Visit Bodyspecs at for more Fitness and Sports Performance Information

Friday, January 27, 2012

Why combining Krill and Omega 3 is good for your joints...especially if you plan on training for a long time!!

We all have heard of the benefits of Omega 3 for its ability to provide a protective effect for maintaining healthy arteries but the new 'hotness' is Krill. Yes. The food of whales is now available for reducing the symptoms of OA osteoaarthritis.

Krill are among the most populous animal species on the planet. Tiny shrimp like crustaceans, found in the frigid waters of the Antarctic ocean . What makes Krill unique is its ability to help in reducing joint inflammation in combination with fish oil. Fish oil is great for maintaining healthy arteries by reducing inflammation caused by c-reactive proteins, and LDL ( bad cholesterol). However, unlike long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids from other animal sources, a high proportion of Krill oil fats are found in a form known as phospholipids which may help explain their unique function in joints.

OA is characterized by a degradation of the articular surfaces between the bone joints. OA can be painful and debilitating even when conventional drugs are used. Moreover, the key goal with these medicines is simply to reduce pain. Krill on the other hand in conjunction with fish oil is shown to have a significant improvement in reducing inflammation and pain by reducing the activity of C-reactive protein, a contributor to arthritic inflammation, by as much as 50%!

Another key factor in maintaining healthy cartilage is Hyaluaric Acid. This naturally occurring compound provides cushioning and joint lubrication found in all joints and is responsible in wound repair and regeneration. HA suppresses the damaging effects caused by enzymes that degrade the cartilage which leads to arthritis. HA can be taken orally but because of the size of the molecules this affects its bioavailability. This means that it is not readily absorbed from the intestine, thus dampening its healing effect on the damaged tissue. However, when combined with HA absorption is markedly improved.

Krill avidly consume algae. These algae contain axtaxanthin which is a powerful antioxidant and natural anti-inflammatory agent and has long been studied for its inhibitory effects on reducing cartilage damage caused by destructive enzymes.

In summary

  • Krill oil reduces inflammation and infiltration into the joint thus reducing pain and cartilage damage.
  • Krill when combined with HA and astazathin combined with fish oil has shown significant reduction in pain in less than 3 months.

would suggest trying Krill if you are already taking a fish oil supplement. If you are taking neither then it makes sense to give it a try. As always let your doctor know when you begin taking this combination. I recommend that if you have not begun to add fish oil to your healthy constitution you should!

*Sold at BSI

'Whatever you are. Be a good one'

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Not just for kids!

For those of you following this blog, you know that some of us are preparing for a race called the Tough Mudder. In preparation for this race not only do you need to build up your running endurance, but also train for various obstacles. It's easy to train for these various obstacles at BSI, however it's another story when you are away from BSI. What is a tough mudder to do? I will tell you, locate a playground! 

During my various runs I have re-discovered playgrounds. They provide an excellent training area. I have now found myself  searching them out and planning my runs around them. I forgot how much fun they really can be. I'm normally the type of person that just wants to run and "get it over with". Due to the nature of this upcoming race I know that in order for me to be successful I have to train differently which means stopping the run to climb, jump, balance or hop over something I wouldn't normally do. I now have found myself looking forward to stopping the run to "play"! 

During your next run, locate something, anything, to climb, jump, or hop on just for the fun of it. Do it just because you can and see how it feels to break the steady pace of running.


SEX.....part 2

Continuing my discussion there are sound medical reasons on how staying healthy can IMPROVE sexual performance and improve overalll libido:

1. TESTOSTERONE SURGE: Numerous studies have proven that the more muscle,the more testosterone which means less fat. Since fat has a blood supply it can be 'detoured' from where the blood should be going which is to establish a stronger erection. Hence, supplements like EXTENZE, CIALIS, VIAGRA... basically, these increase nitric oxide that makes the arteries walls more flexible allowing more blood to flow.

And on a serious note if you have trouble getting an erection [erectile dysfunction] then that means that you can be at risk for a myocardial infarction: HEART ATTACK!!!..So men if you find that you are using supplements to stay sexually active then get to your doctor right away for a heart check up.

2.CARDIO. Obviously. The more conditioned the heart is the better night you will have!!

3.BETTER THAN DRUGS. Sex more than 3 times a week has shown to improve moods, better relations and overall good moods..but we know that.

4.ANITOXIDANTS: This term gets overused. But having healthy arteries by eating fruits, veggies and red wine and fishe, not only reduces 'bad cholesterol' but significantly improves and sustains the blood pipes!

In conclusion, keep the fat off by weight training, do your cardio, eat your fruit and veggetables and if you have been doing this and you stil can't 'get it up' see your doctor right away....but if you follow all these tips then you can 'BARRY WHITE' all night long!!

Friday, January 20, 2012


Really? You think  easy for me. I, just like you, have days where I just don’t want to train. Some days it takes everything I've got to get up and out the door. Just because I am a trainer doesn’t mean it’s easy for me. As the old saying goes, “if it was easy, everyone would do it”.  I have found that once I am out the door and my training has begun, my endorphins  kick in, and the training becomes a bit easier. Yes, there have been sessions where I have said, “Okay this just isn’t working” but those sessions are few and far between.  

This is the time of the year where everyone is busy making New Years resolutions to train and get fit; some I’m sure which have already faltered. It is great to have a long term goal, but start with thinking about the little changes you can make on a daily basis and stick to them.

Okay. So what. You only got one training session in this week. Doesn’t mean you give up! Start again the next day.  Your training doesn’t have to be something crazy, involving 20 pieces of equipment and last 90 minutes. That was proven in the REP's class last Wednesday evening;) Tell yourself, you’re going to go and walk around the block, run to the corner and back or dust off a piece of that equipment in the basement and use it for 10 minutes. Whatever it is, commit to doing it 1-2 times a week. Another tip that I know works for me, is training in the morning. By doing this I don't have to worry about all the other things that might be "more important" and have to be accomplished.  

Every day you wake up is a new beginning.  I really believe that training is 90% mental and the other 10% is the actual training session. Put your mind to it and one day it will be easy for you!

Saturday, January 14, 2012


Some time ago I left you with a promise that I would discuss the 5 most common injuries among young athletes. I am breaking that promise because there is really 4 worth mentioning for this age group. Now before I begin there are a few disclaimers I must mention::
 DO NOT SUBSTITUTE THIS (blog) FOR MEDICAL ADVICE. See a physician:  A REAL ONE!  NOT WEB MD! or Dr. Oz! Preferably one who specializes in sports medicine or an athletic trainer who is qualified to treat, assess and management sport related injuries
  • This article addresses injuries in a unique population: Adolescent athletes
  • Don't rely on ' sports camps' to teach proper training and conditioning. They don't!
  • If your child tells you they 'hurt' especially after hours of practice and playing don't say. "its just growing pains. Man up" Most likely it is a legitimate injury and you are a terrible parent (just kidding)
This is a common site where rookie assessments are made as 'growing pains'! Often hip pain can be referred to the knee. Because these young athletes have not structurally matured, there are injuries to the growth plates that are quite common. Osgood-Shlatters is one of those 'injuries' that can manifest with increased joint stress: especially running and jumping sports. The patella (kneecap) tendon attaches to bone below the knee joint. That bone does not completely harden, so as the the muscle contracts, that force is transferred to this incomplete ossification which can cause pain.

Along with knee pain is the dreaded ACL tear. Now the difference with an adolescent ACL is that when it tears it usually takes a hunk of bone with it! With the increase in kids participating in sports these are becoming more common. This is the one injury where gender plays a big role. Females for example have certain orthopedic predispositions to ACL injuries. One, oddly enough, is too much flexibility at the wrong time. Second is poor hamstring and calf strength. You thought I was going to say quadriceps! Not so. The ability of the female to change direction or decelerate a landing requires a co-contraction(same time)  from the quadriceps and a strong hamstring. Another unique feature is valgus syndrome. Its where the knees 'collapse' inward after landing from a jump. This is bad and should be detrained. Again this is where a trained professional in sports performance should be sought out to fix this early in a young females budding sports pursuits.

Shoulder pain in young athletes is common among overhead sport athletes. The shoulder is inherently unstable, thus making it one of the most vexing of body parts to protect. Nevertheless, the rotator cuff is by far the most popular BUT it is not the primary culprit. When we evaluate a rotator cuff we evaluate mechanics of how the shoulder moves with respect to sport. Often times there are weaknesses that predisposes the RC to injury. In adolescent the offending activity is overuse and poor preseason, and in season conditioning.

Rotator cuff injuries are not as common in this age group as shoulder separation. This is not to be confused with shoulder dislocation. They are NOT the same. Shoulder separation involves the top of the shoulder where the end of the clavicle (collar bone) and scapula (shoulder blade) meet. You can place your index finger directly on top of this joint. Its boney and connected by a series of ligaments. Pain here can be mistaken for rotator cuff pain. Shoulder dislocation is when the humerus bone is displace out of it's socket. This is very painful and causes disability. There is a distinct look to a dislocated shoulder. A normal looking shoulder has a nice 'cap' or mound to it when you look at it from the side, front and back. Image that mound looking 'sunk' in from the side!
Get to a hospital right away if there is not someone on site who can reduce (put back in place) it.

Shin splints is the most annoying of all sport related injuries and the most misunderstood among coaches who actually think it is acceptable to get these pains as part of the sport! And its this mentality that causes unnecessary and preventable injuries such as shin splints. Shin splints is a 'waste basket' term for Anterior tibiaitis. This simply means that the muscle in front of the leg, anterior tibialis is inflamed! It gets inflamed due to it's inability to 'decelerate' foot 'slap'(when the foot lands to the ground after heel strike). This is the easiest to prevent when taught properly. Harder to treat when its full blown during in-season training. The symptoms are innocuous at first during preseason training and this is when it should be treated promptly.

I saved the best for last! Who HASN'T had one of the most common rite of passage injuries of all time? The most misunderstood injury in terms of treatment and prevention. There are many degrees of ankle sprains. The most common that puts athletes out for awhile is a grade 2 ankle sprain. This is swelling with some disability and mild to moderate ligament damage. Grade 3 is severe swelling, disability, and possible fracture combined with severe  ligament damage. Its what sportscasters erroneously call a 'high ankle sprain. This is an inappropriate term because the ankle sprains only occur at the ankle and BELOW it!

Now the key is aggressive treatment to prevent what can lead to a functional instability from not addressing stability during the healing phase. I'm still shocked at the conservative approach to ankle sprains since we understand them better and the implications it has in providing stability a far up as the lumbar spine!

 Always ice ankle sprains. Epsom salt in warm water does not work! Ice compression and elevation are key and early calibrated weight bearing and balance training. CAUTION: this should only be done by a trained professional! We have our proprietary technique to reducing ankle sprains as well as treatment protocols. Coaches would do themselves and their athletes justice by coming in and learning how to reduce the risk of this common problem.

"Rule #1 Do no harm to the patient
Rule #2 Be aggressive as you can
Rule #3 See rule #1"
-Gary Gray,PT on my first clinical day and the father of function and world renowned speaker on innovative orthopedic rehabilitation of sport injuries

Thursday, January 12, 2012

From the staff...

"Tough Mudder"

For those of you who don't know, there are a few individuals who are doing a race called Tough Mudder. It is 10-12 miles and, you guessed it, you're running through mud while facing 27  different obstacles.  Half of the obstacles involve water, two are unknown and the last one is running through a field of live wires, some of which hold 10,000 volts! Well that's one way to feel energized after a three hour race.

Training for this race is not as simple as running or lifting a few weights. It is a combination of training the whole body as well as the mind: taken right out of BSI's handbook, if we had one. This race is designed so that everyone will have to face their weaknesses as well as their strengths. Additionally, this race is a team effort, meaning, my weakness may be your strength and vice versa, so only together we will conquer all that stands in our way.

While running yesterday I found squish, wet and unstable mud that I ran through. This is not something I would normally do. Man, my legs were wondering what in the world was going on. I had to stay focused because it was slippery, my shoes became heavier and my footing was less. It took all my focus and balance, acquired at BSI, because I really didn't care to face plant right into the mud. Running in the mud was then followed by running on uneven grass, which did help to clean my shoes off. Returning to my car and stretching out, I couldn't help but laugh out load at what fun it was to run in mud. Two things I have learned while running in mud and will pass on to you: variety is good and always bring a spare pair of shoes, otherwise you will be driving home with only socks on your feet;)

Tough Mudder, I can't wait to meet up with you in April, bring it on!!!

Break free from your kryptonite!!!
From the staff...

Although it was the downfall of Superman we all have our own "kryptonite". It is that "thing" that keeps us from trying something new or keeps us from moving onto the next level. Do you know what yours kryptonite is?

Now that you have identified what your "thing" is, what are you going to do about it? Life is way too short to live with "things" that hold us down or prevent us from moving on. Yes, I know it's scary to have to make change and face something that is uncomfortable. However, the longer you allow your "thing" to keep you down the greater power it posses. Don't allow your "kryptonite" to hold the power over you. 

I faced my kryptonite last month, with someone who not only said I could do it, but that I had to do it. Someone who believed that I could do it. Who was surprised that I had never done it. What a feeling of empowerment, accomplishment and fulfillment after I concured my "thing". I was so proud of myself that I had to walk out the door sideways, okay not really but it did feel that way.  After that I began to think about what I would I take on next! What was my "kryptonite" it was jumping up onto the tall white box with both feet at the same time. Done and Done! Check, and moving on. That box has no power over me any longer. Not only do I now look at the box and laugh, I notice other "boxes" while running and I say "I can  jump up on that or I do jump up on it smile and continue running;)

With that being said it makes me think of the quote "what would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?"


Thursday, January 5, 2012


SundayFeb 26 11a-12p
Then the last Sunday of every month starting  


Advanced training 
techniques/training combos

WHO:Open to the public! WARNING:THIS IS NOT FOR BEGINNERS!! Anyone wanting to update current training techniques, learn new training techniques,TOUGH MUDDER training,general training & conditioning

For more details go to older posts. No need to register. Drop-in! Just bring intense attitude!
Call 734.827.2744 or for more info!!