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EMS- intense, effective and time-saving

by with No Comment Performance PackagePersonal Training EN

What is EMS?

Electrical muscle stimulation (or EMS) is a new training method in which the muscles are made to tense up by electrical impulses. A special suit equipped with electrodes directs the impulses to the specific muscle groups and causes them to contract. This principle, in contrast to normal training, allows deeper lying muscles to be accessed. Sports scientists and physiotherapists use this method to build up strength, increase performance or to recover after an injury.

 

How does EMS work?

With every movement we make in everyday life, the brain sends a command to tense the corresponding muscles by means of bioelectric impulses. During EMS training, this principle is amplified many times over, meaning that the muscles are put under much greater tension. Various training modules can be used to train individual muscle groups or stimulate the metabolic process. When used regularly, this time-saving and highly effective whole-body training does not only have a positive effect on general fitness and performance, but can also strengthen the back muscles in a targeted manner. The skin and connective tissue also benefit from EMS training. The contractions stimulate the blood circulation and thus demonstrably reduce cellulite.

 

How often is training performed?

Only twenty minutes of EMS training per week are sufficient to achieve training success. The pulse strength can be gradually adjusted according to the fitness level. To increase the training effect, we combine conventional training with weights or TRX bands with EMS training in a wireless suit. This allows freedom of movement and expands the training possibilities a lot.

 

What are the advantages of EMS-Training?

EMS-Training is versatile and is particularly suitable for strengthening back muscles, which are often neglected in everyday life. It can also be used to eliminate muscular imbalances. Through targeted training of the deep muscles, EMS-Training loosens tension and stimulates blood circulation. This in turn strengthens the connective tissue and ensures a finer skin texture – and all this with only 20 minutes of training per week.

Have we aroused your interest? Then book an appointment for EMS training today. We look forward to meeting you!

 

Your American PT Team

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Planking – Strong for the core

by with No Comment Performance PackagePersonal Training ENPhysiotherapy

The plank is considered the supreme discipline of core exercises. As simple as the forearm support may look, if you try to hold it for longer than 30 seconds, you quickly realize how many muscles are working simultaneously to hold the position and how much effort it takes to persevere in a supposedly resting position. What started as a snap idea of two teenagers led to a real mass phenomenon around a strong body core. Today, planking is an integral part of an effective workout and an essential part of personal training.

What does Planking mean?

The Plank has become a pioneer of all core exercises for muscle building, because with only one fitness exercise and without any weights, not only the abdominal muscles are trained, but also the trunk, back, leg, hip, shoulder and chest muscles at the same time. So one exercise is enough to keep the whole body fit and at the same time train coordination and endurance. Planking is great for preventing back pain or strengthening overall fitness. Sit-ups, on the other hand, train only dynamic strength and are therefore unsuitable for back training. Planking is therefore the ideal exercise for a healthy spine.

Why is planking so effective?

The forearm plank is an isometric exercise. It is therefore performed without movement. Isometric exercises strengthen the so-called maximum strength and endurance. Due to the continuous muscle tension, which is held as long as possible, the muscle is under maximum permanent tension (isometric contraction). Back pain is often the cause of a too weak trunk or a permanent incorrect load on the spine, for example due to long periods of sitting in the home office. The result is pain. Planks help to compensate for imbalances in the spine and can improve posture. Not only is the core strengthened, but the entire body – especially the back.

What muscles are used in planking?

Planking strengthens the entire body, especially the core, back, leg, hip and gluteal muscles, as well as the shoulders and chest. The longer the position is held, the greater the endurance and maximum strength is increased at the same time.

How does the Plank work?

When doing the exercise for the first time, care should be taken to perform it without pain. Therefore, it makes sense to approach the exercise gradually in order to avoid injuries. The starting position of the Plank is in the prone position and supported on the elbows. The shoulders should be placed just above or in front of the elbows. The easiest variation is to lift the pelvis and support yourself with your knees. If that is too easy, you can straighten your knees and support yourself on your feet. It is important that the knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line, that there is no hollow back and that the pubic bone is drawn towards the sternum. Now it’s time to persevere! First, try to hold the position as long as possible without losing tension. After that, you can progressively extend the time and gradually incorporate additional movements.

What are the variations of planking?

Meanwhile, there are many variants that target different muscle groups and increase the difficulty of the exercise. The classic variation is a wide base between both elbows and between the feet. You can further challenge the abdominal muscles by progressively pushing the elbows further forward or statically pulling the elbows toward the pelvis. To target the oblique abdominal and back muscles, one can lift either one arm or one leg alternately. If someone wants even more of a challenge, the plank can be performed on an unstable surface. A pezzi ball or exercise ball is best for this. Due to the fact that the forearms are on the wobbly exercise ball, enormous strength and stability is required to keep the balance.

 

Yours Michael Boettcher

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Reflexive Performance Reset – not only for competitive athletes

by with No Comment Altitude TrainingChiropracticPerformance PackagePersonal Training ENRegeneration EN

Reflexive Performance Reset, or RPR is more than just an ordinary therapy. It activates muscles that have a key function in our musculoskeletal system via certain reflex points. These key muscles give our body more support, bounce, energy and lead to more mobility in the long term. The Reflexive Performance Reset consists of different breathing exercises and the stimulation of certain nerves in the body, which help to increase the training success and prevent injuries.

When we are under constant stress and give our body little time to regenerate, it is inevitably put into stand-by mode. In this state, the body has little energy and performance is significantly reduced. Reflexive Performance Reset can help to bring the body back to its performance peak, reduce pain caused by compensating for poor posture, improve mobility and increase resistance to injury.

By activating specific reflex points that bring the body out of these damaging compensation patterns and targeted breathing exercises, the muscles can recover faster, you have more energy and are more resistant to stress. Whether you are a competitive athlete, an athlete or simply a sports enthusiast, the RPR concept is so simple and yet so promisingly designed that it can be implemented at any time. Just contact us!

Yours Michael Boettcher

Kettlebells

Kettlebells – dynamic and advanced training

by with No Comment Performance PackagePersonal Training EN

Kettlebells – or dumbbells – have been used as “round weights” for training since the end of the 19th century. Kettlebell training is highly effective: it involves training the entire body and promotes stability, mobility, strength and coordination. At the same time the cardiovascular system is stimulated and effective fat burning is achieved. In order to achieve optimal results, we use Kettlebells as part of the personal training in our practice in addition to other modern sports equipment.

Always in use – the body core

Training with Kettlebells addresses several fitness components simultaneously: strength, endurance, flexibility, speed and coordination can be trained with just one exercise.
Because most Kettlebells exercises involve complex movements that address entire muscle groups simultaneously, coordination and mobility are important components of Kettlebell training. Lighter dumbbells, which allow more repetitions, are also suitable for endurance and cardio training. Even though each exercise has a different focus – shoulders, arms, legs or back – the center of the body is trained each time.

The ideal whole-body training device

In contrast to training with other weights, the Kettlebell has the center of gravity of the training weight outside the hand. This means that the torso-stabilizing muscles always work with it. In addition, the dynamic exercises increase the condition and stimulate fat burning. Therefore the ball weight is also suitable for training units in HIIT or TABATA style. The goal of training with the ball weight is above all to build up functional strength, explosive power and stability and to strengthen the cardiovascular system as well as tendons and ligaments.

Convince yourself of the versatility of the ball barbells in individual or group training. Call us and arrange a free trial lesson!

Yours Michael Boettcher

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Fascial training

by with No Comment Performance PackagePersonal Training EN

Fasciae need movement

Anyone who wants to remain mobile, vital and pain-free in everyday life and during sports should do something for their connective tissue. In recent years, this insight has gradually gained acceptance in physiotherapy, sports science and medicine. Fasciae are attributed a special role in the musculoskeletal system. Regular fascial training relieves tension and pain and has even been proven to reduce cellulite. In general, it can be said that fasciae need exercise. Well-trained fasciae become more and more important, especially after midlife.

What are fasciae?

Fasciae are connective tissue sheaths that enclose muscles, organs and bones. Located under the skin, they form a network of connective tissue that runs through the entire body. In the process, the connective tissue is assigned important tasks: It transmits the power of the muscles, ensures that the muscle layers can glide well, communicates with the nervous system, serves as a sensory organ, provides protection and substance exchange for the internal organs and forms the basis for a beautiful body shape. What medicine has so far only believed in the muscles, will from now on also be credited to the fasciae.

Why are fasciae important for our health?

Fasciae react to stress and stimuli. If they become matted or sticky, pain and movement problems can be the result. Ideally, they are supple and elastic, but if our body is exposed to constant stress or lack of movement, the fasciae harden and pain is virtually pre-programmed. The connective tissue should therefore be trained specifically – 10 minutes of training twice a week is completely sufficient for this.

How can fasciae be trained?

For successful fascial training, only a few tools are required. With the so-called fascial roll, pressure is actively exerted on a specific muscle, which makes it easier to remove accumulated fluid from the capillary system. This method also favors the regeneration of the muscles, for example, after sporting overexertion. Fascial balls, on the other hand, can be used for massages, providing more mobility in the joints and promoting the sense of balance.

Yours Michael Boettcher

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Respiration – more than just live support

by with No Comment Altitude TrainingPerformance PackagePersonal Training EN

What is respiration?

Breathing is an important part of our body and our health. Air is sucked into the lungs through our nose or mouth, the lungs inflate and the air sacs expand. Once the lungs are full, the alveoli begin their actual work: the absorption of oxygen into the blood. This is controlled by our brain, or the so-called respiratory center. The carbon dioxide content of the blood plays a decisive role here. If this is too high and the oxygen content is comparatively low, the respiratory drive is triggered to bring fresh air into the body.

Why is breathing important?

Oxygen, which is brought into the body or rather the bloodstream via breathing, is not only important for the faultless functioning of our brain, it also has a great influence on organ function and the faultless functioning of cells. Correct and healthy breathing thus forms the basis for all other functions of the human body. Mechanical and nervous interactions between the movement of breathing and central body functions and organs of the human body have a direct influence on our health and well-being.

What can you do wrong with your breathing?

Shallow breathing, which is limited to the chest region, can lead to tension in the muscles that assist breathing. This tension in the chest region in turn leads to a flattening of the breathing and a consequent reduction in oxygen uptake. The consequences of shallow breathing include headaches, high blood pressure, fatigue and listlessness, tension, stress – but also panic attacks can be triggered by shallow breathing.

What are the long-term consequences of an incorrect breathing technique?

Stress induced by incorrect or shallow breathing has been shown to reduce the number of lymphocytes, which are essential for a functioning immune system. The body becomes more susceptible to disease, existing illnesses get worse and the healing process takes much longer. Another long-term consequence that should not be underestimated is pain caused by tension. These primarily occur in the shoulder and neck area or the head. However, shallow breathing can also have an effect on posture. Since the chest does not fully expand and the lungs do not expand, the shoulders are pulled forward and the upper back is curved.

Nasal breathing – the all-rounder

When breathing through the nose, the air is already filtered through the finest hairs and the mucous membranes when inhaled. It also enables a significantly deeper inhalation and thus contributes to a better development of the lower sections of the lungs. In addition, oxygen uptake is improved, which also benefits the cells and organs. The cells and organs are supplied with more oxygen and can perform their functions without restriction. The cells also benefit from a lower carbon dioxide content and are generally less exposed to stress. Another positive side effect of deeper breathing is relaxation. The muscles are supplied with more oxygen and do not overacidify as quickly. In addition, the parasympathetic nervous system, a part of the vegetative nervous system, which is primarily responsible for building and regenerating the tissue in our body, is activated. This results in a hormone release and the general well-being increases permanently.

In our practice for alternative medicine and physiotherapy, we offer various breathing exercises and therapy options so that you can breathe with lasting freedom.

Yours Robin Blau

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Why the FMS

by with No Comment Performance PackagePersonal Training EN

When I started working as a physical therapist, I would always get the question “What can I do to prevent the pain from coming back?” I would usually respond by suggesting that they go to a gym and build up their muscles around their core. Unfortunately it wasn’t long before they were back in my practice because they hurt themselves. In some instances, it was the lack of the trainers understanding of what the patient needed. In other it was the general lack of where the patient most needed attention. This frustrated me and so I set off to find a way to find out what my patients needed instead of just giving exercises in the hope that they would help the patient.

That is when I found the Functional Movement Screen. It was created by physical therapist and athletic trainers in order to access the risk potential in athletes for injury. IT worked so well that it was carried over into the general public. The FMS uses 7 movements and 3 clearing test in order to evaluate the mobility, stability and complex movements of the whole body. With each test having a possible score of 3 and an overall score of 21 we can see where each person is on the scale and set the priorities of a corrective strategy. The great thing about the test is that it provokes the dysfunctions that otherwise would go unnoticed until it creates a problem. It also lets the client feel what is happening instead of just showing subjective findings that could or not be the source of a potential problem in the future.

The first test is the deep squat. It gives us an overview of how the client moves and how the rest of the test will unfold. Holding a stick over their head, the client will squat down as far as they can. This shows us if the client has enough mobility in the shoulders, hips and ankles and their stability in their stability in the core and spine. It also shows if the upper and lower body can move independently from each other.

Next we have the hurdle step which lets us access the one legged stand and balance. The ankle and hip mobility will be challenged. This test also lets us see the ability to accelerate in athletes by showing us the stability in the pelvic area. The Inline Lunge challenges the core and tells us if the client can extend in the hip while lowering the body into the lunge position while showing ample mobility in T-spine and in the shoulder.

 

The most important art of moving well is having enough mobility. Here we test the shoulders by seeing how far the client can bring their hands together behind their back. In order to see if it’s a problem in the spine, the shoulder or because of pain we use clearing test to point us in the right direction. After the shoulder we check the hip by having the client lay on their back and pull their straitened leg as far as they can towards their chest. Problems can stem from insufficient core stability, tight hamstrings or hip flexor. Because mobility is so important, if one of these test are limited then they are the first priority. A client can’t have stability if they can’t get into the position.

This brings us to the last tests, the push up and the rotary stability. These tests show the tension between the front and back of the rump and left and right side. The push up is pretty strait forward; can the client push themselves up off the ground while maintaining a strait back? This shows if the abdominal muscles can provide enough static strength. The rotary stabilityis by far the most frustrating test of the all. In the quadruped position (on all fours) the client is asked to stretch their arm and leg out on the same side, bringing knee and elbow together and the stretching them out again. Here we see if one side can hold the other side while executing the movement. All these tests lead back to the first deep squat and how it was performed.

As you can see the FMS can pick up on slight to glaring insufficiencies and asymmetries in our daily movements. This lets us first tackle what the client needs most instead of whatever exercise comes to mind or is most difficult. It allows us as professional movement specialists to make adjustments to the body in order to insure that the body works as a whole. This increases performance in athletes, increases the metabolic rate for those looking to achieve a healthy weight or just keep pain at bay. If you enjoyed this piece and would like to find out more or even get tested, then we would be happy to hear from you. Because it’s our mission to help you be the best you can be!