Gravity Fx Fitness

This article was written by fat loss expert Alwyn Cosgrove of Results Fitness,

I was first introduced to the term self-limiting exercise a few years ago while speaking with Gray Cook (we were teaching together at a Perform Better one-day event).

Gray was talking about the book “Born to Run” By Christopher MacDougall and the barefoot running idea.

Running barefoot is what can be classified as a self-limiting exercise – the body cannot over-stride or heel strike because the immediate feedback – pain – auto-corrects the form of the runner. In fact, it is completely self-limiting as there is no way of creating overuse injuries either – the foot and the joint impacts of running will prevent that as you’ll stop running. You can’t do it incorrectly.

It’s a perfect exercise. However – when we introduced the running shoe with padding – we put a problem in there (And thought we were creating a solution).

The body is now no longer given immediate feedback to adjust or correct running form, and the very nature of the thick sole of the shoe can allow runners to perform far more volume than their muscles and joints can handle. The results – inevitable injuries, as exhibited by many strapped up/knee supported runners you see.

It’s an interesting concept and Gray and I discussed it at length as applied to other forms of exercise.

A self-limiting exercise as defined by Gray “requires mindfulness and an awareness of movement, alignment, balance and control. Self-limiting exercise requires engagement”

My further definition is that a self-limiting exercise provides an automatic yet natural obstacle that prevents you from doing it wrong, or doing an excessive volume. I suppose my first exposure to self-limiting exercise was via martial arts training and in particular sparring – if you don’t protect yourself, you get hit – immediate feedback in the form of a punch on the nose!

With speed and agility training – the CHAOS system as devised by Robert Dos Remedios of open-response is self-limiting – athletes are left behind or fall if their technique or direction change isn’t perfect – very different from closed-response (when you know when you’re going to change direction).

But it also applies to traditional exercise. For example – The Turkish Get-up, inverted rows, bottoms-up kettlebell pressing are all self-limiting. It’s hard to do too many bottoms-up presses, you won’t be able to keep the kettlebell in position. With inverted rows – either the core, or the grip strength limits you. And with Turkish get-ups – you’ll either remain stuck to the floor or have a weight drop on your head!

There are more – jump rope can’t be performed incorrectly or to excess, the battling ropes system, the TRX and the stability ball all have built-in corrections or “abort” mechanisms in their very nature.

As I studied the concept of self-limiting exercise more I started to think of it in terms of fat loss training. In fact, self-limiting exercise may be one of the reasons why our fat loss programs at Results Fitness are so successful.

Self-limiting exercise performed in a circuit is essentially training to technical failure, but without the risk of overuse injury or sloppy form – it’s just impossible to do poor, sloppy reps. Yet the energy demands are through the roof. To train with that absolute level of engagement demands so much metabolically, that it can be exhausting and immediate in terms of fat loss results, yet at the same time, being of a low volume due to the auto-correction mechanisms in place.

Anecdotally, I did a recent workout of Turkish Get-ups. I performed a countdown style workout with 60s rest between sets. 5 reps each side, 4 reps, then 3, 2 and finally a single rep.  The last rep took almost as long as the first set of five. The entire workout, including rest periods, took less than 20 minutes and consisted only of 30 total repetitions. It was mentally and physically tough however -almost exhausting. Despite being low in volume, and short – the metabolic demands were off the charts.

Can self-limiting exercise be the future of fat-limiting exercise? Naturally imposed loads seem to train the weakest links, with a high metabolic cost – naturally!

Alwyn and Rachel Cosgrove own Results Fitness in Southern California, which was recently named on of the top 10 gyms in the country by Men’s Health.  Alwyn regularly speaks on the strength and conditioning/fitness seminar circuit and Rachel is the author of The Female Body Breakthrough.

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When using ropes with my clients, the self-limiting nature of the exercise is very clear.  When the member gets fatigued, the rope patterns get smaller and weaker and will eventually stop all together.  Same with the Xiser mini-stepper.

These tools let you keep the intensity high but keep the stress on the joints very low, which is obviously a good thing.  Moderately high to high intensity workouts like these burn lots of calories and can keep your metabolism elevated for several hours after you have stopped exercising.

This is part of the time-efficient workouts that also increase your coordination and ability to move well, by placing you in standing positions instead of sitting or lying on your back.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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Could some of your pain and injuries be related to your shoes?

I recently came across an article on Dr. Daniel Howell, a biology professor who hikes and runs without shoes.  He has been running barefoot for almost two years and has been studying the benefits of going shoeless.

He thinks that shoes can contribute to flat feet and fallen arches.  Women who wear high heels comes to mind.  While working in chiropractic and physical therapy clinics, I saw more than one woman with plantarfasciitis, who wore heels all the time.

Men who wear lace-up boots with a decent sized heel are not immune either.  This can lead to tightness in your achilles tendon, over time.  This can also create problems further up the chain, in your knees or hips.

Besides spending time without shoes, you can increase your ankle mobility with some specific measures.

I’ve worn Nike Free’s in the past and noticed a difference in my posture and how I moved.  You use your glutes more when your foot isn’t supported or elevated.

Howell says that it takes a while to toughen your feet for barefoot running and you need to be patient as this process occurs.  He thinks that hiking without shoes is easier to get used to as your skin gets tougher – not quite as abrasive as concrete.

I also recently read some seminar notes from Dr. Shawn Allen.  His presentation on the different types of shoes and how they affect your feet sounds interesting.  The big picture he painted was that the wrong type of shoe for your foot can cause lots of problems.

Some people are now doing their strength training in minimally supportive “shoes”, like the Vibram five fingers, in order to strengthen the foot and lower leg.

If you would like more info on running barefoot, go to barefootrunner.org.  I think you might find it interesting.

Brian Morgan

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Do your feet need any specific workouts or just a nice, cushioned shoe to train in?

Wearing shoes with minimal support can actually strengthen your feet and ankles, as well as improving postural alignment.  The body is a series of links that all work together and a problem with one link (joints) can affect those above or below it.

About 3 years ago I got a pair of Nike Free’s and soon noticed an improvement in my posture.  My walking became more efficient, as my feet now were working harder and “doing their job.”  I wore them around as much as possible and did most of my workouts in them.

They provide very little stability and are very flexible – perfect for strengthening your feet, as they now have to work harder.  Recently, I bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers.  They are kind of like a surf sock with individual pockets for each toe.

I’ve always had flat feet and also balance issues when standing on one leg.  I could squat with decent weights but had problems when I tried to do balance exercises at different fitness seminars, feeling a little embarrassed.

I really like how the Five Fingers separate your toes so each one has to do their share of the work.  Using them while doing resistance training will help strengthen your lower leg, too.  Since there is a neurological link between your foot/ankle and your hip, you may see improved glute function.  Coach Dan John has reported decreased hip pain from wearing these unique “shoes”.

Those who do martial arts, yoga, and pilates will frequently go barefoot to train their feet and this will give you that barefoot feel with some added traction.  I’m not sure if I would do much running on concrete with them, but softer surfaces would work okay.

I did talk to one guy who wore the Nike Free’s while completing the marathon portion of the Hawaii Ironman and his feet help up very well, with minimal blistering compared to others – according to his post-race massage therapist.

Shoes with excess cushioning – most athletic shoes – can keep the receptors in your feet from sending the appropriate signals to your nervous system.  A strong stimulus to your feet can strengthen the signal to the muscles further up the chain, making them contract a little more.

This is why some lifters wear flat soled shoes like Chuck Taylor’s or occassionally do some lifts while barefoot.  Besides when doing resistance training, I like to just wear them around when at home or when doing joint mobility work or creative movement.

Get moving!

Brian

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Never seen a shoe with individual pockets for each of your toes?  Well, I just bought a pair called the Vibram Five Fingers and I’ll soon tell you why.

Not long ago I was reading an article about a coach who used these “shoes” to reduce the hip pain that he had been dealing with for about a year.  During this time he saw doctors, massage therapists, and physical therapists, with noone really having any answers.

He decided to give them a try after going to a strength training seminar on kettlebells and seeing them on some of the other participants.  After a week of using these shoes, he noticed his baby toes were now gripping the floor and no longer “sleeping.”

At the end of the week his hip pain was significantly improved.  Your feet and ankles are linked to how your hips function.  The idea of wearing the five fingers is to strengthen the muscles of your feet, improving how well everything further up the chain works.

Shoes that are too rigid or too cushioned can weaken the muscles of your feet, as they don’t have to do as much work as they would otherwise.

I’ve had some problems with my right hip and have a slight bunion on my right foot.  I’m trying to see if these shoes will help.  My baby toes seem to always curl under the toes next to them and I have had some slight balance issues when standing on one leg, in the past.

So I bought my pair yesterday and have been wearing them inside for a few hours at a time.  Getting all your toes into the individual pockets can be a little tricky the first time, especially the last two toes.

The second day was a little easier to get them on.  I wore them during my workout today and they feel a little strange at first, but you get used to them.

The idea is that by stretching out your toes, they will all have to do plenty of work as you walk.  They could be used during yoga or pilates classes, joint mobility training, or weight (resistance) training.  Though, you might get some strange looks or whispers when lifting at the gym.

Since I don’t train at a large commercial facility it doesn’t matter – but I frequently do exercises outside of the mainstream, anyway, so I don’t care how silly these red shoes might look on my size 13’s.

I’ll keep you posted on any changes that might occur.

Get moving!

Brian

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