all I ask in return is that you please hit that Facebook Share button, or maybe share it on Google+, Twitter or Digg- it's really easy, and it helps more people benefit from the tips, tricks, and fun we're having over here. Thanks again!

SLEEP FOR RESULTS! ZZzzzzz.....

Take a nap; skipping rest is like skipping meals, workouts, or hydration. You simply won't get the results you'd hoped for.

So if you got to this point, obviously you read the whole post- Thanks! I've kept this blog 100% ad-free, so if you found any part of it useful, all I ask in return is that you please hit that Facebook Share button, or maybe share it on Google+, Twitter or Digg- it's really easy, and it helps more people benefit from the tips, tricks, and fun we're having over here. Thanks again!