Three GREAT Reasons to Use High Intensity Training

Unless you've been hiding under a rock as of late, you may have heard a thing or two about something called High Intensity Training. What exactly is H.I.T.? Simply it is a training program that stresses the energy system that provides short, powerful bursts of energy without the use of oxygen rather than the slow burning aerobic energy system most people are familiar with. Thanks to some of the great fitness minds of today, High Intensity Training is becoming all the rage in the fitness industry. Despite it's rising popularity, most people are in the dark about why this style of training is really great for you outside of it being an ass kicking workout. Here's three of my top benefits of H.I.T.:

1. More results in less time -  If you're doing it right, you can wipe yourself out and see some serious increases in your fitness levels in just FOUR MINUTES of legitimate H.I.T. work (Tabata et al study). While that alone is not going to melt away your beer belly or muffin tops, repeated 30 second bouts of maximal intensity work followed by rest periods of 30-90 seconds for about 15 to 20 minutes can boost your metabolism more than 60 minutes of traditional steady state cardio. Don't get me wrong, those 4, 15 or 20 minutes are going to be some of the nastiest of your life, but you'll get more overall fitness benefits than traditional training in a fraction of the time.


2. H.I.T. keeps you young, strong and lean - Repeated bouts of near maximal intensity cardio or high intensity weight training will stimulate the release of Human Growth Hormone which helps you hold onto or build muscle AND burn fat. The natural decline of HGH when people enter their 30s is one of the main reasons people lose muscle mass and their metabolism "slows down" as they age. Naturally keeping your HGH levels high with the right training program and proper diet will keep you looking younger, staying stronger and living leaner longer.

3. It enhances insulin sensitivity - Perhaps the most important reason to utilize H.I.T. is through stressing our type II muscle fibers through explosive lifts/moves, sprints or weight training you increase your insulin sensitivity. Why is this important? When your body runs out of storage space for carbohydrates in the muscles and liver, it converts excess sugars directly into saturated fats. When you wipe out glycogen stores via H.I.T. and also increase storage space with increased muscle size, you improve your body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates effectively. With insulin resistance and Type II diabetes being an epidemic that is sweeping our nation, improving carbohydrate metabolism is a key ingredient to long term health, wellness and fat loss.

9 Reasons Why I Use the TRX Daily

In one sentence: In my opinion the single most functional and useful piece of exercise equipment on the market. Hands down the TRX is the best piece of equipment I own because I can use it anywhere and work EVERYTHING. Since one of my readers asked about the TRX, I figured I'd write another article on this topic and give you nine reasons why I use the TRX daily:

1. It can be used anywhere. Whether I am at the gym, in the living room, at the park, at the beach or standing next to a light pole on the side walk, I can hook my TRX up and go to work!

2. It emphasizes functional strength. Everything you do with the TRX requires a tremendous amount of stability and balance. Even your upper body exercises which would traditionally be done on a bench or machine, require you to stabilize your entire body and engage that under-used core.

3. You can adjust resistance mid-set. Being able to adjust yourself around the anchor point allows you to make your exercise harder or easier mid set, which is valuable for building strength-endurance and raising your overall fitness levels.

4. It's a great lower body rehab tool. Although this goes more for use with my clients than myself, I love using the TRX for people who have lower body range of motion issues, knee and or hip problems. Since you can hold onto the straps and perform all your favorite squat and lunge variations, this allows the user to adjust how much weight they are actually transferring to their lower body. This is extremely helpful for reconditioning clients back from injury or just plain lack of exercise.

5. My shoulders are as stable as ever. Holding various planking positions with your feet in the straps, performing Y-T-W's, push ups and rows with the handles work all the muscles that stabilize your shoulder. The bottom line is you get work you just can't get with any other traditional exercise or equipment.

6. It's easy to jump from exercise to exercise. Really the engineering behind this whole thing is genius and allows for a pretty quick transition from exercise to exercise which keeps you moving more, resting less, thus burning more calories.

7. Unilateral work has never been so tough. I love doing single leg plyometrics, single leg agility movements and single arm push ups on this thing because the TRX allows me to do moves I couldn't necessarily do without a little help. Single leg burpees, single leg jump squats and single arm push ups are just a few of my favorite unilateral burners!

8. You won't get huge, but you'll be strong & fit as hell! As proved by my body weight project, doing body weight and TRX exercises are not going to make you the next Arnie, but they will make you functionally fit and strong as hell. This piece of equipment is ideal for the fitness conscious person who is looking to be mobile, agile and strong.

9. It's a great change of pace. Doing the same ol' gym routine gets boring. The TRX allows me to mix up traditional exercises and make them more fun and exciting, while reaping all of the other muscular and cardiovascular strength benefits.

Corrective Exercise Strategies I Use

Although it has been nearly three years since my surgery, I still must do some exercises to maintain ankle flexibility, proper hip mobility and functional lower body biomechanics. Here are some of the techniques I use frequently to try and keep my body functioning as best it can:


Thorough Dynamic Warm Up
Warm ups are important and I have found no substitute for a good dynamic warm up. I perform my version of a dynamic warm up 4-6 days a week depending on how many days I work out. I'd like to note my flexibility using these techniques is at its best and I have the best joint range of motion I've had since my ankle surgery without EVER doing any traditional static stretching.
I use these exercises to take my body through a full range of motion warm up, some of which are in place to alleviate muscle imbalances I personally have:

Lunge with upper body twist, lunge with hip flexor stretch (corrective), walking high knee pulls, walking quad pulls, lateral adductor lunge (corrective), frankenstein stretch, leg swings, over-under hurdle walks (corrective), A-skips, high knees, butt kickers.

Single Leg Stability & Strength Work
Some of you may recently remember me talking about trying to work through some knee pain I was having. It turned out I was suffering from patella-femoral syndrome in which the knee cap tracks laterally and out of alignment. This was stemming from some internal rotation of my upper leg caused by an imbalance in my hips which came from the fact I've been doing squats pretty regularly with a slightly less mobile left ankle. Now you are seeing how it is all connected! To fix this I eliminated ALL bilateral leg exercises and stuck to unilateral training for about 2 months. Since the knee pain came from a grinding of the knee cap, I had to perform a lot of foam rolling to release the tension in muscles that were causing the knee cap to track funny. I also performed single leg stabilization exercises daily to keep my muscles active and firing while not placing the knee joint under any significant load. Even though my knee pain is gone now, I've stuck to mostly unilateral exercises and multi-directional movements to work on ankle mobility and to eliminate bilateral compensations.

Foam Rolling
I try to foam roll daily, but typically I will get four or five days in even if it is only for five to ten minutes. Foam rolling is an EXCELLENT corrective technique that can alleviate tension in overactive or shortened muscle bellies. Muscles that are overactive or too tight account for much of the shoulder, hip, low back and knee pain people experience. By releasing the knots or tightness in muscles directly above or below a joint you can eliminate much of these pains with the use of a simple foam roller which is pictured at the top of this article.

Why Athletes Shouldn't Train Like Bodybuilders...

One of my favorite training quotes ever comes from famous bodybuilder Milos Savic regarding a time when he was asked whether or not bodybuilders were athletes and he replied, "We are not athletes, we are athletic mannequins." I was first exposed to this little gem when reading a book by renowned strenth coach Robert dos Remedios. To simply answer the question, "Why should athletes not train like bodybuilders?", you must look no further than Milos Savic's quote. Athletes are physically functional specimens: running, jumping, weaving, ducking, dodging, diving, cutting and the list of movements goes on. Bodybuilders are physical specimens in a visual sense. Underneath the rippling veins, perfectly sculpted muscular cuts and nearly zero body fat is a body that can't run fast, jump high, accelerate, decelerate or rotate in space. Bodybuilding is NOT FUNCTIONAL.

Athletes on the other hand are functional. A player's success in competition is determined by their ability to execute complex maneuvers with cunning precision in random, unpredictable and largely uncontrollable environments. Most sports require athletes to produce force and power in short amounts of time whether it be a running back breaking through a linebacker's tackle, getting the bat around on a 90 mph fastball or going up for an alley-oop slam. These tasks cannot be completed using isolated movements, seated exercises, exercise machines and working for "the pump". Pump, schmump - most bodybuilders couldn't run across the room to answer the phone let alone spike a volleyball, make a diving catch or snap off a wicked slap shot. Anything explosive or unpredictable about a set of 21's? I didn't think so either...

The moral of the story for all you young athletes, college athletes, pro athletes, recreational athletes - training like a bodybuilder is COUNTER PRODUCTIVE if you are an ATHLETE. You need to use closed chain movements (feet on the floor), explode, sprint, cut, plant, push, pull, rotate, anti-rotate, stabilize, squat and lunge your way to athletic superiority. If you goal is performance, injury prevention and function then stop doing seated workouts, stop breaking up your workout into "one muscle group a day" routines and for crying out loud - stop looking at yourself in the mirror so much and let your performance do the talking.

3 Tips for Six Pack Abs...

"How do I get six pack abs?" If I had a dollar for every time this ab question was asked, I'd be a rich trainer! Most people spend their time sitting up and crunching in their attempt to get a shredded six pack. Believe it or not, these people are going about their goals mostly the wrong way. I am going to give you three tips that will help give you the abs you want, without ever asking you to do a crunch.

Tip #1 - Eat Well
If you aren't eating well, you won't be able to see your abs. Sound nutrition is the biggest factor in keeping your midsection lean. Stay away from refined sugars, high glycemic carbs and enriched flour products which cause high insulin responses. Stick with eating lean proteins, complex carbs and snacking on good fats to balance insulin levels and maximize the body's natural fat burning capabilities throughout the day.

Tip #2 - Rotate & Chop 
Rotations and wood chops are some of the most under used movements in the gym, especially when it comes to shaping up the abs. Exercises like wood chops and rotational variations work numerous muscles in the trunk including the obliques, rectus abdominis and those cool looking serratus muscles that make your ribs look lean. Try including at least one rotational movement in your routine 2-4 times a week to shape these muscles and increase functional strength.

Tip #3 - Train On Your Feet
The reality for most Americans is we sit entirely too much. This causes the internal stabilizing muscles of the trunk to weaken and the stomach to protrude. By working out on our feet we increase the amount of calories burned in a session, thus making it easier to stay lean. We also will be forced to engage our core more which practically means you are working abs while you squat, lunge, bend, push and pull. With stronger stabilizers our stomach will flatten and with more work being done in the session it will be easier to keep the body lean.

Train Like an Athlete

So you're not Lebron James or Peyton Manning, but the truth is to maintain good fitness levels in your daily life it serves you to train like an athlete. Athletes represent human function and fitness at their highest levels and their training regimens hold the key to what we are all looking to achieve: leaner, healthier and more functional bodies. Whether you're a stay at home mom or soccer mom, armchair quarterback or weekend warrior, here are a few training tips you can take from the pros:

1. Train on Your Feet - If you're on your back in sports you're getting beat and if you're on your backside more often than not in life there's a good chance you're getting fat. Training on your feet works more muscles and forces often neglected core stabilizers and secondary muscle groups to get more work than you'd get on machines or sitting down. The equation is simple: the more muscles you use, the more calories you burn, the less fat you have!

2. Use Explosive, Reactive & Agility Based Movements - You don't have to be an olympic speed skater or be able to dunk a basketball to reap the benefits of asking your body to perform explosive and agility based movements. Utilizing exercises like ice skaters, ankle hops, box jumps, medicine ball throw downs and speed ladder drills improve coordination, balance, power, flexibility and muscular strength. Performing shuttle drills, cone drills and other various exercise where you must stop, go, start back up and cut can provide a functional and more entertaining cardio session than you get on the dreadmill.

3.Squat, Lunge, Bend, Twist, Push & Pull - The are the basic movement pattern in which our body functions. Designing your workout program to revolve around these movements will ensure you are getting a complete upper and lower body workout that translates into real world strength and coordination. No one puts groceries away sitting in a chair and reaching up or picks up a heavy box by sitting in a seat and lifting it up with their legs! These movement patterns are not only more functional, but they require a lot more energy, which again means less fat on your body!


4. Anaerobic Conditioning - This is the most technical sounding of my tips but we need to increase our anaerobic (non-oxidative) energy system's ability to produce energy and recover from exercise. This will lead to increases in total fitness, more work output in a given session and it will also create the metabolic disturbance we want to become a calorie burning machine. Increasing your anaerobic capacity can be done by incorporating interval training and strength based cardio training into your workout.

Four Reasons To Use The TRX

If you're active in the fitness community, you've at least HEARD about the Total Resistance eXercise (TRX) Suspension Training System. If you haven't, then you must read along because I believe this valuable piece of equipment is becoming an essential asset to all workout programs. The TRX was created by a fitness minded Navy SEAL who was looking to get some challenging resistance work in anywhere he could; hence the corporation's name Fitness Anywhere. Using a system of what appears to be some straps and heavy duty tie downs, this piece of equipment is rapidly proving to be the next great step in functional fitness. Having heard about this great tool through Coach Robert dos Remedios at College of the Canyons, I did some research, purchased a TRX and quickly began experimenting with all kinds of functional goodies. Now I am about half a year into utilizing the TRX and I implement it on a daily basis in my own workouts, my 2B FIT Camp and in my client's individual programs. Since I am crazy about the TRX and truly believe in it's use, I am going to give you four reasons you should be using the TRX.

1. Workout anywhere! This concept is what spawned the creation of the TRX, but it is true that you can literally workout anywhere you can tie off the TRX anchor. Anything sturdy like poles, trees, overhead beams, fences, soccer goals and field goal posts all can serve as an anchor. TRX even comes in a pack that allows you to anchor to the door jam in your own home! No more excuses for not exercising, you can get it in EVERYWHERE!

2. TRX is easily adaptable for all fitness levels. One of the greatest uses I have found for the TRX is with clients who have range of motion or strength deficiencies, especially in the lower body. Because your body weight is the resistance when using the TRX in most cases, you can easily adjust your angle and positioning relative to the TRX anchor to redistribute load or use the straps as a balance point to keep you stable. With exercises that are performed while standing (leg routines, rowing variations, push up variations, etc) you can simply adjust your body positioning to either increase or decrease the resistance, thus allowing just about anyone of any fitness level to get some work in some way or another.

3. You are working your core ALL THE TIME. A few weeks back I blogged about the core and stabilizer muscles that play an intricate role in the postural and structural health of our body. With the TRX you are always utilizing your core as you are required to balance and maintain your posture in a very unstable setting. Not only do the stabilizers in your trunk endure a tremendous amount of work, but the assisting stabilizer muscles in all major movements and throughout the shoulders, hips, knees and ankles are activated. This kind of work helps you burn more calories, reduces chance of injury and overall makes you stronger.
 
4. Some of the best posterior chain and shoulder work I have ever performed. That statement may sound crazy, but it is true. Athletes and common folk alike must work to maintain proper shoulder and posterior chain health. For athletes, they must be able to endure rigors of the game and be structurally sound. For your average Joe, his desk job and internet addiction is killing his posterior chain and shoulder stability. Using exercises like suspended hamstring curls, dynamic supine hip bridges, Y-T-W's and tons of row variations, I have found a way to safely and effectively correct common postural deviations. Believe it or not, after just a couple weeks of using the TRX, I saw muscles in my back and trap area I didn't even know existed! If nothing else, the TRX can be used as a GREAT corrective exercise tool for Upper Crossed Syndrome.

Bomberger Interviews Chandler

‎Chris & Jeff discuss a holistic approach to training, diet and even throw in a quick workout demo. Get Some!

Eat Less, Live Longer?

Seems logical right: Eat less, don't get fat, don't develop diabetes, don't increase of heart disease, stroke and all the nasty affects of eating poorly. Recent research is suggesting that not only is eating less healthier, but you may actually slow down that ol' biological clock that seems to pick up speed as we age.

Caloric restriction as a research discipline has actually been around for ages. The first demonstration of extending lifespan and improving health in rats by cutting calories was back in 1934, and since then the finding has been repeated in numerous species up to and including non-human primates. Animals subjected to caloric restriction while maintaining adequate vitamin, mineral, and protein intakes not only live longer, healthier lives, they also maintain vitality to an older age and have fewer visible signs of aging – such as white fur – compared to better-fed siblings.

The key here everyone: maintaining the appropriate intake of vitamins, minerals and proteins which are the building blocks of our human body. The concept is interesting and would love to see some human research. In fact, the idea reminds me of Ori Hofmekler's Warrior Diet, which employs regimented bouts of fasting and one period of over eating daily as a means to maximizing fat loss and energy levels. Interesting stuff....

It's Gettin' Real...

In the Whole Foods parking lot! Sounds ridiculous right? Well it is, I found this funny rap parody video about shopping at Whole Foods on Yahoo! This guy hits all the fun stuff about shopping at WF from the pestering solicitors out front to the hefty tab you'll ring up quick.

Shake Weight Spoof

Per some banter via Twitter with KTLA's Chris Schauble and Allie MacKay this clip from an episode of South Park was unearthed. I saw this episode awhile back and thought it was absolutely hilarious. The 30 second clip below had me literally laughing hysterically at my computer...Enjoy

Obese People Not Sexually Satisfied

Let's look at the laundry list of complications that arise from being obese:
- Increased risk for cancer
- Increased risk for cardiovascular disease
- Increased risk for metabolic disease & insulin resistance
- High blood pressure
- High Cholesterol
- Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
- Increased risk of stroke
- Increased risk of buying two plane tickets for one person

...AND now lets add decreased sexual satisfaction. The science is in and is not entirely shocking:

Obese men and women participating in a weight loss drug study reported that they were significantly less sexually satisfied than the general population. The study, published in the May issue of the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, also suggests women are less satisfied than men.

"Our findings contribute to a growing body of research that indicates obesity is associated with reduced sexual functioning and sexual quality of life," says study author Truls Ostbye, a professor in the department of community and family medicine at Duke University Medical Center, in a statement.- USA Today

I believe this study sheds some light on both the physiological and psychological effects of poor nutrition and lack of exercise. Abdominal fat and obesity in men is one of the leading causes of erectile dysfunction due to the lack of blood flow available to perform sexually and clearly there are some psychological and emotional barriers people will put up when they are not comfortable in their own skin. Unlike many of the other complications that arise from being overweight, sexual satisfaction is a result that can be experienced rather quickly once gets on the right track. The results of lower cholesterol won't be visible next week if you start to follow a good diet and begin exercising. Increased mood and increased libido from eating the right food, weight training and optimizing hormone performance on the other hand can have you feeling great shortly after beginning a program!

BombergerPT Wants YOUR Fitness Story!

As you are all aware I am hosting a fitness show on the new website called GabCast.Tv. I've recently been asked to expand my programming and I am looking to tell YOUR fitness story! Here's the type of content I am looking for:

- If you've lost 50+ pounds in a year
- If you hold a weight lifting record
- If you've overcome adversity, injury or physical limitations to reach a great fitness goal
- If you've achieved a great athletic goal
- If you've overcome an eating disorder

I am also looking for personal trainers, fitness coaches, nutritionists and alternative health professionals to interview as a special guest! If you're an expert in a unique field of health, fitness or wellness, please contact me! I want to interview you!

The interviews will be short (12-15 minutes) on a LIVE web broadcast. You'll need a GabCast account (I can help), a good internet connection and a webcam. My nightly shows air at 6:30pm PST, so you must be available for 15 minutes prior to the interview for prep and for another 15 minutes of air time.

Send your information to jeff@bombergerpt.com

Hope to chat soon!

Why Start So Basic?

Today I started with a new group of trainees and got into why I like starting most of my clients off with fairly basic and moderate workouts. I figured after going into detail with my clients today it would be nice to share the physiological and psychological benefits of building a strong fitness foundation.

1. Programming the Body - Nearly every single one of my clients starts the first couple sessions doing what I call my "Base Movements" which include: lunges, rotations, push ups, rows, pull ups or lat pull downs and shoulder presses. These are core exercises everyone should not only incorporate into their program, but learn to master in regards to technique. Of course there are hundreds of exercises out there, but the truth is most of the good, functional movements revolve around a similar movement pattern to the one's I've mentioned. Therefore, it is of great importance to 'program' the body how to properly execute these moves. Just like building a house, if your foundational technique is shaky, you're bound to have a collapse once you start building up.

2. Base Conditioning - Believe it or not, I prefer working with clients who are coming into my program with little to no experience. This is because I know exactly where they are going to be in regards to their base fitness level: ZERO. Clients with prior workout experience often become a tad argumentative when I start them off with stuff that seems "easy". Some listen when I tell them to not worry, others learn the hard way and argue themselves into a trip to the trash can. With newbies, I ALWAYS know where they are at and can safely progress them without destroying them. Why is that so important?

3. Building Client Confidence - When clients feel challenged, but not completely annihilated and feel like they can perform the exercises I give them they cultivate an essential ingredient to sticking with a program and seeing results: they build CONFIDENCE. I have found when people feel accomplished and totally capable of working out, they feel GOOD! The truth is, most people in the gym are trying to make themselves feel better, which means they come in with some sense of inadequacy. When a client comes in, sweats, moans and groans through a workout, but comes out on top, it builds their confidence. Having my clients feel good about themselves and what they are doing is number one in helping them achieve their goals.

GabCast.TV

As many of you may have noticed, I am part of a new project called GabCast.TV! It's a very cool concept that combines YouTube user generated content with live streaming video. Lucky you guys, I have been selected to be a featured host, which means I'll be streaming a live webcast Monday through Thursday on your favorite subject: FITNESS!!!! *round of applause* Now GabCast.TV is not available to the public quite yet, but some of you have already found your way onto the VIP list which will be extremely helpful in guiding me towards bringing you guys content you want and to help GabCast work out the bugs, no pun intended.

For those of you who have already viewed or plan on viewing in the next couple weeks before the project is completely live, please, Please, PLEASE do not be afraid to give me some feedback. All comments are necessary to help me figure out what people find the most entertaining and informative. I will have you keep in mind there are likely to be some technical difficulties over the next week or two, so stick with me and know its a part of the process that will get better as we close in on the launch date. Here are the cool things you can expect from tuning into my live web show on GabCast.TV for now:

- Mondays at 6:30pm PST will be a live workout you can follow at home or just sit back and take notes, I would prefer the former.
- Tuesdays at 6:30pm PST you guys will get the chance to sit and join in on a nutrition discussion with myself and nutrition professionals so we can all sit around debating, chatting and theorizing about what you should be eating and why!
 - Wednesdays at 5:30pm PST will be sort of a free discussion show that will allow users to ask me any and all fitness questions and my goal is to also include special guests and professional panel members to join in on hot topic discussions from time to time.
- Thursdays at 6:30pm PST I will be guiding you through another in-home workout! Be there or be sedentary, and we don't want that!
- Fridays I will upload a video for you guys to watch that will include demo workouts, informational segments and all kinds of goodies!

I will keep you all posted on this project and encourage my following to join in on the action if you can by visiting www.GabCast.TV and registering there. Once an administrator approves you, you'll be free to join the LIVE sessions! I am on the Sports & Fitness Channel under Fitness instructors, so come join in and don't be afraid to show me some love by rating how well you liked the show! Beware of the rating system, once you click a star you can't go back, so if you want to rate me all fives, make sure you click the fifth star :)