Bob Gajda’s Total Body Training

(as featured in the July issue of Iron Man Magazine)Article by Steve Holman, featuring Bob Gajda!

Many athletes, body builders included, equate extreme flexibility with better performance. That’s debatable. In fact, Bob Gajda, former Mr. America, kinesiologist, and owner of the Gajda Health Plus Network, has this to say on the subject:

 “There is absolutely no scientific evidence that stretching or forcing a joint beyond its normal anatomical range of motion is beneficial. In fact, traditional orthopedic teaching holds that the ability to assume these abnormal postures and positions is itself abnormal. Hyperflexibility, in fact, is characteristic of a variety of pathologies, three of the most common ones being polio, Ehlers Danlos (the ‘India running man’) syndrome, and hypotonia (loss of tonicity of the muscles).

 If maximum flexibility were the test for athletic prowess, then victims of polio would be our best athletes. Legs that are partially or completely paralyzed by polio have almost complete flexibility accompanied by flaccid ligaments plus total lack of muscle tone. But these partially of completely paralyzed legs are extremely unstable and incapable of supporting body weight. This is in stark contrast  to the stability, throughout the full range of motion of the joints, required by athletic performance.”

 Interesting observations and something to think about the next time you’re trying to touch your heels to the back of your head.

–Steve Holman

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If you find yourself pushed for time and struggling to squeeze in a lengthy workout programme, help could be at hand in the form of Peripheral Heart Action (PHA) training, alternating upper and lower body resistance exercises, interspersed with short bursts of cardiovascular exercise and activity. Here’s our guide to PHA training.

 Busy? Pushed for time? Struggling to commit to three cardiovascular (CV) and two resistance training sessions every week? Well, so are a great many other people who are trying to keep fit and healthy. However, limited training time doesn’t mean that your fitness has to take a back seat. We have the solution; a training system that tones up muscles all around the body AND gives you a great CV workout–all in one session.

Interested? Then check out PHA training, which bring a whole host of benefits to your exercise sessions which include:

•  Saving Time
• All over conditioning
• CV training
• Fun 

So How Does PHA Training Work?

The theory behind a PHA workout is simple. By alternating upper and lower body resistance exercises, interspersed with short bursts of CV activity, your heart rate remains elevated throughout the session; which conditions the heart whilst thee resistance exercises tone and strengthen all around the body.

 By alternating between upper and lower body exercises, the heart has to work harder to shunt blood from one end of the body to the other, which is enhanced further with bursts of CV training. Combine that with warm-up, cool-down, and some light stretching and you have a formidable training package, compressed into less than 60 minutes. Two PHA sessions a week can make significant improvements to your all-around conditioning, whatever your current level of fitness.

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Between the vertebrae of your spine are 23 discs which act as a spacer and shock absorber. These discs have soft, gel-like centers surrounded by layers of fibrous tissues.

Sometimes, due to an injury or just aging, the material in the middle of a disc pushes to one side or even ruptures. This is called a bulging or herniated disc. Bulging or herniated discs can appear in the neck (cervical spine), the low back (lumbar spine), and middle/upper back (thoracic spine.

Symptoms of bulging or herniated discs are:

1. Pain: The severity and location of the pain depend upon which disc is herniated and how large the herniation is.

2. Pain which spreads over the buttocks, down the back of one thigh and into the calf.

3. Pain occuring in one or both legs.

4. Numbness, tingling, or weakness in the legs or feet.

5. Bowel or bladder changes.

6. In severe cases, inability to find comfort when laying down.

7. Inability to fully straighten your neck or back.

8. Numbness, tingling, or weakness in one or both arms.

TREATMENT

Chiropractic care works on correcting misaligned or out of place vertebrae and can remove the pressure placed on the nerve endings that line the surface joint and course through the space between the joints, reducing pain and improving flexibility and function.

Other stratgies that may help reduce the chances of having a herniated disc include: Practicing good posture: standing and sitting straight and keeping your back straight when lifting objects; Maintain a healthy weight; Exercise regularly; Avoiding high-heeled shoes; If sitting for long periods of time, get out of your chair every 15 to 20 minutes and walk for several minutes.

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The idea that “stretching” is a healthful adjunct to exercise or even a beneficial end in itself is sheer fantasy. In fact, the errors we’ve made about stretching both in terms of word usage and physiological practice in our athletic culture can be traced as far back as the history of the word “stretch” itself. Of the 24 definitions in the Oxford English dictionary, none refer to any healthful benefits and many meanings of the word support the physiological truths warning us not to stretch. Although an unpopular thing to say, stretching can be outright dangerous to your athletic goals/ we know what you’re thinking, “Everybody does it, so it must be good.” But everyone used to smoke too. Just because we all do it doesn’t make it right. But don’t fret, after popping the fantasy bubble about the myths of stretching, we’ll show you a safe replacement that does far more for an athlete than what stretching claims to do. And you don’t need to be a Cirque de Soleil performer to do it.

Ask us about the DROM program offered at our GHPN locations!

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I have been seeing a number of people with lower body injuries. These injuries have ranged from post surgical knees to a stubbed tow. The Health Plus Network protocol in the rehabilitation of lower extremity injuries requires the introduction of stability training.

Stability training is one of the key ingredients to what Health Plus Network calls performance training, through the vehicle of stability training, is to utilize an individual’s own senses by using their body weight or a portion of their body weight as the primary resistance. The principle  that makes performance training different is its focus toward body awareness and body control. These are the sense that are developed through stability training.

In rehab and training in general, it is strange that stability training is not always incorporated. The use of stability training is not only the first step in rehab, but it is also the first step toward prevention and performance. In cases where injury rehabilitation is the foal, stability training is used to re-develop specific nerve endings. When an injury occurs to a joint the never endings that report the joints position (which are called proprioceptros) to the motor cortex of the brain are distorted or destroyed. Stability training will re-establish the injured nervous pathways and/or develop new paths.

To prevent injuries, the development of new pathways enhances that person’s ability to perceive poor and injurious joint position. The increase in perception enables the individual to perform properly while avoiding injury through asserting correct body alignment.

The first stability training that Health Plus Network initiates is through a device called a kinesthetic primer (KP) board. The word kinesthetic means the correct transfer of body weight. The KP board board primes the transfer ability.

The KP board is comprised of two pieces of wood, and 18x15x3/4 piece of plywood, and a 2×1 1/2x 18 inch slat. The slat is attached in the middle of one side of the board running the length. The two pieces together create a type of teeter board. This teeter board, when stood upon, requires the user to slowly shift his or her body into alignment and balance.

The user will frequently shift off center due to the naivete of that person’s motor pathways. However, the more input to the nervous system, the more the need for increasing the difficulty giving rise to a new system designed for performance.

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Arthritis is the most common chronic disease in the world, and it’s the leading cause of disability in the United States. There are more than 100 types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common form–it affects some 21 million Americans. Because it becomes more common with  age, nearly everyone older than 65 has at least some arthritis.

 Easing Symptoms

There is no cure for arthritis, but there are many ways to reduce your symptoms and prevent disability.

Exercise: Regular exercise can limit pain, reduce stiffness, and improve balance. Physical Therapists can help you get started. 

 Protection: Overuse of arthritic joints can lead to pain, swelling, and additional damage. If you are having a flare-up, take some time away from exercise and rest your joints. Don’t stay in 1 position for too long. Avoid positions or movements that put extra stress on joints. If necessary, use adaptive aids, such as long-handled grippers for reaching objects that are out of reach. 

 Weight control: If you are overweight, losing weight can reduce pain by taking pressure off of your joints, especially your knees and hips. 

 Hot and Cold Therapy: A warm shower or bath can relieve the morning stiffness and relax joints and muscles before exercise. Cold packs, which reduce inflammation, can ease pain after exercise or injury. 

 Exercises for Particular Joints

 Hand: Open your hand, holding your fingers straight. Bend the middle finger joints. Next, touch your fingertips to the tops of your palm. Open your hand. Repeat 10 times with each hand. Next, reach your thumb across your hand to touch the base of your little finger. Stretch your thumb back out. Repeat 10 times. 

 Shoulder: Lie on your back with your hands at your sides. Raise one arm slowly over your head, keeping your barm close to your ear and your elbow straight. Return your arm to your side. Repeat with the other arm. Repeat 10 times. 

 Knee: Sit in a chair that is high enough for you to swing your legs. Keep your thighs on the seat and straighten out one leg. Hold for a few seconds. Then, bend your knee and bring your foot back as far as possible. Repeat with the other leg. Repeat 10 times.

 Hip: Lie on your back, legs straight and about 6 inches apart. Flex your toes toward the ceiling. Slide one leg out to the side and then back to its original position. Try to keep your toes pointed up the whole time. Repeat 10 times with each leg.

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